Invest in a versatile keyboard synthesizer. If your budget can handle extra equipment, you can enrich your electronic sound by investing in additional electronic instruments, such as a drum machine or a sampler. As a cheaper alternative, you can generate electronic music by downloading a digital audio workstation for your computer (you will need this anyway for your recording), such as Logic, GarageBand or Reason. You ill also need a MIDI controller keyboard with an attached USB cable.
Hook up your equipment. If you choose the cheaper route, connect your MIDI controller to your PC and install your recording software (if you have not installed it already). To connect a synthesizer to your computer, you have several options. You can connect using a MIDI cable, but you will need a MIDI USB interface in order to connect to your PC. You can use a 1/4"-to-1/8"-inch stereo cable and connect to your computer's "Line-In" jack. However, that will only give you monophonic sound quality. For best results, connect an audio interface (sold in music stores) to your PC, and connect your synthesizer to the interface using stereo cables.
Open your recording software and create a track for recording. A track is simply a layer of music. You can record as many layers as you need (for example: percussion, bass and melody would comprise 3 layers). You can find the "New Track" option on your menu bar. If prompted to choose a track type, select "Audio" for stereo connections, or select "MIDI" for MIDI connections. Sometimes, the "MIDI" option will read "Software Track" or "Instrument Track."
Select a patch for recording. A patch is just a sound setting on your synthesizer, such as a deep bass, a bright keyboard lead or a soft harmonic pad. If you understand synthesizers, you can create your own patches by adjusting the oscillators and filters. Otherwise, just use the presets on your synthesizer menu. If using a MIDI keyboard instead of a synthesizer, select patches using your computer software, accessed from your track options panel.
Record your first layer of music onto the track that you previously created. For example, you might lay down a steady bass line, or begin with an electronic drum beat to set the tempo. After you have selected your patch, just press the "Record" button on your software window. Press "Stop" when you finish recording. You now have your first layer of audio. Unlike more rigid genres, electronica encompasses many different styles and influences, so feel free to explore different types of beats and melodies using your electronic sounds.
Create a second track and add your second layer of music. For example, if you created a thumping drum beat on the first track, you might add an echoing bass line on the second track. Continue in this fashion until you finish your song. Unlike traditional music, which relies on a small series of instruments to create music, electronica is a layered style, sometimes containing dozens of overlapping recordings. Add as many tracks as you need to create a rich, electronic arrangement.