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-- Do you ever get the urge to just throw in the towel?
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Originally posted by Mr.Mystery Oh, I have majority of it saved on this laptop. It's just that I had everything modified just the way I wanted them to be and it's going to take ages to get it all together again. Dunno if it's worth the hassle.

Aaah, gotchya.

Well, hopefully it can feel like a fresh start (again) and give you a new, inspirational perspective (again)...heh.

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Originally posted by david.michael Aaah, gotchya. Well, hopefully it can feel like a fresh start (again) and give you a new, inspirational perspective (again)...heh.

And you've got to love the irony too.

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Originally posted by nrjizer At some point JBJ you have to let go of the pressure. It's kind of a fucked up catch 22. You want to be making quality music, but it's your relentless drive that is also your hinderance. I've experienced a lot of the same frustrations. Within 4 months of buying Logic and making a serious committment to production, I had created a track that ended up being signed. It's no crown jewel of a track, but it's solid tune and it received positive feedback from some respectable and fairly well known names. After that track was signed, I expected my production output and quality to just go up linearly from that point. That was a year and a half ago. Instead, the opposite happened. Expectations turned into pressure, and pressure turned into stagnation. In retrospect, I see that I was able to create that track becuase I had absolutely zero expectations at that time of creating anything that would be signed. After all, I was only 3-4 months into the game. As such, there was no pressure involved in writing it, and I was able to simply finish it and be content with it. I was quite suprised when it got picked up. Looking back at the last year and a half of my attempted productions, I can not only see a steady improvement in the overall quality and competence of my compositions, but I can pick out a few stalled out projects that were actually pretty damn good. I was unable to see this at the time, however, because I was too busy comparing my tunes to those of my musical heroes. If you're climbing a mountain and you're solely fixated on the top, then you're unable to actually see just how far you've really come. That soundcloud track I posted on the Ishboard was the first thing I've actually been able to flesh out into a full length, start to finish musical expression in a long, long time. It was composed entirely from scratch in the span of 3.5 hours. I had been working on a groove for the past 2 weeks that had completely stalled out, and out of frustration I decided that I was just going to open a new project file and try something else. Within about 60 seconds of noodling I had come up with that bass pattern, and the rest I just completely cranked out without any real expectations. It was only when I was finished that I was able to listen to it and realize that I had actually created something that was (relatively) good. It wouldn't have happened had I not just let my creativity flow without hinderance (This is the track, if anyone's curious). Remove your expectations and pressures. This includes the pressure of trying to write something that you or anyone else could spin. Just make music. You're not going to reach the quality level of your musical heroes if you don't allow yourself the time and space to develop as an artist.

Again great post. I to have been working on something for some weeks. Only this past week decided to start something new. My trouble is letting go whne its not working. If I have something good but just grinds to a halt I just have to keep going. I'm working on letting go much sooner now when that happens.

OT - The thought has entered my mind in the past but I can see improvemnet all the time so I know I'll reach my goals. So I have to keep going. Music is my passion so I couldnt do without it. Ive had breaks though. During the early part of production when I didnt have a clue there was months when I didnt do much.

Recently though, around xmas 2007 I decided to invest in some books and learn the things I didnt know, that would further my skills. It was around 2 months and I didnt produce a thing.

It was good learning and I was itching to make something but I held back till I finished these books. Once I got back in there, it really helped as I applied all I learnt. Now in 2009 I would stil take a break, its sometimes needed. Prob just a week or 2 though.

Anyway each to there own, you have to do what you have to do at the end of the day mate.

Back up frequently. Back up often.

I run a file server in my house that stores EVERYTHING (3tb worth of movies/music/samples/projects/software/photos/etc) it's raid 5, so if a harddrive shits all over itself I just swap a new 1tb drive and rebuild the array.

And I back that up to an external hard drive.

I am also researching off-site rsync servers that I can upload everything to. I'll pay a monthly fee, but as long as it's private it'll be worth it incase my house burns down.

Call me obsessive, but I've been burned so many times by massive data losses that I've become paranoid over the years.

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Originally posted by wrzonance Back up frequently. Back up often. I run a file server in my house that stores EVERYTHING (3tb worth of movies/music/samples/projects/software/photos/etc) it's raid 5, so if a harddrive shits all over itself I just swap a new 1tb drive and rebuild the array. And I back that up to an external hard drive. I am also researching off-site rsync servers that I can upload everything to. I'll pay a monthly fee, but as long as it's private it'll be worth it incase my house burns down. Call me obsessive, but I've been burned so many times by massive data losses that I've become paranoid over the years.

Amen on that!

after i got myself a mac and using timemachine, backup goes of itself. damn good stuff, just plugin an external disk once a week and ur done. now if my house burns down its all lost though so im considering finding a fireproof safe for my disk and most important papers.

I'm wondering if there's a service out there that allows me to snail-mail my data to them.

I calculated how long it will take to upload 3TB at 96 KB/s:

3,221,225,472 KB divided by 96 KB/s = 33554432 seconds

Or...

388.3614814814815 days

So yeah. I'm going to see if I can just send them some hard drives, have them copy it over, and then from then on rsync over the Internet.

What you do Adam is train your daughter when she starts school to do a tape back up diff every morning before school and take that tape and store it in her locker! Tell her thats how shes gets her lunch money or something...

Good idea!

Awww... that'd be so cute. Having her put a tape backup in her little pink back-pack before she climbs on the school bus.

Adorable.

Yea, make it totally automated, have your computer generate checksums while she sleeps and when she makes the back up in the morning she has to verify the checksum of the tape in another computer. If it deosnt compute, the fridge wont open and no milk and juice!

I think that might be some sort of child labor violation but you can probably pass it off as a chore to CPS.

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Originally posted by Joss Weatherby Yea, make it totally automated, have your computer generate checksums while she sleeps and when she makes the back up in the morning she has to verify the checksum of the tape in another computer. If it deosnt compute, the fridge wont open and no milk and juice! I think that might be some sort of child labor violation but you can probably pass it off as a chore to CPS.

LOL now that funny.

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Originally posted by palm after i got myself a mac and using timemachine, backup goes of itself. damn good stuff, just plugin an external disk once a week and ur done. now if my house burns down its all lost though so im considering finding a fireproof safe for my disk and most important papers.

Good idea on the fireproof safe might get one. Been thinking of getting a fire proof filing cabinet. Those are very handy being much bigger, for files, papers etc

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Originally posted by palm after i got myself a mac and using timemachine, backup goes of itself. damn good stuff, just plugin an external disk once a week and ur done. now if my house burns down its all lost though so im considering finding a fireproof safe for my disk and most important papers.

Good idea on the fireproof safe might get one. Been thinking of getting a fire proof filing cabinet. Those are very handy being much bigger, for files, papers etc

probably think of the same thing i just dont know the right words. the safe i want needs to have room for A4 sheets too as i have contracts, graduation papers, payrolls etc etc which would be a pity to loose. i bet it costs dollars though

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't all safes by definition fireproof?

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Originally posted by Fledz Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't all safes by definition fireproof?

No. Not all safes are created equally.

Re: Do you ever get the urge to just throw in the towel?

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Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles Uninstall the software, delete the project files, the finished tracks, the samples and synth banks, sell off the synthesizers, mics, and audio interfaces?

oh yeah.... Very frequently.... It's a sign of a burn-out. And I have scaled back significantly. Some synths I felt attached to were not used - sold them.

What it comes down to is lack of structure, IMO.

You may laugh but I found inspiration in readin Ray Bradburry's "the zen of writing". He reflected on writing as something u do as an outlet. Basically something along the lines of 'let your imagination run wild and then run after it, writing down"

he also said that he commitee himself to writing every day, even something sensless. This forces you to think and practice.

I don't agree entirely - I think inspiration is key. So it's important to capture what inspired you... But even if not, ask yourself why r u in it? Fame? Money? Success? Recognition? If so, be real with yourself and if u r not in it - take a break. I had lapses of 2 months or more but then come back and it's all new again.
Listen to other music, try other styles, do something simple. And do like BT - "the secret to my success? I finish absolutely everything I start"

Roger Shah shared on forum last week this bit of wisdom: "I sit down with an idea already in mind." experimenting, side tracking, programming should be done separately, where possible. Get an idea, work it and finish it. It will never be perfect that moment. But I found out that some thing that you may not like are what makes it special some time later and becomes part of the picture... this is not always the case but more often than not it's true.

To finalize - think of it like a relationship. it's over like relationship - when your heart is no longer in it and it's more pain than joy.

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Originally posted by mfitterer1 It kind of sucks. I miss the days when I didn't know how everything was created in tracks. Everything has lost it's luster now. I still get satisfaction from edm and producing but I don't get really moved by it anymore because I know everything that is happening technically within a track. The exception to this is when I get drunk or smoke a bowl and then listen to music. It then is like the old days. What i'm getting at is this. Music means different things to everyone. I think you just need to find what it is you're looking for within music.

damn Thats depressing. I'm Still at the base of this mt. Everest. Hope once I get to the peak it won't loose it's luster.

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Originally posted by palm probably think of the same thing i just dont know the right words. the safe i want needs to have room for A4 sheets too as i have contracts, graduation papers, payrolls etc etc which would be a pity to loose. i bet it costs dollars though

Yes I believe they are expensive. The filing cabinet maybe cheaper. worth the investment which ever one. And can be kept for a lifetime to store anything so money spent very very well.

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Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles Sometimes I think I am like a dwarf who is practicing basketball really hard every day and deluding himself that he can make it into the NBA.

Why do you drink water, Brian? Is it because you're thirsty at the time, or because you want to take a major royal piss sprinkling sparkles and hot joy afterwards? Don't do it because you want to be a super star: do it because it is fun!

(even because an EDM super star nowadays is almost as relevant as Baruch Spinoza to the average person... they probably think Spinoza is a kind of dried Italian sausage anyway )

I am not talking about being a "super star" or even just getting signed but reaching my personal goals in terms of production quality. Anyway I have been feeling more optimistic since deleting all my old stuff. :-)

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Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles I am not talking about being a "super star" or even just getting signed but reaching my personal goals in terms of production quality. Anyway I have been feeling more optimistic since deleting all my old stuff. :-)

Tbh mate everyone feels or has felt that way. If you do decide to keep going onbe day you'll reach your goals. Glad to hear you're feeling more optimistic

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Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles How expensive does the equipment and DAW have to be to allow a person to make good music? What will I need to buy to take the next step up? Will Logic be required, or will Cubase suffice? Will an Andromeda suffice, or shall I seek out a vintage analog poly like a Jupiter 8?

http://www.kilowattsmusic.com <-- This guy uses/used Cubase as his primary sequencer. You can't go wrong with either of the sequencers you mentioned...the learning curve is primarily the unique element between them.

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Originally posted by Eric J Agreed. When you are a modern day music legend, I don't think you have much to worry about, although I don't think HE thinks of himself in that way.

Oh, I have a feeling he's pretty high on himself, Eric. He can't help but let that bulging ego seep out when conducting the occasional interview. Anyway, I'm glad to know Meriter doesn't know about BT...frankly, I'm tired of the drama he attracts and as far as technically gifted producers we both know, you can't forget Richardson's (TX) own KiloWatts.

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Originally posted by vinnie97 http://www.kilowattsmusic.com <-- This guy uses/used Cubase as his primary sequencer. You can't go wrong with either of the sequencers you mentioned...the learning curve is primarily the unique element between them.

I was being sarcastic.

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