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A serious question regarding production

Over the last 2-3 years, I've been analyzing my improvements when it comes to EDM production. But with time, it seems like there are downfalls as well.

I've been pretty busy with school and applying for university for next year. When I'm at home, I usually mess around with Acid + Reason, vst effects, and samples. I've picked up a lot of 'know-hows' regarding sound design and what not.

I can get musical ideas down and come up with some cool sounding loops and stuff. But, that's as far as I seem to be going. I've been making small loops that are just repeated over and over again in 'loop' mode and when I get tired, I just lose interest the next day. This is how I don't get any tracks finished.

So my question is, what do you guys start your tracks with & what process does it go through, until the finished product. I don't care about sound quality. That stuff comes after.

When you guys compose tracks, do you think of a sound and replicate that via VSTi instruments or just jam along and see where it takes you? I'm really interested in knowing different producer's 'thought patterns' when it comes to production.

one last thing I want to try and ask you guys is, listen to this small loop I made. If you can provide me with an input as to what your reaction would be if you were making this into a full track would be. This is one way I can analyze my own self and compare to see where I lack in terms of skill.

[[ LINK REMOVED ]]


Thanks everyone for any input.

:

From my point of view. Your questions results in many answers. I mean personally I generally start of with a drum line and a bass line then work in some sound. Others may start with a lead/melody and then structure the rest around that, as there is really no sure answer.

But the best thing to do is to attempt as many methods as possible to get an end result, even leave it if your happy with it and approach it again another day with a fresh mind, and perhaps with fresh ideas.

perhaps map it out on paper, so many bars i run with this, then change here, and run with that etc.

hope that helps

edit: also put your audio in a stream to, people are funny about DL stuff of the web

Couldn't listen now, but there's just too many ways to answer your question.

Some people compose by having an idea of the atmophere they want to create, others have bassline rolling around their hed, some doodle on a keyboard or even paint notes until a melody appears....

I've done all of those approaches and more at one point or another and sometimes all of them in one track.

If you're a loop building kind of guy, then try copying certain midi parts (anything from perc hits to pad parts) and loading them in to a vst track and trying loads of patches - something will pop out to give you direction.

Get three or four good loops in a session and try just muting and unmuting parts *set a tarck to record the group output incase something happen that you want to keep). this can be a great way to get a basic phase structure going.

I could go on but I think you get the point, so many ways to do something. Everytime you even begin to loose interest just change it up.

hey, i sometimes start with playing a pattern on my keyboard, looping that over say 8 bars and changing one or two notes each bar to variate it in the sequencer window.

Sometimes i start by playing some chords too. Once you have those you know the cars notes and bass patterns are not hard to come by even if its just oompa to start with. Then you also have things like arps you can use from those chords. So without making much else bar drums you have an arp, pad. Bass. Combine that with the first thing i said and your away.

Why not try to follow the arrangement of a track you dig. So like 'ok 8 bars of drums to start, then fill, them bass and pad' least you have direction. You don't need to copy the song just add new elements when you hear them in the reference song. I did a remix doing it this way and the label loved it.

Sonic, it's a common problem. I know a guy that in 3 years has not finnished a track and I think it's down to the fact he gets all excited with that first 'fun' part where a new loop sounds really fresh and cool, but then he gets bored and cant maintain the interest to see it through.

Making a full track I think is hard work and there are always points I have to kick myself along - for me those parts I find the most tedious to finish are things like the build up into the main chorus and adding lots of fx and interest throughout.

You either just have to accept you'll only ever make loops for fun or you have to find it in yourself to do the hard work. A nice looking garden is 95% hard work!!

quote:

Originally posted by Richard Butler Sonic, it's a common problem. I know a guy that in 3 years has not finnished a track and I think it's down to the fact he gets all excited with that first 'fun' part where a new loop sounds really fresh and cool, but then he gets bored and cant maintain the interest to see it through. Making a full track I think is hard work and there are always points I have to kick myself along - for me those parts I find the most tedious to finish are things like the build up into the main chorus and adding lots of fx and interest throughout. You either just have to accept you'll only ever make loops for fun or you have to find it in yourself to do the hard work. A nice looking garden is 95% hard work!!

Thanks lol but its not my thread i was offering some advice =p

not much there really so can't comment on the form

the production is very dated. The sidechain bass is going to make jesus cry. The kick needs to be more present.

quote:

Originally posted by Richard Butler I know a guy that in 3 years has not finnished a track and I think it's down to the fact he gets all excited with that first 'fun' part where a new loop sounds really fresh and cool, but then he gets bored and cant maintain the interest to see it through. Making a full track I think is hard work and there are always points I have to kick myself along - for me those parts I find the most tedious to finish are things like the build up into the main chorus and adding lots of fx and interest throughout.

That pretty much sums up my problem.

I will try the methods all of you guys have suggested. Thanks.

quote:

Originally posted by RichieV not much there really so can't comment on the form the production is very dated. The sidechain bass is going to make jesus cry. The kick needs to be more present.

Ya I was just screwing around on that loop. By the way, the bass wasn't side-chained. I usually don't beef it up unless I'm satisfied with how it's coming along 'musically'. So that explains why the kick doesn't have a lot of punch to it. Overall, it's just a 15-20 min work. Nothing special.

then why post it.

quote:

Originally posted by RichieV then why post it.

Have to agree there, if you want to know where you lack in skills surely posting your best effort makes the best sense. Post something your pleased with then you can get an honest opinion. =)

quote:

Originally posted by Richard Butler Sonic, it's a common problem. I know a guy that in 3 years has not finnished a track and I think it's down to the fact he gets all excited with that first 'fun' part where a new loop sounds really fresh and cool, but then he gets bored and cant maintain the interest to see it through. Making a full track I think is hard work and there are always points I have to kick myself along - for me those parts I find the most tedious to finish are things like the build up into the main chorus and adding lots of fx and interest throughout. You either just have to accept you'll only ever make loops for fun or you have to find it in yourself to do the hard work. A nice looking garden is 95% hard work!!

That's was my problem and now I have decided to really focus on finishing stuff that I start. It was exactly how you described it: I would make a short loop, get bored and think that my next loop adventure would somehow be different.

quote:

Originally posted by Sonic_c Have to agree there, if you want to know where you lack in skills surely posting your best effort makes the best sense. Post something your pleased with then you can get an honest opinion. =)

I need to reformat the computer soon. My other files are on an external drive. That little loop I posted was something I was doing at that moment that I posted the thread.

Just to be clear though, I didn't want opinions on the loop. I know where I lack or have confidence in terms of sound design. Like I mentioned earlier, that loop was just an example of my 'thought pattern'.

What I wanted was for you guys to share some of your own ideas when it comes to producing, getting stuck, inspiration, etc... I apologize if I didn't make that clear on the first post.

Funny because I have the opposite problem:

I used to jump from different themes and loops alot in ONE track, end result was a bunch of cool sequences put together but with no apparent cohesion other than transition parts

Truthfully, SGL, you should really consider taking music production as a more serious hobby, its a bitch when you want to mess around with those loops I know haha I love my little things I make that don't go anywhere but hell, I love my finished tracks even more!

I always start with not having an idea, lol, sounds retarded but its true, if you have an idea, you will make part of a song and then get a mind block and you will most likely forget the project and dump it, and start a new one, as you do with your loops.

I like to make a basic melody first, some nice gated pads with some complex and simple chords, and then work on adding some basic entities into a mix, i.e percussion, kickdrum, crash and some pluck synths and maybe a snare. From there, I would make a plethora of melodies and pads to see which I like best, and then take it from there, but remember that uniqueness is key, heres a little tip to add some art neuvo or however you spell it - Set all your mixer tracks to a Pre-master track, and set that track to another track I usually call FILTER (ALL) , and then route to master, that way I can control the entire mix with a plugin fx filter or whatever I want, and it sounds kinda funky if you use it right!


Here is an Example of some 4 hour beat bashing I made at 2AM last night: [[ LINK REMOVED ]]


SGL, if you have any thing you want clearing up with you, I'd be happy to help mate!


Andie

Just feel the groove man. You will finish a million tracks.

http://www.myspace.com/sevengreenlights

This was my myspace page where I did a few tracks back like 2 years ago. Out of those 3, I was quite satisfied with 'sunset city'.

Phrequency, I got your PM. I'll add you after I'm done reformatting my computer today.

Alright dude

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