What are the top 5 main things that have helped you produce the most?

And what are the top 5 "traps" that have kept you from progressing in your music productions?

helped:
1) getting a new pc
2) getting active on the ta production forums
3) listening to pro trance music
4) learning the importance of eq'ing and compression
5) getting 'Synthology Essentials' presets for V-Station, and realizing how powerful that synth really is

traps:
1) lack of patience
2) lack of time
3) getting 'depressed' when not reaching my high standards (always)
4) not having studio monitors
5) not smoothly working daw when a lot of synths loaded (cpu overload)
6) doubting whether fl studio is holding me back and whether i need to move to a more pro program like ableton live or reason 3

Last edited by Thois on Aug-23-2005 at 01:23

talking to friends who produce.
Going to "LIVE" events....

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"The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes"

In no particular order:

Helped:

1. Talking to people and getting honest feedback. From forums like these, friends, family... More than that though, finding someone who's music you admire and is well produced and ask them for feedback.

2. Learning the actual techniques of producing and song structure. Paying attention to detail and sound quality while also listening to songs you like. Practicing a structure that is followed (like chorus, brake, chorus, transistion, chorus. And learning how to make interesting transitions and finding the tools that were used.

3. Dishing out as many songs as possible. Unless you're a genious, I heard that 1 out of every 50 or 100 songs is a "hit" for the average producer... It is good to make goals too. Set a date and plan on having a song done. Some labels will make you do this anyway if you ever get signed. Make goals to have a manual read through after such and such a time...

4. Working with someone and figuring out things together. This also helps with motivation if you both decide to meet at least once a week or more. At least you're getting somewhere...

5. Learning about music in general. I think this is especially important in trance because so much of it deals with melody. The more chord transitions and scales I learn, and ear training, the less I have to drag one note up and down in a piano roll over and over in a loop to make it fit...


Hinderances:

1. Searching through all the amazing sounding presets for hours instead of actually spending that time to learn how to use the synth

2. Saving for and buying something that I will rarely use (usually from a group buy). Also, not learing the instruments that I have fully and using its' full potential.

3. Working/Talking with someone who is not flexable. Someone who spends time arguing about things like mac vs. pc, vinyl vs. CDs/computer...

4. Time. With two jobs, two colleges, and then this music producing hobby, time is really something I wish I had more of... I guess the only way to change this is to get a better job that uses the least amount of time as possible... Anyone have any suggestions?

Also, spending too much time on the internet learning about production instead of actually doing it...

5. Making unrealistic goals. I'll tell myself that I will try to finish one song every month. And then I'll get one done in 3 months and still be bugged about something in it...

Thois, I really hear you on being depress from high standards and working with a daw efficiently... I wish there was some kind of organization of producers that have pools of places to meet around the world to meet with each other. I learn so much easier when someone is showing and explaining something than going through a manual or reading an explanation... Being around encourageing people helps me with the depression part too but when you're alone trying to make your own songs, it's so frustrating sometimes...

fr0st, live events is a good one too! It really helps being around people who love the same thing, especially if you live in a place where I am that acts like trance, or dance music in general, is dead

Helped

1) Switching to Ableton Live from Cubase

2) Taking the time to finish tracks off and not rushing things.

3) Realising that getting signed doesnt mean shit and that I'm actually doing this for fun

4) Reading forums like this one, KVR, Isratrance etc...

5) Collaborating with others

Traps

1) Reading the CORe

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Talking to pros
Getting the right tools for the job (VSTs, samples)
Looking at pro midis
Reading forums

Hmm that's all I can think of for now.

Being producing for a very short while but i think i'm improving so i may as well post...

Helped:

1.) Reading on this forum.

2.) Looking at midis of my favourite songs to see how there constructed and what chords/scales are used as well as Pads, Leads, and Basslines

3.) Listening very carefully to my favourite tracks over and over and over again.

4.) Looking at how synths work and creating my own presets rather than actually using somebody elses presets. (still learning this)

5.) Getting decent samples.

Hinderances:

1.) Using a laptop and not having a decent soundcard.

2.) Reading too much and not actually doing.

3.) Impatient

4.) Not being happy with my tracks after listening to Professional producers tunes and giving up too easily

5.) Not having much musical theory.

quote:

Originally posted by Thois 6) doubting whether fl studio is holding me back and whether i need to move to a more pro program like ableton live or reason 3

I got a chuckle that you think that ableton live and reason are more professional than FL Studio (Logic and Cubase are the usual players).

1) getting the right synths, and learning how to use them (or tweeking presets in those that im bored to "discover")

2) learning the very small and basic things i know about theory. ,hopefully i will be able to go to a music school or something after the summer.

3) meeting a friend who got me deep into production after teaching me some of the basics and sending fl projects to eachother. also tranceaddict, kvr, articles & tutorials.

4) samples, realising that sampling anything i like from anywhere and tweaking it till its my "own" works, of cousrse learnig how to tweek these samples & using the fx right (including EQing etc).

5) deciding to stop being an asshole and render every single synth sound to wav, using to projects for this + a mixdown project with the audiotracks, drums and fx.


drawbacks:

1) computer's Cpu power, soundcard.

2)my sony mdr 700's (really different comparing to normal speakers and headphones.. was very tricky and still is) and that i dont have studio monitors (and i wont untill i win a few thousand euros) :P

3) i cant listen to loud enough music in my house, and wearing headphones all the time sucks.

4) not having enough time as well as being lazy at times.

5) understanding what compressor does and how but without being able to do it right (in most cases).

atleast i can call my self a hobist producer now after having made a (very few) listenable tracks =)

It wasn't that long ago when all my songs were composed using a Tracker , which can be a little tricky - so learning how to recreate other songs with it taught me a LOT about composing and producing.

Sitting on the crapper while reading a fantasic magazine called Future Music (particularly the earlier issues) taught me the essentials to production techniques.

Working as a junior soundman at a high profile church taught me a lot about mixing (and staging) techniques.

Upgrading my computer and aquiring Reason gave me more freedom to utilise what I had learned over the years. Now I want to keep going...

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quote:

Originally posted by Adambomb337 Thois, I really hear you on being depress from high standards and working with a daw efficiently... I wish there was some kind of organization of producers that have pools of places to meet around the world to meet with each other. I learn so much easier when someone is showing and explaining something than going through a manual or reading an explanation... Being around encourageing people helps me with the depression part too but when you're alone trying to make your own songs, it's so frustrating sometimes... fr0st, live events is a good one too! It really helps being around people who love the same thing, especially if you live in a place where I am that acts like trance, or dance music in general, is dead

yeah, it's a shame all of my friends don't like trance, let alone producing... I can imagine working together and stimulating each other can be really rewarding