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cryophonik
Boom shanka
Registered: Jan 2008
Location: Elk Grove, CA USA
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Man, I'm starting to sound like a broken record (no pun intended) on these forums, but I'll answer this question again. The "main thing about producing" is simple: think about what you're producing. Are you producing a sidechained pad? Are you producing an original synth sound? Are you producing a FLS project file. NO!!!! YOU'RE PRODUCING MUSIC!!!! The sooner you start to comprehend that the primary focus has to be on improving your music composition skills, the sooner you'll start to produce better music.
Unfortunately, that concept is lost on most "producers". But, think about it - nobdody is going to buy your records or dance to your songs because they like the threshold settings you used on your compressor, or the fact that you chose a square wave bass sound over a sawtooth. But looking at this and other EDM production forums, those types of topics dominate the boards. Take a look at this forum's topics for yourself and see how many composition-related threads there are - not many. Is it because we're all such great songwriters that we don't need to discuss it? 
The next time you're at the club and the crowd is going wild for some song, stop and ask the hot chick dancing next to you what she likes about the song - I guarantee you that the answer won't be "it's produced in Logic!" or "the pulse width modulation on that lead synth is totally dope!" She's probably going to say "get away from me, creep" and then tazer your ass, unless she's really drunk, in which case she'd simply say that she likes the melody, she can sing along with it, it's got a good beat and I can dance to it, etc.
It's a total cliche, but it can't be stated enough - you can't polish a turd (well, OK, you can try but it's still going to stink). It doesn't matter what synth(s) or DAW you use, how perfectly you can imitate that JP8000 supersaw with your Virus, how you EQ'ed your mid-bass, or which multiband compressor you use to master your tracks - if your melody sucks and your song is 7 minutes of Amin and Fmaj, your song is going to suck and all you'll have is another polished turd that nobody is going to buy or dance to. Yes, your song needs to be technically sound, but more importantly, it needs to have a solid musical foundation (e.g., good melody or hook, dynamics, arrangement, etc.). That's what separates the successful producer from the masses.
OK, enough preaching. I've got music to make. 
___________________
cryophonik.com | facebook | soundcloud
Sonar Platinum | Ableton Live 9 | Logic Pro X | Access Virus TI2 Keyboard | Kurzweil PC3X | Nord Lead 4R | NI Maschine
Last edited by cryophonik on Mar-15-2008 at 20:53
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 Mar-15-2008 20:08 
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derail
Supreme tranceaddict
Registered: Feb 2007
Location: Canberra, Australia
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I put up a sign in my studio, back when I found myself falling into this trap. It says "Beautiful music first. Then incredible production". The music is the main thing. Without it, there's no point, it just turns into a technical exercise which no lover of music will want to listen to.
The great songs still sound great as blippy MIDI files.
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Mar-16-2008 02:08 
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StanVoid
more hot pockets!
Registered: Apr 2005
Location: NYC, New York
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| quote: | Originally posted by cryophonik
Man, I'm starting to sound like a broken record (no pun intended) on these forums, but I'll answer this question again. The "main thing about producing" is simple: think about what you're producing. Are you producing a sidechained pad? Are you producing an original synth sound? Are you producing a FLS project file. NO!!!! YOU'RE PRODUCING MUSIC!!!! The sooner you start to comprehend that the primary focus has to be on improving your music composition skills, the sooner you'll start to produce better music.
Unfortunately, that concept is lost on most "producers". But, think about it - nobdody is going to buy your records or dance to your songs because they like the threshold settings you used on your compressor, or the fact that you chose a square wave bass sound over a sawtooth. But looking at this and other EDM production forums, those types of topics dominate the boards. Take a look at this forum's topics for yourself and see how many composition-related threads there are - not many. Is it because we're all such great songwriters that we don't need to discuss it?
The next time you're at the club and the crowd is going wild for some song, stop and ask the hot chick dancing next to you what she likes about the song - I guarantee you that the answer won't be "it's produced in Logic!" or "the pulse width modulation on that lead synth is totally dope!" She's probably going to say "get away from me, creep" and then tazer your ass, unless she's really drunk, in which case she'd simply say that she likes the melody, she can sing along with it, it's got a good beat and I can dance to it, etc.
It's a total cliche, but it can't be stated enough - you can't polish a turd (well, OK, you can try but it's still going to stink). It doesn't matter what synth(s) or DAW you use, how perfectly you can imitate that JP8000 supersaw with your Virus, how you EQ'ed your mid-bass, or which multiband compressor you use to master your tracks - if your melody sucks and your song is 7 minutes of Amin and Fmaj, your song is going to suck and all you'll have is another polished turd that nobody is going to buy or dance to. Yes, your song needs to be technically sound, but more importantly, it needs to have a solid musical foundation (e.g., good melody or hook, dynamics, arrangement, etc.). That's what separates the successful producer from the masses.
OK, enough preaching. I've got music to make. |
i'd say you're about 70% right, but the little tweaks / compression techniques / synth choices do matter for the final effectiveness of the track. While the hot chick at the club may not know anything about that and can tell you that it's the melody she likes, that doesn't mean that she'd be dancing the same way to the same melody played on a crap synth in a crap-mastered track. It's the whole concept of the common listener - they can all point out the main things about songs that they like, but there's actually a lot more to the song that they like which they don't even realize. Given that - I still agree that composition / arrangement / and songwriting skills are the #1 priority for anyone making music. But that doesn't mean there isn't a #2 priority for all the technical studio stuff.
___________________
Arpi - Somewhere Else (Stan Void Remix ) [ Neuroscience ] (Out Now)
Forerunners - Dragonfly (Stan Void Remix ) [ Solaris ] (Out Soon)
Stan Void - Transience [ Solaris ] (Out December 2008)
Stan Void - When You Know / Come Play [ Real Music ]
Stan Void - Montavo / A Moment's Definition [ Somatic Sense Vision ]
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Mar-17-2008 17:03
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