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Whats the *most* time you ever spent on a track?
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| DJ Robby Rox |
See this question has always intrigued me.
When I hear really really good pro tracks I'll tell myself "damn, must have taken so & so like a year just to make that track".
Than I'll go into my habits where if I feel like a track isn't getting better after a day or 2 I just trash it or put it on back burners for eternity.
Lately this has been my new focus, which is basically NEVER giving up on a track.
I usually give up because I get new ideas that don't fit in the track and I'll get bored of the track quickly. But I think time is a really important factor.
So my last track I'm working on I'm trying to really go crazy taking my time. Like setting velocities perfect, automations out the ass - and I mean for just about everything, bouncing to audio to keep my cpu lower than I think I actually need, just doing things I normally would never do.
I've actually noticed JUST BECAUSE I put extra time into the track, its actually sounding a lot better, just different in a good way, much more refined like. And I think its about learning how to titrate new ideas into the track without feeling the drastic need to just start something new, that really helps kick your skills up a few notchs.
So I'm starting to think that as much as people say its best to just scrap an idea thats not working, that this might actually be the WORST IDEA in the world, production and experience wise for reaching that higher caliper of music.
Thoughts? |
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| MrJiveBoJingles |
I tend to think that if the core of the track isn't strong, then the track as a whole will never be something truly worthwhile. So if I don't get that core right from the start, whether the core happens to be a melody or a sound or a rhythm or whatever, then I usually abandon the track.
For me, inspiration is something that I either clearly have or I don't. When it's there, it's obvious and a track will seemingly just flow right out of me. I've finished the main parts for my best tracks in marathon sessions of twelve to sixteen hours. My mediocre ones, on the other hand, usually take days or weeks.
I can still get useful stuff done in the absence of inspiration -- mostly making up new sounds. But when it comes to actually writing a track, I don't feel like I ever accomplish much by "forcing myself." |
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| Subtle |
I can spend hours tweaking something thats already there, but if i cant come up with something new for my track when needed in about 10 minutes i move on to another track.
And i would say its a good idea, to always save and keep old ideas and projects. |
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| EgosXII |
it's all about experience:
i'm still learning so it takes me probably a a few weeks work to achieve anything near completion: one of my mates finishes release-level material with about 5-6 hours of work :p |
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| DJ Robby Rox |
Yeh see I'm trying to put it in different context too.
Like some really good movies can take 4,5 or more years just to film.
But what I'm thinking about is how some people can actually take a movie based on a terrible core or foundation (just to contradict jive for learning sake) and make something amazing out of it.
Which is also why I think you see some good actors in ty movies and ty actors in great movies. Because a good actor can't always judge how the director can take an idea and translate it into something golden.
I'm kinda thinking that fits with music too. I mean what is the real "core" of a track? A kick and bass line? A new stupid idea you get? All these things can be changed relatively easy. A melody or synth can be changed in 5 mins to make something totally new and different.
I would say experience usually does play a major role in anything. But some experienced people still make some serious rookie mistakes. W/e the case I know I scrap tracks way to quickly and my new focus is to make something work whether or not I think it can or *I can. |
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| MrJiveBoJingles |
| quote: | | Originally posted by DJ Robby Rox |
Eh, maybe. For me, a track I'm writing either has something that genuinely inspires me, or it doesn't. I guess I could try and keep adding stuff until I felt like it was worth all the effort... |
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| Kthought |
| i fabricated a melody/driving sequence line in my head while minding my business 8 months ago... came home opened the sequencer to generic 4/4 drums and goofed around with 2 midi tracks for the sound i "thought" was in my head... and in 8 months it has not manifested into even an 8 bar loop. this may explain why in 4 years of trying to produce trance, i have only one release, that was landed by the remix. However, I assure you... when i can translate whats in my head into a sequencer.. not matter how long it takes... the end will justify the means...the end will justify the means.. ! |
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| EgosXII |
| quote: | Originally posted by Kthought
i fabricated a melody/driving sequence line in my head while minding my business 8 months ago... came home opened the sequencer to generic 4/4 drums and goofed around with 2 midi tracks for the sound i "thought" was in my head... and in 8 months it has not manifested into even an 8 bar loop. this may explain why in 4 years of trying to produce trance, i have only one release, that was landed by the remix. However, I assure you... when i can translate whats in my head into a sequencer.. not matter how long it takes... the end will justify the means...the end will justify the means.. ! |
sounds like you have your track title :p |
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| pwnage1 |
| A month, because i export to audio and then do the arrangement. I really hate doing the arrangement so i don't get around to it until much later. The reason i export is because my computer is a piece of . |
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| Beyer |
Probably the remix Iīm working on right now. 6 weeks now. But Iīve had little time in between work, exercise - and I just canīt anything done,
if I donīt sit at least 4-5 hours straight - which is a problem, due to my hectic days. Itīs getting finished soon, but the road has been long and hard. :) Itīs my first track in a loooong time. |
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| alanzo |
| 6 months and it turned out to be a piece of , anyway. |
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| Mr.Mystery |
| I never spend more than a week - if it takes any longer than that there's usually been something wrong with it to begin with and it'll never be good anyway. All of my best tracks have been more or less done in one sitting (with some additional tweaking afterwards). |
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