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Order of Work
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| Imu |
Hey guys,
Just wondering what order you all work in. I've just been working on a track and have had to go back, change things, etc, and wonder if there are more efficient ways to work. What I have learned so far is that this is a good progression to work in:
1. Write your chord progression, melodies, bass, riffs, chords, strings, pads, etc.
2. Choose your sounds - kick, snare, percussion, bass, lead sounds, other fx sounds.
3. Arrange your sounds.
4. EQ everything to make it sit nicely.
5. Add compression.
6. Add other effects.
How does everyone else here work? Again, I know there's no correct answer - there never is - but I'm just looking to see how other people work in the hope that maybe I could learn from listening to others. Thanks! |
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| derail |
That order seems okay, though I don't quite see why choosing and arranging sounds are two steps - if you already have the composition, and are choosing the sounds to play each part, what's left to arrange? I'd rename step 3 to "set appropriate levels".
After step 3 the mix should be sounding really good already. If it isn't, either tweak your levels or find sounds which want to fit together.
I don't know whether I'd separate out compression...if that mindset is working for you, then stick with it. I'm happy to have EQ as a separate step after sound choice and level setting, since filtering and EQ cuts can really clean up and improve a mix. But other tools, such as compressors, delays, reverbs, stereo enhancers, are much more creative effects. I'd lump all of those together.
With experience you'll be able to pick up early in the process when a sound is wrong for a particular song, and scrap it immediately, rather than trying all kinds of EQ and compression and whatever else to somehow try to make it fit. |
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| Subtle |
I start with laying out a kickdrum, and then decide what else this track needs, which usually is a snare and some cymbals, then the bassline.. and i start immediate to arrange the track and continue moving back and forward in the arrangement until i feel it sounds good enough, given that im happy with the composition.
Mixing and adding effects as i go along, the last 10% of a track will then take me as long to complete as the first 90%. |
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