Things you wish you had known earlier...

[dave dominey]

I wish I had practised 1235 in every scale type and key right from the beginning.

[nathannn]

I wish I never bothered to try to make dance music. booooooring. stick with my roots.

YMMV.


on the production end of things -
- get good monitors
- don't try to polish turds, start with good recordings, effects don't make things sound good, they just add flavor
- FFS just lay down a few minutes of loops in Arrange view and move on with writing
- take time to setup my tools, including a good drum loop library
etc.

I really agree with this. you can waste so many years trying to make a genera of music just because the options are there.


if i could tell my past self anything it would be this.

free ware is free ware for a reason. most of it is crap.
good software cost too much, buy hardware its almost the same amount of money in the long run.
stop buying cheap computers. its almost the same amount of money to buy a good one in the long run.
stop buying crap to make electronic music. you make rock.
write a song with the guitar and then record. dont try to record and write a song around the millions of loops you have created.

keep all wierd guitar effects before the amp in the chain. it will mix better later.

dont bother using cracked software.. you will spend so much time pissing around that you will forget about your main goal..To create music. and you will feel guilty.. dont even use demo software. you will feel that you have to buy it when you can afford it, when you could have just bought the hardware when you had money.

dont waste time installing useless linux distro's with the hopes of making a completelly cost free album.
linux sucks and you cant figure it out.

since i know i dont listen to myself... At least only piss around with electronic music when you are totally board out of your mind!.

dont be afraid to sing!
you know you love to sing!

finish that comedy rap album also!

[Synthbuilder]

That I was never ever really going to get a number one.*

So you might as well just do it for fun.

And if you do end up with a number one hit. Well, that would be a bonus.


* Even my mother has finally given up asking me 'why don't I write a number one hit song?'.

[Simbosan]

4. Don’t force yourself to write if you’re not feeling it. Go outside, take care of your errands and BS, and come back to it when it’s fun again. Even if that means a month long hiatus (or longer).

I agree with the rest, but I disagree with this one. While procrastination does make one feel more comfortable, charging straight at the biggest, worst hurdle, *now!* one tends to break through into territories of ample rewards.

I disagree with your disagreement =) Music is all about heart, the more you put in, the better. If you aren't feeling it, you can't put the heart in it.

What you say is fine for purely technical discipline, but for making music? Nah

S

[Rabalder]

If you play drums, play drums! Programming beats will never sound as good!
Waste of time

[ciw]

Learn to EQ. Properly. It's the key to a professional sound.

Best is if you can get someone good to show you. If you're spending hundreds of euros on other kit it's well worth spending 100 on some lessons from a pro at some point or other, once you are ready (and obviously it has to be someone good).

[chaibuka]

I wish I never bothered to try to make dance music. booooooring. stick with my roots.

YMMV.


on the production end of things -
- get good monitors
- don't try to polish turds, start with good recordings, effects don't make things sound good, they just add flavor
- FFS just lay down a few minutes of loops in Arrange view and move on with writing
- take time to setup my tools, including a good drum loop library
etc.

Out of curiosity what would you say your roots are. I'm guessing you might leave out some music you enjoy as to bring some focus.

[Tarekith]

4. Don’t force yourself to write if you’re not feeling it. Go outside, take care of your errands and BS, and come back to it when it’s fun again. Even if that means a month long hiatus (or longer).

I agree with the rest, but I disagree with this one. While procrastination does make one feel more comfortable, charging straight at the biggest, worst hurdle, *now!* one tends to break through into territories of ample rewards.

A lot of people have disagreed with that one, which surprised me at first. I guess we all work differently though, so it's obvious now. Personally, a lot of times if I sit there banging my head against the wall trying to force creativity, it still doesn't work and ends up backfiring on me. I get burned out, frustrated, sick of making music. So I'm content to just focus on other things and have some patience, and leave it for another day. Often getting out of the studio and doing other things with my time leads me to experience something new that ultimately leads itself to creative moments.

[ze2be]

A lot of people have disagreed with that one, which surprised me at first. I guess we all work differently though, so it's obvious now. Personally, a lot of times if I sit there banging my head against the wall trying to force creativity, it still doesn't work and ends up backfiring on me. I get burned out, frustrated, sick of making music. So I'm content to just focus on other things and have some patience, and leave it for another day. Often getting out of the studio and doing other things with my time leads me to experience something new that ultimately leads itself to creative moments.

Well, I agree with you 100% man. Im like that too. Luckily it doesn't happen to often. Sometimes I just need like 30 min or an hour break. Especially when I work in the studio 12 hours +. A couple of nice comfortable breaks helps me not getting burned out. 3 - 4 hour shifts ive figured works wonders to me.

[Tone Deft]

I wish I never bothered to try to make dance music. booooooring. stick with my roots.

YMMV.


on the production end of things -
- get good monitors
- don't try to polish turds, start with good recordings, effects don't make things sound good, they just add flavor
- FFS just lay down a few minutes of loops in Arrange view and move on with writing
- take time to setup my tools, including a good drum loop library
etc.

Out of curiosity what would you say your roots are. I'm guessing you might leave out some music you enjoy as to bring some focus.

I'm pretty much always listening to music.

the problem was all these fun soft synths, I spent too much time making fun sounds and layering them, but it's just not me. I started making music with a guitar, more organic music. I've learned to start with some drums then I add guitar or bass guitar and stick with those. I add soft synths later in the process to fill out the sound.

one thing that was a great influence on me is this interview with Vince Clarke. towards the end he mentions that he wrote many of his songs on guitar and then played them on synth. he wrote songs for Depeche Mode, Yazoo and Erasure, some of my big synth band influences in my youth.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5RPPKO_iS8
I also don't play keys so getting a midi guitar was a great in helping me tame my synth programming. music theory helped me decode the ebony and ivories but I can't really play keys, I just poke at them.

[UncleAge]

I'd say that if you are going to do electronic music, regardless of genre, you might:

1. Learn some music theory. A good arrangement/composition has more replay-ability.
2. Learn to appreciate the art of keeping it simple.
3. Learn something about how to make a sound. Basic synthesis (and beyond)
4. Try and understand that you probably don't need 99% of what is out there in software/hardware to make good music.
5. Invest in educating yourself in the areas that you are deficient, even if it costs money.
6. Pick a DAW/host and learn it inside and out.
7. Help yourself by listening to other genre's of music. Your listening habits will greatly influence the pallet of ideas that you pull from in creative moments.

Lastly, and this may sound harsh but, you may learn that you are not a musician. We all love music but that one attribute alone does not make you a musician. Celebrate your strengths as you work on your deficiencies. You may learn that your natural, or learned, abilities are more in line with being a lyricist, engineer, promoter, studio manager, sound designer or instrument design. If so, run with it! You can always dabble with your own music on the side.

[Mr Man]

right click on parameter - show modulation

used to be left click whatever - then navigate to envelopes

[Tone Deft]

I'd say that if you are going to do electronic music, regardless of genre, you might:

rubs me the wrong way that this forum is so electronic music oriented. in the big picture it's only a small genre of music that's out there.

apparently it's the easiest to make, any idiot can do it, most do.
(trap is set...)

[gjm]

I'd say that if you are going to do electronic music, regardless of genre, you might:

rubs me the wrong way that this forum is so electronic music oriented. in the big picture it's only a small genre of music that's out there.

apparently it's the easiest to make, any idiot can do it, most do.
(trap is set...)

[andydes]

When you get stuck, it's probably because logic does it better than live. Come here and complain, you'll feel better.