Do you ever fear your gear?

beats me · Post by **beats me** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 5:06 pm

I'm not talking about your gear physically attacking you. That would probably be interesting instead of it's normal just passively not working the way it's supposed to. I'm also not talking about people who are trying to automate a filter sweep using temperature fluctuations from a meat thermometer shoved in a chuck roast on their barbeque. That's just stupid.

I'm talking about when you are working on a song that you just can't finish and yet it seems so close, or maybe you've been plugging away for weeks and can't seem to come up with one useful idea. You get to the point where you just pace in front of your computer afraid to even boot it up. You get easily moved to distraction by stupid shit like a documentary on the history and societal impact of zip-lock bags.

Do you ever feel like a song isn't done when it probably is? When it's only 6 tracks but feel like nothing can be finished until you have no less than 30 tracks that are each edited into at least 15 unique sound files? So you spend weeks mutilating it and moving it towards crapdom and away from the greatness of the first couple hours you put into it. There's no way you could have a great track in just a couple of hours.

Do you ever fear that people will notice you used the same snare, or pad, or bass, or loop (Amen Break never counts towards this for some reason), or key that you used in another song? Each song should be a unique sonic adventure that could never be confused for one of your other tracks. Nothing is more discouraging than one of your tracks reminding somebody of one of your tracks.

Me neither, but I've heard other people sometimes have these feelings.

nebulae · Post by **nebulae** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 5:10 pm

*hugs* brutha

Poster · Post by **Poster** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 5:15 pm

bstrd!

you almost got me at "Do you ever.."

Homebelly · Post by **Homebelly** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 5:40 pm

these are the exact reasons why i have a myspace account with nothing in it and three hard drives maxed out with half finished ideas,,

3dot... · Post by **3dot...** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 5:47 pm

yep... it happens more often than not...
Thats why I save every progress i make nowadays...
When I listen a few days later... I start at the first save...
Then work my way up...
very quickly you can get to see where (exactly) things started to go bad...

but I feel you man
I feel you...

Michael-SW · Post by **Michael-SW** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 10:22 pm

Deadlines is the saviour. But it must be real deadlines, eg you know that in X days you are going to go on stage and play for real people. Can do wonders for your will to settle for "good enough".

beats me · Post by **beats me** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 10:52 pm

I've been taking the "good enough" route for the last couple months and I freely advertise that. However, that term would not cover a song that abruptly stops after a minute and a half build up.

Maybe I should invent Preview House. No beginning. No end. Just 2 minutes of middle section.

nebulae · Post by **nebulae** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 10:56 pm

I think that's what's commonly known as a brain fart.

sparklepuff · Post by **sparklepuff** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 10:56 pm

beats me wrote:Maybe I should invent Preview House. No beginning. No end. Just 2 minutes of middle section.

Nope. I already called dibs on that.

nebulae · Post by **nebulae** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 10:59 pm

I think that's what's commonly known as a schoolyard "I called it"

xzusa8ky · Post by **xzusa8ky** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 11:08 pm

Oh no i don't know anybody feeling like that!?...

Hell yeah i know that feeling!

The more i produce, the more pressure! Sometimes it's driving me mad, can't even think clear without thinking about what i actually could do better. I got over 100 unfinished projects! Some very good but even then i just can't get down to get them done!

Sometimes i feel like producing day and night, but when i sit infront of the maschine, i just can't find that energy....

Sometimes i got the feeling that the time is running so fast, and i am like a snail in my snail house trying to get my snail track finish, but i can't because i am a "Snail" and everything in the studio just takes ages, because i am a fucking snail!

Everybody wants something from me! Girlfriend, dog, katz, friends, no friends! and even my body wants something to eat but i just don't got the time because i got to produce......Nowwwww!

hmmmm....some days in the studio sucks!

I feel for you

nebulae · Post by **nebulae** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 11:09 pm

I think that's what's commonly known as a "I feel you, dawg"

Pitch Black · Post by **Pitch Black** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 11:12 pm

beats me wrote:I've been taking the "good enough" route for the last couple months and I freely advertise that. However, that term would not cover a song that abruptly stops after a minute and a half build up.

Maybe I should invent Preview House. No beginning. No end. Just 2 minutes of middle section.

That's called: Cut it into 15sec/30sec/45sec/60sec/90sec/2min edits and sell it to a music library or call it a showreel for commercials

...maybe?

Make those un-loved little offspring pay for themselves. Just a thought.

nebulae · Post by **nebulae** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 11:16 pm

I think that's what's commonly known as an australian brain fart.

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 11:16 pm

nebulae wrote:I think that's what's commonly known as an australian brain fart.

I think this is what's known as the bored Texan.