Ableton Forum

Hey guys,
As you can see, i'm looking for someone who can teach me some things about ableton live, and producing progressive house. To begin, i'd like to give some background to my case. I've been dj'ing for 2 years locally, and i've been producing for about 1 and a half. I'm 14, i've used traktor (to dj) and Ableton (to produce) since day one. I've been taking piano lessons and theory since i was 3, i as well play the viola, and excel in both. I LOVE music, it has always been a huge part of my life, and recently, i've become super frustrated with the way my tracks sound. I'm going for something similar to avicii, third party, or alesso, but of course, everyone has their own style. The closest i've come to anything worth sharing is this: http://cl.ly/0j3u1C222W2N0R0R332K
I feel like in other things i've wrote, and in exploring different genre's, my sounds don't seem to sit right together, and everything stands out, and nothing fits together, and nothing sounds as smooth as what you find on beatport. I want help, advice, suggestions, critiquing, anything! I am dying to be able to play my own songs at gigs like homecoming, and prom this coming year, but i'm just getting frustrated with everything. If anyone is willing to help me, i would appreciate it deeply... I have a good passion for music, and producing, i spend hours and hours a day working on music, i just can't continue to guess my way through everything. Feel free to email me at [email protected], and hopefully i can find help. Finally, i would appreciate help from someone who makes this style of music, progressive house, or anything similar to that mainroom dance style, it just makes things more compatible... Thanks a ton!

Where in the world are you sphilibin?

and meet in public, posting here first when you leave home....

Cheers
D

beatmunga wrote:Where in the world are you sphilibin?

Sorry, did that come across as a bit Hard Candy? I didn't realise the OP was so young.

I'll get me coat...

Don't want to get tarred with the Glitter brush...

well i live in Pennsylvania, east of Pittsburgh, and let me tell ya, if there was someone in the area who did this, i'd know, and there isn't. I've already taken over the dj scene in the city, i do all the big highschool gigs, and there's no musical presence, especially in house, trance, techno, anything of the sort. I'd definitely pay for skype lessons though...

Forge is solid with music/audio/Live and a solid dude as well.

Wow dude,you're only 14!!!

Slow down and relax your expectations! DJing is easy, producing good music is waaaay harder.

Name a top producer who's 14!!.....you can't, 'cause there aren't any! (maaybe you'll be the first though)

Get on youtube and start watching some stuff, interviews, tutorials. Search for Deadmau5 or Steve Duda. Maybe they aren't your style, but these guys are production geniuses. Set yourself a deadline to make some great tracks before your 18th birthday. That's more realistic.

Good luck!

sphilibin wrote: I've already taken over the dj scene in the city

That's some good going for a 14 year old! I thought you had to be about 40 to be allowed within a square mile of a bar or club in the US.

Here in the UK it's really hard to be a club DJ if you're under 18 as it's a nightmare for clubs to sort out the legalities. I think it may be a combo of drinks and entertainments licences. I know a guy who, at 16, won quite a big DJ battle and had all the local clubs trying to hire him, but when they found out his age they wouldn't touch him with a bargepole. Very frustrating.

As regards making great dance music at your age - don't listen to anyone, of course it is possible. I think the fact that there are very few House producers in their teens has more to do with most teens wasting too much of the most developmentally interesting part of their life on phones, games and Facebook to put the time in to nurture their raw talent. I know this is an offensive statement, but somebody's got to mention the rhino in the room. I'm guessing you have more of a balance in your life - at least towards music, anyway!

It is the raw talent that is the clincher, and anyone of any age can have that. Lucky sods if they do. And tragic when some people spend years trying their hardest to reach their ambitions, but the lack of talent dooms them to make lacklustre music no matter how hard they try.

In my own small city, (which has a very rich heritage of dance music by the way), the best House producer at the moment is a 16 year old called sHeera who has been making great House for a couple of years. He's the badger's nadgers.

http://soundcloud.com/s-heera

My advice - stay away from the dubstep. You will be taken more seriously. Every young punk seems to want to be Skrillex at the moment. Stand out from the crowd.

Troll.

gjm wrote:Troll.

Who?

beatmunga wrote:

gjm wrote:Troll.

Who?

Not you. OP.

gjm wrote:

beatmunga wrote:

gjm wrote:Troll.

Who?

Not you. OP.

I dunno gjm, I've been on the Facebook page and I think he's on the level.

I know, I had to double check myself...

beatmunga wrote: I dunno gjm, I've been on the Facebook page and I think he's on the level.

I know, I had to double check myself...

Hmmm. Using Ableton at 12 yrs of age. Not a single problem with set up and gear (must get a lot of pocket money). Seems to be making music with moderate success. Basically got his corner of the world sown up on the gigging scene (is it mum or dad or the chauffeur that drives him to all of those gigs) ... and decides only now to make his first post about the finer points of genre specific production?

Ok, so there is a FB page with basically one post about one gig... and one tune on soundcloud loaded 8 days ago

The way this one writes does not bring to mind the 14yr olds I see on a regular basis.

Maybe... but I am calling bullshit, on some level anyway.

beatmunga wrote:

sphilibin wrote: I've already taken over the dj scene in the city

That's some good going for a 14 year old! I thought you had to be about 40 to be allowed within a square mile of a bar or club in the US.


My advice - stay away from the dubstep. You will be taken more seriously. Every young punk seems to want to be Skrillex at the moment. Stand out from the crowd.

That's the thing, there ARE no bars or clubs i my city, except for like, old veteran bars lmao so i do all the highschool parties, and dances like prom, and homecoming, etc.

Also, yes, when i started, i was into dubstep, and that lasted aout two weeks, and regardless of what styles i try, when i hear the melodies in like, third party songs, or when i saw avicii live in D.C. last month, i'm immediately like "that's what i'm gonna do."

As for my age, there are guys out there who are 15, or 16 and are signed, and if an 18 yearold can get on the beatport top ten in 2-3 years like avicii, then i should be able to as well, i'm just lacking to proper understanding of the more technical parts of producing (eg. sound design, EQ'ing, mixing, breakdown techniques, and so on)