Ableton Forum

I'm making Toolroom Trax style tech house as a hobby but I've hit a wall in the last year or so. My tracks aren't getting better.

It's somewhat subjective and vague but what is the most efficient and effective way to gradually get better?

Would you say reverse engineering reference tracks or ploughing through and just being me? Quality over quantity or vice-versa?

It also takes me so long to complete projects, I can spends days looking for samples and ditch projects half way through when I'm not happy with the results. It's so draining and energy sapping. I'm aware that I'm not going about things in the most useful way. I get so bogged down in sample selection and am way to indecisive. Days looking for a kick drum? Dam.

I need to get something structured in place with time frames.

Help!

How would you approach this?

This might be a good place to start...

Making Music by Dennis DeSantis

That looks brilliant, the first three chapters applied to me perfectly. Thanks!

I'm finding the reference track I'm using quite tricky at the moment, in that there are so many percussive layers in the main parts of the track. I don't know what instruments are being used and there is a lot going on. I don't even know how many layers there are.

How long should I take looking for each element of a track? How long should it take to finish a track. In the past I have spent days/weeks which obviously is no good.

Here is the ref I am using at the moment..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uH0ane ... oomRecords

How long is a piece of string?

There are lots of great videos on YouTube showing people making tracks from scratch, and also videos breaking down/recreating classic tracks.

Just search the obvious - making tech house.

If I were you though, don't ignore videos covering other genres. The advice in the videos can be applied to a wide variety of stuff.

I would say don't get too hung up on trying to replicate things exactly (as I see from your previous posts!).

Just experiment with layering and placement, and you'll end up creating something that's you, not a copy of someone else.

Yes I am guilty of trying to replicate things! Only for practice and to improve my ear but I've become massively bogged down in it.

That book looks great so I'll have a good read and figure out what makes these tracks work and the layering etc, but use my own sounds.

Hopefully in time I'll get more tracks completed (good or bad) and I'll be more productive.

Would be great to have the ability to make music in any given style though, I suppose that's more ghost production isn't it? I'm probably trying to run before I can walk.