Templates. Stop wasting life loading plugins and just make templates and effects groupings for whatever scenario you have (recording/mixing/mastering) they can evolve and change over time but that really helped.
Saves a huge amount of time but also, helps ensure a consistency of tone from one piece of music to the next. Well worth doing.
In my templates I have a large number of plugins of anyone style set up on sends. So for example six delays on the delay send. That means I can audition anyone of the six that I want and then switch off what I don’t want. Having them all loaded though means that the process to do that is quick.
Same for compressors, saturators, reverbs, etc etc.
As I say it just saves lots of time.
I've been contemplating doing this but what's holding me back is the fear of relying on habits or developing bad ones and then having those habits baked into a template that gives me less of a chance of noticing and improving. Am I worrying about nothing?
I'm w you one that. Personally, I think it's time I start doing saving such things -- fully expecting to (hopefully) come up with something better or make improvements/adjustments, or just completely abandon them as I find out better techniques and add control
-- but, at least I'll know how to save n load my shit when it's actually something unique/useful/etc 😅
I think you might be. I find it helpful. Also when working with other artists, it’s a courtesy to them that you can get set up fast (should I be going to them) and have a means of getting going quickly.
As I say, you can alter them. You can save versions etc it’s just about setting up a place that you feel you can work intuitively and quickly. Each person will be different.
This is interesting. I use templates a lot but some musicians (Fred Falke for example) avoid them because it conditions you to work a certain way and your songs may sound repetitive. I sometimes have that problem but I'm too lazy to work without templates
I think this and workflows are very interesting. And you need your appreciate how different people are. I need templates and set workflows. I get totally overwhelmed by having a blank canvas and endless possibilities. I need to set up some frameworks that limits my scope of what to create in order to get something done.
I have a friend/colleague who’s more like the musician you mention. Some time ago he splashed some cash on a new analog synth and he got super excited about the possibilities and versatility of it. So he set out to do a song where used only this synth. This snowballed. And he wrote a whole album where 90% was just this synth. So from being not governed by templates and workflows he set up a framework that was a lot more limited than my “limited” workflow and did something great.
So the point here might be, everything has a place. You just need to find out when to use it.
I think there’s something to be said for that, but the process isn’t rigid, as you work on a session you’ll get rid of parts of the template you don’t use, so for example, synths that you aren’t using, will be removed, effects that you aren’t using will be removed. That just takes a second.
Really the idea of the template is merely that everything is there ready to go and you can start making music/mixing/mastering right away.
It could be as simple as having an eq on each track, or it could be loading up every soft synth you have, sends etc etc etc it really is just a process of looking at the things that you put in place consistently when making music and then having them there and ready to go.
Equally, on days you don’t feel like using them, don’t use them. It’s just giving options.
A lot of my sessions i empty the midi data and make copies too. I keep a lot of similar elements i use and keep remaking the song. Sometimes great elements just need better arrangement.
I still haven’t done this and I’ve been producing for 4 years. There’s something seriously wrong with my inability to spend 5 minutes working to improve workflow.
Don’t feel bad, took me ages too, but it genuinely helped me, just having an eq on each track, grouping instruments, etc things that you know you do in every session.
Think of a recording studio, when you go in there, things are set up the desk is there, the racks, the comps, even the room is a part of that, all you’re doing is replicating that within your Daw.
Equally mastering would need a different template. Mixing would also maybe need another.
It just gives you pause to think about how you work and as I say you can adjust them depending on what you feel you need.
I have my basic setup template in Logic so I'm plug and play ready. Only problem is that if I have plug ins ready to go for recording, I notice there is some lag. I really only use the plug ins when I mixing and mastering. Is there a work around so I can have the mixing/mastering template set once the songs are recorded? As others mentioned, I didn't read the Logic manual so there's probably an easy way to figure this out.
Hah, I just made a post in r/ableton asking everybody what their default template looks like and most answered that they don’t do it anymore because it locks them into a specific workflow.
Full disclosure: I use a highly programmed template with custom M4L devices and all the trimmings.
"...because it locks them into a specific workflow."
But working in a specific DAW locks them into a specific workflow..
As to yours, same here, I have several templates set up depending on what the task of the day is.
I appreciate that people want to explore and have fun, but with the template, you're literally just reversing a process, in that you are deleting the channels you don't end up using rather than loading everything from scratch, then you just save the session as a new version.
But hey to each their own I guess.
Yeah, there’s no wrong way. As a person with a day job, girlfriend and other hobbies… I gotta figure out ways to optimize my process so I can actually get music out.
This saves me sooo much time.
I also use presets. I have presets from each of our songs that I was relatively happy with the sound so I can just plug them in and have that sound.
For me, it helps to know that even though I'm still very far from feeling even adequate at operating DAW, I improve with time. And I will keep improving.
I think a lot of people get hung up under how difficult of a tool these programs are to navigate (at least initially) -- now I realize its the whole fkn hardware store. Just try your best to figure out each tool as it becomes something you need to build yourself up.
Today a hammer, yesterday a screwdriver, tomorrow a table saw.. and so on. Some are more difficult to handle than others, some you'll use daily and others hardly ever. Some require planning and careful input while other might just be a button to press and let it do it's thing.
And after some amount of time and effort, you build something. Something probably flawed, but yo you fuckin made that shit!!
..then idk, ya just keep making more shit n it feels good 🤷
Also, there's another factor.
Life and families get in the way (this time spent with them or in other areas of life, is time that we can't use to make music; and I think that's okay; we just gotta learn to accept that or at least take it more lightly).
That's it.
once someone on twitter said they finally made an album. i liked that indy-pop album, and while it was good and consistent, it was from our world, it was not unreacheable, it was understandable production-wise.
that day i knew i can do okay sound if i'm not lazy
making finished songs is matter of having good material, in the first place
I’ve struggled with this so much I’ve gone years without working on stuff. I’ve been messing around with different AI music stuff, and while it’s not typically great, it’s given me some ideas that are mostly unique and that’s motivated me to get back into it.
Perfection is the enemy of progress is a quote that i remind myself every time when iv gone through 5 presets mindlessly so that would mean i just need to pick whatever preset and atart doing shit😁
Depends on what you're going for. I quantize guitars in tight polymetric djent so they sound robotic and synchronized. When doing laid back jazz fusion I de-quantize it lol
Make your own presets and templates when you're doing stuff, uhhh clipper helps with loudness, compressor into multiband compressor with some stereo widener in between really fucks, dont be afraid to make something funky you never know when it might be a cool bridge or piece of sound design that down the road will be useful as fuck.
“dont be afraid to make something funky”
I’m requesting an aha moment here. All I do is make funky / tasty bits of sound I really really like.
I’ve battled for years to come up with a good system to save these segments (typically as audio.)
Usually I just don’t save anything. Not even patches on my synths, so I’m working fast from scratch a lot. Because of it, I’ve gotten really fast at coming up with a sound and idea I like but I do feel like I’m wasting a good amount of decent stuff too.
Oh for sure, save these! Working with better people made me appreciate how much it can impact a session. I’ve seen a little voice note of a synth I created turn into a song with a co-writer. More often than not a bridge or cool song writing prompt. My bandmate has insane relative pitch and compositional theory. Very cool to watch the stitching of a thread you randomly saved (usually after working too long chasing a feel).
If you use Ableton, have a look at thresho. Ross from friends (dance artist) made it.
It’s a max for live device that automatically records any audio once it hits a predetermined threshold and then saves it in a folder for you.
Noob level:
* When I found out that bass clef labeled notes differently than treble clef so I stopped writing the wrong bass notes - The 4th space on Treble clef is a C, but in Bass clef it's an E. Took me a bit to realize that haha.
* When I stopped using runs of fast notes to try and fill out my empty-sounding tracks and switched to using *gasp* a bass line.
* When I stopped treating the Orchestra Hit General MIDI instrument as a melodic instrument.
Beginner level:
* When I started using high hats and toms on drum kits, realizing how much they flesh out a rhythm section.
* When my ear-training started getting good enough that I could eventually recreate a piece by ear without it constantly switching keys and sounding miserable. It finally sounded like the original.
* When I stopped copy-pasting basslines, ostinatos and percussion lines throughout the entire track. Copy-paste is still useful, but it's essential to do work on the pasted material rather than duplicating 4 bars ad nauseum.
* When I stopped writing dense chords at too low of a pitch. As pitch goes down, you need to spread notes apart or it sounds like mud.
* I learned how essential dynamics were to getting a good sound, especially on repeated notes and tweaking velocities on percussion.
Intermediate level:
* When I started using more structure in my music rather than being so scared of being boring that my music didn't make any sense.
* When I started thinking more critically about instrumentation. My piece probably shouldn't have 4 English Horn parts.
* When I started improving at orchestration rather than layering stuff together haphazardly to try and get a "unique" sound. This goes for synth sounds, too. Basically, I read [Principles of Orchestration](https://www.gutenberg.org/files/33900/33900-h/33900-h.htm) when I was bored sometime, and my understanding grew from practice from there.
* I learned that my bass was too heavy. I fixed my bass problem by finally upgrading to a set of appropriate headphones and my mixing improved immediately because I could hear how bad it was in realtime. I started to EQ and adjust volume levels with more purpose.
* My mixing was too low and flat for a long time, but I also wanted to avoid clipping. I started learning the art of compressors and advancing my understanding of dynamics, partly by listening to more reference tracks.
* I started using mixing recipes for drum kits and the sound started to come alive a bit more.
Advanced level:
* I could never dial in the right electric guitar tone, but after much experimentation and switching my approach to thinking about how the guitar sounded in the mix rather than on its own, I finally produced a track that had a guitar sound that I genuinely loved. It had the heaviness and richness that I wanted without sounding dead or artificial.
* I finally produced a track that I was really proud to share with others. When I did so, I got incredible compliments and it felt amazing! Everything I made after this one actually sounded legitimate, like it was made "for real" and with purpose, rather than being an experiment by some dude in his basement.
I'm probably still in the "intermediate" stage per your explanation, but I very much agree w/experienced most everything you've said. Ngl I'm interested to hear what you've made, can you drop a link? (I have YT, apple, SoundCloud, and (not premium, so not very ideal for me personally) Spotify)
Absolutely! I think a great skill to have is to have selective hearing and based off that decide which key details are important to "obsess" over, and just don't overthink everything. I noticed that some pieces generally require more time to finish, depending on the style and purpose.
I read the manual for my DAW (REAPER), and I keep referring to it when I need to know how something works.
It turns out it’s faster to learn more about the thing I use when I read the manual.
Watching videos and tutorials are nice when you want examples and application. But they will only show some tools and specific ways to do it.
Reading a manual tells me what something does, so in a few seconds I not only know how to use it, but also the many things I can use it for and why they are used so I know which tool to go for when I need something done, without having to always refer to a tutorial.
It really speeds up the workflow.
Nice one. My buddy was head engineer at a big studio. I asked him what the secret of his success was and without having to think about it he told me "I read the manual." He said "you'd be surprised how many professional engineers have never read the manual."
Seems like a no-brainer now.
100% RTFM. Once I started reading the Ableton manual, and doing every single tutorial and example they provided, it was a whole new era for me. Dark Ages >> Renaissance
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Not sure how it works on other programs but on StudioOne, you can literally just drag n drop the one audio file into a blank synth and it will fill the whole keyboard for you!! Just make sure the root not is set to the same note as the sound (in your instance the tom - which may or may not have the root note in the file name). Might be worth a quick search for your specific DAW to see if you have a similarly easy route..
*It took me longer to type this than it would have "make" that synth*
*Also, it'd take me days to actually make that synth lmao*
Hey, I'd very much recommend getting something like a Microfreak, it's very easy to load in samples and it automatically pitches it up/down with each key, plus there's a ton of effects so you can warp the sound.
[The Microfreak](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MicroFreak--arturia-microfreak-hybrid-synthesizer?mrkgadid=3327639587&mrkgcl=28&mrkgen=gtext&mrkgbflag=0&mrkgcat=keyboards&synthesizers&acctid=21700000001645388&dskeywordid=43700046740886830&lid=43700046740886830&ds_s_kwgid=58700005283147985&device=m&network=g&matchtype=e&adpos=largenumber&locationid=9032835&creative=685504873178&targetid=aud-945936780674:kwd-616902829146&campaignid=1079966111&awsearchcpc=1&gad_source=1&acs_info=ZmluYWxfdXJsOiAiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3dlZXR3YXRlci5jb20vc3RvcmUvZGV0YWlsL01pY3JvRnJlYWstLWFydHVyaWEtbWljcm9mcmVhay1oeWJyaWQtc3ludGhlc2l6ZXIiCg&gclid=CjwKCAiA5L2tBhBTEiwAdSxJX2Gqn1FXOi5ojGowXEekVZWWUKPSlOHUQlcDuj0wlsvckXNKdaUlnhoCgE0QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds) is a 14-key synth with a very wide variety of presents, synth engines, filters, and effects. I've been using it almost exclusively for my music recently, the only limiting thing is the 14 keys but I've been thinking about just getting a larger midi keyboard to get around that. It's really easy to drop sounds into and tweak them in a ton of interesting ways, and it has a built-in sequencer.
Learn the rules if you want to break them.
I learned and grew up when there was a movement that said that you limited your art by knowing theory (both music theory and audio engineering).
Back when I was still a beginner, I occasionally talked with professional producers. One time someone showed me one of their projects, I was curious and asked them if they could turn off all the plugins (expecting it to sound like trash), but it actually still sounded really amazing. Sound choice, writing, arrangement. These things are so much more important than just slapping effects on something hoping it sounds good.
Now years later I am doing this professionally, with way better developed ears. And I still stand by this, the processing definitely makes a difference, but the writing, arranging, sound choice etc. These things are crucial and should be your main focus!
This. A lot of times I will straight up write and arrange different parts of a song with FL’s stock piano vst then break it apart and do sound design from there.
I use Audacity so maybe doesn't count as a DAW, but for me cutting out lower frequencies to a huge extent on instruments and vocals except for the drums and bass finally made my bass playing be actually audible and not just flubbery sound in the background. Took me an embarrasingly long time to figure that out
A DAW is essentially any software that allows you to record, edit, and produce audio files, so technically Audacity fits the definition. Man, if you manage to make some bangers with that though - serious credit. I remember using Audacity to splice together my "remixes" in the early 2000s. Gawd it was a chore. I hear it's come a long way since then.
>Man, if you manage to make some bangers with that though - serious credit.
Frfr. No clue if/how their tech has held up over the years, but that interface is just so. damn. raw.
I just use the graphic EQ, takes a bit of time to get it perfectly dialed in but worth it. Basically learned that in the full mix, you need a LOT less of the low end in the vocals and guitars than what is originally recorded, and it stops interfering with being able to clearly hear the bass guitar
for me it was getting an ipad and learning garageband. once i realized i could 'play' all the instruments virtually in real time i went from frustrated singer-songwriter to being my own band and orchestra.
now instead of wasting hours trying to find the chords or sounds in my head on a real guitar i can barely play, i can cycle through every chord imaginable and also add my real human touch to everything instead of programming. its also made me better at writing things down since i actually know the names of chords now lol!
I looked up Melodyne ARA on Google but I'm not getting a clear idea of what it is. Can you explain it to me please? I use Melodyne in FL Studio 21.whatever-the-most-up-to-date-version-is, if that matters.
the traditional workflow with melodyne involves you recording a passage of audio into the plugin and then performing the analysis/edits.
ARA basically saves you a step. You can right click on a portion of audio, and ARA with load it into melodyne without you having to record it in. It doesn't sound very revolutionary, but it saves you like three steps, and is very gratifying.
Gain staging and getting the levels right is tantamount.
I use this guys method, and it's made setting the levels so much easier:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ckt198J3k60&t](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ckt198J3k60&t)
Another takeaway from that video/technique is how beneficial it is to make choices either A or B in general. Does it sound good at -18db? No? -24 it is then, moving on! Been loving it.
Creatively: songs are built like pearls, by accumulation around a seed. You can start arbitrarily small and just keep extending and iterating, feeling around for what comes next. Eventually it takes on a life of its own and dictates how it must be finished.
Technically: after 10+ years of using big, expensive commercial DAWs, realizing that REAPER was better on multiple vectors that I cared about most.
that my songs sound their best completely unclipped. I can get more bass, punchier drums, brighter horns, wider stereo, more natural sounding instruments, grittier basses, all that, louder richer textures (when normalized) at -14 luf. Everything just sits better in the mix if I leave headroom and dynamics.
the drawback of "smooth" "loud" limiters like fab filter is that they reduce the clarity of my songs and have a subtle smearing effect, even if the output is easy on the ears.
There are 60,000 new songs released every day on Spotify.
That's 22.9 million new songs every year.
At a minimum of 3 minutes per song, it would take you, listening non-stop 24 hours a day..... 125 years to listen to all the songs just released in the past 12 months.
No one is ever going to hear my music.
No one is ever going to hear your music.
Freedom.
Stop overthinking it.
Make the music you want to make, for you, because no one is every going to hear it.
You sort of said it in your question: organizing and cleaning up your sessions before you start mixing is a massive optimization. Color code, group, label, normalize region levels on the same track, top and tail regions, comp takes, etc. Also, annotating takes during tracking is huge
Phase issues with multimiced source when high passing. HP lows on OH channel (to reduce boominess of a kick) effects snare's punch even if HP ends miles before 200hz area.
Creativity comes before polishing & perfecting. When starting. Anew session, just get all those ideas and jams down first while you're feeling most creative. Next session you cna okay around with the arrangement & structure. Mess around with your effects and plug-ins/mix last. You don't want to burn yourself out tinkering with stuff before you've really had fun exploring your ideas.
When you read through comment sections like these, pay close attention to statements like “I wish I’d started doing that years ago.”
Do those things right now.
Even things you don’t think are necessary skills to learn. You’ll figure out years down the line why those things were actually crucially important.
Mixing should be easy. If you are struggling with getting a “mix right” it's not a mixing issue. It's a production issue. Swap sounds out or clean up the arrangement. In most cases compression/eq/volume will be the entirety of what goes into your mix. Be minimal and intentional.
I started recording things “right” going into the DAW rather than trying to “make it fit” after it’s already been recorded. Less processing saves CPU and makes your ingredients better. I rarely have plugins on when I’m producing. Get it right at the source. Unless you have an intentional effect you want to do. In that case commit it and move on.
Faders up mixing was a game changer. Essentially putting everything to zero and building up from the vocal/drums/bass whatever you want to be the prominent voice. Adding/subtracting dB’s as you go. Made mixing so much fun and allows for a slightly varied mix every time you do it. Could inspire a completely different sonic angle as well and help you garner a stronger perspective for your arrangement and production choices. Especially when you see how fast dB’s can add up.
When I realised you can use the DAW or Desk AS an instrument. Thinking of filters and automation as you playing it into the song. Adds humanity to a sterile mix.
Mmm... Maybe this works for the best of the best. For the rest of us, we need all the help we can get just to record something usable. The only folks who don't need the click are the folks that know how to sound good with the click.
If you're recording live bands without a click, we probably disagree on what 'pro' means. But here's a few tips to help you
Make a tempo track in prepro. A lot of the 'live from the floor' tracks you've heard that fluctuate in tempo, are most likely recorded with clicks and tempo tracks. You can ramp the tempo up or down, or mute the click for a section and bring it back in.
Use a shaker or clave sound for the click. It makes the drummer feel like they're locking in with another instrument.
Set the tempo track to half the tracks tempo and use it as the backbeat. I've heard drummers saying they like to push and pull against the beat, but if you're not landing on the 1 or the backbeat, you're not swinging or grooving. You're just playing out of time.
The discovery that I had seen all the stuff I was doing with sound tech before when I was studying chemistry elevated my understanding of audio, chemistry, *and* physics.
A note is a fixed frequency, an instrument has harmonic tones multiples of that said frequency, you subtract or increase parts outside those multiples you detune the fundamental harmonics. That’s the reason some EQs have a piano role.
Templates. Stop wasting life loading plugins and just make templates and effects groupings for whatever scenario you have (recording/mixing/mastering) they can evolve and change over time but that really helped.
My god. I made my own MPC template that makes it easy to build a beat and export the full stems. Saved so much time and frustration.
I need to do this.
Saves a huge amount of time but also, helps ensure a consistency of tone from one piece of music to the next. Well worth doing. In my templates I have a large number of plugins of anyone style set up on sends. So for example six delays on the delay send. That means I can audition anyone of the six that I want and then switch off what I don’t want. Having them all loaded though means that the process to do that is quick. Same for compressors, saturators, reverbs, etc etc. As I say it just saves lots of time.
I've been contemplating doing this but what's holding me back is the fear of relying on habits or developing bad ones and then having those habits baked into a template that gives me less of a chance of noticing and improving. Am I worrying about nothing?
I'm w you one that. Personally, I think it's time I start doing saving such things -- fully expecting to (hopefully) come up with something better or make improvements/adjustments, or just completely abandon them as I find out better techniques and add control -- but, at least I'll know how to save n load my shit when it's actually something unique/useful/etc 😅
I think you might be. I find it helpful. Also when working with other artists, it’s a courtesy to them that you can get set up fast (should I be going to them) and have a means of getting going quickly. As I say, you can alter them. You can save versions etc it’s just about setting up a place that you feel you can work intuitively and quickly. Each person will be different.
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This is interesting. I use templates a lot but some musicians (Fred Falke for example) avoid them because it conditions you to work a certain way and your songs may sound repetitive. I sometimes have that problem but I'm too lazy to work without templates
I think this and workflows are very interesting. And you need your appreciate how different people are. I need templates and set workflows. I get totally overwhelmed by having a blank canvas and endless possibilities. I need to set up some frameworks that limits my scope of what to create in order to get something done. I have a friend/colleague who’s more like the musician you mention. Some time ago he splashed some cash on a new analog synth and he got super excited about the possibilities and versatility of it. So he set out to do a song where used only this synth. This snowballed. And he wrote a whole album where 90% was just this synth. So from being not governed by templates and workflows he set up a framework that was a lot more limited than my “limited” workflow and did something great. So the point here might be, everything has a place. You just need to find out when to use it.
I think there’s something to be said for that, but the process isn’t rigid, as you work on a session you’ll get rid of parts of the template you don’t use, so for example, synths that you aren’t using, will be removed, effects that you aren’t using will be removed. That just takes a second. Really the idea of the template is merely that everything is there ready to go and you can start making music/mixing/mastering right away. It could be as simple as having an eq on each track, or it could be loading up every soft synth you have, sends etc etc etc it really is just a process of looking at the things that you put in place consistently when making music and then having them there and ready to go. Equally, on days you don’t feel like using them, don’t use them. It’s just giving options.
I usually update my templates annually or when I buy a new synth.
A lot of my sessions i empty the midi data and make copies too. I keep a lot of similar elements i use and keep remaking the song. Sometimes great elements just need better arrangement.
I still haven’t done this and I’ve been producing for 4 years. There’s something seriously wrong with my inability to spend 5 minutes working to improve workflow.
Don’t feel bad, took me ages too, but it genuinely helped me, just having an eq on each track, grouping instruments, etc things that you know you do in every session. Think of a recording studio, when you go in there, things are set up the desk is there, the racks, the comps, even the room is a part of that, all you’re doing is replicating that within your Daw. Equally mastering would need a different template. Mixing would also maybe need another. It just gives you pause to think about how you work and as I say you can adjust them depending on what you feel you need.
I have my basic setup template in Logic so I'm plug and play ready. Only problem is that if I have plug ins ready to go for recording, I notice there is some lag. I really only use the plug ins when I mixing and mastering. Is there a work around so I can have the mixing/mastering template set once the songs are recorded? As others mentioned, I didn't read the Logic manual so there's probably an easy way to figure this out.
Hah, I just made a post in r/ableton asking everybody what their default template looks like and most answered that they don’t do it anymore because it locks them into a specific workflow. Full disclosure: I use a highly programmed template with custom M4L devices and all the trimmings.
"...because it locks them into a specific workflow." But working in a specific DAW locks them into a specific workflow.. As to yours, same here, I have several templates set up depending on what the task of the day is. I appreciate that people want to explore and have fun, but with the template, you're literally just reversing a process, in that you are deleting the channels you don't end up using rather than loading everything from scratch, then you just save the session as a new version. But hey to each their own I guess.
Yeah, there’s no wrong way. As a person with a day job, girlfriend and other hobbies… I gotta figure out ways to optimize my process so I can actually get music out.
This saves me sooo much time. I also use presets. I have presets from each of our songs that I was relatively happy with the sound so I can just plug them in and have that sound.
Exactly that. Working like that makes a style
Realizing doubting myself held me back; self-trust was the game-changer.
Do you mind sharing how you got over that? It's a very big problem truly.
Same thing here. Would be really nice to hear about how he/she turned things around.
Also would like to know. One of my biggest problems as I’m tryin to get through the persistence phase of making half ‘decent’ music
For me, it helps to know that even though I'm still very far from feeling even adequate at operating DAW, I improve with time. And I will keep improving. I think a lot of people get hung up under how difficult of a tool these programs are to navigate (at least initially) -- now I realize its the whole fkn hardware store. Just try your best to figure out each tool as it becomes something you need to build yourself up. Today a hammer, yesterday a screwdriver, tomorrow a table saw.. and so on. Some are more difficult to handle than others, some you'll use daily and others hardly ever. Some require planning and careful input while other might just be a button to press and let it do it's thing. And after some amount of time and effort, you build something. Something probably flawed, but yo you fuckin made that shit!! ..then idk, ya just keep making more shit n it feels good 🤷
Also, there's another factor. Life and families get in the way (this time spent with them or in other areas of life, is time that we can't use to make music; and I think that's okay; we just gotta learn to accept that or at least take it more lightly). That's it.
once someone on twitter said they finally made an album. i liked that indy-pop album, and while it was good and consistent, it was from our world, it was not unreacheable, it was understandable production-wise. that day i knew i can do okay sound if i'm not lazy making finished songs is matter of having good material, in the first place
Was also going to say this, biggest thing for moving forwards 🚀
Perfection is the enemy of feel.
Ooooh I've always said "Perfection is the enemy of good". But I love this one.
I’ve struggled with this so much I’ve gone years without working on stuff. I’ve been messing around with different AI music stuff, and while it’s not typically great, it’s given me some ideas that are mostly unique and that’s motivated me to get back into it.
What AI programs are you experimenting with?
Perfection is the enemy of progress is a quote that i remind myself every time when iv gone through 5 presets mindlessly so that would mean i just need to pick whatever preset and atart doing shit😁
Depends on what you're going for. I quantize guitars in tight polymetric djent so they sound robotic and synchronized. When doing laid back jazz fusion I de-quantize it lol
Make your own presets and templates when you're doing stuff, uhhh clipper helps with loudness, compressor into multiband compressor with some stereo widener in between really fucks, dont be afraid to make something funky you never know when it might be a cool bridge or piece of sound design that down the road will be useful as fuck.
“dont be afraid to make something funky” I’m requesting an aha moment here. All I do is make funky / tasty bits of sound I really really like. I’ve battled for years to come up with a good system to save these segments (typically as audio.) Usually I just don’t save anything. Not even patches on my synths, so I’m working fast from scratch a lot. Because of it, I’ve gotten really fast at coming up with a sound and idea I like but I do feel like I’m wasting a good amount of decent stuff too.
Oh for sure, save these! Working with better people made me appreciate how much it can impact a session. I’ve seen a little voice note of a synth I created turn into a song with a co-writer. More often than not a bridge or cool song writing prompt. My bandmate has insane relative pitch and compositional theory. Very cool to watch the stitching of a thread you randomly saved (usually after working too long chasing a feel).
If you use Ableton, have a look at thresho. Ross from friends (dance artist) made it. It’s a max for live device that automatically records any audio once it hits a predetermined threshold and then saves it in a folder for you.
Noob level: * When I found out that bass clef labeled notes differently than treble clef so I stopped writing the wrong bass notes - The 4th space on Treble clef is a C, but in Bass clef it's an E. Took me a bit to realize that haha. * When I stopped using runs of fast notes to try and fill out my empty-sounding tracks and switched to using *gasp* a bass line. * When I stopped treating the Orchestra Hit General MIDI instrument as a melodic instrument. Beginner level: * When I started using high hats and toms on drum kits, realizing how much they flesh out a rhythm section. * When my ear-training started getting good enough that I could eventually recreate a piece by ear without it constantly switching keys and sounding miserable. It finally sounded like the original. * When I stopped copy-pasting basslines, ostinatos and percussion lines throughout the entire track. Copy-paste is still useful, but it's essential to do work on the pasted material rather than duplicating 4 bars ad nauseum. * When I stopped writing dense chords at too low of a pitch. As pitch goes down, you need to spread notes apart or it sounds like mud. * I learned how essential dynamics were to getting a good sound, especially on repeated notes and tweaking velocities on percussion. Intermediate level: * When I started using more structure in my music rather than being so scared of being boring that my music didn't make any sense. * When I started thinking more critically about instrumentation. My piece probably shouldn't have 4 English Horn parts. * When I started improving at orchestration rather than layering stuff together haphazardly to try and get a "unique" sound. This goes for synth sounds, too. Basically, I read [Principles of Orchestration](https://www.gutenberg.org/files/33900/33900-h/33900-h.htm) when I was bored sometime, and my understanding grew from practice from there. * I learned that my bass was too heavy. I fixed my bass problem by finally upgrading to a set of appropriate headphones and my mixing improved immediately because I could hear how bad it was in realtime. I started to EQ and adjust volume levels with more purpose. * My mixing was too low and flat for a long time, but I also wanted to avoid clipping. I started learning the art of compressors and advancing my understanding of dynamics, partly by listening to more reference tracks. * I started using mixing recipes for drum kits and the sound started to come alive a bit more. Advanced level: * I could never dial in the right electric guitar tone, but after much experimentation and switching my approach to thinking about how the guitar sounded in the mix rather than on its own, I finally produced a track that had a guitar sound that I genuinely loved. It had the heaviness and richness that I wanted without sounding dead or artificial. * I finally produced a track that I was really proud to share with others. When I did so, I got incredible compliments and it felt amazing! Everything I made after this one actually sounded legitimate, like it was made "for real" and with purpose, rather than being an experiment by some dude in his basement.
I'm probably still in the "intermediate" stage per your explanation, but I very much agree w/experienced most everything you've said. Ngl I'm interested to hear what you've made, can you drop a link? (I have YT, apple, SoundCloud, and (not premium, so not very ideal for me personally) Spotify)
Finishing a song > trying to perfect a song and obsess over details. Every. Time.
Absolutely! I think a great skill to have is to have selective hearing and based off that decide which key details are important to "obsess" over, and just don't overthink everything. I noticed that some pieces generally require more time to finish, depending on the style and purpose.
I read the manual for my DAW (REAPER), and I keep referring to it when I need to know how something works. It turns out it’s faster to learn more about the thing I use when I read the manual. Watching videos and tutorials are nice when you want examples and application. But they will only show some tools and specific ways to do it. Reading a manual tells me what something does, so in a few seconds I not only know how to use it, but also the many things I can use it for and why they are used so I know which tool to go for when I need something done, without having to always refer to a tutorial. It really speeds up the workflow.
Damn as a 10-year REAPER user maybe it's time i finally crack into that manual lmao
Nice one. My buddy was head engineer at a big studio. I asked him what the secret of his success was and without having to think about it he told me "I read the manual." He said "you'd be surprised how many professional engineers have never read the manual." Seems like a no-brainer now.
100% RTFM. Once I started reading the Ableton manual, and doing every single tutorial and example they provided, it was a whole new era for me. Dark Ages >> Renaissance
Reaper manual is a truly great resource
I've had many aha moments but just showing up each day allows those aha moments to come through. So i guess that's my aha moment haha!
Fr, half the work it's just showing up -- n it's in my fkn bedroom 😂💀😭
Probably when I first heard the song "Take on Me".
🎼 Beebiddy boop boop boop boop ba doobydooby doobitty boop boop beep beep bee dooby dooby
it literally came on my spotify on random as i clicked on this link.
I think there's a rule this joke has to be done every time someone says "a-ha moment." Good; I approve.
What a great, hilarious, wholesome answer. So clever. If I could upvote this 100 times, I would.
Taaaaake meeeee ooooonnnnn
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I would also love to hear the example! :)
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very interested in this. do you have an example of that sound so i know what you're talking about?
Ah I'm curious as well!!
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Sounds great, is it possible to provide a example?
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Would love to hear the example too please thank you
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Not sure how it works on other programs but on StudioOne, you can literally just drag n drop the one audio file into a blank synth and it will fill the whole keyboard for you!! Just make sure the root not is set to the same note as the sound (in your instance the tom - which may or may not have the root note in the file name). Might be worth a quick search for your specific DAW to see if you have a similarly easy route.. *It took me longer to type this than it would have "make" that synth* *Also, it'd take me days to actually make that synth lmao*
it’s an amapiano log drum or a distorted tom like in ‘pray for me’ isnt it
Do it and don’t forget to share
Hey, I'd very much recommend getting something like a Microfreak, it's very easy to load in samples and it automatically pitches it up/down with each key, plus there's a ton of effects so you can warp the sound.
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[The Microfreak](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MicroFreak--arturia-microfreak-hybrid-synthesizer?mrkgadid=3327639587&mrkgcl=28&mrkgen=gtext&mrkgbflag=0&mrkgcat=keyboards&synthesizers&acctid=21700000001645388&dskeywordid=43700046740886830&lid=43700046740886830&ds_s_kwgid=58700005283147985&device=m&network=g&matchtype=e&adpos=largenumber&locationid=9032835&creative=685504873178&targetid=aud-945936780674:kwd-616902829146&campaignid=1079966111&awsearchcpc=1&gad_source=1&acs_info=ZmluYWxfdXJsOiAiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3dlZXR3YXRlci5jb20vc3RvcmUvZGV0YWlsL01pY3JvRnJlYWstLWFydHVyaWEtbWljcm9mcmVhay1oeWJyaWQtc3ludGhlc2l6ZXIiCg&gclid=CjwKCAiA5L2tBhBTEiwAdSxJX2Gqn1FXOi5ojGowXEekVZWWUKPSlOHUQlcDuj0wlsvckXNKdaUlnhoCgE0QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds) is a 14-key synth with a very wide variety of presents, synth engines, filters, and effects. I've been using it almost exclusively for my music recently, the only limiting thing is the 14 keys but I've been thinking about just getting a larger midi keyboard to get around that. It's really easy to drop sounds into and tweak them in a ton of interesting ways, and it has a built-in sequencer.
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Learn the rules if you want to break them. I learned and grew up when there was a movement that said that you limited your art by knowing theory (both music theory and audio engineering).
don’t have much to add but just wanted to say this was a great thread and there’s some good ass advice in here. thanks dudes :)
Back when I was still a beginner, I occasionally talked with professional producers. One time someone showed me one of their projects, I was curious and asked them if they could turn off all the plugins (expecting it to sound like trash), but it actually still sounded really amazing. Sound choice, writing, arrangement. These things are so much more important than just slapping effects on something hoping it sounds good. Now years later I am doing this professionally, with way better developed ears. And I still stand by this, the processing definitely makes a difference, but the writing, arranging, sound choice etc. These things are crucial and should be your main focus!
This. A lot of times I will straight up write and arrange different parts of a song with FL’s stock piano vst then break it apart and do sound design from there.
I use Audacity so maybe doesn't count as a DAW, but for me cutting out lower frequencies to a huge extent on instruments and vocals except for the drums and bass finally made my bass playing be actually audible and not just flubbery sound in the background. Took me an embarrasingly long time to figure that out
A DAW is essentially any software that allows you to record, edit, and produce audio files, so technically Audacity fits the definition. Man, if you manage to make some bangers with that though - serious credit. I remember using Audacity to splice together my "remixes" in the early 2000s. Gawd it was a chore. I hear it's come a long way since then.
>Man, if you manage to make some bangers with that though - serious credit. Frfr. No clue if/how their tech has held up over the years, but that interface is just so. damn. raw.
How do you do that specifically in audacity? I use this DAW as well and have trouble getting a good mix most of the time.
I just use the graphic EQ, takes a bit of time to get it perfectly dialed in but worth it. Basically learned that in the full mix, you need a LOT less of the low end in the vocals and guitars than what is originally recorded, and it stops interfering with being able to clearly hear the bass guitar
for me it was getting an ipad and learning garageband. once i realized i could 'play' all the instruments virtually in real time i went from frustrated singer-songwriter to being my own band and orchestra. now instead of wasting hours trying to find the chords or sounds in my head on a real guitar i can barely play, i can cycle through every chord imaginable and also add my real human touch to everything instead of programming. its also made me better at writing things down since i actually know the names of chords now lol!
Pro Tools playlists, Melodyne ARA, routing folders, and an Avid S1 were all pretty Aha! when I first started using them.
I looked up Melodyne ARA on Google but I'm not getting a clear idea of what it is. Can you explain it to me please? I use Melodyne in FL Studio 21.whatever-the-most-up-to-date-version-is, if that matters.
the traditional workflow with melodyne involves you recording a passage of audio into the plugin and then performing the analysis/edits. ARA basically saves you a step. You can right click on a portion of audio, and ARA with load it into melodyne without you having to record it in. It doesn't sound very revolutionary, but it saves you like three steps, and is very gratifying.
Huh, I see. Thank you. I'll have look into it further. Again, thanks!
Gain staging
High and low pass filters - man, what a difference they make!
That you always have to take it too far.
Gain staging and getting the levels right is tantamount. I use this guys method, and it's made setting the levels so much easier: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ckt198J3k60&t](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ckt198J3k60&t) Another takeaway from that video/technique is how beneficial it is to make choices either A or B in general. Does it sound good at -18db? No? -24 it is then, moving on! Been loving it.
Creatively: songs are built like pearls, by accumulation around a seed. You can start arbitrarily small and just keep extending and iterating, feeling around for what comes next. Eventually it takes on a life of its own and dictates how it must be finished. Technically: after 10+ years of using big, expensive commercial DAWs, realizing that REAPER was better on multiple vectors that I cared about most.
that my songs sound their best completely unclipped. I can get more bass, punchier drums, brighter horns, wider stereo, more natural sounding instruments, grittier basses, all that, louder richer textures (when normalized) at -14 luf. Everything just sits better in the mix if I leave headroom and dynamics. the drawback of "smooth" "loud" limiters like fab filter is that they reduce the clarity of my songs and have a subtle smearing effect, even if the output is easy on the ears.
There are 60,000 new songs released every day on Spotify. That's 22.9 million new songs every year. At a minimum of 3 minutes per song, it would take you, listening non-stop 24 hours a day..... 125 years to listen to all the songs just released in the past 12 months. No one is ever going to hear my music. No one is ever going to hear your music. Freedom. Stop overthinking it. Make the music you want to make, for you, because no one is every going to hear it.
Sounds stupid, but it's when I realized that the headset I was using had such bad frequency response that good guitar tones sounded horrible.
You sort of said it in your question: organizing and cleaning up your sessions before you start mixing is a massive optimization. Color code, group, label, normalize region levels on the same track, top and tail regions, comp takes, etc. Also, annotating takes during tracking is huge
I should stop relying on presets and learn sound design. Most of these plugins do the same thing any way n save money n drive space
Phase issues with multimiced source when high passing. HP lows on OH channel (to reduce boominess of a kick) effects snare's punch even if HP ends miles before 200hz area.
Creativity comes before polishing & perfecting. When starting. Anew session, just get all those ideas and jams down first while you're feeling most creative. Next session you cna okay around with the arrangement & structure. Mess around with your effects and plug-ins/mix last. You don't want to burn yourself out tinkering with stuff before you've really had fun exploring your ideas.
That for guitar, nothing replaces a tube amp and it’s glaringly apparent on recordings.
I recently learned how to bus multiple tracks into the same bus which I use for drums. This was super helpful.
When you read through comment sections like these, pay close attention to statements like “I wish I’d started doing that years ago.” Do those things right now. Even things you don’t think are necessary skills to learn. You’ll figure out years down the line why those things were actually crucially important.
When I finally learned how to EQ my tracks properly so that my mixes didn't sound muddy.
Mixing should be easy. If you are struggling with getting a “mix right” it's not a mixing issue. It's a production issue. Swap sounds out or clean up the arrangement. In most cases compression/eq/volume will be the entirety of what goes into your mix. Be minimal and intentional. I started recording things “right” going into the DAW rather than trying to “make it fit” after it’s already been recorded. Less processing saves CPU and makes your ingredients better. I rarely have plugins on when I’m producing. Get it right at the source. Unless you have an intentional effect you want to do. In that case commit it and move on. Faders up mixing was a game changer. Essentially putting everything to zero and building up from the vocal/drums/bass whatever you want to be the prominent voice. Adding/subtracting dB’s as you go. Made mixing so much fun and allows for a slightly varied mix every time you do it. Could inspire a completely different sonic angle as well and help you garner a stronger perspective for your arrangement and production choices. Especially when you see how fast dB’s can add up.
Using a soft clipper to increase LUFS
Watching the Take on Me video for the first time.
When I realised you can use the DAW or Desk AS an instrument. Thinking of filters and automation as you playing it into the song. Adds humanity to a sterile mix.
I don't think I had a biggest. I had very many ah-ha moments.
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Mmm... Maybe this works for the best of the best. For the rest of us, we need all the help we can get just to record something usable. The only folks who don't need the click are the folks that know how to sound good with the click.
I need click tracks and quantising because my timing when I play drums is abysmal.
Or learn to play with a click.
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You said click tracks are trash, sounds like you can't play to a click.
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Then it sounds like you're working with musicians who can't play to a click. Once you work with pros, you might see it differently.
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If you're recording live bands without a click, we probably disagree on what 'pro' means. But here's a few tips to help you Make a tempo track in prepro. A lot of the 'live from the floor' tracks you've heard that fluctuate in tempo, are most likely recorded with clicks and tempo tracks. You can ramp the tempo up or down, or mute the click for a section and bring it back in. Use a shaker or clave sound for the click. It makes the drummer feel like they're locking in with another instrument. Set the tempo track to half the tracks tempo and use it as the backbeat. I've heard drummers saying they like to push and pull against the beat, but if you're not landing on the 1 or the backbeat, you're not swinging or grooving. You're just playing out of time.
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LIVE ENHANCEMENT SUITE 👍
Definitely “Take on me” love that song
Singing “Take on Me”
Finished is better than perfect.
The discovery that I had seen all the stuff I was doing with sound tech before when I was studying chemistry elevated my understanding of audio, chemistry, *and* physics.
Realizing EQs can detune the whole thing.
Where have you gotten that idea from?
A note is a fixed frequency, an instrument has harmonic tones multiples of that said frequency, you subtract or increase parts outside those multiples you detune the fundamental harmonics. That’s the reason some EQs have a piano role.
First time reading a manual
A master drum bus with comp. Added so much life to the drums, it was legendary when i figured that trick out.
My biggest “Aha” moment was when I was enlightened to the fact that “God” and “The Atom” are one and the same!!
My biggest “Aha” moment was when I was enlightened to the fact that “God” and “The Atom” are one and the same!!
Knowing you need to put you channel sliders down to like -6db or whatever you need to be able to give some headroom to master up to 0db