Less than amateur producers...assemble!

[deadly_habit]

Could really do with a beginners thread in the production forum really. It's a bit intimidating posting supposedly obvious questions or really shabby first attempts when a lot of people in there have been doing it for years.

stickies, the dubs forum, and the WIP thread (which doesn't work for newer producers so well as it's quid pro quo and the new guys honestly shouldn't be trying to give others advice), but the lazy guys who can't build up their own personal network of producers they trust for feedback seemed to throw a conniption fit when it was removed.
basically find a few people who knows their shit, who will be brutally honest with you, and don't take it personal as it's not a race or overnight (like some people seem to think posting their "i've been producing for a week check this out" shit).
also RTFM of your DAW and synths, don't be afraid to experiment with techniques, and no tutorial is the end all be all way to do something, especially on the net. analyze presets (and use them) and try to forge your own sound rather than copy someone elses, and if you feel the need to copy someone do it as a sound engineering learning exercise (which most people seem to miss)
learn to walk before you crawl, learn the terminology and basic premises behind synthesis, sound design, different effects and what and how the affect sounds when placed differently in your effects chain, eqing, gain structuring, and finally how to mixdown (not just throwing a limiter on the main channel) before unleashing your creations upon the pubic

[Electric_Head]

Limit your vst's.
Don`t jump on the vst bandwagon.

I used to collect every damn vst I could find.
Trying to make that elusive sound.
Until I realized the sound was not specific to one synth.
You really need to find solid sample material and use a synth that you understand.

Spending time writing music rather than trying to figure out a synth.

side-note - Get drum samples that are loops not single hits to start out with.
Spend the time understanding loops and how to fit them together via EQ, chopping, whatever method you use.
Once you`re comfortable with loop matching, then you can work on breaking the loops into single hits or reprogramming the loops as hits.

[deadly_habit]

write tunes when inspired and motivated, make patches and kits when uninspired

[Sheff]

too much good info in this thread

[wub]

May as well put these in here too;

1) Listen to as much music as possible. Learn from every composition that falls upon your ears, whether it's generic bubblegum autotuned pop or the screechiest RAWK metal. Listen to them with a critical ear, and try and work out how individual sounds are made. Deprogramme Britney's drum loops. Figure out how other people do things.

2) Sample everything. Every piece of music in your collection has something that can be sampled from it. A drum hit, break, vocal, weird police car siren noise, voice of God telling you to do drugs etc etc. Sample it. Get yourself an old tape deck and sample your older sister's 80s music collection. Setup Audacity (or similar) on your laptop and record the stereo mix for a 20mins or so. You'll have the sounds of your moving icons and stuff, coupled with whatever music or online radio station you're listening to. Bounce it out and chop it up.

3) Take regular breaks from making music. 15mins out of every hour works fine for me. Gives my ears a chance to reset themselves. Get away from the studio setup, go read a magazine, have a hot drink, ask your roommate about their day, take a shit, etc etc. Think about the project you've left behind, what bits you're happy with and what needs to be changed when you return. Get yourself a plan of action so that when your break is over, you can get cracking on the amendments.

4) Disconnect your main studio machine from the internet. Get yourself a cheap laptop if you feel the need to surf, but leave the main machine alone. Samples can be transferred on flash drive, installation authorisations and updates etc can be carried across likewise.

5) Learn one synth inside and out. Get it to the point where you know what every dial, variable and setting does, so that you can make any sound out of it you desire. Make the synth your bitch. Make it work for YOU. Learn it over and over again, deconstruct presets that you like the sound of, find out exactly what makes it tick and gives it it's unique sound. Then make that sound work for you.



The five above are my main tips if pushed. However, I have one final one - make yourself a production handbook. Every interesting article/forum thread/YouTube video/interview/studio picture feature/whatever you find online that you like, save it. My production handbook is a culmination of about 3yrs worth of this, and is currently occupying a big fuck off 200 page Word document. I have it printed out and next to my machine at all times. Anytime I'm feeling slightly less inspired, I'll pick it up, randomly flick open a page and try to recreate whatever sound or technique is being described on the page. 9 times out of 10 it won't sound anything like what the original author intended, but it's uniquely 'my' sound, and usually provides a springboard for me to do something else off the back of it.

[Sheff]

amazing ^

any good synths you could recommend to learn inside out? I dont feel comfortable with any at the minute because theres loads to choose from and i never stick to just one. i do just want one synth that i know my way around easily. I know they nearly have all the same functions and that but anything in specific?

[deadly_habit]

oh yeah and when doing a mixdown wait a few days to do it from when you finished the tune/last time you listened to it so you have fresh ears

[wub]

amazing ^

any good synths you could recommend to learn inside out? I dont feel comfortable with any at the minute because theres loads to choose from and i never stick to just one. i do just want one synth that i know my way around easily. I know they nearly have all the same functions and that but anything in specific?

http://www.geocities.jp/daichi1969/softsynth/


Probably one of the most powerful true freeware synths out there. You'll need to work at it, but once you get the hang of it you're set. Plus it'll teach you the basics of pretty much how every other softsynth (bar a few notable exceptions) work.

[Electric_Head]

oh yeah and when doing a mixdown wait a few days to do it from when you finished the tune/last time you listened to it so you have fresh ears

Don`t be surprised if you suddenly don`t like it.
Make the effort to not change it.
Just improve the sound quality.
If after getting the track to sound fundamentally correct, then decide if it`s still junk.

I make loops only to think they sound crap later.

But, and this is a big BUT.
My theory on life - We are all our own individual Gods(or what we define as God).
Therefore we all have the ability to perform miracles or acts of superhuman ability.
Whatever your definition of superhuman or miracles are, all aspects of life can be broken down into being miracles and superhuman.

So do not limit your tracks to being judged by what you hear but rather judge it according to your inner God.
My inner God is a very powerful person.
If I listen to one of my tracks I think that is just incredible.
But when my inner God is doubting himself then I tend to think, Meh, it`s ok.

But this is where my theory becomes important.
Let someone else with an educated ear listen and they think it is great.
Find a balance between listening to your inner God and Ignoring your Inner God.
So like soo many rappers and what not, be blindly positive about your tracks, know that they`re the best.

Never doubt your abilities but remain humble regardless.

[deadly_habit]

circle is another really intuitive synth (bit pricey) but has pretty much endless possibilities with what you can do with it as you can import your own waveforms, has a great and intuitive gui, and well just kicks ass http://www.futureaudioworkshop.com/circle/

[Sheff]

Sweeeet, it comes with a pretty big manual on the website too thanks alot wub


also i know this isnt a "how to make this sound" thread but if its possible to explain briefly how this sound is made (the bassy synth) it would be appreciated. its probably the simplest of things but i can never really get a clean and distorted sound like that
in this tune

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UYI0YCj ... re=related

[Electric_Head]

Did that make sense?

[Sheff]

Did that make sense?

yes i understood, sound advice
thats the sorta advice you dont get in the production forum either, nice one


and wub that synth is fucking amazing. ive had it open like 3 minutes and already created a nice sound.
that sub dial next to the first Osc is very handy
thanks

[deadly_habit]

Sweeeet, it comes with a pretty big manual on the website too thanks alot wub


also i know this isnt a "how to make this sound" thread but if its possible to explain briefly how this sound is made (the bassy synth) it would be appreciated. its probably the simplest of things but i can never really get a clean and distorted sound like that
in this tune

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UYI0YCj ... re=related

2 oscs saw on 1, sine on 2
low pass filter on it and and gradually make it open and move like that

[Sheff]

thanks!

[clifford_-]

this thread is really good for producers such as myself. i get completely lost in the production forum, and whenever i see a thread that might be helpful to me, people go into way too much detail way too quickly! its a bit daunting to say the least, so this thread is a bonus!

[wolf89]

Something I've started doing is to keep a notebook by me any time I listen to any of the many random old records I own and write down any tracks which have open drum sounds in or anything I else I see as pontentially sampleable. Then record that shit at some point.

[deadly_habit]

well with any technical forum it's assumed you know the fundamentals hence the details come quickly. it's why most of the basics and such are covered in the stickies
you gotta learn to crawl beofre walking, walk before running ad nauseam
too many people want instant results and don't put in their due diligence these days be it a trip to the library or book store, reading their manuals, a quick google, the stickies which collect a bunch of articles, the search feature, or even the dsf google tool
not directed at anyone in particular, just everyone seems so intimidated by the production board for some reason. often the answers you're looking for are staring you right in the face in the form of a stickied thread

@wolf i always have a notebook by my tv and computer for righting down time codes from say bits from a movie i wanna sample, whiteboards are good for this in the studio too, post it notes whatever works. somewhere to jot down ideas quickly to come back too. even the voice recorder on your phone can be used to hum out a melody you have in your head or something when you can't get to your computer.

[Dub_freak]

Good advice in this thread

[kidshuffle]

oh yeah and when doing a mixdown wait a few days to do it from when you finished the tune/last time you listened to it so you have fresh ears

I've been doing this lately; such good advice