Production plateau

[Chris mack]

Hey there,

I have been producing for around 3 - 4 years now and I feel as though I have reached a bit of a plateau in terms of my production ability...
Can any pros lend any tips that could help me advance even further. Any thing would be greatly appreciated.

Here are a few of my latests tracks

Soundcloud

Soundcloud

Soundcloud

[Gewze]

infamous is fattt pm me a link please?

[efence]

some options to go further
-give yourself a challenge.(dont take the easy routes)
-try a different genre you have never tried
-try to make your track sound completely different from your usual sound.(if your tracks are normally organic/natural sounding go shimmering, overproduced digital sounding
just some idea's

[hasezwei]

give yourself a set of rules/restriction before making tunes.
make tunes according to a storyline.


oh and damn get these tracks released or at least mastered they're the bomb!

[Chris mack]

Thanks for the replies! Definitely some interesting ideas here that I will look into. In terms of releases, I am having an Ep coming out soon :p

But I still feel like artists like Ruckspin are that much further ahead of me in terms of production. I guess its just years of practice. Cheers :p

[Teknicyde]

For what its worth, when I get to feeling in a plateau/slump like that, its usually a good sign im about to accidentally write something that totally ups my standards for myself and surprises me.

So yeah, be optimistic.

[laurend]

Invest in a high grade monitoring system.

[RandoRando]

usually im the one to say use the dubs forum for feedback (which wub will probably say in a couple posts ) but i have to admit your mixdowns are super clean man

[Depone]

Some dope tunes! A change of scenery will help.. go see that long distance friend, try going out and doing something new. Take up a hobby. I have been jogging for a while now and it helps to keep a clear mind and i always get random ideas popping into my head

[synthlf]

Invest in a high grade monitoring system.

this, and if you have good monitoring system work on your mixdowns, tunes are nice but mixdowns are not perfect, they are good thou

[Manic Harmonic]

I've been producing for about the same amount of time, and this does happen to me every once in a while. It's just writer's block, that's all. It will pass. As far as production skill, I think writer's block applies to that as well. It's pretty much just a lack of inspiration. In this situation, I download some new free/cheap plugins! Not kidding. Go to a thrift store and buy some cd's by the picture, scratch the shit out of them, put them into a handheld cd player with the ESP off, and sample them.

Other times, I just have to take a break. Seriously, I just won't music for like a week, and make other forms of art: collages, spray paint some cracked and broken records, etc. I've made a collage out of tapes and small speakers, broken ipods, record covers, I even made one on a bike wheel. It's easy and takes no real artistic ability besides creativity, which I'm sure you have, even if you're having trouble musically right now. The results are very rewarding and inspiring.

Also, just try some interesting and new things. Go to a sweat lodge, visit a new location, go to thrift stores searching for dirt cheap music equipment, go for a drive and get lost while listening to music you've never heard before, go to the top of a hill with a nice view and watch the sunset, go meet some new people reason, do something nice for someone and don't tell anyone about it, go to an art show, etc. You can get "things to do" apps for your phone.

Basically, you prove to yourself that you can still be creative by getting creative about things to do that you've never done in order to inspire you to be creative.

Lastly - COLLABORATE WITH SOMEONE.

[laurend]

Invest in a high grade monitoring system.

I didn't want to offense you. I just means this way, your can turn your mix from good from excellent by allowing a more precise work on the sound.

[Chris mack]

Thanks for all the replies again, I feel as though there is definitely some stuff coming through that will help.

In terms of my mix downs, any specifics on what it is that would turn them from "good" to excellent ? For example... should I do more subtractive EQ to free up more space in the mix? general lay out? Panning to create a wider sound ?

[accordionfan]

I've been producing for about the same amount of time, and this does happen to me every once in a while. It's just writer's block, that's all. It will pass. As far as production skill, I think writer's block applies to that as well. It's pretty much just a lack of inspiration. In this situation, I download some new free/cheap plugins! Not kidding. Go to a thrift store and buy some cd's by the picture, scratch the shit out of them, put them into a handheld cd player with the ESP off, and sample them.

Other times, I just have to take a break. Seriously, I just won't music for like a week, and make other forms of art: collages, spray paint some cracked and broken records, etc. I've made a collage out of tapes and small speakers, broken ipods, record covers, I even made one on a bike wheel. It's easy and takes no real artistic ability besides creativity, which I'm sure you have, even if you're having trouble musically right now. The results are very rewarding and inspiring.

Also, just try some interesting and new things. Go to a sweat lodge, visit a new location, go to thrift stores searching for dirt cheap music equipment, go for a drive and get lost while listening to music you've never heard before, go to the top of a hill with a nice view and watch the sunset, go meet some new people reason, do something nice for someone and don't tell anyone about it, go to an art show, etc. You can get "things to do" apps for your phone.

Basically, you prove to yourself that you can still be creative by getting creative about things to do that you've never done in order to inspire you to be creative.

Lastly - COLLABORATE WITH SOMEONE.

this is a good post

[Manic Harmonic]

Yeah... im totally into writing right now, all of a sudden I like to make really long in depth Posts because im taking analytical writing. Its pretty fun, I got to do a free write on a piece of music, I chose the new apparat album.

But yeah, I think there's no reason to limit yourself to just music. My room mate has so 3d modeling programs and I want to start playing around with them, maybe make some music videos. We are artist, not solely just musicians. Or producers, howver you choose to think about it.

[Dystinkt]

When you feel your almost going backwards is usually when your making the most progress.

[brettheaslewood]

Invest in a high grade monitoring system.

seriously though, pm me, needa grab soma them beats!

[blinx]

Sit on both your hands until they fall asleep and prodocue with out feeling in them....

[DoWork]

Think you need to refine your PR efforts. Tracks are fine.