Production rant of my first track and it being 7 months.....

[daeMTHAFKNkim]

I'm on the verge of quitting(I'm not going to quit of course but I'm losing my mind)

It's been almost 7 months and I haven't gotten any quality stuff done since my first track..... I've learned a lot in these past months such as mixing/slightly mastering/building some synths/building hefty drums etc......but it feels like I've lost my musical creativeness and song structuring.....almost every song I create sounds really empty/doesn't flow over to the next part well....everything seems like a square if you know what I mean.

I've gotten a new computer that i built which is a 8gb ram/quad processor because I wanted to get serious with music....but nothing really good is coming out compared to my older stuff. Of course everything i make now sounds better in mixing/quality-wise but I've lost it...maybe cuz I stopped smoking bud? Idk. I've also done "X" twice since I've gotten a new comp + "MoLLY" twice. Maybe i've lost brain cells lol?

I listen to my first ever dubstep song and it sounds really good structure-wise/layering of synths/basses.....it sounds full + it's going in a good musical direction.

Now here's the funny part...I've made this with a Dell Dimension 3000 comp which has 512mb ram and 1 processor...I had to guess on some parts and never got to finish it because the CPU was at 99. Couldn't play it so I had to render it each time to hear new edits.
P.S ignore the first 10 seconds.

With my new comp it feels like I have a creative music block!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Any suggestions?

[Anne Droid]

How does the computer you are using have anything to do with your musical creativity and ability to program sounds?

not seeing the connection...

im asking bc you stated it mulitple times and even posted computer spec comparisons...

[daeMTHAFKNkim]

How does the computer you are using have anything to do with your musical creativity and ability to program sounds?

not seeing the connection...

im asking bc you stated it mulitple times and even posted computer spec comparisons...

That's my point :l . How did I make full structured songs with every part musically related/going good together regardless of mix quality with a shitty computer. And now that I have a good computer I can't even get a full song going and throw out tracks like I used too. When I make an intro it doesn't match the drop, then the drop doesn't match the later parts. Example in the siggy. I fkn suck now. Need to go back on the greens or something.

Do you understand what I'm getting at?

[bl0rg]

what does your comp have to do with producing? lol

i have a shit comp without monitors and still produce decent tunes...

i just bounce everything to audio asap.

[cmgoodman1226]

If making music has ceased to be enjoyable for you, than you're probably doing something wrong. Take a break from making anything for a few days or weeks. Then come back to it with some new ideas. Also what helps me branch out is making different kinds of music. If I'm stuck on a song (like at it for days and can't seem to add anything worthwhile), I'll start something else in a new genre. I'll make a drum and bass track or a hip hop track, or a more lower key dubstep track. Also, invest in some production books so that when you hit a wall of some sort, read some new material and learn about something you don't know much about. If you haven't got it I suggest you look up "how to make a noise" by simon cainn. It's an incredible read about all different types of synthesis, and more importantly, it's FREE in PDF form! The last thing to keep in mind is you've been doing this less than a year; don't try to hold your tunes up to the standards of big name signed artists. If you do this you will constantly be disappointed. The vast majority of those guys have spent years honing their productions skills, so why should you expect you can achieve the same in less than a year (I'm not saying you did expect this, but if you did). Just keep it moving man, and if you're not enjoying it, then stop doing what you're doing. I've been working on a track on and off for about a week now; It's got some aspects that I really like, but everytime I audition a new sound, I'm disappointed. So now I'm spending a bit of time away from the track in body and mind, doing other things. I WILL go back to it, but for now I'm frustrated and not getting anything done. anyways, this was entirely too long, but I hope at least some of it helps.

edit: PS-> both of the songs in my sig were made during stints when I was having trouble writing any new dubstep.

[daeMTHAFKNkim]

what does your comp have to do with producing? lol

i have a shit comp without monitors and still produce decent tunes...

i just bounce everything to audio asap.

I'm sleep deprived and I don't know if I'm not making any sense or not but my thought process was "If I get a new computer then I'll be able to produce even better ish without worrying about ram etc. etc. etc." I got a new computer and it's been about 5 months since then. Well I look at my old tracks that are on my ipod from my old computer and compare them to my new tracks and see that they're more musically structured/compliment each other in sounds, notes, build-ups etc. throughout the whole song. While all the tracks I make now doesn't relate to each other in the intro/drop/main parts/etc. Sounds like totally different songs when it goes to the next part.

Maybe I'm trippin Idk.

So I'm asking why do you guys think I've lost my musical touch?
Is there any "musical warm-ups" you guys do? Like you would with a sport/games/whatever to get that good critical thinking for music?
Do you guys take breaks ever when making music? Because I make music for 1-8 hours at a time going straight without breaks then I feel like a zombie.

[wub]

Creativity is what it is - if you go looking for it, you'll never find it.


I think everyone has a bit of writers block from time to time, I know I do. I went for something like 4 months last year without making a single tune, drove me mad. But I carried on with sound design, beat patterns, bit of pseudo-Mastering work for friends to keep me busy, sampling the shit out of everything I could, listening to music/ going for walks in the rain, watching movies etc etc and then one day I started making beats again.

Honestly, don't worry. Find other stuff production wise to keep yourself busy, learn everything you've got inside and out (for example, I can do navigate through FL pretty seamlessly without ever touching my mouse)...in fact do everything you can other than write tunes. It's an organic process, you're creating art not working on a production line.

[Sonika]

Cmgoodman basically covered what I was going to say. I think you're grtting pissed off because you feel like you have to accomplish something quickly that you're not. Relax. Make music for fun, then it will be fun. If you make it for a different reason, it may not be fun.

I had a week like that this week, actually. It was frustrating, but I just basically got a ton of samples from the Internet, read this forum, watched some tv, hung out with some friends...I didn't stress about it. Let it come to you, don't be so stressed about it. Stress only breeds stress

[daeMTHAFKNkim]

If making music has ceased to be enjoyable for you, than you're probably doing something wrong. Take a break from making anything for a few days or weeks. Then come back to it with some new ideas. Also what helps me branch out is making different kinds of music. If I'm stuck on a song (like at it for days and can't seem to add anything worthwhile), I'll start something else in a new genre. I'll make a drum and bass track or a hip hop track, or a more lower key dubstep track. Also, invest in some production books so that when you hit a wall of some sort, read some new material and learn about something you don't know much about. If you haven't got it I suggest you look up "how to make a noise" by simon cainn. It's an incredible read about all different types of synthesis, and more importantly, it's FREE in PDF form! The last thing to keep in mind is you've been doing this less than a year; don't try to hold your tunes up to the standards of big name signed artists. If you do this you will constantly be disappointed. The vast majority of those guys have spent years honing their productions skills, so why should you expect you can achieve the same in less than a year (I'm not saying you did expect this, but if you did). Just keep it moving man, and if you're not enjoying it, then stop doing what you're doing. I've been working on a track on and off for about a week now; It's got some aspects that I really like, but everytime I audition a new sound, I'm disappointed. So now I'm spending a bit of time away from the track in body and mind, doing other things. I WILL go back to it, but for now I'm frustrated and not getting anything done. anyways, this was entirely too long, but I hope at least some of it helps.

edit: PS-> both of the songs in my sig were made during stints when I was having trouble writing any new dubstep.

Oh hell no! I love music too much & it's my life man. I'm not disinterested but more so frustrated and mind-fucked on how much information you have to learn for every little thing. Just not as easy as I thought it was going to be(really need to stop being a bitch). But yeah I've been pretty much learning random stuff like the Q curve/What each knob on the compressor does/learning more on massive etc. So I guess I've been taking a little break from actually purely producing a song but still learning about music stuff. It truly seems endless with learning things which is pretty cool I guess but frustrating at the same time. And yeah they have been producing for years from what I've seen in interviews...but I see all these kids just picking up producing and catching on so fast. I feel retarded lol. Like I've watched a ton of videos on resampling and my reaction is Derp. I'll check out that PDF by Simon Cainn though. Thanks for the suggestion.

I've tried other genres and pretty much fail at them too. And everytime I get a bad headache when I'm learning a bunch of crap/making music.

p.S your first song in your sig sounds pretty good I hear Big Willie Style/Nas/Northstar rapping over that beat in my head.
Drum N Bass is good too.

[atticuh]

How does the computer you are using have anything to do with your musical creativity and ability to program sounds?

not seeing the connection...

im asking bc you stated it mulitple times and even posted computer spec comparisons...

That's my point :l . How did I make full structured songs with every part musically related/going good together regardless of mix quality with a shitty computer.

Composition. Composition. Composition. Learn music theory, song arrangement, and composition. Oh, you can craft the sickest reese ever heard? Irrelevant if your tune lacks the most basic forms of musicality. That just means you're an incredible sound designer capable of making lush sounds; not a good producer who can create lush tunes.

Additionally, WELCOME TO PRODUCTION, where you are required to develop patience, communication/networking skills, and a problem solving mentality. There comes a point in every person's journey where you have to ask yourself why you're REALLY doing something. Are you honestly and truly doing it for the love of production and music or for other ancillary, and ultimately trivial, reasons? I've noticed that people who keep producing and enduring the challenges of production usually are people who do it simply for the love of it (passion if you will).

Figure out why you're producing and if you want to continue doing it, then create an active, engaging plan for yourself with measurable, attainable goals. If you do decide to keep at it, make sure to find ways to remind yourself of the progress you're making. It is much easier to stay motivated and ambitious if the progress you're making is in front of you every day.

[Sonika]

Yeah, honestly, if I feel like making a tune, I'll make a tune, but if I'm not pulling anything creative out of the ol noggin, I'll do something else useful like dick around on Massive and make cool patches, or build my sample library or read more about stuff I don't know about in production (and there's always a lottttt of that).
That's why I have so many WIPs on my desktop. But I don't mind. Rumor has it that Skream has like 10,000 WIPs in varying stages of completion on his home computer.
It's part of the process.

[skimpi]

I can relate to how you feel slightly. Like when I started out I had mad fun just making beats and whatever just cramming shit into a tune, thought it was great. But the more I learned technical wise, the more I knew what sounded good, and what sounded shit as opposed to before when I thought everything sounded good. So now like you could be making something, but think it sounds shit, cos you are more accustomed to what is good. Also the more technical knowledge you know, the more it can get in the way of composing as you try to make everything sound good, rather than getting some good musical ideas and then making them sound good. I don't really know what the solution to this is though, just keep at it. Like what has been said above just stop working on that track and work on something else. The more you work on a track that you aren't feeling, the more pissed off you get and the moe you hate making beats.

[daeMTHAFKNkim]

Creativity is what it is - if you go looking for it, you'll never find it.


I think everyone has a bit of writers block from time to time, I know I do. I went for something like 4 months last year without making a single tune, drove me mad. But I carried on with sound design, beat patterns, bit of pseudo-Mastering work for friends to keep me busy, sampling the shit out of everything I could, listening to music/ going for walks in the rain, watching movies etc etc and then one day I started making beats again.

Honestly, don't worry. Find other stuff production wise to keep yourself busy, learn everything you've got inside and out (for example, I can do navigate through FL pretty seamlessly without ever touching my mouse)...in fact do everything you can other than write tunes. It's an organic process, you're creating art not working on a production line.

Yeah I know whatchu mean. It feels like I don't have time to take a break though. I've seriously been goofing around till these last 2 months....really been gearing it up and learning soooooooooo much. I've been jobless/no car/not attending college so it's been a race with reality for me. I'm trying to make a career out of something I love to do but feels like it's not going to happen unless I start making legit tracks in the next coming months. I'm pretty close to learning FL Studio inside-n-out but still have to learn Massive + Mixing so I can just make sounds on demand without using someone elses patches or watching tutorials.

Cmgoodman basically covered what I was going to say. I think you're grtting pissed off because you feel like you have to accomplish something quickly that you're not. Relax. Make music for fun, then it will be fun. If you make it for a different reason, it may not be fun.

I had a week like that this week, actually. It was frustrating, but I just basically got a ton of samples from the Internet, read this forum, watched some tv, hung out with some friends...I didn't stress about it. Let it come to you, don't be so stressed about it. Stress only breeds stress

I really do have to accomplish this fast because I'm going nowhere in life. I'm 19 and graduated when I was 17 and pretty much been goofing around since then. Had a job and got fired because I ate shit while skateboarding and messed up my tailbone. Wasn't a top notch kid in high school whereas I skipped school a lot with some friends or slept in classes....still graduated though! Music has always been for fun and it's been my life since I was little. But I've always bullshitted and said I was going to do something and never do it. So I'm here trying to chase a dream and really wanting to make it happen this time.

Yeah stress does breed stress. I need a spliff but that'll only take me away from my goal. Gotta stay clean .

I'm not doing it for the money(even though it'll be cool to get paid for something you love doing). But just the thought of going out doing shows for people that love the music you make/traveling the world(if it gets to that point)/making my fam happy for once & myself would be unreal.

But that's every producers goal sooooooooooo I'll keep on dreaming until it happens

[cmgoodman1226]

If making music has ceased to be enjoyable for you, than you're probably doing something wrong. Take a break from making anything for a few days or weeks. Then come back to it with some new ideas. Also what helps me branch out is making different kinds of music. If I'm stuck on a song (like at it for days and can't seem to add anything worthwhile), I'll start something else in a new genre. I'll make a drum and bass track or a hip hop track, or a more lower key dubstep track. Also, invest in some production books so that when you hit a wall of some sort, read some new material and learn about something you don't know much about. If you haven't got it I suggest you look up "how to make a noise" by simon cainn. It's an incredible read about all different types of synthesis, and more importantly, it's FREE in PDF form! The last thing to keep in mind is you've been doing this less than a year; don't try to hold your tunes up to the standards of big name signed artists. If you do this you will constantly be disappointed. The vast majority of those guys have spent years honing their productions skills, so why should you expect you can achieve the same in less than a year (I'm not saying you did expect this, but if you did). Just keep it moving man, and if you're not enjoying it, then stop doing what you're doing. I've been working on a track on and off for about a week now; It's got some aspects that I really like, but everytime I audition a new sound, I'm disappointed. So now I'm spending a bit of time away from the track in body and mind, doing other things. I WILL go back to it, but for now I'm frustrated and not getting anything done. anyways, this was entirely too long, but I hope at least some of it helps.

edit: PS-> both of the songs in my sig were made during stints when I was having trouble writing any new dubstep.

Oh hell no! I love music too much & it's my life man. I'm not disinterested but more so frustrated and mind-fucked on how much information you have to learn for every little thing. Just not as easy as I thought it was going to be(really need to stop being a bitch). But yeah I've been pretty much learning random stuff like the Q curve/What each knob on the compressor does/learning more on massive etc. So I guess I've been taking a little break from actually purely producing a song but still learning about music stuff. It truly seems endless with learning things which is pretty cool I guess but frustrating at the same time. And yeah they have been producing for years from what I've seen in interviews...but I see all these kids just picking up producing and catching on so fast. I feel retarded lol. Like I've watched a ton of videos on resampling and my reaction is Derp. I'll check out that PDF by Simon Cainn though. Thanks for the suggestion.

I've tried other genres and pretty much fail at them too. And everytime I get a bad headache when I'm learning a bunch of crap/making music.

p.S your first song in your sig sounds pretty good I hear Big Willie Style/Nas/Northstar rapping over that beat in my head.
Drum N Bass is good too.

Thanks for the love. Well for the record, I can guarentee you're first track was nowhere near as bad as my first 10-> they were all awful and the basslines were straight from tutorials-> and bad ones at that. I've been producing for about a year and a half and it really wasn't until around year mark where I really started to notice a change from just pure garbage to stuff that I actually halfway liked. Understand that there's always going to be people who catch on faster AND slower than you, but you need to stop comparing yourself to all those. You're exactly where you need to be right now this instanct (I know that sounds incredibly cheesey but it's true). And of course there's a ton to learn; for me, that's part of what makes it so enjoyable. It's like everyday I learn something new that I can take and apply to my production. Another thing that I find enjoyable when I'm in a rut is I like to go to the "help me make this sound" thread and have at it. I'll pick out sounds that I've never heard, sounds that I like (or hate), and just try to make them from scratch. A lot of the times I get nowhere close but sometimes I do, and in the process of trying, I often stumble into a cool sound or type of automation that I've never used before, all from just trying to recreate something from scratch.

[Sonika]

Okay well I think if you try to "hurry" it will only take you further from your goal.

Also, learn to dj in the meantime. A much better short term solution for money

[Hircine]

Maybe the genre is the problem. When I first started producing, I was in contact with many electro house producers and for some reason I couldn't get anything on that genre to sound good. Then I switched over to prog house, then brostep, then I just realize that I liked dub / reggae and dubstep influenced by it / world music. What you like to listen the most is one thing, what you like to produce is totally different.

[cmgoodman1226]

Maybe the genre is the problem. When I first started producing, I was in contact with many electro house producers and for some reason I couldn't get anything on that genre to sound good. Then I switched over to prog house, then brostep, then I just realize that I liked dub / reggae and dubstep influenced by it / world music. What you like to listen the most is one thing, what you like to produce is totally different.

Very true. I've tried like hell to produce some electro house (still do on occasion) but have yet to make anything that I like.

[daeMTHAFKNkim]

Thanks for the love. Well for the record, I can guarentee you're first track was nowhere near as bad as my first 10-> they were all awful and the basslines were straight from tutorials-> and bad ones at that. I've been producing for about a year and a half and it really wasn't until around year mark where I really started to notice a change from just pure garbage to stuff that I actually halfway liked. Understand that there's always going to be people who catch on faster AND slower than you, but you need to stop comparing yourself to all those. You're exactly where you need to be right now this instanct (I know that sounds incredibly cheesey but it's true). And of course there's a ton to learn; for me, that's part of what makes it so enjoyable. It's like everyday I learn something new that I can take and apply to my production. Another thing that I find enjoyable when I'm in a rut is I like to go to the "help me make this sound" thread and have at it. I'll pick out sounds that I've never heard, sounds that I like (or hate), and just try to make them from scratch. A lot of the times I get nowhere close but sometimes I do, and in the process of trying, I often stumble into a cool sound or type of automation that I've never used before, all from just trying to recreate something from scratch.

No problem.

Well I've technically made other tracks that are like trance-type for about a month and actually messed with FL Studio 7 years back for about two months. And of course I have those horrible non-finished tracks in my FL Studio library still .

Yeah I need to stop comparing myself to others because there are a lot of downsides from doing it. But I think it helps me progress faster/try harder/knowing what & who to expect in the "music world". It also seems like a lot of serious producers produce 24/7 and sacrifice their friends, other hobbies, pretty much all their time into this. So I've been doing the same thus far.

I should start making sounds from scratch without tutorials..it'll probably help a ton. So much to learn still! I know if myself & you guys keep trying then we'll only go up.

Okay well I think if you try to "hurry" it will only take you further from your goal.

Also, learn to dj in the meantime. A much better short term solution for money

I've seen it a bunch of times in threads and on the internet elsewhere....that dubstep etc. is going to die down really fast compared to any other genre of music. I don't know why but I believe so too seeing how everything seems similar now/repetitive such as UKFDubstep. It seems like it hit the peak of what sounded new and isn't getting any more unique then it has gotten too.

Idk that's just me though. That's why I'm trying to hop on the boat before it sinks. And everything I make will sound like everyone elses shit.

I do want DJ equipment but it's SO EXPENSiVE! I'm a broke bastard. i'd probably get headphones or monitors first. Then a laptop so I can work elsewhere. DJ'ing is the last thing on my mind right now....I think every Producer can DJ but every DJ can't produce. And everyone wants to become a "DJ" nowadays...and I guess you can say produce also since times have changed. Isn't there some Best Talented DJ show or something coming soon?

[Sonika]

Yeah but make the invesment because as a producer, you can't make money until you're signed (and obviously if you do that your tunes need to be good...well not really but thats another story).
As a dj you can make some casual money performing at the local clubs, etc.
Save up for a DJ controller (those are the cheapest to buy/easiest to use), and then get a laptop (you'll need one anyways in the long run).
Then *ahemcoughcoughPIRATEahemahemcough* software like Traktor Pro.

Then youll be able to make some money in a fun and music production-related fashion. And you can definitely utilize that skill anyways when you get good enough to get your tracks signed.

As far as dubstep dying, I don't think so. As long as people like the music, new people will continue to make it. I mean fuck, people still listen to classical music, right? And rock n roll? Music genres don't HAVE to die

[daeMTHAFKNkim]

Yeah but make the invesment because as a producer, you can't make money until you're signed (and obviously if you do that your tunes need to be good...well not really but thats another story).
As a dj you can make some casual money performing at the local clubs, etc.
Save up for a DJ controller (those are the cheapest to buy/easiest to use), and then get a laptop (you'll need one anyways in the long run).
Then *ahemcoughcoughPIRATEahemahemcough* software like Traktor Pro.

Then youll be able to make some money in a fun and music production-related fashion. And you can definitely utilize that skill anyways when you get good enough to get your tracks signed.

As far as dubstep dying, I don't think so. As long as people like the music, new people will continue to make it. I mean fuck, people still listen to classical music, right? And rock n roll? Music genres don't HAVE to die

Yeah just gotta get the money I guess.

Nah I throw words out too loosely. It isn't going to die but I think there's a point in time where new artists won't blow up and the whole scene will be fabricated by mainstream media etc. Just like that new Simon Cowell american idol dude making a "DJ Talent Show" because it's popular nowadays and Justin Bieber making a dubstep album and all those other peeps.

I can name tons of groups/artists of 1 genre. While in the dubstep/edm world it's much smaller and a closer community. But where the "current dubstep sounds" are going and how big it's getting I think the standards are getting set higher(which isn't a bad thing at all) but the race to make the new sound is dying quick because it's pretty much like "been there, done that".

I'll stop ranting/bitching though. I always write these pointless threads when I'm tired.

I hope none of yall give up and keep pursuing music.