How long do you typically spend on a track

[InTheCrowd]

Anything more than a few hours and I've generally gotten bored and started something else.

[Augment]

Forever at the moment, I've got about 20 32 bar intros that I've created but rarely get past that stage :/

fight the urge to create loops
it`s the one biggest lesson I learned
finish things where ever possible
even if it means creating a fast slapped together structure, it forces you out of the loop mentality

I forced myself to do this a couple of times, always finished songs when I've done this.

exactly
you view the piece of work as a track rather than a loop which seems to trigger the correct response in my head
it makes me want to finish things

This is why I never start my tune with drums - it's easy to get stuck in the loop stage when you've got some drums nicely rolling but no clue how to develop the tune past that stage.

This has happened too many times with me. But I have a lot of good drumloops now, if I want to get going fast, haha

[MikeyOhh]

I haven't 'finished' a track yet, and I've been producing for about 7 months lol. I've thrown out about 6 full tracks, but i'm only moderately happy with one of them.
I did write a 9 minute track based off an 8 bar guitar riff my friend did in about 8 hours, and i spent about 2 days getting a very basic mixdown because I'm still learning the basics of mixdowns / mastering.

edit because I suck at the grammarz.

[DubMikey]

Usually takes me about 4 - 9 hours over a couple of days. Sometimes I don't leave my computer untill it's finished though.

[Sine69]

It depends. Generally though, it'll take about 5 days, where I work on it anywhere from 1-3 hours a day. I try to get the entire song structured as early as possible though, then I spend the rest of the time tweaking things, EQing, trying to be a perfectionist, etc

[Electric_Head]

It depends. Generally though, it'll take about 5 days, where I work on it anywhere from 1-3 hours a day. I try to get the entire song structured as early as possible though, then I spend the rest of the time tweaking things, EQing, trying to be a perfectionist, etc

it`s those 3-4 days of tweaking where things go wrong imo

[Climax]

it`s those 3-4 days of tweaking where things go wrong imo

I Agree completely.

If a tune doesnt get done in 1-2 sessions, it usually turns to shit, if it wasnt shit already haha

My best always comes in a 1-day blast of anywhere from 4-10 hours, sometimes getting into two sessions for mixdown or random stuff

[Augment]

I once saw Madeon post on his twitter that he had spent like 70+ hours in the project file o.O That is rather much

[Murder Musket]

The 2 tracks ive finished have taken a mounth each. god known how many hours spent on each track, but certainly way too many.
ive come to realise the quiker a tune is finished, the more cohesive it will sound.

[Dub_Cult]

Now that I'm more comfortable with my new DAW (Abelton Live 8 suite) I'm generally spending a week on writing and arranging and about 4 days on a good clean mix. Part of that mix time includes burning dubs and checking them on different systems.
Mastering will be done by my mates at Masterlab in Orlando, Fl, USA.

[Dystinkt]

I dont think iv ever spent over 4 hours on a track, i just dont have the attention span unless I'm high, in which case i can spend an evening vibing out a hi hat loop

[forsak3n]

I found this the other day which kinda put everything into order for me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_JReiE1 ... plpp_video

basically he just says that it's good to do one thing at a time in a specific order rather than focusing on the mix down stuff straight up. That's where i've been going wrong anyway.

[wub]

I found this the other day which kinda put everything into order for me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_JReiE1 ... plpp_video

basically he just says that it's good to do one thing at a time in a specific order rather than focusing on the mix down stuff straight up. That's where i've been going wrong anyway.

I don't entirely agree with his comment "if you start doing mixdown stuff before you finish the arrangement of the tune, you're mixing up the order and creating conflict that will likely prevent [the tune] from being finished".

I mixdown as I go along just to keep things in check and to give me an idea of interplay between the elements.

[forsak3n]

Yeah, I kinda got confused about that part... A lot of the times I have to mess around with my reverb and delay settings while i'm changing the synths and notes. But the video helped put order to the process.

[Huts]

At first I thought he just meant leaving your sound levels and what not untouched until you're ready to mix. However leaving off EQ, effects, automation etc to the very end seems pretty odd to me. I can't arrange and properly set up the tune when everything is just dry and clashing.

[Killamike49]

At first I thought he just meant leaving your sound levels and what not untouched until you're ready to mix. However leaving off EQ, effects, automation etc to the very end seems pretty odd to me. I can't arrange and properly set up the tune when everything is just dry and clashing.

Right? Imagine trying to fit in a white noise sweep with no automation.

[Static D0gma]

Usually takes me a week, but I usually only produce for about 1-4 hours a day. It lets me have enough time to impliment any tips I find while serfing the net, or inspiration I find. If I try to make a song in one or two days, it feels rushed.

[Eat Bass]

i usually take a couple of weeks to finish a tune but the most of the work gets done in 1 6 hour session. i usually start by collecting sounds, samples, designing patches and getting an idea for the track. then i build the drums, then i usually write the drop and then the intro etc. but if i cant get inspiration for the drop ill build the intro first to get the feel for the song.

[jTerror420]

Exactly what the title says.. Sometimes I feel like I take forever to make a track. I try to work on a project every day but sometimes work kicks my ass so I am completely exhausted by the end of the day. On average, it might take me a week to get one complete but that's if everything goes smoothly. I was just wondering what you guys' averages are are for building a track.

[Kit Fysto]

totally depends. Sometimes it's been a 2 day process, but there a couple tracks I have spent over a month on just because with time to reflect on the parts I realize things I could put more attention on. I really doubt there is any 100% consistent time frame for anyone
I find it helps to have multiple projects going on so you can use more creative energy without exhausting yourself on a particular idea =)