Q&A yourself!!

[OfficialDAPT]

1. What is your production set up? (hardware and software)

Ableton Live 8, NI Komplete 8 Ultimate, random other vst plugins like Ozone and PSP warmer
Alesis Q25 Keyboard and an APC40

2. What is your musical history? (Any instruments/djing etc)

I played piano for like 8 years as a kid but stopped before going into high school and I also played trumpet for 4 years. I've had guitar lessons on and off but that's pretty much it.


3. How do you go about starting a new tune?

Open up my DAW, write a basic drum beat and work from there. If I have something in mind when I open my DAW I'll bypass the beat and go straight for the piano roll so that I can get the melody down before my mind loses it.

4. Name some of your favourite places to sample from.

Random FX sample packs that I've got from various places. There's always a couple sounds or hits that I like.

5. Why did you start producing?

When I started listening to dubstep is when I realized that normal people can write songs too. Before this I though super rich people in huge recording studios with actual instruments were the only ones writing songs.

6. Who inspired you and how, both musically and non-musically?

MitiS, Blackmill, anyone that can make me feel something by listening to their melodies.

7. What genre/style would you place your music under. Do you feel part of a scene at all?

Probably brostep although I'm trying to get away from this. Don't get me wrong I like my fair share of bass drops but you can't beat a driving melody with anything.

8. What would you say is the "signature element" of your tunes- and how would someone go about recreating it?

How supremely average they are.

9. For you what is most important- artistic self expression or making dj-friendly beats?

Artistic self expression all the way. There's nothing worse than trying to be creative inside rules. It just doesn't happen.

10. What are your production goals, both in 2013 and beyond?

Keep producing through college as a hobby and get better I suppose. I'd love to write movie scores too.

11. What do you find most challenging about production? Maybe describe a problem and how you overcame it?

Putting to use all the knowledge I have from watching videos and tutorials. Still working on doing this.

12. Finally, time to plug yourself- post what you consider to be your best song and maybe explain why- ONLY ONE SONG.

No thanks.

[fragments]

1. What is your production set up? (hardware and software)

FL Studio 10

Software I use in almost all my tunes:
Kramer Master Tape
PIE Compressor
Slate Digital VCC
Slate Digital VTM
Absynth


Hardware:
KRK Rokit 6 Monitors
MOTU 828 MKII Interface
DSI Mopho
Elektron Monomachine
Electribe ESX
E-MU Proteus One Rompler
E-MU ESI 32 Sampler
Electro Harmonix Memory Man Delay
ART PD3 Delay
Electrix Filter Factory
Cassettee Deck
VHS Deck
Turn Table
Couple of unimpressive mixers
Tascam DR-07 Field Recorder


2. What is your musical history? (Any instruments/djing etc)

DJ'd Jungle/DnB for a while. Failed at learning to play guitar in middle school.


3. How do you go about starting a new tune?

Either getting stuck on a cool sample or from noodling around on hardware...much more inspiring than a mouse and keyboard IMHO.


4. Name some of your favourite places to sample from.

Vinyl, Cassette, VHS, feild recorder, freesound.org


5. Why did you start producing?

I was always a very intuitive computer user and thought that'd it'd be easy and I wanted to be like the guys on Metalheadz. Six years later I've found out that was about 1% of what I needed to know.


6. Who inspired you and how, both musically and non-musically?

Early DnB guys like Goldie, Ed Rush & Optical, Dillinja...Portishead and Tricky...The Chemical Brothers...Jimi Hendrix...The Doors...Pink Floyd...Sci Fi writers like Philip K. Dick and William Gibson...other writers...poet Ed Dorn...my Dad was in a band.



7. What genre/style would you place your music under. Do you feel part of a scene at all?

I fucked about for two years making random stuff not really learning anything...then Dubstep got me wanting to really learn...I do make a Dubstep tune here and there...I guess Electronic Listening Music? I like to think of my stuff as for chilling at home...driving...or for a chilled out, end of the festival set when everyone is really fucking weird.

No. Not part of a scene. I go to my local weekly and drink a couple pints about once a month.


8. What would you say is the "signature element" of your tunes- and how would someone go about recreating it?

Def the texture of my tunes I create during the mix. Lots of parallel processing, these days I rarely use any FX on inserts. Amost strictly EQ/filters on inserts and nothing else. EQ'd reverbs on sends. Sample analog sources.

And as Hunter Thompson said, "I hate to advocate drug use, madness and violence...but they've always worked for me."

9. For you what is most important- artistic self expression or making dj-friendly beats?

Like I said...I feel like I make listening music...I rarely use DJ friendly structures except the intro/outro. So, I guess the self-expression. But, I'd also like to think if a tune is good a good DJ will figure out how to mix it.

10. What are your production goals, both in 2013 and beyond?

Get an EP together that I really like, get it mastered and up for sale and also do a cassette release (you know, to be artsy and esoteric).

11. What do you find most challenging about production? Maybe describe a problem and how you overcame it?

All of it. I've never found any of it easy and love that about it...so play the piano like a percussion instrument until your fingers bleed (Bukwoski) in other words PRACTICE...there is so much to know, no one can know it all. Drink more beer.

12. Finally, time to plug yourself- post what you consider to be your best song and maybe explain why- ONLY ONE SONG.

No Thanks. Nothing I feel like sharing at the moment.

[lloydy]

1. What is your production set up? (hardware and software)

Mac pro and a mac book pro,logic pro 9 and shit loads of 3rd party apps.Virus ti,krk vxt8's and motu 828 mk2 firewire soundcard.

2. What is your musical history? (Any instruments/djing etc)

Played guitar a bit growing up in my metal days,can play keys a bit.Started djing before producing,played out a few times but am a hermit so producing suits me better.

3. How do you go about starting a new tune?

All depends really on how i'm feeling at the time,i have started withs pads.melodies and wot not but have also started with beats and basslines.One thing i do tend to do is create a 32 bar section with loads going on then break it down and build an intro from it.I find doing that helps with consistency and transitions between sections.

4. Name some of your favourite places to sample from.

Film scores,spotify......whatever really,as long as i can get my dirty little hands on it.Soundflower for mac was the best free bit of software i ever downloaded.Makes sampling in logic easy,also you can sample from multiple apps which coming from audio hyjack was a godsend.

5. Why did you start producing?

My mate started a music tech course and gave me a dodgy copy of reason 2.5,never looked back.He gave it to a load of us and its only me and him that still produce.

6. Who inspired you and how, both musically and non-musically?

I don't know really,it's difficult for me because i was inspired by being a fan of music in general.I have got artists that inspire me now but not really when i started.Until i sat in front of that copy of reason 2.5 and watched my mate build a track i never knew i wanted to make music or the fact that type of software existed.
Now i'm really hooked on this future garage sound,i find synkro just so fucking beautiful to listen too and the obvious one of burial.For me its burials artistry he puts into his music,i read this thing recently where people were complaining about one of the records skipping in his latest ep.Hyperdub put a thing on the website to say that the skips and cutouts on ashtray wasp were intentinal,see for me that is true art and to do it the way he apparently does in soundforge(i think)is just plain fucking magical.

7. What genre/style would you place your music under. Do you feel part of a scene at all?

Not really defined my sound,i like making anything from 120bpm up to 180.I would like to stick to one genre and try to become part of a scene but i just get to bored.

8. What would you say is the "signature element" of your tunes- and how would someone go about recreating it?

Big reece blines,arpeggiators ,organic sounds with lots of ducking.I don't think my sound would be hard to recreate,just plenty of reverb/delay and swingy beats.I don't do anything special with my reece blines.

9. For you what is most important- artistic self expression or making dj-friendly beats?

For me artistic self expression all day long,good dj's can mix anything.


10. What are your production goals, both in 2013 and beyond?

Finish an ep of all one genre lol.I want to crack this future garage sound,create a new alias and start pushing my stuff out there a bit to labels and dj's to see what happens.

11. What do you find most challenging about production? Maybe describe a problem and how you overcame it?

Keeping things interesting and not just copy/pasting sections.Thing i find is having enough audio to work with without swamping your arrangement can really help you keep things interesting.Even little thing like double kiks or snares here and there to break up the monotony can go a long way.

12. Finally, time to plug yourself- post what you consider to be your best song and maybe explain why- ONLY ONE SONG.

Soundcloud

Just really enjoyed making this track,took me an afternoon which is pretty quick for me.I loved the vocal and the japanese influence.The main thing for me was the snare though,i think it was the first time i actually cracked a snare i was really really happy with.

[Living_Tragedy]

Nice idea for a thread.

1. What is your production set up? (hardware and software)

Ableton, Massive, Nexus, midi keyboard, MS16 Monitors, pair of Philips headphones.

2. What is your musical history? (Any instruments/djing etc)

Self taught guitar for about 7 years. Currently working towards A level Music.

3. How do you go about starting a new tune?

I create drops first. Start with drums and just get a basic beat and then I try to make a sort of main bass and stick it in. I fit chords around that and add a few other synths. Work backwards from there really.

4. Name some of your favourite places to sample from.

Not a big sampler. Can't really say I sample anything other than drums.

5. Why did you start producing?

Me and about 3 other friends decided we were going to be a dubstep band (this was when I barely knew the genre existed and I was pretty clueless) because I had the trial of Massive and an ambitious mindset. Found out about FL and started making tunes. Everyone else couldn't be arsed anymore (it was a craze) but I continued.

6. Who inspired you and how, both musically and non-musically?

I've got to say Skrillex (haters gon' hate) because he was the one that introduced me to the genre. In terms of who I base my songs off I've got to say Gemini, Seven Lions, Xilent and bits of Kill The Noise. Non-musically? Can't really think of anyone if I'm honest.

7. What genre/style would you place your music under. Do you feel part of a scene at all?

Well, obviously dubstep. It's been called brostep before but I hate that term. I suppose trancestep? Maybe? I dunno. EDM, let's go with that.

8. What would you say is the "signature element" of your tunes- and how would someone go about recreating it?

Sidechains. Lots of supersaws and lots of sidechaining to a ghost kick. God, I love sidechains.

9. For you what is most important- artistic self expression or making dj-friendly beats?

Definitely the former mainly because I have very little knowledge of DJing at all.

10. What are your production goals, both in 2013 and beyond?

Improve my mixdown tenfold. And possibly some sort of label signage.

11. What do you find most challenging about production? Maybe describe a problem and how you overcame it?

Mixdown. And melodies. They're difficult to come up with without sounding cheesy.

12. Finally, time to plug yourself- post what you consider to be your best song and maybe explain why- ONLY ONE SONG.

Most recent one. It's the best bass I've ever created and it's the first one where I think I have a proper style.

Soundcloud

[Samuel_L_Damnson]

Okay here goes, cant promise this to be too exciting. Prepare for a lot of "I think" and brackets.

1. What is your production set up? (hardware and software)

Packard bell laptop. Reason 4, KRK RP5 G2s and a Behringer (is that how its spelled) midi keyboard I got off my mate for like 30 quid.

2. What is your musical history? (Any instruments/djing etc)

Sort of vaguely play guitar and bass. Learned about 5 scales on the keyboard. Can burp twinkle twinkle little star.

3. How do you go about starting a new tune?

I make an interesting (enough) loop, it might be a synth riff or a bass line or a drum beat and then I make the atmopherics and decide on a structure. Then i do the other instruments. Im not really that sure though. Often i just sort of try to do something ive heard before and it goes a bit wrong haha.

4. Name some of your favourite places to sample from.

Reggae/jungle tunes. my zoom h1 recorder soul/jazz breaks. Something wub said a while ago has become a new favourite, opening a non audio file in audacity and bouncing cool parts of the resulting white noise mess out .
I sometimes nick stuff out of old music technology coursework too.

5. Why did you start producing?

I think it was because of cypress hills temples of boom album, it was around the time I got that album i started actually listening to the music rather than the vocals and the guitars. I just wanted to make music and use free time productively I think.

6. Who inspired you and how, both musically and non-musically?

Musically, it would have been Rusko (dont judge, im on about lions paw etc.) and 2step dudes like wookie +the darker stuff like El-b and orisjay/darqwan. They all had loads of bass, a nice atmosphere and a driving rhythm with out cheesy vocals, which have really started to get on my tits. In terms of pure dubstep its dudes like kode9 and LV whoo can make a song sound big without a cracking snare drum .

Non musically its probably my old music tech teacher, mainly becuase he was a don and he showed support and taught me a lot.

7. What genre/style would you place your music under. Do you feel part of a scene at all?

I dont feel part of a scene (perhaps becuase im not signed etc.etc.), and if you look on my SC you will notice its a genre clusterfuck lol. I just like to think I make bass music, because it has a sub. basically.

8. What would you say is the "signature element" of your tunes- and how would someone go about recreating it?

I use a lot of reverby pitched down shit and room ambience samples in the backgrounds to my tunes, shuffly drums also. The first one is self explanatory, i just use reasons nn19 sampler, pich something down 2-3 octaves and throw a rv2000 reverb on it on the arena setting (sometimes a delay too), put a scream4 distortion on the tape setting on it then bounce it. I put it back in on another nn19, pich it down again then eq it. Sometimes i reverse shit in audacity before bringing it back in.
Shuffly drums are achieved by turning off snap to grid when i make my drum beat and moving things off the grid lines a bit (usually to the right of the lines) to get a more lazy spazzy sound.
9. For you what is most important- artistic self expression or making dj-friendly beats?
The first one. I dont want to be making dj tools, no one wants to listen to those on thier Ipod. Although i might be doing that without knowing haha.

10. What are your production goals, both in 2013 and beyond?

1. Make my mixes a bit more coherent
2. Use a wider range of techniques, because I feel like i do the same thing all the time (maybe some dub reggae style filtered delays or something).
3. try to land a release on a small label or release everything i have done so far on a free ep.

11. What do you find most challenging about production? Maybe describe a problem and how you overcame it?

I find it hard to write melodies. I still haven't overcome that problem. I have gotten better since I got a midi keyboard however. I think I just need to practice keyboard more.

12. Finally, time to plug yourself- post what you consider to be your best song and maybe explain why- ONLY ONE SONG.

Its hard for me to choose because I look at them all as a bit crap lol. Im kind of stuck between 3 different ones and one was a collab. Im just going to stick my most recent one on though because logic would dictate that it should be my best .
Thing is though I am proud of the way the main synth interacts with the drums. I created the melody in the same way i would arrange the drums, by ear, without a grid. It just makes it sound so much more human and shuffled (not trying to be big headed). Also it was my quickest tune I ever made so it shows that I am at least getting quicker I guess.

Soundcloud

[Artie_Fufkin]

1. What is your production set up? (hardware and software)
Cheap laptop, tascam 1800 interface, a modest microphone collection, a few electric guitars, bass guitar, couple guitar amps, couple distortion pedals and wah pedals (one is a vox but it's broken now ), crappy old multi fx pedal that makes everything sound distorted in a terrible way, bass amp, drumset, casio mt-100, alesis qx49, a numark mixer and turntables(I really need to spend more time with these....), m-audio av-40's, some crappy acoustic guitars, some cheap portable cassette recorders. Just stuff I've collected over the years. I use Renoise 2.0, Reaper, Audacity and ASIO4ALL.

2. What is your musical history? (Any instruments/djing etc)
Got a drumkit for 11th or 12th birthday. My sister got an electric guitar and amp(later fried that with a digitech distortion pedal trying to get a white stripes tone ) for christmas one year and eventually that became mine and I still use a lot. The summer after 8th grade I started playing the guitar. I just wanted to be able to play breakdowns like in lamb of god's songs! I thought that rhythm guitarists did mostly that lolol Then I got better and just wanted to play solos like Kerry King. I've always had a casual interest in drums and guitar, just doing it for fun and not trying to be a virtuoso or push myself unless I found something cool I wanted to do. Then one day a friend gave me a bunch of mp3's of datsik, downlink, joker, bar9, and some others. I figured it would be easy and thought I'd try it out since I'd messed about with Audacity and a demo of a drum oriented sequencer program. Got someone else's full version of Renoise 2.0 since I really liked breakcore and jungle(drum music ) and wanted to use what Vsnares uses. Got a midi controller that I could also learn piano on and still never really got into dj'ing. Payed for Renoise 2.8 but have yet to explore all the new features since I'm so used to 2.0.

3. How do you go about starting a new tune?
By forgetting about all the other stuff I haven't finished! I just sit down and mess around and find a sound or groove that I can listen to and tweak and jam with for hours and usually end up not breaking outside the loop of it. Or I get a melody in my head and try to put it down before I forget it. Sometimes I'm at work and I go to the bathroom and hum into my phone to record it and come back to it.

4. Name some of your favourite places to sample from.
Recording things myself, samples shared on dsf, doa, ultimate metal andy sneap forum, Freesound.org, archive.org. I like to steal samples from songs. Anytime there's a naked drum hit, I impulsively open it up in something and cut a sample or make a note to. Or peculiar things in tracks. Sometimes movies and tv shows, but usually that stuff just sits around unused. Need to get around to using this creepy bit of dialogue I got from Agent Cody Banks...

5. Why did you start producing?
Wanted to make brostep and breakcore and metal I wanted to make bangers but I like experimenting with soft reverby sounds sooooo much.......

6. Who inspired you and how, both musically and non-musically?
Brian Eno, Merzbow, Sunn O))), Venetian Snares, Boris - these artists really broadened my horizons and inspired me to experiment, for better or worse.
Countless others have influenced me, but that would be a long list and it would be a lot of little things, like drum patterns, tones, etc.

7. What genre/style would you place your music under. Do you feel part of a scene at all?
I like to mess around with a lot of different genres. Whatever the scene is in St. Louis, I'm not part of/aware of. I live in the boonies

8. What would you say is the "signature element" of your tunes- and how would someone go about recreating it?
Not really sure. I used to think about what I do or what I could do to be original or have a signature sound. I don't think I'm at a point yet where I have a signature element and if I had one, I would only want someone cloning it if we were collaborating and I felt they could execute it better than I could.

9. For you what is most important- artistic self expression or making dj-friendly beats?
You can do both fairly easily. Or if you make your stuff not dj friendly, that could be part of your self expression as well. Maybe it's stuff that don't really want a lot of exposure with or only exposure from skilled dj's or directly from yourself in a set. Does that make sense? I don't really think about it though when I make stuff.

10. What are your production goals, both in 2013 and beyond?
Finish stuff. Do something in front of an audience. Do a concept album. Do a track of all synthesized sounds. Synthesize some unique drum sounds. Learn more jazz stuff and be able to improvise on an instrument besides drums. Get better at playing guitar with a slide and bass with my fingers. To be able to play a fingerpicking song by Kaki King. Learn how to beatmatch. Be able to consistently do a few turntablism tricks. Become part of a scene/band/group/make friends with producers in meatspace.

11. What do you find most challenging about production? Maybe describe a problem and how you overcame it?
Finishing stuff. I think I just need to practice making transitions for stuff.

12. Finally, time to plug yourself- post what you consider to be your best song and maybe explain why- ONLY ONE SONG.
I have no idea...

[Dystinkt]

1. What is your production set up? (hardware and software)
my mums laptop and a copy of fl studio 8, a bit basic but hey we're in a recession


2. What is your musical history? (Any instruments/djing etc)
i wasn't even into music properly till i was about 13. had some guitar lessons in primary school but never took it seriously. these days i can play guitar, bass and piano to a degree, all self taught from jamming at college. i dj professionally and am hopefully getting some work at Gatecrasher in leeds if i play my cards right. Im a self taught dj, i was lucky to be able to watch some really talented guys at college and just sort of picked it up from what they did and messing about on my own.


3. How do you go about starting a new tune?
its different every time. one process that works a lot is sitting down and going right, im going to make a tune in the style of XYZ tune. i tend to end up with a similar style to that tune and my own little twist on it too.

4. Name some of your favourite places to sample from.
anywhere really, just anything that i think sounds nice. im not a raging sampler, if i need something i go find it but beyond that i find sampling a bit boring, no disrespect to anybody that samples on here i have huge respect for it as a creative tool.



5. Why did you start producing?

I started hearing dance music and properly getting into it and just thinking ' i want to make stuff like this and be even better than all these guys'

6. Who inspired you and how, both musically and non-musically?

when i started producing i was 13, and my influences were a bit different to now considering I'm 18 and have done a lot of growing up. when i started deadmau5 was an influence, as were jack beats (still enjoy their stuff tbf). nowadays i draw influence from guys like skream, kromestar, foamo, mosca and many more. non-dubstep would be foals, i have loved their music for a long time now, and i think everything they've done has been phenonemenal.

7. What genre/style would you place your music under. Do you feel part of a scene at all?
i make a bit of everything really, i cant really say i make a specific genre. yes and no, i go to nights and run my own night, and i talk to label owners and am mates with a couple of heads, but at the same time its tough where im living to be involved because the lack of any kind of bass music scene. this is gradually changing though, a couple of other crews are doing good things in bradford atm.

8. What would you say is the "signature element" of your tunes- and how would someone go about recreating it?
probably my midranges, always been the element i try the hardest with, and their the centrepoint of my tunes normally. iv been told people can tell when iv made a certain tune, but i find that hard to do at the moment.

9. For you what is most important- artistic self expression or making dj-friendly beats?
Both really. I want my music to be respected and heard. DJ support is the best way to get it heard, and putting time, effort and soul in my tunes is the best way to get them respected.


10. What are your production goals, both in 2013 and beyond?
1- pray my EP does well
2- try and build on my momentum from this release and get another one out
3- get a dj residency
4- get into uni to study music production

11. What do you find most challenging about production? Maybe describe a problem and how you overcame it?
writers block. i can sit there for so long with fuck all of a clue what to write, then other times i can blast through 3 songs in one session. its my biggest problem because its so unpredictable, which is why i dont often collaborate with people or do remixes. i tend to get nervous i wont be able to think of anything when it comes to making something good. i only tend to take on remixes that iv a clear idea on what to do.

12. Finally, time to plug yourself- post what you consider to be your best song and maybe explain why- ONLY ONE SONG.

I can't really say which is my best, but I'll share with you my first song that got major airplay, and dj support from Benga, Jakwob and Mistajam. I made this when i was still using the name basshead and i was only 15 when it got picked up by all the big names. quite an ego wank for a 15 year old kid haha

Soundcloud

[das_raunchy]

1. What is your production set up? (hardware and software)

AMD quad core
2GB ram
Reason
Reaper
Oxygen 61
Krk rokit 5 g1

2. What is your musical history? (Any instruments/djing etc)

Never got serious on any instrument, can key around on a keyboard and can strum out a few chords on a guitar. Found out that my dads keyboard could record and loop in real time so started making rap beats for some friends in high school, got introduced to EDM and the rave scene and decided to get a set of turntables, got heavily into hard house, and did the DJ thing. Friended a local EDM producer that introduced me to DAW's so i picked that up.

3. How do you go about starting a new tune?

I'm trying to start at different places. But i would say my most successful tunes were probably written with a standard workflow, get some drums going, throw down a bass, start riffing. times have changed though so don't take my word for it

4. Name some of your favourite places to sample from.

probably horror/intense movies or old school rap

5. Why did you start producing?

something to do instead of just being a knucklehead

6. Who inspired you and how, both musically and non-musically?

Couldn't really pinpoint inspirations

7. What genre/style would you place your music under. Do you feel part of a scene at all?

4 to the floor, that's the only thing i know

8. What would you say is the "signature element" of your tunes- and how would someone go about recreating it?

Shitty mix downs and a lot of balls. punchy drums, distorted shitty saws, more distortion, and then more distortion. yeah there's no signature element...

9. For you what is most important- artistic self expression or making dj-friendly beats?

dj-friendly with personality

10. What are your production goals, both in 2013 and beyond?

better structuring, honing elements

11. What do you find most challenging about production? Maybe describe a problem and how you overcame it?

the brick wall. i'm still working on it.

12. Finally, time to plug yourself- post what you consider to be your best song and maybe explain why- ONLY ONE SONG.

Something I wrote 5 years ago. thought it was big label material at the time and for the genre, but another tune got released by a big name that had a similar sound that pretty much shit on my track so i never put it out there, but it was still cracking.

[hasezwei]

1. What is your production set up? (hardware and software)
shitty laptop that always overheats and dies from time to time for no reason, a waldorf micro-q, a yamaha rm1x i never use and which i dont even own. software is reaper, reaktor, guitar rig and reason. and every week i try out different pirated vst's none of which i end up liking. i hate massive but i know how to use it better than anything else.
2. What is your musical history? (Any instruments/djing etc)
i own a bass i can't play and throughout my life i've been offered piano scholarships which i always declined cause i used to think pianos are hella gay
3. How do you go about starting a new tune?
try out new routings in reaktor, make fx chains, mangle samples, end up with loops. go to my roommate's pc, we take turns making loops then add a wobble and call it a tune
4. Name some of your favourite places to sample from.
dads record collection, my huge-ass library of stolen sample packs, other people's tunes
5. Why did you start producing?
cause the flashbulb, aphex twin and venetian snares opened my mind to how utterly mindfucking electronic music can be. and cause i had a demo version of ableton on some nine inch nails cd.
6. Who inspired you and how, both musically and non-musically?
see above, plus all the good ol' dubstep people of course. the ninjas too, and my roommate for making more tunes than me without even knowing what he's doing-
7. What genre/style would you place your music under. Do you feel part of a scene at all?
i'll worry about that once i've finished tunes. i do feel part of a scene cause me and some friends including roommate are releasing a cd as soon as everyone has finished their damn tunes.
8. What would you say is the "signature element" of your tunes- and how would someone go about recreating it?
why would i tell you that
9. For you what is most important- artistic self expression or making dj-friendly beats?
fuck dj friendly beats. dj friendly beats killed dj'ing, pressing sync on traktor wouldnt work if everyone didnt make boring-ass music. im listening to a dj rupture mixtape right now and he mixes the weirdest stuff together, everything is changing tempo all the time and it still works. self expression is more important cause while i enjoy blueprint representations of a genre from time to time it ends up getting boring really quick
10. What are your production goals, both in 2013 and beyond?
MO' HARDWARE, MO' JAMMIN, MO' ANALOG
11. What do you find most challenging about production? Maybe describe a problem and how you overcame it?
getting rid of rules and tropes/patterns i learned on internet forums and through cementation of genre standards, rules which hinder my creativity greatly. getting a more immediate workflow. still struggling, hope the hardware will help.
12. Finally, time to plug yourself- post what you consider to be your best song and maybe explain why- ONLY ONE SONG.

no.

[J_L_N]

1. What is your production set up? (hardware and software)
shitty laptop, shitty speakers, shitty headphones, FL Studio 10, Massive, FM8, a few FL-Plugins, a small Recorder,

2. What is your musical history? (Any instruments/djing etc)

7years piano, 2 years drums, taught myself a bit of guitar... started djing a few months ago, moved on to vinyl now

3. How do you go about starting a new tune?

always different, sometimes a sample i like, sometimes a simple beat, building everything around that or a pad or a bassline... whatever

4. Name some of your favourite places to sample from.

a few samplepacks for the drums, fieldrecordings. dont really sample much except od the drums

5. Why did you start producing?

a friend of mine was producing trip hop, i was bored, stumbled pon Fl studio, messed around and got more and more addicted. all that at the time when i was discovering the sound of dubstep.

6. Who inspired you and how, both musically and non-musically?

dunno, kinda everything is a inspiration, couldnt realley name something specific. maybe massive attack and pink floyd...

7. What genre/style would you place your music under. Do you feel part of a scene at all?

guess its within the range of sounds that are called dubstep. dunno if im a part of the scene im really into it, producing alot, buying tunes, going to nights(which are very few here), have a few friend who are djing/producing too

8. What would you say is the "signature element" of your tunes- and how would someone go about recreating it?

i dont think i have a signature element, but i try to make really deep tunes, kinda laid-back, chilled, but with a big sub underneath.

9. For you what is most important- artistic self expression or making dj-friendly beats?

dunno, i automatically have a dj-friendly structure in my tunes, but its okay, dont feel like my self expression gets lost...

10. What are your production goals, both in 2013 and beyond?

learning more about sounddesign, thinking outside the box, get my mixdown better and better, maybe getting a few tunes to some djs or so...

11. What do you find most challenging about production? Maybe describe a problem and how you overcame it?

keeping a tune interesting, finishing a tune

12. Finally, time to plug yourself- post what you consider to be your best song and maybe explain why- ONLY ONE SONG.

dunno, havent got the one tune im completely happy with...

[jrisreal]

1. What is your production set up? (hardware and software) Most prominently, Akai MPK88, Saffire 6, Blue Blueberry, Sennheiser HD280 Pro, Shure SRH940, and FL Studio

2. What is your musical history? (Any instruments/djing etc) Alto and Baritone Saxaphone, Soprano and Tenor Flute-Recorder, Piano, Percussion, and Vocals

3. How do you go about starting a new tune? Gah, I don't really pay any attention to this. It varies, I suppose.

4. Name some of your favourite places to sample from. Freesound. other than that, just whatever is available at the moment

5. Why did you start producing? Plain and simply, I like music.

6. Who inspired you and how, both musically and non-musically? I suppose everybody who exists and ever existed throughout history inspired me in some way or another. I don't recall anybody in particular, currently.

7. What genre/style would you place your music under. Do you feel part of a scene at all? I'd place it under music. I don't feel part of a scene anymore.

8. What would you say is the "signature element" of your tunes- and how would someone go about recreating it? I don't believe that's my place to speak.

9. For you what is most important- artistic self expression or making dj-friendly beats? Artistic self. Of course DJ's are important in electronic music, but I've been venturing out of my perceived spectrum of electronic music, philosophically and musically without releasing most of it.

10. What are your production goals, both in 2013 and beyond? Continue doing what I already am, I suppose. My most prominent goals for 2013 aren't really music-related.

11. What do you find most challenging about production? Maybe describe a problem and how you overcame it? Being honest, diversity. For some, it may be difficult to handle diversity at times, especially when your viewpoints on music conflict with another's.

12. Finally, time to plug yourself- post what you consider to be your best song and maybe explain why- ONLY ONE SONG.
Soundcloud
I like this song because it induces deep thought, in my experience.

[3za]

1. What is your production set up? (hardware and software)
Laptop, and Buzz.

2. What is your musical history? (Any instruments/djing etc)
Laptop, and Buzz.

3. How do you go about starting a new tune?
Open up buzz, add some boxes, connect some wires, and then program the matrix.

4. Name some of your favourite places to sample from.
Buzz samples.

5. Why did you start producing?
Pussy.

6. Who inspired you and how, both musically and non-musically?
The sound of the wind, and the rain.

Non-musically David Bowie, I like his hair style.

7. What genre/style would you place your music under. Do you feel part of a scene at all?
DUB, Im a part of the original dub scene, like Rusko, and Caspa.

8. What would you say is the "signature element" of your tunes- and how would someone go about recreating it?
To program the matrix with great care, and not just bang my 4head on the keyboard. I do it with my finger tips

9. For you what is most important- artistic self expression or making dj-friendly beats?
For the DJs they're the most important thing in the dub scene, and the whole of the EDM movement. Also the most important thing to the whole of humanity.

10. What are your production goals, both in 2013 and beyond?
To tour the whole of Shoreditch.

11. What do you find most challenging about production? Maybe describe a problem and how you overcame it?
Programming the matrix, you need like a PHD in physics to do this normally, and I failed maths at school. But I spent my 10000 hours using this matrix, and I can now do them fourier transfors on it, and have made a time machine with it.

12. Finally, time to plug yourself- post what you consider to be your best song and maybe explain why- ONLY ONE SONG.
First sig tune, cumming out on Tempa T's lable very soon...

[cmgoodman1226]

1. What is your production set up? (hardware and software)
-Fl and Reason for DAW's. I use Reason for a lot of sound design, but I mix and arrange in FL. As far as vst's: camel space/phat are some go to's, fabfilter pro-q/c. For synths I've been digging "minimoog va (freeware) lately, z3ta2, massive, fm8, and "analouge labratory" was a great investment. Kontakt is invaluble for any reese or sound I want to mangle.
- For hardware I have M-audio Bx8a's, 2 Numark pro-tt1's, a vestax pmc-05 pro (I bought them for hip-hop, so the mixer's meant more for that than it is for EDM), and a maschine Mikro.

2. What is your musical history? (Any instruments/djing etc)
- I played trombone for 7 years but haven't picked that up since highschool. I played guitar for a couple years but was never any good at that. Being that I played in orchestra for a long time I have a decent knowledge of basic music theory but not so much on composition.
- I've started off producing hip-hop years ago; I've been producing EDM for about 2 years now.

3. How do you go about starting a new tune?
-It all depends. Sometimes I'll hear a melody or progression in my head, get it down in my DAW, and then work on sound design and then mold drums and ambiance around that. But a lot of times I'll start off just creating a sound and work on a melody etc from there.

4. Name some of your favourite places to sample from.
-Being that I grew up on hip-hop I love crate and cd digging for old soul and jazz. Lately I've been sampling a lot more obscure orchestral stuff as well.

5. Why did you start producing?
-Really just for fun. I've never been under the delusion that this was ever going to be a career for me (I've never had the time or the talent to really devote myself to it like that) I really enjoy making all different types of stuff and exploring new ways of making sounds and seeing what garbage I can come up with.

6. Who inspired you and how, both musically and non-musically?
-Hearing guys like DJ premier and 9th wonder originally inspired me. Then a little later down the road I had a friend who was big into drum and bass and he kind of opened my mind to EDM.

7. What genre/style would you place your music under. Do you feel part of a scene at all?
- For a while mostly hiphop and brostep. But lately I've been really enjoying making more downtempo (not the genre, just literally downtempo) and mellow stuff.

8. What would you say is the "signature element" of your tunes- and how would someone go about recreating it?
- I can't really say I know that there is. I do try (and fail miserably) to make sounds that hopefully aren't cookie cutter; that actually take some time and care to recreate. I'd say I'm a lot better at sound design than I am actual composition.

9. For you what is most important- artistic self expression or making dj-friendly beats?
-Artistic expression. Not to say that I'm in any way original, but producing is much more enjoyable when I like the output. And I don't have nearly enough desire for fame to merit catering my music to somebody's taste.

10. What are your production goals, both in 2013 and beyond?
-I'd love to have a tune or 2 released; not for the money (as if I'd really make any anyways); but I think it'd be pretty cool to be able to say that you accomplished that.

11. What do you find most challenging about production? Maybe describe a problem and how you overcame it?
-I have a really hard time staying focused and finishing something. Usually what happens is I get an idea down, like it, then hit a wall, get bored and start something new. I probably post about a song a month on my soundcloud, but I start and scrap about 20 in that same amount of time.
-Usually I get about 1 song a month that I feel is worth spending real time on, and even then I can't focus on it long enough to seriously mix anything down. It's also tough because I work a ton so I don't have nearly as much time as I used to to devote to producing, so the time that I do have I'm not nearly as motivated.
-The best way I've found to overcome lack of motivation is to seek out new and different artists. I can't tell you how many times I've heard something new and different and gone back to the drawing board with new vigor in clarity.

12. Finally, time to plug yourself- post what you consider to be your best song and maybe explain why- ONLY ONE SONG.

Soundcloud
Probably this one. Not because it's the most original or has the most incredible sound design, but it's not nearly as one dimensional as a lot of my other tracks. It's also the first time I actually spent on creating and playing a real piano melody. It also offers something a little bit different (at least in my eyes). Mix-wise it's not my best and it's not even my favorite; but I still think it's my best so far.

[Samuel_L_Damnson]

this is such a good thread, so interesting to see how other people work

[Turnipish_Thoughts]

1. What is your production set up? (hardware and software)

Oxygen 25 Midi keyboard, Alesis M1's, Sony MDRXB-500s, Reaper.
Go to plugs: VSTi's - Zebralette, Alchemy, Zeta+, Rhino, Synthmaster, PolyKB, Hourglass (standalone granular engine). VSTs - Nasty DLA MKII, Bluecat Chorus, LS Reverberate (w/ lexicon impulse responses), DDMF II EQ pro/LP10 linear phase, Bluecat Gain (mid/side), Tone 2's BI-Filter, Jb red Phat compressor, js Comp Shaper (buss comp/sat), jb Broadcast (multiband comp), Sonimus Satson (lush analogue emu), MMultiband granular, bah loads more....


2. What is your musical history? (Any instruments/djing etc)

I've always had a musical family, my dad sang in various bands/acapella groups when I was a boy, my sister too. Both my parents, their friends/culture and so mine growing up by-proxy have always been really in to 'good' music. Dylan, Hendrix, Marley, Pink Floyd and all kinds of obscure 60's <- > 80's and up interesting musical stuff has always been very normal to me, it wasn't until later in life as I've grown up that I realized I was generally quite lucky to have been bought up in such a way. I got a drumkit for (around) my 10th birthday, and a half size guitar a few years before hand e.t.c. These days I have a full size guitar, a djembe a 6 octave keyboard and a mandolin (not to mention everything ITB). I've never been formally taught in anything but have taught myself over the years and have always enjoyed sailing away with an instrument in hand

3. How do you go about starting a new tune?

Most of the time it comes from messing with chord progressions and experimenting with music theory, I'll pick a scale or mode and try out weird combinations of chord progressions or inverted/suspended/augmented chords while messing with sound design, usually making weird pad/ambient tones. If/when I hit on something that makes me go 'wow' or feel something evocative in some way I'll break it down theoretically into what's happening acoustically and mess with the make-up of it, using those variations as a rudimentary progression then build from that.

A lot of the time it can begin as something really simple. I'll get that initial vibe, like you get that certain feeling from a drizzly urban night, leaning in an open doorway watching cars go past, the wheels making that soft noise on the wet roads, those really rich atmospheres, you can almost picture it in your mind. I'll feel that essence of a track really strongly from one element or maybe an interplay between two elements, or how a certain tone works with a certain progression, and from there I'll spend however long (sometimes it's worryingly long!) it takes finding or creating complimentary tones to that initial vibe, different layers of that atmosphere. With me it's all about tone, tone is everything when it comes to music, melody and harmony can only take you so far, where with tone, you can have the simplest most minimal composition but the atmosphere created by the tone can make it stay interesting for ages. Of course melody/harmony is important, but to me at least it's second to really complimentary tones, too many people really under rate the importance of tone in creating atmosphere i think. yep.

4. Name some of your favourite places to sample from.

I tend not to sample from anywhere, I'll either make patches, use presets or mangle with the hefty amount of samples I've collected from CM magazine over time, so it don't sample per se, though I do use samples. A lot of the time I'll run something through Hourglass or mangle a vocal with paulstretch or generally mess within something in TX16W, bounce and keep going till something interesting comes out. How long is a piece of string really.

5. Why did you start producing?

My old mates from back where I used to live and I used to frequent the underground party scene regularly, we went to a lot of DnB/techno nights, I always preferred DnB and my best mate started a sound engineering course at Confetti, a pretty sick music college in my home city, he got reason and cubase, some sick monitors and a midi keyboard and got really heavy in to music production, at the time we were really heavily in to Tech Itch, Evol Intent and all that hefty darkside DnB. I pretty much lived at his mum's house and so was pulled up in all that music vibe. When I moved up here I sort of forgot about music production for a while but eventually had this beat in my head I just had to get out. That old itch hit me and I got hold of an old copy of reason. Spent failing miserably at trying to make hardstyle DnB. Eventually I got really vibed off on Dubstep after being initially a bit funny about it (being a pretty avid DnB fanboy), moved over to attempting to make industrial Dubstep styles and gradually, as my tastes swayed about, got pulled in to the really melodic ambient down tempo stuff I'm in love with now. The rest is history.

6. Who inspired you and how, both musically and non-musically?

Wow, erm. Phaeleh, Coleco, Nit Grit, Spor, Number Nin6, Boards of Canada, Tron Sepia, 16 bit, Miles Davis, Osric Tentacles, Bjork, Hanz Zimmer. So many people and so many things. Human nature is so creative. Every unwritten book, every unspoken feeling, all those unknown geniuses forgotten and lost somewhere in a greasy spoons in east hackney that'd change the face of human understanding if their luck had've been different. Those glimmers of hidden beauty in the world where you're suddenly more awake and somehow feel more alive caught in a moment saturated in some un-pinnable significance. Those moments of overwhelming calm serenity at feeling truly alive and so vividly in the moment, becoming overly self aware of your own existence in that moment and experiencing something unique from your personal little space in the world. Those gifts we can truly call our own that make life worth living. What inspires anyone? I'd say exactly that.

7. What genre/style would you place your music under. Do you feel part of a scene at all?

definitely ambient down tempo stuff. I've had my music called 'alien' before which I think is quite a compliment. I think I'm developing a fairly unique sound. A mixture of down tempo beats and whispy, washed out tone scapes with bouncy dub influenced riffs and leads.

8. What would you say is the "signature element" of your tunes- and how would someone go about recreating it?

As I've already said I'd say my 'signature sound' is ambient tone scapes/pads. How to recreate it? re-sampling things you normally wouldn't in ways you normally wouldn't. granular synthesis, lots of 'correct' reverb > filtering with subtle resonance at the right frequencies, modulated downsampling in to long plate reverb in to resonant 6 pole low pass. Subtle Comb filtering early on in the signal chain. All manner of ways you can come to washy sounds. It's ALLL about the original tone of the sound and equally as much about how certain processes colour the sound, oh, and also about how those sounds relate to each other in the composition, lol... Experiment!

9. For you what is most important- artistic self expression or making dj-friendly beats?

Artistic self expression. Nuff said.

10. What are your production goals, both in 2013 and beyond?

Keep making music. Get more organised! develop more of a workflow, learn more theory more deeply, define 'my sound' more, get more 'official' with my shit, re: bandcamp, work towards an EP/Album, purely for personal reasons.

11. What do you find most challenging about production? Maybe describe a problem and how you overcame it?

Drum programming! Seriously take me the longest by far to get a good drum groove going and its BY FAR the hardest for me to create call and response in how the drums are talking to themselves in the composition. I can hear an ideai n my head, but getting that idea down is totally alien to me, most of the time it's trial and error and a lot of luck! I'm fine with picking 'tone' for drums, but actually getting a groove going, and moreso understanding HOW I've got to that groove in terms of programming what hit where.... Yep, drum programming is definitely one of my biggest pitfalls, everything else i'm pretty fluent with. Drums have come to scare me.

12. Finally, time to plug yourself- post what you consider to be your best song and maybe explain why- ONLY ONE SONG.

I suppose it has to be blunt dub, in my sig, it's towering over everything else on my soundcloud in terms of plays (959 total plays, avging 6-9 plays a day ), so it's got to be popular... Saying that, One of my personal uploaded fave's is Heterogenia, although it's unfinished I still think it's certainly one the best tunes I've come out with, the pad breakdown in the middle, I still can't figure out how I did that lol. I've also got some really lush, really unfinished 'ideas' that have never seen the light of day that I'd personally say were better in varying ways to stuff I've let out the bag, then again I'm prone to slapping random stuff on soundcloud aswell, there's no real rhime or reason when I do or don't, I need to get more organized with that too!

great thread btw

[InternetSlaveMaster]

At first didn't care to do this because nobody will bother reading these but it's 1am and I can't sleep so...

1. What is your production set up? (hardware and software)
Hardware:
HP Pavilion dv6 15' laptop (8gigs ram, i5 processor, Win 7) **I can also watch porn on it too
Tascam DP-02CF (digital 8 track recorder)
Yamaha keyboard + midi cable I'm borrowing from a friend
Zoom RhythmTrak 234 Drum Machine (from the early '90s OG shit)
Korg DS-10+ (for Nintendo DS)
Casiotron MT-35 from the '80s

Skullcandy Headphones (#getonmylevel)
Old pair of my dad's stage monitors
Behringer guitar cabinet
Ibanez guitar head

Squire Stratocaster (my gf's, but I use it a lot because, fuck it #YOLO)
Peavey 5 string bass
Antique Edmond 6 string acoustic guitar (sounds shitty but has a lot of character)
12 String Guitar (not sure of the maker off the top of my head)
My dad's various Fender Telecasters

A bunch of random mics

Cables and stuff

Numark Mixtrack Pro
Novation Launchpad

Software:
FL Studio 10

Ableton Live 8

Reaper

Virtual DJ

2. What is your musical history? (Any instruments/djing etc)
Started off wanting to be a singer at 11 or 12. Started black metal vocal shit at 13. Also started making dance music in Sony Acid with loops off the internet. Started bass at 13. First gig shortly after, then I took bass seriously. Started guitar at 14, played for 2 years non stop. Started producing at 16. Started DJing at 17, first just with the computer, then I got my Mixtrack Pro and now wish I was rich and could afford CDJs.

I can also play keyboard/mandolin but I'm not as proficient as I am at bass and guitar.

3. How do you go about starting a new tune?
Really depends on the project.
ISM: Really depends on the genre I'm writing in. Sometimes it's an idea on the guitar, sometimes it's a sound I made, etc.
Hoenn: Starts with playing around on the guitar usually, then singing along. Once I have something worthwhile I'll walk from my bed over to my computer and start recording stuff.
Echomaker: Either with sound design or just messing around with percussion or something.

4. Name some of your favourite places to sample from.
Movies, youtube, random things I record with my MP3 player, etc. I only sample on rare occasions really.

5. Why did you start producing?
Well I started at 16 (in 2010) because I really started getting into electronica (m83 in particular), and wanted to create the kind of music they were doing that was electronic, but still very emotional. (M83's earlier stuff btw, not their new 80's inspired stuff)

6. Who inspired you and how, both musically and non-musically?
Musically: The Smashing Pumpkins, M83, The Radio Dept., Telefon Tel Aviv, Burzum, IAMX, Cradle of Filth, Coheed & Cambria, Tycho, Phoenix, Locust Toybox, Bubblegum Octopus, my bass buddies Drooka/Mishva (seriously, if it wasn't for them I wouldn't bother with dubstep too much anymore), Daniel Bury for thinking outside of the box on so many occasions, and lastly, my pop, as he's the best guitarist I've ever seen.

Non-musically: Life, flowers, sunsets, etc.

7. What genre/style would you place your music under. Do you feel part of a scene at all?
Depends on my projects really:
ISM: Uhh... ? Depends on the track, some is IDM, some is ambient, some is EDM stuff (house, glitch-hop, dubstep, etc.).. really don't feel apart of a particular scene with the ISM project, just doing whatever I can at the moment when it comes to tunes.
Hoenn: Lofi / Dream Pop / Hipster Bullshit. Not really apart of a particular scene because I have no friends who write in that style, but it's easy to classify.
Echomaker: 140 bass music. The only project I really feel that I'm apart of a scene with as it's more structured towards something that already exists. (Bigup to Drooka, Mishva, Gurnumsbug, Amyrt, Anthologic, Korrupt, Lloydy, and all my other buds!)

8. What would you say is the "signature element" of your tunes- and how would someone go about recreating it?
ISM: A lot of my tracks have a bit of a climax. I accomplish this through repeated ear-drum thrusting, and setting the mood for the listener with candles, chocolate, etc.
Hoenn: Lofi sound, shy vocals. I accomplish this through half not giving a shit, and half not knowing what I'm doing. Also, cute electronic stuff.
Echomaker: ALL ABOUT THAT 808 YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?????? Tech stabs help too, and lots of dub delay.

9. For you what is most important- artistic self expression or making dj-friendly beats?
Artistic expression, as only like 5% of all the music I've ever made is legitimate dance music.

10. What are your production goals, both in 2013 and beyond?
ISM: Completely finish my 3rd album (been about 2 years in the making) before it's March 1st due date. Also, get together a live set for performances.
Hoenn: Finish my EP (only gotta finish 1 more track)
Echomaker: Get out an EP or something, get more DJs to play my tunes, etc.

11. What do you find most challenging about production? Maybe describe a problem and how you overcame it?
I always end up with too many ideas and struggle to keep the tune in a coherent direction.

12. Finally, time to plug yourself- post what you consider to be your best song and maybe explain why- ONLY ONE SONG.
It feels odd answering these questions about my 3 main projects and only listing one, so here is a track each from my other projects, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU GONNA DO ABOUT IT?!??!?!/one

ISM:

(note: my fav tunes aren't out yet as my album isn't released, but here is one of my fav tunes off that album)

Soundcloud

Really brings the vibe that I want to take the ISM project in in the future. So minimal yet gets the point across. Also a tad personal as I sampled my voice through like 2 or 3 autotune plugs. One of the few tunes that I haven't had the need to change after the year or so it's been complete (it comes out in March on my album).

Hoenn:

http://soundcloud.com/hoenn/hoenn-you-never-asked-demo

Everything came together fairly quickly. Really proud of it, despite not being that great, turned out better than I thought (even if I was sick when I did it all). The first Hoenn tune I was happy with.

Echomaker:

http://soundcloud.com/echomaker/ragnarok-rip

Seeing as all my new tunes are dubs, this is really the only one I can show. It all came together fairly quickly, and I'm really pleased with how it turned out. Kinda trappy but still dungeon enough to be played by my pals. Kinda set the tone for the Echomaker project as it's the first track I'm confident with. Made after a depressingly boring trip grocery shopping with my mom and sister.

[FAARE FACED]

1. What is your production set up? (hardware and software)

PC that I built : i5 2500K @ 3.30 Ghz, with Windows 7 and 8GB of RAM)
Ableton Live 8
KRK Rokit 5 (and I use my DJing headphones TMA-1 for low freqs)
M-Audio Fast Track
Novation 49 SL MK2

I don't see the use of hardware vs software, and I don't think i'm limited by the tools I use at the moment, hence me not owning any hardware.
I tried a bit of cheap room treatment with homemade basstraps and some foam, but it's pretty random since i have no precise clue about it.

2. What is your musical history? (Any instruments/djing etc)
I played the guitar for 2 years or something, I don't even know why because I wasn't even liking guitar based music at this time ahahaha. Besides that no "real" instrument.
I've been DJing for 3 years or so. First started on a cheap controller (Vestax VCI 100). Then I when to the CDJ route. I really liked DJing until I jumped intro production.
Because of production i tend to be arrogant towards people that only DJ, and I don't really DJ alone at my place for nothing. I prefer spending my spare time on my own productions, because it's the only way to exist on the scene now imo. No one succeeds only by DJing other people's tracks.

3. How do you go about starting a new tune?
If I don't have any specific idea first, i mess with synths. In my opinion today's music (especially in so-called "EDM") the sound is more important than the notes. And it's even more true with bass music.
What I usually do is play an 8 bar long note with my synth. And then I mess with saw waves, process them (the classic routine with distortion, frequency splitting etc.). Once it sounds good/different/interesting I modulate this. I end up with 8 bar long bassline that I resample and chop into pieces and then I try to be creative.
At this point, either I give up on my idea and move on or continue to make a full track.

4. Name some of your favourite places to sample from.
I'm not very found of sampling, but if a sound catches my ear, then i'll try to record it. Either to use the recording itself or to recreate the poorly recorded sound. Once when I was at school the vent fan was making a metallic LFO based sound, I recorded it with my phone thinking it could be a great idea either to re-record properly or to recreate somehow. I still haven't used it yet

5. Why did you start producing?
I started producing because first I was only DJing, and after a while it became frustrating to play other people's track only. You don't express anything, and at the end of the day, even if you made people have a good time, you have nothing to be proud of because you didn't really craft anything yourself.

6. Who inspired you and how, both musically and non-musically?
Musically, at the moment I'm heavily inspired by the neuro dnb scene, Noisia, The Upbeats, Spor and so on. I also really dig 16bit. On a bigger scale, anyone that brings something new to the table in terms of sound design is inspiring me, because it makes us all evolve in a way.

Non-musically, I really dig places that have some sort of gigantism in them. For example, for my studies i'm at France's biggest business center, and walking by huge buildings every morning is somehow inspiring and empowering. I can even be epic if you have a tune in your headphones that fits the situation
Moreover, even though it may sound cheesy, I'm inspired by feelings in a way. I try to write music according to a state of mind i'm it or I would like the listener to be in.


7. What genre/style would you place your music under. Do you feel part of a scene at all?
It's interesting because years ago I was more into electro, I shifted to dubstep/brostep, and now I shift again to dnb. Not that I ditch dubstep, but I find it a bit slow sometimes. Let's say I spin and produce bass music.
As a producer I don't really feel a part of any scene because I'm way too new in the business. I could almost count the number of plays I have on my soundcloud on my fingers, so I'm not really a "part" of the scene.

8. What would you say is the "signature element" of your tunes- and how would someone go about recreating it?
I have no idea. And I don't have enough finished tracks right now to have some distingable redundant element that could be called "signature". I try to have interesting and powerful reeses, if that answers the question, ahaha.

9. For you what is most important- artistic self expression or making dj-friendly beats?
Artistic self expression. To me, tunes are heard way more often on an ipod than on a nightclub/festival/etc. No need to make them DJ friendly. If the DJ can't manage to use the track in his set, well, he lacks skills. And if it's too dificult to make a transition, backspin, start from the beginning, even more epic

10. What are your production goals, both in 2013 and beyond?
Realease stuff and step up my game. I would like to be able to A/B my track with one from a "professional" producer and see no difference in terms of technical quality.

11. What do you find most challenging about production? Maybe describe a problem and how you overcame it?
I find that starting off is the most challenging part about production. You face a wall, and if you're not willing to make the effort to spend hours on forums, youtube etc, you can't progress. I can witness that with a friend of mine, he wants to get champagne and bitches, but he isn't making the effort to learn, and thinks that putting raw samples of drums kick snare kick snare will make him famous. Producing requires dedication, and most of people don't realize that.
In my case I "started" twice, giving up after few weeks, before finally keeping up at it. It's been something like 7 months now, and i'm still at it. And now I feel that even though I still have a lot to learn, I overcame the inital wall I just talked about.

12. Finally, time to plug yourself- post what you consider to be your best song and maybe explain why- ONLY ONE SONG.

Well, it's my best song cause it's my only seriously made and finished track so far It's a bit special, dark and aggressive, and not really enjoyed by people around me but well, that's what I wanted to express so fuck it In case you like it, it's available as a free download.
Soundcloud

[cryptical]

1. What is your production set up? (hardware and software)

umm fl studio 9, korn nano controller, zoom h1 recorder, £20 logitech speakers that came free with my old pc (hehe)

2. What is your musical history? (Any instruments/djing etc)

none

3. How do you go about starting a new tune?

usually cut a nice sample and get inspired, umm no structure from there tbh

4. Name some of your favourite places to sample from.

old asian and african recordings and vinyl, random sounds using my h1, movie scores sometimes.

5. Why did you start producing?

... for fun.

6. Who inspired you and how, both musically and non-musically?

i guess the music i like inspires me.
nah but apart from that, theres a certain indescribable feeling ive been getting as a child that i try and recreate.
i cant explain this feeling, i think it might be linked to nostaliga and childhood, but i get in very specific situations.
travel gives it to me, certain music at night, certain images and thoughts.
cant really describe it.

7. What genre/style would you place your music under. Do you feel part of a scene at all?

ambient breakbass, really feel at home with scene, im kind of a figurehead... not really, i dont belong

8. What would you say is the "signature element" of your tunes- and how would someone go about recreating it?

i dont really have one. i haven't developed one for myself as i like to try new things each track. i have a few unique tunes
that could i build upon and create a "signature", and actually i like to think most of tracks aren't generic but i dont have my
own signature as of yet.

9. For you what is most important- artistic self expression or making dj-friendly beats?

well i dont care for club music or any of that "scene", so i guess making tunes i enjoy and i think are good is important.
i listen to music by myself at home, the train and walking at night, and i guess i am my own audience so that's what i build my tracks for.
i would much rather make headphone music than anything for a system.
im not really expressing myself because i dont know how and i just like making sounds and tracks i like that evoke different feelings....
nothing more to it tbh.

10. What are your production goals, both in 2013 and beyond?

finish more tracks i like.

11. What do you find most challenging about production? Maybe describe a problem and how you overcame it?

all of it, if i come across something i dont understand i just work around it because im lazy and dont enjoy watching videos and all tutorials
are just videos nowadays and thats shit.

12. Finally, time to plug yourself- post what you consider to be your best song and maybe explain why- ONLY ONE SONG.

i guess most people really liked a track i made called Beyond Plateaus (on my soundcloud) and my most unique track, and sort of the thing that made
me think i could make more good tracks, was Shepherds of Black Camels (also on my SC) and i reckon i could build on that and actually make that
my unique thing if i wasnt just rushing to create as many varied tracks. but simply on enjoyment is an unfinished (and never to be finished) piece
that follows. it has everything i like, amens, busy breaks, deep bass, asian influence... yeah here it is

Soundcloud

i hope you can gleam something from this amazing insight into the mind of a master producer

[Skeemstep]

1. What is your production set up? (hardware and software)
Hardware
Windows Laptop, Alesis iO2 Express audio interface, M-Audio BX5 D2 Studio Monitors, Random computer sub. Two Numark NDX800 CDJs and a Numark M6 Mixer. Zoom H1 audio recorder.
Software
FL Studio, Massive, Kontakt Player, Loads of samples

2. What is your musical history? (Any instruments/djing etc)
Been playing guitar for about 8 years now. Started playing the piano and native american style flute about a year ago. Learned basic music theory from the internet and just fiddling around. Started DJ'ing about two years ago because so many of my friends were always messing around on the decks.

3. How do you go about starting a new tune?
It really depends. If I have a melody rolling around in my head then I'll start with that and then write the rest around the melody. Or I'll start off with a beat in my head, build a good foundation with the sub/synths/percussion and then go back to add in melodies.

4. Name some of your favourite places to sample from.
Reggae documentaries, Old King Tubby dubplate things, Recording random stuff with my audio recorder.

5. Why did you start producing?
Prepare to laugh, I really really wanted to make hardstyle when I was about 14. It was the first electronic music I really listened to and I just wanted to make monster bass music. Heard DJ Zany with a couple of friends and wondered how that type of music was made, set out to try my hand at it.

6. Who inspired you and how, both musically and non-musically?
Pink Floyd... Perfect music in my opinion. I've always played guitar but once I started producing I really began to appreciate more aspects of the production side. Bruce Lee... a lot of his ideas about martial arts can be put toward making music. For example, "If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them"

7. What genre/style would you place your music under. Do you feel part of a scene at all?
Dub / Deep Dubstep. I feel like a very small and insignificant part of the Houston scene but hopefully that will change soon now that I'm graduated from school and constantly working on music. I've played 3 venues around this area but that was last summer when I was playing just to get my name out, didn't really get to play much of the music I wanted to play

8. What would you say is the "signature element" of your tunes- and how would someone go about recreating it?
The sub. I try to make sure that element is always solid. Just using a sine triangle at a sub bass frequency and running an EQ over it to eliminate unnecessary frequencies.

9. For you what is most important- artistic self expression or making dj-friendly beats?
Artistic self expression by far. I'd much rather have music that I enjoy and have to work as a waiter the rest of my life than be making 'dj-friendly beats' and flying all over the world.

10. What are your production goals, both in 2013 and beyond?
Release a full EP and then get booked as an 'artist' instead of a 'dj'. Beyond that, I'll see where the road takes me.

11. What do you find most challenging about production? Maybe describe a problem and how you overcame it?
Having my tunes not hold up to the ones I'm dj'ing and not knowing how to make it right. Still overcoming it but I figure that if I keep making music I'll eventually find my answer... Hopefully not in a retirement home

12. Finally, time to plug yourself- post what you consider to be your best song and maybe explain why- ONLY ONE SONG.
Here's my 'best' song... I haven't released anything in a long time because I'm waiting until I get my sound right before putting anything else out. Probably gonna go back and rework this with new knowledge before releasing the EP.
Soundcloud

[hasezwei]

1. What is your production set up? (hardware and software)

[...]korn nano controller[...]

imagine how much money you could make with that