Feeling Like An Idiot

[HateExperiment]

So I have only been doing electronic music production for a bit over a year now. I'm mainly an instrument player, so working on an entirely digital plane is vastly different. As a player, I find myself being able to compose intricate riffs and write generally pleasing leads in a song I'm producing. I'll make some beats with some composition that has musicality to it. Usually it sounds ALMOST good. But in terms of raw technique I am horrible. I don't know what the hell I'm doing exactly. Most of what I have learned is all from being self taught. In fact it all is.

I've taught myself how to make wobbles, and if I hear a sound in my head I can screw around in Massive until I can make close to what I'm hearing. I've learned how to use automation to control filters in a track to make sounds sweep across the aural field. I've learned how to map my instruments and samples in different channels of my mixer so I can apply effects / mix them better etc etc etc etc. I've learned a lot more than that obviously, and I've learned enough of the little things to get my foot into the door. Learned enough to jump in and be able to produce a whole song with some moderately decent content. But I keep hitting walls. I keep feeling overwhelmed, and constantly find myself thinking "am I even gonna get any better?" It's ironic. As a guitarist, in my first year I couldn't even alternate pick and play barre chords. Now I'm sweep picking, using pinch harmonics, shredding up and down the various scales in the various keys and in whatever mode. I get all of that. With a guitar, I FELT my progress. My progress translated instantaneously and I could easily track how much better I was getting. Seven years later I'd like to think I'm pretty damn good. But with electronic music I'm scared in seven years I will barely be beyond where I am now.

This brings me to my battle with trying to understand electronic music production. I see what other people are capable of doing and it baffles me. As a guitarist I can go "Oh, I just gotta get my right hand faster," or "Oh, it's all in the placement of my thumb." However when I'm watching a friend produce music or watch a friend load up a beat and play it for me, I'm lost. I don't get it, you know? I have found there is very little knowledge in this field that can be learned by observation. Which leads me to my final point.

How can I learn more? I've browsed many a site, spent countless hours watching youtube videos. Obviously I lurk on this forum every now and then when I get fed up with trying to teach myself and I have to ask for help. I think I'm shortly going to join Tom Cosm's site to download his many videos and get informed more about using Ableton, as I use FL Studio right now and wish that I didn't. So... How did YOU get to be so good? What did you study? Did you have to take classes or spend money on lessons to get to where you are? Perhaps your family had all the gear and you just started to pick it up? I just feel lost in this and I want to get better and some days it seems impossible. I've got a piece of crap Alesis Q25 controller and Alesis iO26 8 channel interface and horrible AKG K44 headphones. Then I've got my beautiful MacBook Pro with Windows / Mac. As you can see, I have a very minimalist rig. Is there a lot of learning to be done on hardware as much as software? What inexpensive (less than $300) pieces of gear are crucial for bettering yourself as a producer? There is so much to learn and I'm finding it very hard to make progress. If anyone has any insight, or perhaps thinks "I remember being at that stage," please send me a message or respond here. I want to utilize my musical talent across as many platforms as I can. I want to make dubstep, house, and progressive/trance music. I also want to make a rock band and grindcore band. I want to sing solo (I'm a decent singer as well) on a pop song. I don't care what I do, but I want to do as much as I can. I love and LIVE music.

Cheers all, thanks for reading. Don't mean to seem like a sad lost little pup, but I am feeling disappointed in myself. I know I'm capable of better, I just need to learn how, and that's the hardest part for me.

[lloydy]

Don't know why but your post kind of reminded me of this!Apologise for baiting and chin up mate,if you learned guitar then you are obviously capable of learning production.

[HateExperiment]

Thanks my friend! Yes, I keep telling myself I'm bound to get better at it, but it's hard sometimes. I'm hoping that the paid video tutorial series I'm gonna invest in after I move into my new house will help me. It's hours and hours of Ableton Live tutorials, complete with the files he uses so I can keep track. It's this self-destructive desire to be better that kills me. I get so fixated on wanting to be better, that after I listen to my work it makes me mad lol.

[lloydy]

Listen man it takes time to get good.Probably the main thing that takes time is learning the tools of the trade.
I'll give you a little analogy involving myself.
I work in maintenance for a company with a lot of machinery,there is only 2 of us who pretty much work round the clock and have to deal with seriously old machinery.When i started the job i came of the shop floor and had no engineering experience.Every time i was called out on a job i had someone there to wipe my bum because i didn't have a clue.
2 years in i'm doing most breakdowns myself and at a fair rate,the main reasons are:learning what tools for what job and practice.
Learn the tools by practicing and you will pick it up,never question yourself and always always push forward.
There is a wealth of knowledge on this forum,as long as you help yourself people will like that and be more willing to help.
Maybe post some stuff in the feedback thread or pm people who are stylistically where you want to be and just ask for some feedback on music you have made,not for tips.
Honestly push yourself and shit gets a hell of a lot easier.

[shakas]

i also started out from a guitarist background. honestly guitar came to me easier than learning and understanding full on edm production/production in general.
In a 'band' setting i can come up with dope riffs and write songs at a moments notice...technical playing, different genres, no prob. ...and when there's something too difficult to do, the solution is simple: you just repeat it until you can do it. I often find it easier to write stuff on guitar 1st and then translate it over to midi to help me make edm songs...but that only works for really melodic stuff or rhythm lines. Doesn't help much with crazy drops or neuro stuff cuz the guitar can't emulate those sounds/vibes very easily.

I think the main problem with feeling/not feeling like your getting better at producing is that it's just too easy to get lost in your options. Your options for sounds and other parts of production are almost limitless ...and it distracts you from focusing on just writing a good song and making sure its mixed well. You also have to take into consideration that you are learning A LOT of very technical things all at once. That slows down how quick it feels like you're learning. With guitar, it's just that one thing that you're focused on...you've got nothing else to learn but that...and that allows you to learn it fast and see it happening. Its kinda like downloading. You have a limited download speed and you download 1 movie...it happens relatively quick and it's easy to see its progress. If you download 15 movies at the same time you can hardly notice the progress, but, it is happening and will eventually get there.

i dont even know what im talking about anymore

[LilWUB]

No one masters electronic music production in a year. Good monitors (especially a subwoofer) help to keep me feelin' it through the learning process. You have more resources to learn than anybody else ever with the interwebz. So get crackin'!

[123kidd]

Just keep at it man. Agreed that a year is NOT enough! Remember that it takes 10,000 hr to truly master something. Practise practise practise! and dedication.
I felt the same after about a year into production as well. I realized that I was confident in the technical side of production. Felt as though the learning curve had diminished. It felt like i was at a standstill in production and wasn't moving forward.
Then you realize that you need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Its about the music, the emotion, the vibe and self expression. Your daw is merely the tool to facilitate this. This stage, imo is where artists take a while, trying to "find their sound". Of course there are a few that manage to get their break, but thats another topic.
Keep making tunes and actually finish them, as it forces you to tackle all aspects of production ( composition, arrangement, sound design, mixdown)

[John_Dope]

I am in the same exact spot as you are man. Keep at it. We'll be playing at shows together in no time

[Ldizzy]

read ur manuals.

thats it.

no im serious dude. read. the manuals.

[Dahneboy]

it takes time and patience, get to know what you are really using and have fun doing it. thats it, that is all you need. expirement , play around with sounds, try new things, and most importantly fail. the more you fail the more you learn.

[PillowFight]

Imagine it as your goal behind a series of glass panes that you have to break through with your face. You can see the end result, it's just really shitty getting there.

DOn't forget to have fun when you're making music, i think that's what makes it most important

[skimpi]

stick at the brostep BRO, fuk the h8rs

[Efrafa11]

If your good at guitar why don't you focus your production around that skill and see how it goes?

[Ficticious]

1. Read manual
2. Listen to the best of the best around the board.
3. watch youtube videos from the daw your using (I read you wished you weren't using Fl, that's fine but when you learn it it's amazing and seriously underrated in my personal opinion)
4. Look up the people who started the daw that you're using and follow their tips.
5. KEEP AN OPEN GOD DAMN MIND (seriously, close minded people only make it so far.)

Once you've surpassed that...

Youtube tutorials from professionals (You can simply check out their music that they've made, if they don't have in usually you'll be wasting time)
Tecniques, tips, tricks stuff that you don't normally learn from just manuals come in later on.

There's no rules for music, only guidelines.

imo, dubstep is what you want it to be (Or any other music for that matter)

finally, once success has been achieved for yourself and in your own eyes. Be humble, connect with your crowd of followers and people and always keep learning and improving.

Also what OP said, record your guitar into your songs! real life stuff can always be nice.

[hutyluty]

If you think you're an idiot then you will BE an idiot. Think positive and follow your dream: you CAN do this!!

[hutyluty]

or just accept that you'll always be shit and deal with it, like i do

idk

[charles1]

meet some people in real life that produce. you can learn a lot through the internet, but asking real people for feedback and hands-on help is probably going to help you more

[HateExperiment]

I know now that this thread is a little old, but I've been very busy. Thank you all so much for the advice! I actually took some of that to heart. Some good tidbits in there. Also good to hear that everyone else in the world hits this wall. I just sometimes wonder stuff like "wow, is it this hard for everyone or am I just poop?" hah. But yeah, it's good to hear from you all. Definitely helped lift my spirits. I'm going to tackle making a song now. Or at least make SOMETHING. And yes, btw, I really want to try and integrate guitar into my production. thanks guys!

[charles1]

And yes, btw, I really want to try and integrate guitar into my production. thanks guys!

http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.p ... 1&start=20

you should check out this Q&A thread with Distance. on page 2 (the page this links to) he talks about using guitar recordings in his own productions. he recorded himself playing the guitar for this song: