Keeping a track "Fresh"?

[Kronix]

Over the years of producing, I have got to a level where I am happy with my production, sound design, and mixdown skills. However......The one element I still have issues with is keeping a track fresh. I tend to end up with a lot of repetition within my tracks. I try adding new elements, stripping away bits, change the riffs etc, but when I do, my tracks seem to lose their flow, sometimes even sounding like two entirely separate pieces.

So what do you guys do to keep a track fresh? And how would you implement the ideas into your workflow?

[Genevieve]

It's in the details, the things that are barely audible. Crackles, slowly evolving pads and little white noise wooshes, etc. Drumfills too! and little variations in drums every so many measures, play the snare a little later or something.

I think that's the hardest thing about songwriting.

[Kronix]

For sure! Like I said, I've reached a level where I'm really happy. It's taken around 4 years or so, and I feel this is the next step in my journey that I need to overcome to reach the next level! And I agree totally that it's the hardest step to take! But I'll get there eventually!

[Genevieve]

Just listened to the track in your sig and a thing I did was hum along in my head and picture little elements that aren't there. So you could just "finish" a song, play it and then try to imagine things in it that aren't there yet.

I never thought of doing that. That's actually really easy.

[mthrfnk]

Small variations in drums, along with subtle risers/fallers help to bump a track a long imo. It goes without saying that variations in melodies/sounds obviously help.

[Samuel_L_Damnson]

basically dont make something that sounds exactly like something else

[blinx]

Q: What Keeps your tracks so "Fresh"?
A: Tupperware

BUT cereal.

Drum variants are huge:
Change Kicks patterns and dont jsut repeat that same variatn in a predictable manner youll just get "bored" with it still, Hi hats and cymbals, i usually keep my snares in place (i gots to have something to attach to so my white butt can dance).

One shots:
THis has been mentioned but add effects, maybe jsut add a bunch of one shots, dont repeat them dont allow them to be "predictable" (read: dont put a different effect every 2 or 4 bars, get off the grid and catch the listener off guard). Once they get caught off guard they will keep looking for that once shot but then BAM caught off guard again by another one shot, all the time still grooving to your tracks beat/pocket (the stuff you think is "repetitive"). How many jam bands just freaking jam on a single chord change TONS OF THEM and as long as the pocket is good, dont worry about repeating that shiz.

Risers/sweeps:

Sometime i like to have a riser UP and a sweep down that complement each other and com in at 4 or 8 bar intervals to help move me UP and back Down again allowing the pocket to really hold its own an groove things out.

Velocity:
If you are not playing around with velocity like its second nature, then start doing so. I lack in using this myself but nothihng can add the subllety like velocity on drums and leads even basslines need some huminization and velocity.

Vocals:
Get some vocals on it, maybe just a hook or one shot vocal or maybe get a whole verse/chorus worked out for your track. adding another elemnet that is organic like human vocals can help dilute the "repeating" effects of creating music with computers.

[titchbit]

I always try to have at least one or 2 "novelty" samples that I use sparingly throughout a track. It helps give it an identity and keep it interesting. A great example is from Rusko's masterclass. He records himself saying "rats in my kitchen, rats on the floor, dirty rats" and then cuts it up and places bits of it throughout the song. Having little samples that stand out like this really help keep a track "fresh" in my opinion.

Doesn't have to be vocal samples either. You could have little blips and whatnot that sound novel and use those. They also don't have to be samples either.

[karmacazee]

Nah it's a really good question and one that bugs most people who make music on computers.

The trick is not to write loops. As soon as you've written that 4 or 8 bar loop, turn off the loop brace and expand it straight away. Don't listen to it over and over again. If you liked it first then just move on, but don't just copy and paste. Tweak one or two things, but don't over tweak. Maybe automate a paramater, shift a couple of drum hits, that sort of thing. Move quickly at first. You want to capture the moment, not spend hours twiddling nobs.

Also, a melody repeated exactly the same over and over again can get a bit boring, so think about tweaking the phrasing and putting in the odd bit of accidental notes and stuff.

It's all about thinking like a musician, not a producer. The knob twiddling, painstaking bit comes after you've written the song.

It really is a state of mind thing.

[Samuel_L_Damnson]

The main way i keep each track sounding unique enough to keep me happy is by choosing a stupid tempo or using completely different base sounds than you are used to (not bass sounds BASE sounds) like using nothing but tribal percussion or using nothing but a certain drum kit or using only sines. You can create sounds this way that you probably wouldn't if you had access to the usual tools.

[wub]

Surprised automation hasn't been mentioned yet, having certain FX parameters sweeping as the tune progresses always adds an organic feel to things. In terms of progression, I try and make something change at least every 4/8 bars. A new element, variation in programming, extra layer of ambience, afore mentioned FX parameter adjustment etc.

The trick is not to write loops. As soon as you've written that 4 or 8 bar loop, turn off the loop brace and expand it straight away. Don't listen to it over and over again. If you liked it first then just move on, but don't just copy and paste. Tweak one or two things, but don't over tweak. Maybe automate a paramater, shift a couple of drum hits, that sort of thing. Move quickly at first. You want to capture the moment, not spend hours twiddling nobs.

Great bit of advice - I've been messing around with automating as much as I can onto my MIDI controller, then 'jamming' the track whilst it's playing, turning different clips on and off, dicking around with the parameters on EFX etc whilst recording into Edison, to recreate that 'live' feel as opposed to just having a load of clips etc being played.

I also find having a common identity running through a tune helps...there's one tune that was getting a lot of airplay last summer whilst I was still in London that had the drums from the movie Predator sampled into it...no matter how the tune itself evolved and twisted, it kept going back to the drums to remind the listener that it was a cohesive piece.

The same could be said about sampling movies (or Rusko talking about rats etc), if it's done in a cohesive manner and evolves throughout the tune to bring everything together.