Random Production Tips Thread™

[cryptic]

you cant polish a turd

Best advice ive seen

[thomas edison]

if you're stuck, dont listen to the track when looking at the arrangement screen

keep your eyes closed, make a render and play the mp3 or whatever. I always find myself getting even more stuck when looking at the arrangement view while listening (ableton). Especially when you see the stuff you automated

[djake]

if you're stuck, dont listen to the track when looking at the arrangement screen

keep your eyes closed, make a render and play the mp3 or whatever. I always find myself getting even more stuck when looking at the arrangement view while listening (ableton). Especially when you see the stuff you automated

i find tht helps with the arrangement as well, u can tell if it flows nicely, instead of seein when everyfing kicks in.

[osk]

you cant polish a turd

Best advice ive seen

Biggest cliche I've seen.

I don't totally agree. For certain sounds, like kicks, basses, snares etc, sure, but turds often turn out great when they've been left to settle in the sun, when they've firmed up, expanded in the heat, and turned into something you'd actually be happy to use...

i.e. wack a few effects on it and you never know what you might use it for...

Generally speaking, though, the cliche rings true.

[gravious]

if you're stuck, dont listen to the track when looking at the arrangement screen

keep your eyes closed, make a render and play the mp3 or whatever. I always find myself getting even more stuck when looking at the arrangement view while listening (ableton). Especially when you see the stuff you automated

I think this is just generally a good idea, not necessarily when your stuck!

Sometimes you can listen back to a bounced down file and notice that a transition between to parts of a tune sounds completely mince, and that somehow you missed it wqhen "in-sequencer". I find listening to a wav in winamp or whatever makes me feel a bit more detached from it. This is good for getting an overview of the tune

[cracktactics]

Buy grand theft auto or hire a good lawyer, you'll need to take out your frustration somehow

[roqqert]

1. listen other stuff then just dubstep...
youll come up with some fusion stuff

2. i dont like to follow the trend. I just use what i like. Most of the ppl would say : yeah dubstep = wobble bass... There's enough dubstep that doesnt has a wobblebass sobe original

3. take youre time. Most of the time i just make a loop, save it and work it out later. Sometimes exitement could give a negative effect on your track. You've to stay critical on your own stuff. 9 of 10 times im not happy with my own work but the 1 thats good will be quite good and will be a cool track for yourself and others. Dont bash all your tracks on myspace/virb/or anything else. Ppl will hear you less growing. Its much more fun to surprise peepz ..

[auan]

Buy grand theft auto or hire a good lawyer, you'll need to take out your frustration somehow

Don't put any games on your computer, ever. You'll never get anything done. Get a console if you're that way inclined. Anything that will play Splinter Cell will do.

One for noobs, maybe. Stop installing random freebie stuff, stop collecting pirated stuff from dubious sources. Get yourself a handful of things you like and LEARN THE FUCK OUT OF THEM. I spent years of my life downloading thousands of pounds worth of software, and not learning any of it. When you spend your hard-earned cash of something (and I don't get much more than minimum wage), it motivates you to get the most out of it. And you're helping the industry blah blah etc.

Learn to DJ, even if that's not what you want to do long-term. It teaches you better than anything else what makes a good arrangement, and when to drop different elements into a tune.

[forensix (mcr)]

I think this is just generally a good idea, not necessarily when your stuck!

Sometimes you can listen back to a bounced down file and notice that a transition between to parts of a tune sounds completely mince, and that somehow you missed it wqhen "in-sequencer". I find listening to a wav in winamp or whatever makes me feel a bit more detached from it. This is good for getting an overview of the tune

I agree - i often find sticking my unfinished tunes on my ipod helps me pick out things i often miss when sat infront of cubase - also carry a little notepad when pick up on something you want to change write it down.

I also find that i have little brainwaves on how to make certain sounds when i am out and about so a notepad is good for that too.

[__________]

you cant polish a turd

...until you varnish it.

KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS.

learn all the keyboard shortcuts for your chosen program and you WILL be the king of kings

[auan]

...or get ableton and make your own keyboard shortcuts

[slothrop]

I think this is just generally a good idea, not necessarily when your stuck!

Sometimes you can listen back to a bounced down file and notice that a transition between to parts of a tune sounds completely mince, and that somehow you missed it wqhen "in-sequencer". I find listening to a wav in winamp or whatever makes me feel a bit more detached from it. This is good for getting an overview of the tune

I agree - i often find sticking my unfinished tunes on my ipod helps me pick out things i often miss when sat infront of cubase - also carry a little notepad when pick up on something you want to change write it down.

Just turning the screen off and/or facing the other way makes a lot of difference.

[tempest]

Buy grand theft auto or hire a good lawyer, you'll need to take out your frustration somehow

Don't put any games on your computer, ever. You'll never get anything done. Get a console if you're that way inclined. Anything that will play Splinter Cell will do.
.

C'mon man a snes emulator is obviously an exception..
Nothing better than some streetfighter to get a break from the old 16 bar loop of doom, tis standard practice................ for me anyway

[auan]

Haha bad choice mate, I own a snes proper. A Mega Drive emulator though, now you're talkin...

[tempest]

Ahh funny that, i got a dusty mega drive somewhere...

A tip to get the thread back on track;

Don't get a full-time job, i'm earning money for equipment but i barely have time to friggin learn it all... Go part time or something, cuz this is shite

[ikonika]

delete you presets

[thesis]

Don't get a full-time job, i'm earning money for equipment but i barely have time to friggin learn it all... Go part time or something, cuz this is shite

Yeah, tell me about it...

[thenapking]

my best tip is use sidechains on your bass and bass drum

[Jah Billah]

Great thread massive.
Here's a few tips pulled outta Jah Billah tinfoil hat:

Listen to music stoned. But go ahead and try to make music when not.


Think about what ya want to hear inna yo sound. For Jah Billah, it's bass. For you it could be subs, highs or someting else.


Check yo self & learn about what are you good at. It could be beats or melodies, mixin or arrangments.
Try to work with other people who have more talent in areas you don't, collabs are the keyword here.

Get a software or hardware you really like and learn all about it. You need to know yoself & your stuff. And then go & try to work with someting you don't know about.


Promote yoself but stay humble.

[forensix (mcr)]

distort a copy of you percussion, hi pass it and layer it over your original percussion. I find this can also work with snares. My favourite way it to use about three instances of PSP mixsaturator with only a small amount of distortion on each instance and then a high pass filter.

Place an eq (or filter) before and after distortion