Overcoming the "Never Finishing Tracks" Phase?

dubdisciple · Post by **dubdisciple** » Sat Nov 15, 2008 9:13 pm

It's hard to admit this, but I figure I'm not the only one who has ever done this. The past year I have become interested in dubstep and have started attempting to produce it but I honestly have not finished one track. I have tons of started tracks, but I find myself abandoning them because they either seem too generic (aka, another wobblefest that sounds like thousands of other songs or it isn't quite what I was aiming for). Part of my problem is that I just have not gotten a great grasp on synth programming. Thanks to the big thread of wobble, I can make a wobble, but that just gets me to the point of being able to make the world's most generic dubstep song. I also am still adjusting to using Sonar instead of Acid. It is a great program...on paper, but it just does not feel intuitive. I heard Sonar 8 addresses some issues but not sure if i want to spend the money to upgrade.Part of it is also that I have not had the time to really dig into it the way that I want to. Have any of you ever been at this point? I guess I am trying to see examples of people who overcame this lack of actual production and then started kicking out wicked tunes.

darkmatteruk · Post by **darkmatteruk** » Sat Nov 15, 2008 9:58 pm

yea i hear ya man, its all part of the learning curve. having loads of unfinished tracks can be kinda frustraiting, but with each unfinished piece of work, you should still be just that little bit better than you were when on the last one. ive got loads of unfineshed "catchy" tunes which i would like to go back to and get done, but doubt i ever will. progression, onwards and upwards, keep practicing the techniques you are 1-having the most diificulty with. 2-interest you the most, ie synthesis etc
make sure you do finish some tunes off for sure, but the main thing is, the more you keep at it, the more you will learn

faun2500 · Post by **faun2500** » Sat Nov 15, 2008 10:08 pm

Hi, Its a phase and it WILL pass. I made a tune the other day, finished it and listened back and faught, fuck it that sounds to uplifting! So i spend a few days remaking it and now its cool.

eshscramble · Post by **eshscramble** » Sat Nov 15, 2008 10:23 pm

i've got folders in folders of 2,4,8,16,32 bar loops... shit i haven't even heard in years... besically it comes down to if you're feelin it or not.

one way to get rid of this phase is to kill some of your ideas as you make tunes. think, at every step, 'does this shit fit in??' and when it does, and it fits in REALLY GOOD and makes the tune that much better, adjust it in the mix to how you want it. make sure that every element is movin you, even the hats and shakers/whathaveyou. this way, the tune never gets to the point where you're not interested in investing more time into it... then you'll have all good shit! it's a lot harder than it sounds, but once you get a proper workflow and find a style that you really wanna push, it's totally worth it. read up all the time on synth programming and effects, you'll always get new ideas. lately, i've been reading a lot out 60's and 70's recording techniques- i like a lot of music from this era, and end up thinking of things like 'it would be cool to get my delay to sound like that' etc...

this kind of motivation keeps my creative energy high and i can continue to implement good and fresh ideas that not many people are doing in dubstep. hope it all works out for you man, keep it up!

mumble · Post by **mumble** » Sat Nov 15, 2008 11:40 pm

I never finish tracks as I always decide that there not good enough half way through and move on too something else. I think its just a phase that you go through until you finally find a sound that you want to pursue.

skunk · Post by **skunk** » Sat Nov 15, 2008 11:41 pm

i find once you have a nice loop, a good way to finish a track is to copy it out over say, 256 bars. mess around with where the bass and melodies or samples come in. notice where you need a buildup and where things need to drop.

see the big picture first, then figure out the details

ninjadog · Post by **ninjadog** » Sun Nov 16, 2008 2:39 am

Out of the 300+ songs I have made I have only finished like 3. Those three however almost wrote them selves, I mean I was just really feeling them and it dident seem like work to find the right sounds and the samples just fit perfectly.

Some things that I noticed during the productions was to pick a sound totally opposite to what I was going for, I had one with a good tune and I wanted it harsh and electric sounding, but something wasent right, I turned the harshness into a xylophone and never looked back.
Another was built around a sample from a brave new world audio book.

And back up your shit, I have lost my 3 finished songs and the samples because I never did.

deadly_habit · Post by **deadly_habit** » Sun Nov 16, 2008 2:52 am

don't over engineer while laying down something in your head as it's better to get the ideas down while fresh tehn go back and tweek
hell once i'm in the groove of something i like that i'm making it's hard to stop till main idea is done
otherwise unfinished stuff i'll come back to weeks months later and either try to salvage a new idea out of it or become inspired again
if neither it gets deleted

dubdisciple · Post by **dubdisciple** » Sun Nov 16, 2008 9:27 pm

glad to know it's not just me. Thanks for the encouragement. I'm thinking of starting from the ground up and using nothing but my dated hardware and acoustic instruments for awhile. *Dusts off the MMT8*

djake · Post by **djake** » Sun Nov 16, 2008 9:31 pm

i havent finished a track for bloody ages....but my production imo is alot better than it was 3 months ago.

b-lam · Post by **b-lam** » Sun Nov 16, 2008 9:35 pm

been cleaning out my folders recently, opening up all the old unfinished tunes, bouncing down any really nice loop/sound and putting them all in my sample folders for use again, then deleting the project file...

makes it hugely easier if when u sit down to write a tune u have a folder of good drum loops you've made that can be adjusted rather than just that feeling of having a backlog of unfinished tunes you're not happy with.

r · Post by r » Sun Nov 16, 2008 10:04 pm

It really sounds stupid but try to finish tracks even when youre not happy with it. Cause this is just the biggest issue of making music. It's in your head like : 'it can be better!', but everything can be better. Sometimes you just have to finish it and say to yourself : ITS DONE NOW !

If you dont through this you won't go through that barrier you're always bust yourself on. Mostly i get stuck at melodys and stuff. So if i cant make up one today. Then ill make a new beat tomorrow and try something on that. That's how you DONT do it. Cause i just have to push myself to make melodys that sedisfy me. Walk through that barrier and you will win.

turfa · Post by **turfa** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 12:13 am

i think 90% of producers have the same problem.

what i do is 4get about tunes for ages, then when i have some spare time i go through random tracks, open it up, and if i like hat i hear ill work on it.

mostly i hear crap and skip it, but every now and again ill find tunes that i think are decent enough to work on again, and sometimes end up finishing them.

but thats me, might not work for everyone else, just my 2 cents

spencertron · Post by **spencertron** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 12:32 am

i had a bit of time like this, but recently everthing comes about quite quickly, this is only a result of writing tunes in a 'backwards' way...i.e. the drop, or the heaviness, or main section of tune is where i start...every idea i have had comes to fruition swiftly working this way.

this isn't to suggest that intro's and outtro's are disposable or not given much thought but structurally, musically, the tunes are pretty much written for themselves or give way to how those parts should be after the guts of it are worked on and actually down in my sequencer.

misk · Post by **misk** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 1:48 am

the solution: finish tracks.

just finish tunes. constantly. even if they suck. i have to say that it's that last 20% of the tune thats the hardest for me.

eshscramble · Post by **eshscramble** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 3:32 am

Misk wrote:the solution: finish tracks.

just finish tunes. constantly. even if they suck. i have to say that it's that last 20% of the tune thats the hardest for me.

pretty much... also, how are you gonna get good at mixdowns and 'mastering' if you never finish? push yourself, there's gotta be some 'work' involved!

Maree-Jaine · Post by **Maree-Jaine** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 10:19 am

I hardly ever finish a track. I turn on my computer, listen to a mix or a new song, hear a random noise I wanna try recreate, spend 2 horus on FL trying to recreate said sound...

End up making a random beat around the sound to see if it fits into a dubstepstylee or not...

Get bored. Make a brew and have a smoke....

This seems to be all I ever do.

Theres a mint thread somewhere that someone linked me too that gave me a bit of encouragement...I'll find it and repost... Think it was in this Production bit somewhere...possibly the Bible.

But yeah, don't delete anythign you make, save it...cos it gives you ideas for other stuff and you never know when you need that sound, or when you could do with that basic typical 8 bar drum loop just to give summat extra to your tune. Play around and experiment!!

Oh and don't place too high expectations on yourself...make achievable goals like....I'm gonna make sure I've got the structure of the song more or less sorted before I started fannying round with effects and EQing....cos if you're anything like me you might get very distracted while trying to make your perfect kick or snare....

Oh that link to that post is :

http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=57395

/end waffle

terasene · Post by **terasene** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 10:45 am

yeah true i think everyone has this problem... i didnt have this problem when i just started producing, but im just getting OUT of this problem now. it actually got to the point where i couldent even write an intro or outro... ive got about 20 tracks that i think have a mad chorus/main bit but no intro on my comp at the momment. but yeh, right now im just working on a tune making sure its done, finnished, n put up on myspace. I wonder how all the big producers get through the phase? probably has alot to do with sitting down and just doing n not thinking about it.

serox · Post by **serox** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 12:17 pm

I am in no hurry to finish a track. I would rather spend my time learning shit instead. If I finish a track its a bonus.

darkmatteruk · Post by **darkmatteruk** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 12:25 pm

Serox wrote:I am in no hurry to finish a track. I would rather spend my time learning shit instead. If I finish a track its a bonus.

yea thats all very well and good, as its everything you learn inbetween that helps you make good music, but you should certainly make an effort to finish things off as that too is very good practice. im not saying finish everything off that gets started, but certain pieces yea. shouldnt look at it as, if i finish something today, thats a bonus

Overcoming the "Never Finishing Tracks" Phase?

Overcoming the "Never Finishing Tracks" Phase?

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