Dubstepforum.com

charles1 wrote:

outdropt wrote:in this case the worst thing to do is turn on the TV (although I do fall for the trap on occasion)

My suggestion - get rid of your tv/cable (or just never buy it). i don't watch cable. the only time i watch tv shows is through my laptop. But if i'm using ableton, then i cant be watching tv on my laptop! that way, i'll never fall into the trap of trying to do both at once

Got my PC plugged into my 42'.. If im producing its on the TV

charles1 wrote:

outdropt wrote:in this case the worst thing to do is turn on the TV (although I do fall for the trap on occasion)

I totally agree. Don't distract yourself this way. If you need a distraction, do something mindless and mechanical. A video game is better. You can keep listening and you can keep thinking while you're playing a mindless video game. But if you watch tv, you obviously can't be listening to your song and you will be thinking about the show.

My suggestion - get rid of your tv/cable (or just never buy it). i don't watch cable. the only time i watch tv shows is through my laptop. But if i'm using ableton, then i cant be watching tv on my laptop! that way, i'll never fall into the trap of trying to do both at once

+1

TV is so shit.
The odd nature documentary can be inspiring but almost everything else is not helping at all.

I'd disagree...whilst tv is a distraction I also find its a good source of ideas, different ways of using diagetic and non diagetic music, sourcing samples etc.

charles1 wrote:one word: adderall. you will thank me.

I've actually been wanting to try this out but living in Sweden I think this stuff's harder to get a hold of. I don't believe in drugs magically giving you a bunch of ideas that weren't in you in the first place though. I've always had a hard time coming up with melodies but a lot of that is just because I'm too critical of myself and I tend to give up on my ideas too fast. I get periods where I feel like everything I make is shit and every good track I've ever made was coincidence or luck.

After a couple of beers I can usually let go of the criticism and get working though, I was thinking if maybe adderall could have the same effect. I basically just need something to keep me going for those first critical hours, once I'm in the flow I have no problem working on a project. I'm a little afraid to try it though because I've heard of people who fucked their shit up pretty badly with that stuff, it is basically amphetamine after all. How long and how much have you been doing it and did you notice and side effects?

Maxxan wrote:

charles1 wrote:one word: adderall. you will thank me.

I've actually been wanting to try this out but living in Sweden I think this stuff's harder to get a hold of. I don't believe in drugs magically giving you a bunch of ideas that weren't in you in the first place though. I've always had a hard time coming up with melodies but a lot of that is just because I'm too critical of myself and I tend to give up on my ideas too fast. I get periods where I feel like everything I make is shit and every good track I've ever made was coincidence or luck.

After a couple of beers I can usually let go of the criticism and get working though, I was thinking if maybe adderall could have the same effect. I basically just need something to keep me going for those first critical hours, once I'm in the flow I have no problem working on a project. I'm a little afraid to try it though because I've heard of people who fucked their shit up pretty badly with that stuff, it is basically amphetamine after all. How long and how much have you been doing it and did you notice and side effects?

yeah, its generally not something you want to do everyday, but I promise you it will work. it makes you more creative, and any amount will help you. don't think you need to go and take two of em when you can take literally a quarter of one. i no longer do it though for many reasons - sleep, irritability, etc. if you do this, take the smallest possible amount. if youre taking any more than that, youre not doing it for the music, youre doing it for other reasons.

Maxxan wrote:

charles1 wrote:one word: adderall. you will thank me.

I've actually been wanting to try this out but living in Sweden I think this stuff's harder to get a hold of. I don't believe in drugs magically giving you a bunch of ideas that weren't in you in the first place though. I've always had a hard time coming up with melodies but a lot of that is just because I'm too critical of myself and I tend to give up on my ideas too fast. I get periods where I feel like everything I make is shit and every good track I've ever made was coincidence or luck.

After a couple of beers I can usually let go of the criticism and get working though, I was thinking if maybe adderall could have the same effect. I basically just need something to keep me going for those first critical hours, once I'm in the flow I have no problem working on a project. I'm a little afraid to try it though because I've heard of people who fucked their shit up pretty badly with that stuff, it is basically amphetamine after all. How long and how much have you been doing it and did you notice and side effects?

Bowls, beers, and blunts help with creativity for me, every session starts with a few tokes from my bong.... too much alcohol tho and i will end up with a mess of a project in the morning. But.... When i'm very drunk i tune into Mozart's soul and turn into a pretty wicked piano player, Its something out of family guy i swear.

Opiates dont really help production (although roxies have had me sitting, working on a project for 3+ hours), shrooms ill end up sitting there staring at the wall, never got to produce on acid, E is the shit while making music but if you have E, why are you sitting inside?

wub wrote:I'd disagree...whilst tv is a distraction I also find its a good source of ideas, different ways of using diagetic and non diagetic music, sourcing samples etc.

True, I have searched for some quotes or monologue's to vocode over.. I do like certain shows, plenty of shows make you think as well, I just find it being a way to pass time personally. I find it something to do when you have nothing to do.

ye

outdropt wrote:

wub wrote:I'd disagree...whilst tv is a distraction I also find its a good source of ideas, different ways of using diagetic and non diagetic music, sourcing samples etc.

True, I have searched for some quotes or monologue's to vocode over.. I do like certain shows, plenty of shows make you think as well, I just find it being a way to pass time personally. I find it something to do when you have nothing to do.

Ripped some oriental strings off a nature documentary I watched the other day about chinese crocodiles

I'll tell you what...I just came back from quite a break...lasted about 3 months or so. Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do and try not to be so hard on yourself for it. I got the creative bug again, don't ask me how, it just happened. It felt great getting back into production and creating. Each time I come back after a break, I seem to have progressed in some way or fashion. Forcing something that you're just not into at the moment would be doing something for the wrong reason, right?

I used to see this pop up a lot until a thread was made and now I'm sure all other new threads will be migrated to this one. It's ok fellas...You are passionate about it, and you really do want to make music, not just "Make It"...we know ..You know how? After enough failing/negative feedback and you still keep making music, you realize, it's not just because you want to be a badass connecting with a crap ton of beautiful people. It's because you really do enjoy it. False hope is a bitch, trust me.

Cheers all

charles1 wrote:
yeah, its generally not something you want to do everyday, but I promise you it will work. it makes you more creative, and any amount will help you. don't think you need to go and take two of em when you can take literally a quarter of one. i no longer do it though for many reasons - sleep, irritability, etc. if you do this, take the smallest possible amount. if youre taking any more than that, youre not doing it for the music, youre doing it for other reasons.

Yeah, I'm not looking for some music steroid or whatever, I like producing sober but these past months I've been stressed out and not really had the peace of mind to really start to dig into a project. I can easily spend a whole day producing sober, but only if I have a good foundation for the track and that's where I've had some trouble recently. Might look into this, thanks man.

outdropt wrote:
Bowls, beers, and blunts help with creativity for me, every session starts with a few tokes from my bong.... too much alcohol tho and i will end up with a mess of a project in the morning. But.... When i'm very drunk i tune into Mozart's soul and turn into a pretty wicked piano player, Its something out of family guy i swear.

Opiates dont really help production (although roxies have had me sitting, working on a project for 3+ hours), shrooms ill end up sitting there staring at the wall, never got to produce on acid, E is the shit while making music but if you have E, why are you sitting inside?

Yeah I feel you, only wish I was better at playing the piano too, that's pretty awesome haha. Me personally I don't like getting too fucked up (while producing... ) but a slight buzz definately makes the first hour a lot easier imo, most of my good tracks I've done while drunk or really hung over.

A lot of my tracks actually start out when I'm really fucking hungover, like almost still drunk. My brain will be too slow for arrangement and composition so I'll just sit twiddling knobs in synths at random until I have a cool sound, then I'll start automating it to try the patch out, throw some drums over for some context, start layering a little, making some more synths, throwing them in the test loop and then after a couple of hours without realizing it I'll have the foundation for a new track. This is how I've made most of my dubstep, when making electro I'm more focused on the composition than sound design so that doesn't work as good for me.

The day after is actually almost half the deal when I'm drinking sometimes, I have a really different mindset, pretty weird. But yeah, try that out. Pretty cool.

"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."
-Calvin Coolidge

Also updated OP with links etc

Always listen to other artists.. Different genre's etc..

Welp, yesterday I was at a loss for ideas so I took a shower then watched an hour and a half documentary about ants whilst folding clothes and eating ramen.

For some reason this spawned some interesting musical ideas, mostly ambient stuff.

I guess I am just weird like that.

i seem to get stuck in this mode where i can make a real nice 16 bar loop, but after that fleshing it out into a full tune is so a fucking struggle