How to keep it interesting

[nowaysj]

[Neff]

[apastrat]

how to makes it not boring in 5 easy steps:

1. make a track
2. listen to it
3. the first time you get bored, change something right there and make it interesting. could be anything. a new note, parameter automation..
4. now listen back to it again. bored yet? change whatever bores you.
5. repeat

as you might anticipate... this process takes a long time if you get bored easily like me... but chances are you'll end up with some pretty interesting tunes

This

[grooki]

IMO changing up the drums can be part of the musical content.

What I find quite interesting is stuff where little things happen in the drums (and ideally everything esle) at the end of each section (normally 16 / 32 / 64 bars) that push them forward into the next bit - even if the next bit actually has the same drums, there's a little sense of buildup and release as you move into it. I kind of like the idea that you could strip a tune down to just the drums and still have a sense of forward movement and development even if it's fairly minimal and repetitive. The first Boards of Canada album actually does this in spades - everyone thinks of it as being about the melodies, but the way that the drum programming drives the tunes forward is actually incredible.

I agree with this. A big part of my development has been to relax and yes, let a loop roll on for a while. It's weird - when I'm at a club or listening to a mix on my headphones, often I think "damn the dj mixed out of that track way too soon!" or "that bass sounds awesome but then it changes too quickly". But then at the computer I think "oh no, it's not changing enough! it's not interesting!". But if you think about so many great dubstep tracks, they are very repetitive. They don't have key changes, crazy new melodies. I'm not saying they are not well produced or that they don't have little touches which keep things rolling, but they don't have that much variation. If you're making dubstep for mixes and djs, then as Basic A said, the dj keeps things interesting on a macro level. Let people feel your groove.

[nowaysj]

"oh no, it's not changing enough! it's not interesting!"

These are two separate issues.

Something can be static and interesting.

Or something can be changing constantly and not be interesting.

I mention this because sometimes I'm working on a beat, and I'm like this is getting boring, I need to change it up. But really the problem is that what is there is boring, and pulling a change up isn't going to make that boring part less boring.

[Basic A]

oh...

and evolving soundscapes.

[Moxxiedubstep]

Keep it interesting? stop focusing on dubstep only and imply every aspect of electronic music out there.

[Neff]

Keep it interesting? stop focusing on dubstep only and imply every aspect of electronic music out there.

who says i focus on dubstep alone? im just looking for extra little tips is all

[nowaysj]

Don't listen to moxxie.

[BLAHBLAHJAH]

Few loose ideas...

'Always' bring new sounds to the track in pairs or more, when a new sound enters, modify or alter another part of the track... Use this for control of contrast as well as directing the chosen theme/sounds where ya want it

Associate musical tricks to linguistics... Set up questions to keep people intruiged then dot around the answer

If you're a dabbler, try using a different chemical for a different point of view

Throw in sounds that stimulate the mind into identifying what physical event would give rise to it

Nostalgia is the best drug! Make use of this... Rinse any idiosyncratic sounds for all they're worth (see 'computer game sampling topic' for instance)

Assign phrases to body movements and try to work within that (80s glam metal kick on the kick, pimp backhand on the snare for example)

If things get boring throw in somethign uncomfortable to interupt attention


Dunno man, the list goes on... Just treat it like what you consider an interesting conversation

[Moxxiedubstep]

Keep it interesting? stop focusing on dubstep only and imply every aspect of electronic music out there.

who says i focus on dubstep alone? im just looking for extra little tips is all

"So im wondering how other people add abit of varity to their tracks"

No one did, its my opinion on a way to help make things interesting.

[nowaysj]

In regards to bringing things in:

One thing that I've read countless times, but have never implemented because I've never taken a mix that far, is when introducing a new element(s), give it like a 1.5 db boost for a bit, maybe a couple of bars? and maybe cut something in it's sonic proximity to make room, and then when the ear is used to it, bring it back down to sit in the mix a bit more. Creates bigger impacts, get's the brain thinking the thing is bigger than it really is, and then easier to pull off mixes. who knows if it works.

[Moxxiedubstep]

In regards to bringing things in:

One thing that I've read countless times, but have never implemented because I've never taken a mix that far, is when introducing a new element(s), give it like a 1.5 db boost for a bit, maybe a couple of bars? and maybe cut something in it's sonic proximity to make room, and then when the ear is used to it, bring it back down to sit in the mix a bit more. Creates bigger impacts, get's the brain thinking the thing is bigger than it really is, and then easier to pull off mixes. who knows if it works.

tricking the "human perception of loudness" . the 1.5 db thing is interesting. i know of doing db boost for uplifts and sweep.never thought of it for bars .someone should put that 1.5db thing to the test.


would you just lower the overall song volume first? or change between two diffrent limiter settings in the song? then theres the clipping.

[SunkLo]

Well ideally your song isn't being raped against the ceiling so it wouldn't be an issue. You could just turn everything slightly down I guess.

[Supaflyz]

solid advice guys. i love this thread!

[nowaysj]

and maybe cut something in it's sonic proximity to make room

[dav.id]

lots of percussion changes, kromestar is a great example....he always uses complicated percussion grooves and often changes them up after a few bars

also changes of snares/claps helps for variation....

but sometimes I make things so complicated that it's not very relaxed to listen too:p

less is more and sometimes it's the other way around:)

[Neff]

In regards to bringing things in:

One thing that I've read countless times, but have never implemented because I've never taken a mix that far, is when introducing a new element(s), give it like a 1.5 db boost for a bit, maybe a couple of bars? and maybe cut something in it's sonic proximity to make room, and then when the ear is used to it, bring it back down to sit in the mix a bit more. Creates bigger impacts, get's the brain thinking the thing is bigger than it really is, and then easier to pull off mixes. who knows if it works.

this sounds interesting i never thought of changing volumes but then again all this production shit is new to me

im gonna go write stuff!

[dav.id]

volume changes is like the most simple and common effect ever but in dubstep it's not really used alot

[SunkLo]

Indeed, your most powerful mixing tool is the volume fader and it's an equally powerful compositional tool.