just wondering how other people get there stuff down and in what order
like do you make sure that you have the drums down and everything sorted on them? you know EQ, compression effects whatever or do you go about just getting the general idea down and comeback to the eqing and stuff later?
or is it a case of being different with every tune, with whatever inspires you at the time
i genrally star with the drums not sure why just seems like the logical place to star for me really it being the foundation and all that
Re: how do you build up tunes?
Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2010 2:56 pm
by JFK
Normally drums -> FX -> Bass -> Mixdown -> Spliff
Job done
Re: how do you build up tunes?
Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2010 2:57 pm
by legend4ry
Pads/Atmosphere > Melody > Bass > Drums.
Mix as I go along.
Re: how do you build up tunes?
Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2010 3:00 pm
by Neff
yeah always mix as you go it seems wierd not sorting out the gain structure as you go :S
Sometimes I start with the melody but nearly always start with the drums.
Re: how do you build up tunes?
Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2010 3:06 pm
by legend4ry
Sometimes mixing at the end is nice, spesh when you're on a roll and just wanna get the tune down.. Ive had times where ive completely sequenced a tune in 20 minutes, without realizing, everything is only coming out of the master channel - nothings in a insert or whatever and its sounded fine, bar not having any reverb or w/e .. Sometimes mixing as you go along kills the vibe and makes the track to ... technical.
And yeah - I do my drums last, I am most confident at building drums - I think I get them right 95% of the time so I do them last as I know what the groove will be, its constantly circling my from the moment I lay down pads so theres no reason to rush out and wack them down...
I find it awfully uninspiring to lay down some drums - THEN try and work everything else out I just end up doing "3 note tracks" as I call them.
Re: how do you build up tunes?
Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2010 3:07 pm
by wub
Go through my sample library and play around with different sounds until I get something vaguely musical that I can listen to a 16 bar loop of for hours at a time without getting bored.
Add drums/bass to fill in the tune around the sample.
Do a rough arrangement of the tune.
Add transition elements (white noise sweeps etc).
Bounce out a rough version and go listen to it on my lounge system and have a smoke.
Make notes on what works, doesn't work, needs to be louder etc.
Return to computer and make changes.
Rinse and repeat.
Re: how do you build up tunes?
Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2010 3:16 pm
by JFK
wub wrote:
Go through my sample library and play around with different sounds until I get something vaguely musical that I can listen to a 16 bar loop of for hours at a time without getting bored.
Add drums/bass to fill in the tune around the sample.
Do a rough arrangement of the tune.
Add transition elements (white noise sweeps etc).
Bounce out a rough version and go listen to it on my lounge system and have a smoke.
Make notes on what works, doesn't work, needs to be louder etc.
Return to computer and make changes.
Rinse and repeat.
I know this isnt the time or the place to bring this up Wub but each time I read one of your posts I feel like we are meant to be together.
Strange..................
Re: how do you build up tunes?
Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2010 3:17 pm
by legend4ry
I have noticed the bromance between you two in the office thread haha
Re: how do you build up tunes?
Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2010 3:18 pm
by Neff
Re: how do you build up tunes?
Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2010 3:27 pm
by Pedro Sánchez
Bromance blossoming?
Re: how do you build up tunes?
Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2010 3:31 pm
by kaiori breathe
chords -> bass line -> melody -> drums
Re: how do you build up tunes?
Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2010 3:41 pm
by wub
Well, shucks
With regards to my workflow, I think I picked it up after reading a BMT rant a few years back about sampling and how it's a lost art. I've got a stack of old 60s/70s funk records that I generally pillage for beats and samples; another one of the benefits of having Audacity installed on my work computer is that I can put together sample packs at work that are ready to play wih as soon as I get home.
Re: how do you build up tunes?
Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2010 7:29 pm
by filthy_
i put down what im feeling. if im feeling drums, i start with that. but, since im a drummer and writing that type of stuff comes naturally to me, i try to put down basses, synths, etc. first. ya feel me?
kaiori breathe wrote:chords -> bass line -> melody -> drums
Nothing to add to this thread: your sig had the most interesting wav form I’ve seen in a long time. LOL HAD to listen to it. Sounds beautiful.
Re: how do you build up tunes?
Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2010 4:10 am
by cloak and dagger
I always start with drums, as the groove is the most important thing to me; the melody should always be based around that.
I find mixing as you go along is the only way; the more loose ends you leave, the more of a pain it becomes when you have to come back to it.
I still have the first project I started when I switched to Cubase (and VSTs)...I know when I finish it, it will be a fantastic tune, but everything needs to be re-EQed, I need to re-route a bunch of stuff, and I need to add/tweak a bunch of effects. Every time I go back to it, it's a massive pain in the ass, feels like work (instead of fun), and I get barely anything done. It's a terrible way to work, and there's a possibility that tune never gets finished for that reason alone
Re: how do you build up tunes?
Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2010 4:31 am
by ninjadog
It really depends for me but most of the time I start with drums...something I'm trying to stop doing. I find it way easier to place the kicks when there is a melody to accentuate, otherwise I usually end up with the same old dry beat. But I find it mega hard to start with a melody or bassline that has more than 2 notes, maybe because I have no idea about scales and chords n shit. But those 2 note basslines really do get my head nodding.
As far as drums go tho I try to make each drum track sound good on it's own, like the high hats should get my head bobbin, same with the kicks + snare ect, obviously the percussion should be grooving.
What really gets my mind going to finish a tune tho is to think of a theme or a story so the song has a beginning middle and end . Sometime a simple question answer senario will do. Sometimes I find a good sample that gets a theme going and it builds around that. Sometimes randomized notes will spark something.
I always think the problems will be solved by the end of this joint/bowl, but then I play with verbs and delays till I get bored.
