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Well its almost 1:30AM here in New York. Too late for production without a decent pair of headphones, but I don't want to stop learning.

What are some quiet things to do that are production related, but aren't actually producing?

Read the production bible, watch masterclasses (I recommend the Icicle and Kryptic Minds ones), listen to music, read up on things you don't understand about production...

get out , talk to promotors , label owners , dj's/producers , have a few beers with them.

you'll have a good time and make contacts that could be very inportant when it comes to gigs , releases,...

Sounds silly but tidy!

Very easy when you pull those long sessions to let the studio get messy and it's really not helpful environment for a creative process.

Polish, hoover, get ready of anything that doesn't need to be in there. (I've got one of those plug-in fragrance dispenser things which means every time I walk into the studio it smells of pine forests )

Not only that but it's been said before regarding computers, get your files / samples tidy, projects named and backed up out the way. Another odd 'un but try giving the computer a hoover inside once in a while, helps keep the air flowing nicely

Produce witho your laptop speakers
Yes, I'm probably the only one...


Also, you can try making some melodies, you can do that at low volume.

go to bed your body will thank you

Great tips dudes!

lowpass wrote:Another odd 'un but try giving the computer a hoover inside once in a while, helps keep the air flowing nicely

DON'T hoover out your PC. The static electricity on hoovers can potentially fuck the different components of a PC.

If you need to clean your CPU/GFX/etc, use an air duster (can of compressed air)

Go outside. But seriously, the weather is going to get really nice soon. I know I will be outside everyday when it gets warm.

Taking a laptop outside and producing on a nice, warm day with the sun shining down and a cool breeze blowing over you may be the best feeling ever. So do that when you can.

At night? Try cleaning up your sound libraries. Organize the projects you're working on. I color code my tracks so I know which are drums, which are vocals, etc. It ends up saving a lot of time at the mixing stage when you're clicking through 40 tracks trying to figure out which one is making that annoying buzzing sound.

And don't forget to read up on production stuff! Always useful.

Sonika wrote:Read the production bible, watch masterclasses (I recommend the Icicle and Kryptic Minds ones), listen to music, read up on things you don't understand about production...

Couldn't have said it better.

£10 Bag wrote:

lowpass wrote:Another odd 'un but try giving the computer a hoover inside once in a while, helps keep the air flowing nicely

DON'T hoover out your PC. The static electricity on hoovers can potentially fuck the different components of a PC.

If you need to clean your CPU/GFX/etc, use an air duster (can of compressed air)

Really? I did not know this, will obviously need to rethink my methods

Walk around the house with a microphone and record as many "every day sounds" as you can. I'll never forget the time when I was visiting home and without my production computer... my Dad woke up at 6 am, went to make a cup of coffee to find that there were NO mugs in the cupboard... went down to my room, to find me recording every single mug, with differing levels of water in them, being struck by wooden spoons, metal spoons, etc etc...


I gotta say - he was a great sport. He just laughed and said "Which mug are you done with so I can make a cup of coffee?"


But yeah - record chairs creaking, books closing, the refrigerator humming, the sound of a toothbrush against sandpaper, etc etc... stock up on your own unique field recording library.

I would just say do something that allows you to relax as you don't want to spend all your time in front of the computer. Anything outside is good, I personally like mountain biking when it's not raining!

Mad EP wrote:I gotta say - he was a great sport. He just laughed and said "Which mug are you done with so I can make a cup of coffee?"

I do quite like the idea of building up your own recorded sounds actually, you can even do it on a smartphone now, even if the Mic's tend to be a little poor below 100Hz.

Sonika wrote:Read the production bible, watch masterclasses (I recommend the Icicle and Kryptic Minds ones), listen to music, read up on things you don't understand about production...

Just watched that kryptic minds masterclass, some pretty interesting EQing and a couple good tips but theyre so timid on camera they remind me of high school kids doing a presentation just going over the main points but forgetting the in depth details

Same as other people have said really. CANNOT emphasize enough the importance of organizing and maintaining your sample library, project libraries and general file structuring. Polish that shit till it squeaks.

If you can't make noise think about sitting down and making some written goals, gather a load of books on sound engineering, music theory, DAW/Synth manuals and jump in. Take it with a structured process so you're doing thing X on one day and thing Y on another day, this way you can keep focused on one area and not get burnt out from too much mental acrobatics. Plan ahead and stick to your plan rather than decide on the day, having a bit of organization about this shit really helps productivity.

Making tunes is 30% making music and 70% logistics/learning. So there's plenty of shit you can do to take up your time when you can't actually make noise.

oh, and STOP PROCRASTINATING! Get shit done lol. (just in case)

Get ahold of and read these books.

Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain
http://www.amazon.com/Musicophilia-Tale ... 1400040817

This is your brain on music
http://www.amazon.com/This-Your-Brain-M ... 0525949690

Turnipish Thoughts wrote:Same as other people have said really. CANNOT emphasize enough the importance of organizing and maintaining your sample library, project libraries and general file structuring. Polish that shit till it squeaks.

If you can't make noise think about sitting down and making some written goals, gather a load of books on sound engineering, music theory, DAW/Synth manuals and jump in. Take it with a structured process so you're doing thing X on one day and thing Y on another day, this way you can keep focused on one area and not get burnt out from too much mental acrobatics. Plan ahead and stick to your plan rather than decide on the day, having a bit of organization about this shit really helps productivity.

Making tunes is 30% making music and 70% logistics/learning. So there's plenty of shit you can do to take up your time when you can't actually make noise.

oh, and STOP PROCRASTINATING! Get shit done lol. (just in case)

Been watching that Ill gates workshop?

JTMMusicuk wrote:

Turnipish Thoughts wrote:Same as other people have said really. CANNOT emphasize enough the importance of organizing and maintaining your sample library, project libraries and general file structuring. Polish that shit till it squeaks.

If you can't make noise think about sitting down and making some written goals, gather a load of books on sound engineering, music theory, DAW/Synth manuals and jump in. Take it with a structured process so you're doing thing X on one day and thing Y on another day, this way you can keep focused on one area and not get burnt out from too much mental acrobatics. Plan ahead and stick to your plan rather than decide on the day, having a bit of organization about this shit really helps productivity.

Making tunes is 30% making music and 70% logistics/learning. So there's plenty of shit you can do to take up your time when you can't actually make noise.

oh, and STOP PROCRASTINATING! Get shit done lol. (just in case)

Been watching that Ill gates workshop?

Hahaha yep. Most inspiring thing I've seen in a while. Man speaks truth.

lowpass wrote: Polish, hoover, get ready of anything that doesn't need to be in there. (I've got one of those plug-in fragrance dispenser things which means every time I walk into the studio it smells of pine forests )

At first take I thought you were going on about a vst that somehow adds scent to audio.