What's your approach to writing a track ???
What's your approach to writing a track ??? Posted on: 22.01.2009 by Doug Bieling Hi All,Ive been attempting for a while to get into a bit of production but i haventa clue how to tackle it. I have Ableton and before getting bogged down with plugins and vsts i would like to basically see how someone would approach writing a track using only abletons functionality? Does anyone care to show (basics, nothing fancy) or could you point me in the direction of somewhere to look. I'm into techno so in my eyes that should be pretty simple as its all pretty basic and repetetive. Cheers Gav EDIT : Sorry for the title !! Just triedto edit but it appears i can't once i've posted | |
| Mechelle Duncil 22.09.2009 |
Originally Posted by MisterMoleyMole
Just wanted to add a great tip that I have been applying since a couple of months and have worked very good for me, and also for my youngest brother who started his own studio now... My tip is the following: Leave everything on!! What I mean is that if you want to write a track you need to have easy access to the software and studio area in which you are working. This is to keep the creative flow alive and don |
| Mechelle Duncil 22.09.2009 |
Originally Posted by MisterMoleyMole
Just wanted to add a great tip that I have been applying since a couple of months and have worked very good for me, and also for my youngest brother who started his own studio now... My tip is the following: Leave everything on!! What I mean is that if you want to write a track you need to have easy access to the software and studio area in which you are working. This is to keep the creative flow alive and don |
| Mechelle Duncil 22.09.2009 |
Originally Posted by MisterMoleyMole
Just wanted to add a great tip that I have been applying since a couple of months and have worked very good for me, and also for my youngest brother who started his own studio now... My tip is the following: Leave everything on!! What I mean is that if you want to write a track you need to have easy access to the software and studio area in which you are working. This is to keep the creative flow alive and don |
| Mechelle Duncil 22.09.2009 |
Originally Posted by MisterMoleyMole
Just wanted to add a great tip that I have been applying since a couple of months and have worked very good for me, and also for my youngest brother who started his own studio now... My tip is the following: Leave everything on!! What I mean is that if you want to write a track you need to have easy access to the software and studio area in which you are working. This is to keep the creative flow alive and don |
| Mechelle Duncil 22.09.2009 |
Originally Posted by MisterMoleyMole
Just wanted to add a great tip that I have been applying since a couple of months and have worked very good for me, and also for my youngest brother who started his own studio now... My tip is the following: Leave everything on!! What I mean is that if you want to write a track you need to have easy access to the software and studio area in which you are working. This is to keep the creative flow alive and don |
| Mechelle Duncil 22.09.2009 |
Originally Posted by MisterMoleyMole
Just wanted to add a great tip that I have been applying since a couple of months and have worked very good for me, and also for my youngest brother who started his own studio now... My tip is the following: Leave everything on!! What I mean is that if you want to write a track you need to have easy access to the software and studio area in which you are working. This is to keep the creative flow alive and don |
| Mechelle Duncil 22.09.2009 |
Originally Posted by MisterMoleyMole
Just wanted to add a great tip that I have been applying since a couple of months and have worked very good for me, and also for my youngest brother who started his own studio now... My tip is the following: Leave everything on!! What I mean is that if you want to write a track you need to have easy access to the software and studio area in which you are working. This is to keep the creative flow alive and don |
| Mechelle Duncil 22.09.2009 |
Originally Posted by MisterMoleyMole
Just wanted to add a great tip that I have been applying since a couple of months and have worked very good for me, and also for my youngest brother who started his own studio now... My tip is the following: Leave everything on!! What I mean is that if you want to write a track you need to have easy access to the software and studio area in which you are working. This is to keep the creative flow alive and don |
| Random X 23.01.2009 |
Originally Posted by MisterMoleyMole
|
| Doug Bieling 23.01.2009 |
Originally Posted by DvlsAdvct
G |
| Mechelle Duncil 22.01.2009 | I am starting with production also, trying to create some minimal tech tracks. I am using Cubase, and learned some basics using Sequel2 (home user software). My approach (not sure if its a good one) is to come up with some melody idea (with minimal is simple) , try to put it into sound and then create the drum pattern, then bass, and later effects and other enhancements. I have try to keep it very simple. Having issues with the next steps which involves getting all the levels right, equing, etc. Now I am getting a very flat sound, so probably need to work on this stage now, use of filters, compressors , effects... Also trying to download some nice sound libraries for loops and samples. My suggestion is to learn the basics with a non professional software so you don |
| Roberto Viccione 23.01.2009 |
Originally Posted by MisterMoleyMole
<insert maniacle laughter> In answer to your question, I believe workflow is a really personal thing. The best way for me to develop my workflow was to get one of those Power! books and as I learned how things worked I figured out how I liked to do it. |
| Doug Bieling 22.01.2009 | Hi All, Ive been attempting for a while to get into a bit of production but i haventa clue how to tackle it. I have Ableton and before getting bogged down with plugins and vsts i would like to basically see how someone would approach writing a track using only abletons functionality? Does anyone care to show (basics, nothing fancy) or could you point me in the direction of somewhere to look. I'm into techno so in my eyes that should be pretty simple as its all pretty basic and repetetive. Cheers Gav EDIT : Sorry for the title !! Just triedto edit but it appears i can't once i've posted |
| Mechelle Duncil 22.09.2009 |
Originally Posted by MisterMoleyMole
Just wanted to add a great tip that I have been applying since a couple of months and have worked very good for me, and also for my youngest brother who started his own studio now... My tip is the following: Leave everything on!! What I mean is that if you want to write a track you need to have easy access to the software and studio area in which you are working. This is to keep the creative flow alive and don |
| Doug Bieling 21.09.2009 | Don't you just love when out of the blue one of your old threads gets reborn |
| Verona Fashbaugh 21.09.2009 | ^ Man those videos are so cool. I guess because I'm really a fan of RUsko's work it's weird to see him putting a song together step by step. |
| Belen Wermes 20.09.2009 | i found these Rusko Masterclass tutorial videos that are really helpful for teaching a good workflow. It's dubstep ofcourse but I believe his tips apply to producing most types of dance music. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4rDC1kuHtc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eLFb...eature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGJMh...eature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AZ1R...eature=related |
| Verona Fashbaugh 20.09.2009 | I don't usually sit down as say to myself "okay, I want to produce something now." A lot of times I'll accidentally come up with some melody, synth setting, or beat that inspires me to develop this small element into a project. There's no specific order that I do things, but as soon as an idea comes to me, I have to get it out either into FL or even onto paper before I forget it. I've only recently gotten better at basslines, so those generally come last. The biggest leason I've learned during production: if you feel like you're forcing yourself to finish a track and you're just doing things to "get by," then stop. Come back to it later, or abandon it. Nothing that I've had to force myself to finish has been worth hearing. Everything that I've been happy with has all come out naturally. This may not be true for everyone, but that's just my experience. |
| ceyhun gunaz 20.09.2009 | http://www.amazon.com/Pro-Tools-Powe.../dp/159863898X this is the POWER he speaks of.. they make books for all the DAWS and for some soft synths etc. It is a VERY powerful resource if your willing to sit down and grind though the book. Im sure others here on the board will agree! |
| kieran frearson 23.01.2009 | I always start with the beats. For techno its very simple: KxxxKxxxKxxxKxxx xxCHHxxxCHHxxxCHHxxxCHHx xxxxCL/SDxxxxCL/SDxxxxCL/SDxxxxCL/SD Then I add a bassline, with sidechain compression from the kickdrum on the Bassline. After that I start to fiddle with melodies or pads. Normally pads come after melodies. But sometimes its the other way around. I find its the easiest way to approach producing a track. Samples and drum loops come last normally. Hope that helped K = KickDrum CHH = Closed HiHat CL/SD = Clap / SnareDrum |
| Juan Cruz Taboada 23.01.2009 | For me, the approach differs depending on where the idea came from - e.g. if it was a musical idea (riff, chord prog etc..) then i'll get them down asap and just throw in a very basic set of drums to be replaced later. If it was more drum/bass inspiration then i'll just concentrate on that and pad out if required... All of it is an organic process though, don't let your ideas get bogged down in detail too often - I usually find it much more productive to get a rough song idea and go back and polish/replace the pieces than to get an amazing 8 bar loop and try to build from there.. although sometimes the opposite.. lol I'm partial to the odd smoke, but i always mix down when i'm totally sober. Arrangement differs, usually i'll be sober but interesting ideas can happen late at evening (especially with progs like ableton where you can record a remix as you play around and go back edit in arrange window) ... I find my most interesting synth sounds are created when i've had a few My 1 piece of wisdom is save often. If you believe about saving, save immediately! ... doesn't happen much at all now, but i remember lots of work at college getting lost because of a crash when i thought "I'll just add one more riff/beat" :eek: .. I also tend to keep a progression of saves as different versions. |
| Doug Bieling 23.01.2009 | sorry still doesnt mean anything hahahaha |
| Random X 23.01.2009 |
Originally Posted by MisterMoleyMole
|
| Doug Bieling 23.01.2009 |
Originally Posted by DvlsAdvct
G |
| Random X 23.01.2009 | I either start with a sound/loop or with a nice sound project skeleton. Just add water from there. |
| Doug Bieling 23.01.2009 | Cheers all. Some godo info there. Maybe i will start trying to put together some tracks from the samples already in ableton and see what i come up with. Cheers all for the replys. I believe my problem is i'm attacking this at a point where i havent seen how anyone else works at all so its like i'm inventing it for the first time if you get me. I'll just dive in and seewhere it takes me. Thanks G |
| Da Sunlounge 22.01.2009 | I believe, using sample CD's is a great way to start if you've never produced a track before. You can arrange your tracks they way you want and get a feel for building a track. The reason I say this, is because you can build/arrange a track quite quickly just by dragging loops to get it the way you want it to sound without becoming frustrated too quickly...and giving up entirely. As you continue to produce, you become more familiar with how a song should be structured and why certain elements of music sound good in certain places or in a certain way. This is when you start to experiment and start making your OWN sounds/melodys/drum patterns. As long as you choose to really experiment with sounds and make your own compositions, you then start to find your groove and your style of music. This is where you find your 'style' and originality. This is just my opinion and how I see things, my way of believeing may be completely off from a professional producer/composer. |
| Anushka jayamaha 22.01.2009 | Pay alot of attention to the actual structure of the song (if you don't it's sort of like driving in the middle of the evening
with no lights on something I did for too many years) Pick one program and learn it inside and out do this for all aspects like you're DAW ,Drums , Synths ect... Do Not monitor too loud all you're doing is fatiguing your ears . If you like to get a buzz on when you're workin on tracks try not to do it every time . I only try to do it when I'm doing sound design or mixing drums and song structure never seem to come together right if I'm blazed . And one of my biggest pet peves is not using presets and sample CDs yeah it might sound good but honestly it's not yours and have this great chance that someone elses toon is gonna sound alot like yours . |
| Mechelle Duncil 22.01.2009 | I am starting with production also, trying to create some minimal tech tracks. I am using Cubase, and learned some basics using Sequel2 (home user software). My approach (not sure if its a good one) is to come up with some melody idea (with minimal is simple) , try to put it into sound and then create the drum pattern, then bass, and later effects and other enhancements. I have try to keep it very simple. Having issues with the next steps which involves getting all the levels right, equing, etc. Now I am getting a very flat sound, so probably need to work on this stage now, use of filters, compressors , effects... Also trying to download some nice sound libraries for loops and samples. My suggestion is to learn the basics with a non professional software so you don |
| Roberto Viccione 23.01.2009 |
Originally Posted by MisterMoleyMole
<insert maniacle laughter> In answer to your question, I believe workflow is a really personal thing. The best way for me to develop my workflow was to get one of those Power! books and as I learned how things worked I figured out how I liked to do it. |
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