Tracks in progress needs help
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  1. #1
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    Default Tracks in progress needs help

    Hey DJTT I'm very new to music production and have been messing with ableton for a few months now, I've made some loops and such but never a full track, i always get stuck or i A.D.D to another project =/ I'm curious to hear if any of you had this problem starting out and how you overcame it to finally finish a track. Here are some tracks/loops I've done www.soundcloud.com/boosy if you like any of it let me know and ill send you stems i would like to see how some of you may go about it with what i have done so far it might just spark my drive to finish them. Thanks and take care also hope you have a great thanksgiving!!

  2. #2
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    That is typical... all the people I know started making loop after loop, me included.

    If look at the folders of my first years and there are hundreds of unfinished projects...

    I think when you already have a notion on how the software works it's a good idea to force yourself on finishing one project before going into a new one.

    First because you'll learn how to develop loops, which is something crucial into developing musicality. Making a loop is fairly easy, but that is only a concept or an idea not a full track. A track is something that evolves, changes, turns, etc. Or it should... I hear so many copy paste music today. I call it washing machine music. Something that turns and turns and turns... and it's always the same. I don't know if it's is the way the so called producer wanted it, or the inability to make something deeper and more mature in terms of music making. I doubt any so called musician would like listening to an 8 minutes loop... but that's very personal in the end.

    The only way to learn that is doing it, and paying a lot of attention to what others are doing.

    Ravel's Bolero is 15 minutes long and it's always the same melody in different instruments with a very very long crescendo. I love it. But it's very well done, it's not a copy and paste washing machine stuff.

    Second because when you start a lot of stuff it's really easy to loose interest in the precious gift that music making is. When you spend a few weeks on a project and then start something else the vision is completely different than if you're starting something new every few days. I think the mind gets more focused on the broad picture than the small details. but that again is very personal.

    I say try to stick with a track for a few weeks, or until you consider it finished. Then see for yourself it that's the way, or if you prefer the more erratic modus operandi which so many people embrace nowadays in the easy digital era.

    One thing I hear all beginners in production say is "it has lots of errors and...". Never ever fall in that attitude. If you think there are errors and see them, correct them. If you don't see the errors and say that anyway it means your not giving value to your work. Correct yourself. If you think you're still not there listen to music you like and learn from that. Listening to music is half the story of a composer/producer.

    A lot of beginners think their music is bad because it doesn't sound like the records they like. A lot of the times it's not a matter of composition, it's a matter of audio engineering. Put a mastering plugin to your master channel with a multiband compressor, maximizer etc... something like izotope's ozone. Your productions will go to a higher dimension, trust me.

    Making good music is not easy. There's a lot of work involved. But always remember "Pain is momentary, music is forever"

    I listened to your loops and the concept is not bad. The sound is still flat but with some compressors it should get better. Keep working!

  3. #3
    Tech Guru LanceBlaise's Avatar
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    Welcome to producing... it takes lots of time, patience, trials and errors. Good news is the more times you make those loops the closer you will get to making a track. Its not just like "hey i am gona make a killer track", then bam, you just go make it. I have so many people tel me they are going to start making music... I know that 75% of those people are gonna give up in a few month when they realize its no so simple... Just keep plugging away.

  4. #4
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    Thanks guys i will most definitely keep at, mucho <3 btw do you know of any free mastering plugs that you would use?
    Last edited by boosy; 11-26-2009 at 11:09 PM.

  5. #5
    Tech Guru LanceBlaise's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by boosy View Post
    Thanks guys i will most definitely keep at, mucho <3 btw do you know of any free mastering plugs that you would use?
    I would strongly discourage u from doing your own mastering... if you are just starting out in producing then chances are your ear is not good enough for mastering plus the lack of skill would be cause for a poor final product. All tracks should really be professionally mastered by a good engineer using analog outboard gear.

    Now if you are looking for something to just test out your tracks and get an idea of what its sounding like a little beefed up a little bit then the isotope ozone is probably the best and easiest thing for you to test out. It's simple and has lots of presets. Presets are never good for mastering since all tracks are different, but it does have some ok presets for testing purposes. Any plugins that are good for mastering are gonna generally run u like $1,500 for a Waves package, but again I don't think it is something u are ready for yet.

    Mastering on a track will run u anywhere from $50-200 depending on who is doing it. I have used many different engineers for mastering and it takes a bit to really find an engineer that you really like who is able to give you the sound you want from your mixes. One thing to remember is to do a solid mixdown of your track or the engineer may not be able to make a good master. Like they always say "you can't polish a teed!"

    a good way to learn how to do proper mixdowns is picking up some Computer Music or Future Music magazines, they always have CDs with tutorials and usuLly they talk about mixing down a track to a premaster.

    Good luck

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by LanceBlaise View Post
    Now if you are looking for something to just test out your tracks and get an idea of what its sounding like a little beefed up a little bit then the isotope ozone is probably the best and easiest thing for you to test out.
    Yeah that was what I meant. Of course you need to know what you're doing for a final release, and that need a few years of experience and good ears.

    If you ever get to that point, as Blance says, pay a professional to do it. It really is the easiest thing. As a musician you don't want to mess too much with technical stuff, just a little bit. Being an engineer is a whole different world which can be cool if you like but it's also a very very deep matter.

  7. #7
    Tech Mentor LiveFastStephen's Avatar
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    I have ADD real bad too, hahah
    I just think about how sick its going to be when i finish!
    Yet, If you Force yourself to sit there & do it, it's not going to come off right,
    I feel art's a self expression fueled by your current emotion
    form a system to work with the energy of yr ADD

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    Quote Originally Posted by LiveFastStephen View Post
    I have ADD real bad too, hahah
    I just think about how sick its going to be when i finish!
    Yet, If you Force yourself to sit there & do it, it's not going to come off right,
    I feel art's a self expression fueled by your current emotion
    form a system to work with the energy of yr ADD
    In any art there are different parts in the creation process. Some of the parts need you to be "inspired" (whatever that means). Some do not. When a guitarist or a pianist practice scales everyday is not a matter of inspiration.

    Picasso said: art is 10% inspiration 90% work.

    Being self complacent won't get anyone too far away imo.

  9. #9
    Tech Mentor LiveFastStephen's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by pier View Post
    In any art there are different parts in the creation process. Some of the parts need you to be "inspired" (whatever that means). Some do not. When a guitarist or a pianist practice scales everyday is not a matter of inspiration.

    Picasso said: art is 10% inspiration 90% work.

    Being self complacent won't get anyone too far away imo.

    I do things like download a buunnch of VST's from places like VSTplanet.com & just jump around from one to the other, messin with the parameters addin different combination's of effects & patterns, then when I have something hot jump on something else, this is ADD in action cause if its not sounding good its getting on something else, as to staying on one thing and keeping the best part of a bad sesh.. If your getting down pretty frequently, you'll get your own system down quick.

  10. #10
    Tech Guru LanceBlaise's Avatar
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    I have hundreds of tracks about 3/4 of the way done. Lol. Sometime you just need to move on.

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