This is not one of them ‘analog is way better than digital’ threads. I’m not bashing on laptops or digital production, quite the opposite, I love the endless oppurtunities of laptop production.
Although there is one important thing that I’m missing: the love, the flow, the energy. I used to play drums and guitar in a band, where everything was pretty muched winged on the fly. Although now as I’m producing electronic music the jam sessions have been replaced with mouse clicking sessions, with no flow of energy at all. Mostly a bunch of copy pasting, clicking, twisting of some knobs.
I don’t know I’m getting kind of tired of it, it feels like I’m more of a kind of engineer, there is no…love.
So I’m writing to see if anyone else has experienced this, and do any of you guys have any tips on alternative ways to this mechanical process? What to dooooo??
I can see how this can become an issue…i am in the same boat that I always played instruments and jammed with friends for fun…
I just recently got into mixing and producing but i keep it similar to how i did things when i played instruments…i do it with my friends there. You can’t always have them around obviously but when you can…do it. It is so much more fun IMO when they are there listening and even throwing in their own ideas here and there…
Get some hardware and use it in your process something like a Maschine or a good keyboard. You can even plug in a bass or guitar in to a good sound card.
I produce electronic music too, however, I still have that jam session to start off things. I generally have some pre-made percussions on loop and start jamming out on my keyboard. doesn’t always have to be a clicking session
i play bass and percussion on my tracks, when i can . i use my wavedrum quite a bit when i want more tactile playing. i liveloop bass all the time, just very basic lines.
that’s how i do it. yes, I still have the mouse click cleanup, but almost all of my melodies and basslines involve me playing (or trying to play) keyboard to some very simple drum beats.
Well depending on what software you use, do one thing at a time. When I started using Reason and got past all the intro stuff like learning to use the software and what not, I would open the program up and do one thing. Say try and make a cool instrument, or write a good drum loop. A lot of the time it goes no where, other times you end up starting a song. When you don’t get anywhere, you have some of your pieces of work, like a half finished drum loop or a good lead synth you don’t know how to incorporate, and the next time you work on something you have these tools already done.
For me it helps alot to sit down and work expecting nothing it going to come out of it. Don’t sit down expecting to write a whole track, do bits and pieces in projects. Eventually you will sit down thinking “oh i’m gonna write a bassline for fun before I shower” and then you look at the clock and 9 hours has passed, you haven’t showered and you have the basis for a track your digging.
That’s my experience at least, everyone different so find what works for you. The whole point is to have fun and enjoy what your doing.
The only really annoying thing about production is the final editing, that’s best done with a beer and a cig taking lots of breaks.
(roland and probably some other people make things that are like synths…that instead of having a waveform generator or sample player, they just have a guitar input…seems like fun)
Bringing in some hardware in your production brings back the flow.
Some faders to adjust the volume. Some Pads to launch different clips and some knobs to filter, eq, kill, send/return etc. on the fly.
Ex. the APC40 gives you some of everything.
Sometimes i hit record and play the track with the elements i got.
Other times i arrange the track with the mouse. Then play it through 2-3 times to make transitions, “automations” etc. etc.
Then evenutally mouse cleanup again.
Now i’m jamming again (with my self most of the time )
If you have been a drummer you could get a drum pad and sticks that would give you some “playing” vibe. Control surfaces allow you to adjust synths as your track plays in real time recording automation etc. I think that would go some way. And of course engineering types like an analogue desk with faders for mix down.
when you have your DAW and all your settings, presets, samples ect. sorted in a way you can actually work on it while you “play” and you can avoid “falling into the tech” of “how do i do this?” then you can keep the flow up while you produce.
but this needs some experience with your tools and TIME (and controllers ;D)
the flow will come back but its hard WORK to get all prepared and a routine for it
)