What’s up everyone? I started DJing around the same time I started producing, which was a year ago and I’ve made about 60 mashups/edits. I use Logic Pro and most of my time spent on it is to edit tracks or make bootlegs and stuff… I’ve only produced 3 songs. 2 are kind of unfinished (I don’t plan on ever finishing it).
Anyways, I started working on my official 2nd song (I consider my 2 first ones shit and practice lol)… I’ve decided to be more involved at producing, more than actual DJing. Since I spend too much time editing and preparing tracks.
Was hoping this would be a general thread about music production talking about what you guys do or get inspired by? What makes you start a song and how do you start it? I like to have a melody/a piano piece and work around that. I know some people start with the bassline or drop or drums.
Well I usually get inspired when I hear a very cool sound or drum loop in a track. I have taken inspiration from Breaking Benjamin, AFI, Marilyn Manson, Lena, Sophie Ellis Bextor and so on. I think their sounds and voices is really unique, and these tracks gives me
ideas and inspiration for a track.
I usually start a track by choosing/creating a sound. When I have the sound, I take some effects like distortion. I turn some knobs up and down in the chosen VST (Z3ta+2, Sylenth in my case) and then I’m finished with the sound.
From this sound I build up a melody, and from the melody I build up the entire track. The sound usually gives a hint of what the track will become. If it’s a distorted lead, it usually becomes a d’n’b or break track combined with rock etc. But it differs sometimes.
Currently I’m working on several tracks, one of them being a remake. I’m developing a own sound, which I think is very important.
I have never done a bootleg or edit, not so very interested in them. But I have done remixes which is pretty close to it, right ?
Brought up a point I wanted to mention… I normally use a piano to figure out the melody I want and then create the sound that I think would sound good. I think my next song I’ll start with finding a unique sound and working around that. See how that goes.
I usually start with a chord progression or melody. Like I’ve said in many other threads, most of my songs start on either my guitar or piano. I know lots of people start with drums and work they way up. Me on the other hand I’ll do drums loops separately. I’ll sit down for hours and make and just do drums, maybe make 4-8 different variations and bounce them to audio. The great thing with Maschine you can save groups, with patterns.
I like doing this as when I’m inspired with a melody or whatever I don’t worry about working on drums.
starting with drums or synths depends on what style im going for: usually if i start with drums i end up with a more techy sound, and synths a more progressive/trancy sound. I tried the whole “starting with piano” thing and it just didnt work for me. One of the reasons i don’t start with piano is because its a very specific sound that a lot of people attach a certain style to. I find if i start with piano the track will almost always turn into that really mellow trance style. Which is fine if thats what im going for, but if not i find it hard to get that idea out of my brain. I don’t have that attachment to other synths so it’s a bit easier for the track to take on its own path if i just pick a random sound i like to start building the track around.
Usually I’ll get an idea for, something completely unrelated, say a science documentary or a particularly good bike ride. Then it’s into the studio and I start messing with synths trying to find a hook or idea to express that idea. Sometimes I’ll make some scratch drums to have a tempo and rhythm to play over.
I think that’s the best way to work on drums. A lot of people rush the drumming and just put any kick or whatever.
I know exactly what you mean. When I start with piano, I add a synth sound over it and I end up changing the entire melody of it. I never finish with what the initial idea I had, but it gets a melody going or else I’m just stuck not knowing which direction to go to. If that’s the case I work on the drums and find a nice beat pattern that makes you want to move.
I start with drums, but it’s the most important part of the song for me, I’m a drummer of 12 years and enjoy making them the most.
I have 3 acoustic drum kit’s that I choose which drum I want, which head I want, which microphone I want, take it into my small recording booth, tune the drum in every different way possible, and just record different types of hits (mute, hard, soft, doubles, triples, etc…) then place the microphone in different positions to evoke different sounds, effects. Then once I’ve done that, I load them all as different kit’s onto my V-drums (electronic drums) for 2 reasons, quick changes of kit’s (instead of having to record something and then spend 3-4 hours completely tuning the actual acoustic kit to something different), and so I don’t piss my neighbours off playing acoustic drums for hours. And then I’ll just jam something, I’ll just open Ableton to record through the V-drums and then try and get some Syncopation and Groove going, instead of clicking in drums with no Groove, then once I have my main beat, I will start to further change the velocity of notes (if I’ve missed it whilst playing, or didn’t think of doing it) and then add some stuff or remove stuff until I’ve got my beat.
A lot of people I know start of with a melody or chords and base the track from that, but I kinda have my own weird way of doing it.
I always make the drop first, then make the chords. Then I proceed to arrange the track and make an intro (which is really hard for some reason) and finish the rest of the tracks arrangement. I go through like…15 versions of a track before I think its complete because I always find something to change!
I start drop first though, because I think the drop is the most important part, as well as a good intro!
I think doing the “drop” first, is a good way to start because that way you know towards which direction to go to. I find intros the hardest to do also…
There are some great free archives with old field recordings with fantastic vocal samples. I’ll usually start with a few samples and build chords/bassline around that. Check out the Library of Congress digital archives to start with.
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