Maybe you'd be surprised how others would rate you based on your compositions.timaeus222 wrote:I disagree; I work on dynamics while I'm writing, not after. I personally have a better sense of dynamics within velocities while I'm still working on the actual composition of the song, not after the song is already done. IMO it takes far longer to perfect a song if you go back and fix velocities than if you were to go back in time and write that section from scratch. In short, you have to be "in the zone" to have good sense in production. Mastering, however, of course goes last as you implied.ie, spending 2 hours eq'ing a kick drum before you even have the basic parts down.
According to your example, the kick compression, waveshaping, overdrive, and all that should be left alone until later. I know someone who has written a fantastic remix, and he started with selecting and perfecting the drums and percussion first. One time, I wrote a song starting with a chord progression that inspired a specific sound. Another time, I started with a specific sound that inspired a chord progression. I'm currently writing a remix, and I started with layering a few bass sounds together. So everyone's approach is different.
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These days, whether I get inspired enough or not, my speed for writing and finishing a track is between 20 hours and 3 months. I most often finish in a few weeks, and I often wait a few days between updates.
I have over 150 project files, and about 45 of them that I like. All of them are actually complete, though. I just left the ones I didn't like as they were and didn't perfect them.
Composer for 1.66 years. I'm almost to professional level. On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being best, I'd rate myself between 8.5 and 9.2, being as modest as possible. I usually learn faster than most people, so don't assume that 1.66 years is automatically enough to be "good". It is, however, a good minimum moment in time for you to start gauging your skill.
how long did it take you to write an entire track on a consistent basis?
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- KVRAF
- 2177 posts since 12 Nov, 2009
Finally!
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- KVRAF
- 5813 posts since 17 Aug, 2004 from Berlin, Germany
Not longer than a week. If it needs a lot longer and I stuck there some days, the basic idea was not good enough. There is not included some time for transition effects, fine tuning of automation curves, mixing and mastering.
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- KVRAF
- 21350 posts since 26 Jul, 2005 from Gone
I agree. Self appraisal of technical ability doesn't really have much impact on how others perceive musical output.cyphersuit wrote:Maybe you'd be surprised how others would rate you based on your compositions.
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- KVRian
- 1256 posts since 15 Mar, 2007 from Yorkshire, England
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- Banned
- 114 posts since 15 Nov, 2012
2 hours to lay the foundations and about 1 week to really refine, ADD FINESSE AND completely get the individual components of the mix to sit properly in a 3d type spacial enviroment(proper use of reverbs and stereo fx+ lo cuts to various places and smooth boosts to the various parts for character and depth), usually measured with the K12 metering system devised by Bob katz in a quick answer
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- KVRAF
- 2607 posts since 23 Mar, 2005 from Detroit
Pickup, learn and play/record real instrument(s), or use a midi keyboard controller! Writing, composing, adding additional parts and actually finishing something will happen more quickly. Then practice playing or jamming those parts live, even if it is just one or two sections, and involve another musician if possible to play drums or another part. That's often how a lot of my simple ideas get turned into whole songs, and other ideas get combined into one song, and other sections getting written with live improvisation. Unless you have a lot of music theory and practice programming or just constant A.D.D. stream of active thought creativity, then sitting there trial and error plinking in notes into a piano roll just doesn't seem to inspiring to finish a song.
How long does it take me? You want an unoriginal boring sounds-like every other 4 chord rock/pop radio song, I can write that in 30 mins or so. It's getting a good vocalist and lyrics that make the song somewhat original, because a lot of those songs use the same basic common proven to work chord progressions, that are recycyled over and over again. Tons of hit songs were written with the same G-C-D chord progression.
If you want inspiration, read this. Disabled and autistic kids have the drive to want to learn, write, compose music on the computer, and then want to learn the actual instruments to be able to perform it live:
From my local paper recently:
How long does it take me? You want an unoriginal boring sounds-like every other 4 chord rock/pop radio song, I can write that in 30 mins or so. It's getting a good vocalist and lyrics that make the song somewhat original, because a lot of those songs use the same basic common proven to work chord progressions, that are recycyled over and over again. Tons of hit songs were written with the same G-C-D chord progression.
If you want inspiration, read this. Disabled and autistic kids have the drive to want to learn, write, compose music on the computer, and then want to learn the actual instruments to be able to perform it live:
From my local paper recently:
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- KVRAF
- 4907 posts since 10 Aug, 2004 from Colorado Springs
Here's an invitation to all of you that can never seem to get a song finish.
Join some fellow KVRians in the February Album Writing Month at www.fawm.org
The challenge is to write 14 songs in the month of February.
Taking the challenge requires a few things that might be new thoughts for you:
1. The idea of 'producing' gets put aside with the idea of songwriting taking it's place. With 2 days only per song, there isn't time to 'produce'.
2. Songs can come from crazy places in your head, in your life, etc. - use EVERY idea that comes to mind.
3. It isn't impossible. Out of the 14, probably 12 songs will be turds, but there will be 2 good songs. 2 good songs in one month is probably more songwriting output than what you are getting right now.
4. Get outside the genre you are used to thinking about and try something new. In order to output 14 songs, this will be almost a necessity. One year, I wrote 14 kids songs.
Some of the best songwriters from KVR participate: Oddbod and Barnadine to name a few.
There's a great supportive community that gets fired up in January when the yearly site opens up.
-Scott
Join some fellow KVRians in the February Album Writing Month at www.fawm.org
The challenge is to write 14 songs in the month of February.
Taking the challenge requires a few things that might be new thoughts for you:
1. The idea of 'producing' gets put aside with the idea of songwriting taking it's place. With 2 days only per song, there isn't time to 'produce'.
2. Songs can come from crazy places in your head, in your life, etc. - use EVERY idea that comes to mind.
3. It isn't impossible. Out of the 14, probably 12 songs will be turds, but there will be 2 good songs. 2 good songs in one month is probably more songwriting output than what you are getting right now.
4. Get outside the genre you are used to thinking about and try something new. In order to output 14 songs, this will be almost a necessity. One year, I wrote 14 kids songs.
Some of the best songwriters from KVR participate: Oddbod and Barnadine to name a few.
There's a great supportive community that gets fired up in January when the yearly site opens up.
-Scott
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- KVRAF
- 4907 posts since 10 Aug, 2004 from Colorado Springs
Great video and tips, particularly the aspect of putting the mixdown out of order.topaz wrote:Watch this video when you lose your way,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_JReiE1uFk&sns=em
I tend to change the order of this person's 2nd and 3rd steps, most often I will work out the arrangement/song structure before committing to recording, but that is because I actually play most of my parts. It's harder to arrange song structure with live recorded instruments AFTER the recording process is done because many times there are guitar or keyboard parts that need to ring out into the next section.
This person's approach is very much pattern based (naturally since he is an Ableton guru). Very similar approach to when I used to 'sequence' strictly inside the Ensoniq ESQ1 or VFX-SD on-board sequencers, when songs were chained together sequences/phrases for the structure, then there were other 'song' tracks that spanned the length of the song where you could sequence melodies and whatnot that spanned over the various song sections.
I would work out an arrangement first, before recording. Even with purely in-the-box songwriting/dance track construction. Decide on the builds and so forth as you write the song in your head first. Then record. Then change it up afterwards if it makes sense.
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- KVRAF
- 11151 posts since 2 Dec, 2004 from North Wales
I'll let you know when I finish one (and I have been doing this for 20 yearskg2600 wrote:hey guys im wondering this question because i have been producing for about 10 months now and i still get stuck alot when im making a track and im wondering at what time did it take you guys to do it. right now i get stuck so hard that it sometimes takes me weeks to write a track. im really curious to know and thanks for reading.
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- KVRAF
- 21350 posts since 26 Jul, 2005 from Gone
I think not being able to play an instrument makes things much harder but not impossible. It's certainly one of those things that I'd hate to be without, even some of those instruments I'm not that good at playing.metalifuxx wrote:Pickup, learn and play/record real instrument(s), or use a midi keyboard controller! Writing, composing, adding additional parts and actually finishing something will happen more quickly.
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- KVRian
- 1015 posts since 13 Jan, 2005 from Opinions stated are my own and do not reflect those of my company.
It depends on what style of music I'm writing, but at the moment I am consistently going from blank page to mastered track in 2-3 days. If you are writing for yourself, you tend to give yourself a lot of flexibility without knowing it, and you procrastinate a lot... but when you are writing for a project with a deadline, you soon learn to finish work on time.
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- Banned
- 9890 posts since 14 Nov, 2006
I'm going on a KESSELL RUN! PARRRRRRRR-TAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY BYOTCHES!!!!!!!!!!!1111111!!!!!!!!!!!!!eleveny-one!!!!!!!!!!!!robojam wrote:Pfft! I'll bet you've outrun Imperial starships too.debra1rlo wrote:less than 12 parsecs
