I've been thinking of how to optimize my (limited) time for music. The KVR portion of the question boils down to making the most of DAWs, synths, and effects. I notice that some study/work habits help me advance my knowledge or make actual music, while others tend to waste that precious time.
Some things I've found useful:
- Spend (at least) a week learning a particular synth (RTFM, watching vids, etc). I just did this with Omnisphere - mind opening...
- Build sounds from scratch:
- with a target sound in mind
- using unfamiliar features
- Write a composition with one synth (like the KVR contest)
- Create the same sound with two different synths
What doesn't help (me, at this particular time):
- Surfing aimlessly through patches (fine *only* in small doses)
- Bouncing between synths, playing around without learning anything new
- Creating new sounds, then not using them for anything
Anyone have others?
What are your best and worst working habits?
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- KVRAF
- 8089 posts since 9 Jan, 2003 from Saint Louis MO
I'd say "surfing aimlessly through patches" and "creating new sounds, then not using them for anything" can still give inspiration and/or teach you something.
My worst habit is getting out of the habit of making music. Sometimes it takes an outside influence to get me started again.
My worst habit is getting out of the habit of making music. Sometimes it takes an outside influence to get me started again.
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- KVRAF
- 21348 posts since 26 Jul, 2005 from Gone
Best practice is to try to work on something whole, either writing a complete song or at least working around a completed riff or melody.
Worst practice is just playing around with things at random rather than trying to construct something musically.
Worst practice is just playing around with things at random rather than trying to construct something musically.
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 138 posts since 11 Apr, 2011 from Paris, France
Agreed - that's why I added "for me, at this particular time". Sometimes being aimless is great for making discoveries, picking things up by osmosis, etc. I just found I was doing almost only that, and not retaining much...foosnark wrote:I'd say "surfing aimlessly through patches" and "creating new sounds, then not using them for anything" can still give inspiration and/or teach you something.
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- KVRAF
- 26033 posts since 20 Oct, 2007 from gonesville
to address your real problem: when I first got into virtual, 'DAW-oriented' production of my music, I spent a few months, several hours most days building patches in Absynth before I did very much 'recording' or sequencing. I have a lot to work with that I can tell by my naming of the things to get some impetus in a sound world for a new track now behind that. I have not spent very much time browsing except to organize these things in Kore. Although I have done recently, unfortunately too many names are not so meaningful to me.
Now I'm 'having conversations with' Reaktor Skanner and getting more and more familiar and that has been a good use of time, ie., the things in that directly translating to some music.
Now I'm 'having conversations with' Reaktor Skanner and getting more and more familiar and that has been a good use of time, ie., the things in that directly translating to some music.
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- KVRAF
- 7540 posts since 7 Aug, 2003 from San Francisco Bay Area
One trick I sometimes find useful is to get a note sequence going first and then craft a sound to match it, rather than the usual other way round.
Incomplete list of my gear: 1/8" audio input jack.
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- KVRAF
- 4801 posts since 1 Aug, 2005 from Warszawa, Poland
My worst habit: I peek into KVR forums just before firing up DAW (or any other thing I'm gonna work with), when I'm done with peeking, there's no time left to do anything.
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- KVRian
- 1148 posts since 29 Jun, 2012
