KVR Audio

cryophonik · Post by **cryophonik** » Mon Nov 18, 2013 7:37 pm

I've got ideas from 5-6 years ago that I revisit every few months. They range from 8-bar loops to songs that are 50% complete. Occasionally, I'll decide that something just isn't going anywhere, so I'll move it to my backup/archive drive, but I rarely delete it completely. For the rest, I revisit them during my creative dry spells, or when I'm working with a new vocalist or collaborator. Sometimes, just having another person take it in a new direction can salvage a floundering idea.

I'm actually finishing up a song right now that I started three years ago and has been through 3 or 4 different singers/lyricists, but none of us really loved the results. What finally worked was changing it from an EDM track to a downtempo track and getting it in the hands of a vocalist who really connected with it.

Arglebargle · Post by **Arglebargle** » Mon Nov 18, 2013 7:42 pm

imo abandoning stuff too easily is training yourself for failure. I have done countless tracks where I've felt stuck, stubbornly slogged through the mud for awhile, then regained my interest in the track and finished it up.

rockstar_not · Post by **rockstar_not** » Mon Nov 18, 2013 7:50 pm

You haven't defined 'failed'.

Until you provide your definition, it's really impossible to answer your question.

I find that I work on projects only if I have a personal interest in learning something through the project.

Nearly every project I work on has a bit of an experiment inside of it - to keep things interesting, even if I'm not inspired by the music in the end.

The Music Cafe monthly contests are good for this. There's usually some 'limiting factor' that is thrown into the monthly contest rules, that actually can end up expanding your music-making horizons if that limiting factor is something you've never tried before.

So without understanding your definition of 'failed' you will probably get the range of replies from 'indefinitely' to 'immediately stop'.

LBN · Post by **LBN** » Mon Nov 18, 2013 7:59 pm

I've been at mine for 43 years now.

SuitcaseOfLizards · Post by **SuitcaseOfLizards** » Mon Nov 18, 2013 8:07 pm

I have a "Unfinished" folder on my backup drive - which has some files frm 5 years ago!

Usually within 2-3 days I can spot an unpolishable turd of my own making. If it's just a "Can't mix right" or "couple of bad instruments", it'll go into Unfinished in case I feel like trying again. If it's just a couple of tracks in my DAW - DELETE.

I won't tell you how many years of turb-polishing I've had to do to learn this stuff, though..

robogone · Post by **robogone** » Mon Nov 18, 2013 8:24 pm

woolyloach wrote:I won't tell you how many years of turb-polishing I've had to do to learn this stuff, though..

You really need the Mythbusters to look at your back catalog though:

Did anyone get a hankering for some Whoppers/Maltesers while watching this?

How long do you pursue a failed idea?