getting started, things you wish you knew?
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- KVRian
- 750 posts since 30 Aug, 2011 from somewhere in universe
Never stop making music, no matter what. You might no become a superstar, but at least you won't regret that you lost your chance ten years later.
Wonder whether my advice worth a penny? Check my music at Soundcloud and decide for yourself.
re:vibe and Loki Fuego @ Soundcloud
re:vibe and Loki Fuego @ Soundcloud
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- KVRAF
- 4079 posts since 28 Jan, 2011 from MEXICO
Start wiht music, learning to play an instrument and music theory. Once you have something worth to dedicate a lot of time to it's sound design, mixing etc. you learn a lot more.
dedication to flying
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- KVRAF
- 3506 posts since 27 Dec, 2002 from North East England
Don't expect your friends to be your fans. At best they'll give your tune one listen if you bug them and say something vaguely supportive. You may be able to find your support elsewhere if there's a decent scene in your town/city, or over the internet at places like KVR and Soundcloud if not.
If you're at the stage where you want to promote your music, you should be targeting music listeners, not mustc makers. Fellow musicians are surely one of the worst groups you can promote your music to. You'll get constructive advice and networking opportunities, but you probably won't find any fans.
Most importantly, you have to be happy making music for yourself. If get more satisfaction from others' reaction to your music than the act of making music itself, you'll probably end up feeling discouraged sooner rather than later.
If you're at the stage where you want to promote your music, you should be targeting music listeners, not mustc makers. Fellow musicians are surely one of the worst groups you can promote your music to. You'll get constructive advice and networking opportunities, but you probably won't find any fans.
Most importantly, you have to be happy making music for yourself. If get more satisfaction from others' reaction to your music than the act of making music itself, you'll probably end up feeling discouraged sooner rather than later.
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- KVRAF
- 1986 posts since 29 Apr, 2010 from NYC
so much good advice here.
one thing i would add is dont ever delete a project. if youre working on something and you get to a point where its not going where you want it or it seems like its just not panning out, leave it, but keep it. dont force it, but dont give up on it either. theres obviously something in there that you liked.
i cant tell you how many tracks i have that came from a 1 or 2 year old project that i stopped working on. sometimes its just a matter of hearing it again with fresh ears...sometimes its a matter of you improved since last time and have more skill to make it what you originally wanted it to be.
i consider this as "putting it in the bank". something i can come back to later and have (some of) the work already started. its especially good for those times where you just arent feeling inspired and cant seem to even start a new project. you cant start one right now...but maybe you can finish one.
one thing i would add is dont ever delete a project. if youre working on something and you get to a point where its not going where you want it or it seems like its just not panning out, leave it, but keep it. dont force it, but dont give up on it either. theres obviously something in there that you liked.
i cant tell you how many tracks i have that came from a 1 or 2 year old project that i stopped working on. sometimes its just a matter of hearing it again with fresh ears...sometimes its a matter of you improved since last time and have more skill to make it what you originally wanted it to be.
i consider this as "putting it in the bank". something i can come back to later and have (some of) the work already started. its especially good for those times where you just arent feeling inspired and cant seem to even start a new project. you cant start one right now...but maybe you can finish one.
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- KVRAF
- 6272 posts since 25 Mar, 2004
I wish I'd had a better understanding of the tools included in my DAW. 3rd party devs sell a lot of stuff because they make it easy to use their tools and give good explanations of what they do.
But early on, I didn't understand that I already had the tools to do a lot of what I was buying 3rd party tools for. Live and learn.
Cheers
-B
But early on, I didn't understand that I already had the tools to do a lot of what I was buying 3rd party tools for. Live and learn.
Cheers
-B
Berfab
So many plugins, so little time...
So many plugins, so little time...
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- KVRAF
- 1783 posts since 11 Jun, 2005 from Phoenix, Arizona
My advice would be to balance your spending of funds. If you are like most folk in the world your funds are limited. Seriously look at and budget what you spend. Make a budget at the start of the year and see how well you stuck to it at the end of the year. Rinse and repeat.
When you are just starting out there are many items that need attention. One that is often overlooked is education. I watch folk spend thousands of dollars on software and hardware but very little on learning how to use what they have or if they even needed it in the first place. Why not take some of that time and money and invest in yourself?
Enthusiasts will split hairs about the sound difference between "A" and "B" 'til the cows come home. Truth be told, 99% of the FX-plugs you find, free and otherwise, are very good "sound quality" wise. I enjoy the conversations on this forum and others, but if I were starting over I would pick one company's plugs and just stayed with that set. For me that probably would have been Fabfilter as I enjoy their gui's. For others it might be Tonebooster or Waves. Either way, what ever rocks your boat, you can get it done with less than you think.
Listen to many types of music. I have a few that don't rock my boat like Polka but I try to give every type of music a listen. What I learned a while ago was that when I would hit a wall inspirationally it was often because my pallette was limited. Early on I would try to finish songs and would be so unsatisfied with the arrangement that I would trash it all. I had a complete thought but I didn't have the depth to express it properly. [edit:] Continual education and a diversity of musical input changed that for me.
And even though it is not an original thought always remember, the space in-between the notes are as important as the notes themselves.
When you are just starting out there are many items that need attention. One that is often overlooked is education. I watch folk spend thousands of dollars on software and hardware but very little on learning how to use what they have or if they even needed it in the first place. Why not take some of that time and money and invest in yourself?
Enthusiasts will split hairs about the sound difference between "A" and "B" 'til the cows come home. Truth be told, 99% of the FX-plugs you find, free and otherwise, are very good "sound quality" wise. I enjoy the conversations on this forum and others, but if I were starting over I would pick one company's plugs and just stayed with that set. For me that probably would have been Fabfilter as I enjoy their gui's. For others it might be Tonebooster or Waves. Either way, what ever rocks your boat, you can get it done with less than you think.
Listen to many types of music. I have a few that don't rock my boat like Polka but I try to give every type of music a listen. What I learned a while ago was that when I would hit a wall inspirationally it was often because my pallette was limited. Early on I would try to finish songs and would be so unsatisfied with the arrangement that I would trash it all. I had a complete thought but I didn't have the depth to express it properly. [edit:] Continual education and a diversity of musical input changed that for me.
And even though it is not an original thought always remember, the space in-between the notes are as important as the notes themselves.
Last edited by UncleAge on Tue Mar 25, 2014 7:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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- KVRAF
- 8413 posts since 4 Jul, 2012 from Alesia
To not buy into the stupid hype on internet forums and magazines over products. Best thing you can do is use your ears and go with that. Who cares If it gets a 10/10 from magazine *Insert name here*! If you like it and can see how it fits your agenda then buy it, but don't buy everything under the sun.
I have bought into the hype a few times and wasted money on buying stuff I didn't even like later. So demo the living f**k out of something before you decide if it fits into your "sound"
I have bought into the hype a few times and wasted money on buying stuff I didn't even like later. So demo the living f**k out of something before you decide if it fits into your "sound"
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- KVRAF
- 21348 posts since 26 Jul, 2005 from Gone
I think the reverse is true too - don't let anyone convince you that the sound quality of something is poor or 'unprofessional' - there are far too many products that get a bad rap for no other reason that people perpetuating the same myths over and over.V0RT3X wrote:To not buy into the stupid hype on internet forums and magazines over products.
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- KVRAF
- 8413 posts since 4 Jul, 2012 from Alesia
Yah thats true,.robojam wrote:I think the reverse is true too - don't let anyone convince you that the sound quality of something is poor or 'unprofessional' - there are far too many products that get a bad rap for no other reason that people perpetuating the same myths over and over.V0RT3X wrote:To not buy into the stupid hype on internet forums and magazines over products.
Last edited by V0RT3X on Sun Jan 18, 2015 6:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
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The_Hidden_Goose The_Hidden_Goose https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=10878 - KVRian
- 945 posts since 8 Dec, 2003 from Birmingham-ish, UK (Tamworth, but shhh!)
What I wished I knew when starting out was everything that I know now about synthesis! Would've saved me a bunch of time, and I'd still be 17 with all those years of additional learning ahead of me.
It would've saved me from having to steal samples from other people's stuff, or using internet-found not-sure-where-they-come from and might-be-legal-who-knows samples to get sounds that would take me minutes to get made in one or more of my fave synths.
It would've saved me from having to steal samples from other people's stuff, or using internet-found not-sure-where-they-come from and might-be-legal-who-knows samples to get sounds that would take me minutes to get made in one or more of my fave synths.
Q. Why is a mouse when it spins?
A. The higher the fewer.
A. The higher the fewer.
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caress&bludgeon caress&bludgeon https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=39840
- KVRer
- 2 posts since 7 Sep, 2004
If you are working with electronic sounds, the greatest pitfall is to become so enamored with the novelty of sounds you create that you forget to make good music.
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- KVRian
- 1025 posts since 7 Nov, 2003
Get your tweeters at ear level! Spent years with substandard sound by having my monitors placed incorrectly, recently started a thread related to this when I was looking for stands:
http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=5682022
For making electronic music I also wish I`d seen the Tim Allen videos at groove3 years ago, though unfortunately they were not made then
. There are sometimes free month trial codes for groove3 if you keep an eye out, great site for tips and advice.
Also:
- Keep bass sounds mono and centre panned.
- Keep a lot of other sounds mono and pan them, leaves room for important stereo instruments and helps general intelligibility.
- High pass most instruments to clears their bass information; maybe below 250 HZ to leave room for kick and Bass.
- Use EQ on your reverb to cut out mud.
- Use an audio spectrum analyser on the master track, like voxengo`s free SPAN. Play some commercial tracks through to see how they are balanced and aim for that in your own mixes:
http://www.voxengo.com/product/span/
- A/B your tracks with commercial mixes you like, referencing will really help you improve your mixing ears.
- Check your mixes in mono (hi-lights phasing problems)
- As others have said keep enjoying creating!
http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=5682022
For making electronic music I also wish I`d seen the Tim Allen videos at groove3 years ago, though unfortunately they were not made then
. There are sometimes free month trial codes for groove3 if you keep an eye out, great site for tips and advice. Also:
- Keep bass sounds mono and centre panned.
- Keep a lot of other sounds mono and pan them, leaves room for important stereo instruments and helps general intelligibility.
- High pass most instruments to clears their bass information; maybe below 250 HZ to leave room for kick and Bass.
- Use EQ on your reverb to cut out mud.
- Use an audio spectrum analyser on the master track, like voxengo`s free SPAN. Play some commercial tracks through to see how they are balanced and aim for that in your own mixes:
http://www.voxengo.com/product/span/
- A/B your tracks with commercial mixes you like, referencing will really help you improve your mixing ears.
- Check your mixes in mono (hi-lights phasing problems)
- As others have said keep enjoying creating!