Is it common for newbies to feel like they're not in control?

[chk071]

Totally normal. Actually, the feeling sucks. But, hey, I won't pretend that I know much about music production, even after all those years... I don't do remotely enough to change that anyway though.

[TrueStory]

I'm more of a visual learner so I learn best just by turning knobs seeing what does what. Once I am able to lay a drum track down and record or sample some melodies I'll look at the manual to learn shortcut keys to speed up workflow. When I stumble upon a "how do I do this?" dilemma, youtube is a great resource for tutorials and a plethora of useful tricks and insight.

The trick to learning a new DAW, instrument or anything for that matter is not to overwhelm yourself with trying to do too much in one session. Take your time and maintain the fun in discovery which will ultimately lead you into doing exactly what you want and more than you expected.

[Karma_tba]

I think I'd get more out of a plate of spinach and peas (which I hate) than trying to digest the self serving indulgent bull shit that the posters have left here for our perusal.

[jdietrich]

Even a fairly basic DAW setup presents you with an overwhelming array of choices. You're simultaneously trying to learn music theory, performance, production and a whole bunch of different software, so it's no surprise that you feel a bit lost. Back in the Jurassic Era we were stuck with very limited gear because that's all we could afford, but that gave us a natural learning path.

My advice would be to keep things very simple - start with an absolute minimum set of tools and only upgrade when you feel totally comfortable with them and you're starting to get seriously frustrated by the limitations.

Fortunately, DAW manufacturers offer exactly that, often for free. Entry-level packages like Live 10 Lite or Bitwig 8 Track have just enough functionality to write and produce music seriously. You don't need more than eight tracks of MIDI or audio until you really know what you're doing. The most basic synth or sampler is capable of far more than you might imagine if you take the time to learn it in depth.

[Wes Kilbride]

Yes, of course you'll feel lost. Music is complex. Software is complex. I used to scream at Logic Pro all the time. Persistence is key. And I agree with those who say it helps to know how to create melodies and chords on an instrument. At least get used to some kind of keyboard, if nothing else. Good luck!

[roman.i]

I'm very new to the hobby of making/recording music. Every 2-3 days, I'll record 8-16 bars as I try to learn the software (LPX, K12, Scaler 2). While the "songs" turn out OK, I feel like I'm not in control. I don't feel like I'm driving a car, rather I have a hand on the rudder of a light boat in choppy waters.

Is this something that is common for people as they learn the software? Is this a feeling that, to some degree, never really goes away?

Is it a software that stopping your from writing a good song? Software is easy, there are tons of materials on the internet how to use the software, it takes few weeks to learn it, and few months to master it. But mastering the software doesn't make you a musician, or a songwriter, or a mixing engineer, or a sound designer. That's why you'll never feel in control. If you learn the subject, the software is just a tool that helps to do the job.