how long does it take You to finish a song?
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- KVRist
- 42 posts since 28 Nov, 2004
counting from the first note you've sat down to program to a complete finnished song on a CD.
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- KVRAF
- 3139 posts since 6 Sep, 2002 from United Kingdom & Opinions Will Travel :O)
Serious stuff 11 months – and tons of CD’s to get just one CD done.
Non mastering related, twinkle tinker stuff, about 2 days to 2 weeks, not going to CD – but to punish peoples ears on the net
– maybe I will upload some tune soon. 
Best regards,
Spe3d
:O)
Non mastering related, twinkle tinker stuff, about 2 days to 2 weeks, not going to CD – but to punish peoples ears on the net
– maybe I will upload some tune soon. Best regards,
Spe3d
:O)
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- KVRAF
- 1789 posts since 17 Mar, 2004 from Bretagne, the west of France
Depends on the song.
I've finished song in a week and other are there since a year and still not finished.
And each time I review them I change something...
Rony
I've finished song in a week and other are there since a year and still not finished.
And each time I review them I change something...
Rony
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- Banned
- 6127 posts since 1 Apr, 2004 from Et in Arcadia Ego
I think I might take a little bit of a different approach than most people do. I was asked about this earlier, & I'll share my formula:
There is no formula.
I have no target sound.
I conjure my sounds by random manipulation.
I do not save my sounds.
I do not utilize non-destructive editing.
I do not save seperate waveforms once a track is rendered.
I do not come back to a track & refine/remix anything. If I made errorsd, I apply what I learned to the next track.
I work very fast & if I bog down, I delete the project file.
I never spend more than 2 hours per track.
The more I do that, the faster I get & the clearer my vision is while composing, or rather the less obstructed it is..
That probably seems like a very shitty way of doing stuff to alot of people, but it's the pace I've accomodated myself to given the time I have to spare on a per track basis as a hobbyist. I get a little tighter every time; I can't imagine spending months on a track; my patience couldn't endure it & my lifestyle wouldn't permit it.
I prefer to harness the initial urge to create, not the confused uncertain leftovers that plauge so many others endlessly polishing a track's halflife.
But of course, my standards are way lower than everyone else's..
There is no formula.
I have no target sound.
I conjure my sounds by random manipulation.
I do not save my sounds.
I do not utilize non-destructive editing.
I do not save seperate waveforms once a track is rendered.
I do not come back to a track & refine/remix anything. If I made errorsd, I apply what I learned to the next track.
I work very fast & if I bog down, I delete the project file.
I never spend more than 2 hours per track.
The more I do that, the faster I get & the clearer my vision is while composing, or rather the less obstructed it is..
That probably seems like a very shitty way of doing stuff to alot of people, but it's the pace I've accomodated myself to given the time I have to spare on a per track basis as a hobbyist. I get a little tighter every time; I can't imagine spending months on a track; my patience couldn't endure it & my lifestyle wouldn't permit it.
I prefer to harness the initial urge to create, not the confused uncertain leftovers that plauge so many others endlessly polishing a track's halflife.
But of course, my standards are way lower than everyone else's..
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- KVRian
- 1073 posts since 30 Nov, 2004
I still have an idea laying around from march 2003...can't seem to finish it soon, when I went back to it the whole nature of the song changed, forcing me to cut it to 3 versions, a melodious version, a bigbeat version (original idea) and an electronic clash version...
And that was like few months ago, I supose working with ableton live now will make me able to finish them.
But normally I write an idea, loop it and save it as a wav file so I don't forget about it. Then sometime later, maybe soon, maybe months go back to it and find the vibe to work on it.
And that was like few months ago, I supose working with ableton live now will make me able to finish them.
But normally I write an idea, loop it and save it as a wav file so I don't forget about it. Then sometime later, maybe soon, maybe months go back to it and find the vibe to work on it.
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- KVRAF
- 4738 posts since 20 Feb, 2004 from Gothenburg, Sweden
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- The Teach
- 8273 posts since 23 Jul, 2002 from flatness
again ... a different approach (heehee - not that i really finish very much actually) ...
... tracks often take months from inception to completion but actual working time on them might be as short as sickles 2 hours ...
... like sickle i USUALLY have no real concept of how the track is going to sound before i start ...
... most things start as short clips of 4 or 5 tracks (drums / bass / pads / bleeps / whatever) that i build by just tinkering and doodling over maybe 20 or 30 minutes ...
... these things spend weeks or months just sitting there being listened to occasionally (every couple of weeks or so i guess) and even more occasionally tweaked a little in terms of sounds and effects rather than structure or whatever ...
... sooner or later (or when a deadline approaches for a contest) one of these little snippets will demand completion and the whole track is laid out and completed in a matter of hours usually from that point ...
... i tend to approach most things in life (my paintings / stuff for work / cleaning up around the house / DIY / etc) in this way - an active start ... lots of (usually subconscious) reflection and fermentation ... then a burst of intense activity at the end ...
... im a bit of a hare rather than a tortoise i guess ...
(i also studied a fair bit of zen landscape painting as part of my degree)
slainte
rob
... tracks often take months from inception to completion but actual working time on them might be as short as sickles 2 hours ...
... like sickle i USUALLY have no real concept of how the track is going to sound before i start ...
... most things start as short clips of 4 or 5 tracks (drums / bass / pads / bleeps / whatever) that i build by just tinkering and doodling over maybe 20 or 30 minutes ...
... these things spend weeks or months just sitting there being listened to occasionally (every couple of weeks or so i guess) and even more occasionally tweaked a little in terms of sounds and effects rather than structure or whatever ...
... sooner or later (or when a deadline approaches for a contest) one of these little snippets will demand completion and the whole track is laid out and completed in a matter of hours usually from that point ...
... i tend to approach most things in life (my paintings / stuff for work / cleaning up around the house / DIY / etc) in this way - an active start ... lots of (usually subconscious) reflection and fermentation ... then a burst of intense activity at the end ...
... im a bit of a hare rather than a tortoise i guess ...
(i also studied a fair bit of zen landscape painting as part of my degree)
slainte
rob-
- KVRian
- 1349 posts since 12 Jan, 2003 from Paris
Around 2 to 8 houres and i think "it's done"...
Then i listen the following week and another 2 to 8 houres to modify little things nobody care...
Then i listen the following week and another 2 to 8 houres to modify little things nobody care...
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- KVRist
- 258 posts since 24 Sep, 2003 from Finland
Dont know yet. Havent finished song that I am satisfied. Been practicing since 1998. Some of my compositions are allright to me, but I have to learn to mix an master them better.soundaddik wrote:counting from the first note you've sat down to program to a complete finnished song on a CD.
I have put some of my music into net, but nothing I can be proud of.
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- KVRist
- 177 posts since 7 Aug, 2004
Oh...I see...we're supposed to FINISH them? Ah. How come no one told me?
But seriously, folks...
Heck, I'm not done with 'em even after I've released 'em. I always wanna go back and get tha last part down one more time...
[/i]
But seriously, folks...
Heck, I'm not done with 'em even after I've released 'em. I always wanna go back and get tha last part down one more time...
[/i]
It's better to burn out...than it is to um..to um...well, something, anyway...
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- KVRAF
- 4176 posts since 2 Feb, 2003 from lost in music
some songs need 30 min other 30 years
well most songs I start and throw away on the way to finishing.
Some go past that stage and get more attention.
They might get finished. But it can happen that I leave them for some months and come back then.
And some songs happen just inthe right moments and are very quickly done.
But for the real good ones I usaully need some weeks.
Maybe 50 hours a song in these weeks.
I´m really a slow worker in this area.
well most songs I start and throw away on the way to finishing.
Some go past that stage and get more attention.
They might get finished. But it can happen that I leave them for some months and come back then.
And some songs happen just inthe right moments and are very quickly done.
But for the real good ones I usaully need some weeks.
Maybe 50 hours a song in these weeks.
I´m really a slow worker in this area.
sound is vibration, vibration is life
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 42 posts since 28 Nov, 2004
its a gift to us musician and a curse on us all. There is no right or wrong. you sit down to work on a track with inspiration and creativity. Hours latter You still sitting there but with mental torture, dizzininess, and dazed. This can't be healthy. You know you dreaded the feeling, but its so addicted, you can't stop once u sit down. Does this hurt anyones social life?
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 42 posts since 28 Nov, 2004
im thinking of a formula (but dont know if it'll work for me) there are 3 steps
3 hours on phrasing, 8-16 bars each part/instrument. this include note placement, and choosing the right sound from sound module or software
3 hours on arranging (to me this is the longest). you know u'll discover many versions of your song as you arrange, and re-arrange
last 3 hours of mix down. this includes applying effects/EQ and mastering
So if you can put out one 9 hrs full time work day. hopefully u'll have a song. But we all know every minute of music wrting requires extreme mental focus. It would be difficult to endure this state for 9 hrs
3 hours on phrasing, 8-16 bars each part/instrument. this include note placement, and choosing the right sound from sound module or software
3 hours on arranging (to me this is the longest). you know u'll discover many versions of your song as you arrange, and re-arrange
last 3 hours of mix down. this includes applying effects/EQ and mastering
So if you can put out one 9 hrs full time work day. hopefully u'll have a song. But we all know every minute of music wrting requires extreme mental focus. It would be difficult to endure this state for 9 hrs