• Music

  • the production thread

So, I’m using Ableton as my main DAW, with Maschine routed through which is mainly for the drum machine (I think the engine is better than Ableton’s) and for auditioning the NI synths.
My template for Ableton project consists of the routing of Maschine, a number of midi and audio tracks: each of which has a FabFilter Pro Q; but no EQing yet.
Then it’s just case of throwing enough stuff around to see what sticks. I try to start with some textured sounds: quite like the grantulator synths quite a lot; various samples which I use in the granulator, Simpler or the Sampler. Beats normally come after I have a melody. Usually I know within 30 mins whether I have something or not to go with.
Once I have something I can take further, I sketch out the structure using Push 2 and start generating the flow using Clip View. I will either record the session live, or build it in clip view.
Once recorded, I start adding the FX, crashes, builds etc.
Finally I do the EQing, which I do on every piece of audio and midi channel: both mid and side EQ.
The very last stage is bunging on a multi band compressor, with some gentle EQing.

This is how it works out in a perfect session (like with the Provia track); but 98% of the time this does not happen…

    Henry that sounds pretty similiar to my approach from about a year ago. i still quite often start with a texture or pad for atmosphere and work from there. i’ve got something for you to try and feel free to ignore me lol, i barely know what i’m doing, but this helped me finish more tracks.

    i start gathering sounds that fit in session view (kick/bass, basic open hat, pad, a few chords, and a couple of floating percussion sounds) until i’ve got what would amount to about 75% of what i needm basically everything but fills and random perc hits, all of the colour stuff. then i switch to arrangement view and start recording chronologically. that gives me the skeleton arrangement, then i can add more sounds based off the arrangement, add variety to the midi patterns and fx, and i mix as i go. once i’m done that, group tracks, eq, sidechain and i’m done. i’m also pretty ruthless about deleting stuff that doesn’t work. even if i like a sound, if it doesn’t fit the atmosphere and feel of the track i want, i just cut it and hit save immediately so i can’t rethink it.

    i find it way faster to get the idea down, so i’m not sick of it before it’s arranged. i don’t know if that’ll help get you over the finishing hump, but give it a shot on two or three tracks and see if it clicks for you, it did for me. once you get used to finishing everything, it just becomes part of your process and it’s almost strange not to finish an idea.

        303abuser Fair play for getting beyond that 75% threshold. That’s where I get stuck most of the time. I think we spoke about this before: that issue of listening to something over and over, and hating it. But if I can nail most of the elements early on then chances are I will finish it.
        There is a really good book vey Dennis DeSantis: 74 Creative Strategies for Electronic Music Producers that I have used a little with some really useful tips in it. Sounds like you might not need it as much as me though. 😃

        I was planning on rooting for some tracks this weekend and bung you some stems, but have been caught up setting up my Bandcamp and re-mastering old tracks among other things. Apols, but it is on my list!

            it’s funny, i just know now when i have enough sounds to make a skeleton arrangement. probably just practice and muscle memory at this point. and i bought the hard cover of that book, found it really useful when i was starting out. i definitely recommend that one too.

            no worries, send me something whenever you have time, there’s no rush. i have three tracks in progress at the moment, that helps keep things fresh for me too. by the time i go back to the first one, i don’t even remember what i sounds like.

            …thought this was pretty inspirational:

            Plugin-Alliance 41 has “any plugin for $49.99”
            with code MEMORIAL-4999

            bonus: you can stack it with this code: MTFBWY25 to get another $25 off.

            So $25 plug-ins.

            this is a fantastic sale, but i think it’s only up for another couple of hours. bought unfiltered audio’s triad plugin, which seems like a steal at this price.

            unfiltered audio’s BYOME plugin is on sale today too. use the code BYOME-4999 to get it for $50 and you can stack it with the MTFBWY25 code to get it for $25.

            Are the M-Audio Keystations any good? Would second hand be an option or are they a bit flimsy?

            I need to learn more music theory and I’m under the impression that learning to play a bit would be an advantage.

              Amps Are the M-Audio Keystations any good? Would second hand be an option or are they a bit flimsy?

              They’re flimsy for sure. Pretty much any midi keyboard in that price range will be. You’d be lucky to find one second hand without something loose or not functioning (also, surely it’s not just me that finds the idea of any kind of second hand keyboard a bit ewww).

              The keys are annoyingly springy. Plus they have no aftertouch either, which can limit your playing a bit.

              If you can stretch to a bit more then I have an M-Audio Code which I’m pretty pleased with. It has a semi-weighted keybed, so it feels a bit more substantial, as well as being suitable for speedy note hitting. Plus it has aftertouch.

              They’re also prone to flimsiness, but yeah, that’s pretty much always going to be a risk with most midi keyboards unless you splash out on one with a FATAR keybed (not that I’m actually a huge fan of the FATAR keybeds (even though they have even more of a real, piano-type feel, and are more reliable, the keys are also a bit heavier than many which doesn’t always lend itself to the kind of quick note playing which one may want to engage in when making dance music).

                I’m not sure right now I need anything but the most basic entry level numbers, as I have no idea if I will really use it, but a big thank you for the decent reply. Reckon I can handle the flimsiness, point taken on all second hand aspects though.

                Are the Akais any better?

                  Amps Are the Akais any better?

                  Only tried them in a store, but from what I remember the MPKs seemed decent. The 25, 49 and 61 key versions are also all semi-weighted with aftertouch.

                  They’re a bit more expensive than most M-Audios though?

                  • Amps replied to this.

                      hugopal They’re a bit more expensive than most M-Audios though?

                      Yeah, I was eyeballing a second hand one for buttons, but that idea has now been revised.

                        baggers44 sorry, i was sure i replied to this earlier, but it seems to have gone missing.

                        thanks for the support, i very much appreciate it. 🙂

                          8 days later

                          my new dub techno album is out tomorrow, here’s one of the tracks, i’ll post the rest when it’s out. thanks for listening and i hope you like it. 🙂

                          album is out now, it floats between dub and the detroit sound. the HQ download is free or pay what you want through insectorama’s bandcamp page or you can stream it in all the usual places. thanks for listening.

                          18 days later

                          plugin alliance has some crazy sales on right now. if anyone wants them, here are two discount codes (you can’t stack them).

                          USERSURVEY20LG98HBT5 – $25 off anything over $39
                          MEGA-SALE-20-OFF – $20 off, no minimum

                          Will check out the sale. Though I’ve only just noticed that reason can now be run as a daw plugin so my next buy will in all likelihood be an upgrade on my reason 4 (!) licence so I can use it in live (in a much cleaner way than rewire - which i never used). Will check out your album on spotify.

                          Here’s a 6 minute taster of my next album (short excerpts of each track).

                          Out start of next month (in the vain hope of a successfully spotify playlist pitch). Only took circa 5 years to make.

                            apyssjw nice, i’ll give the preview a listen, make sure you post the album here when it’s out. and i can’t say enough good things about the unfiltered audio plugins, i bought lion, byome, and triad this month. if you need more fx, byome is amazing.