Dude every time you say something at the beat that I would cringe at-you just say exactly what I think and feel. I’m very happy that you’re out there; it proves that there are geniuses and inspiring conduits doing the good worK. You are amazing; thukbs up soldier! (Captain America reference from capcom vs street fighter)
Most of what's called techno today has nothing to do with copying motown/disco, completely different sound. There is lots of unique music made throughout history but people always tried to put it in a popular label name
Dude, I really don’t say this lightly, you are one of my RUclips faves. I value authenticity and you’re doing a great job here. Keep blessing us with your vids.
My words! And I just sticked to this channel because of the voice... I was like... huh .. is it fake ... AI ... ??? No, just an incredible cool dude creating great content and ... a Saturday night radio voice! And I am watching this being just a hobby drummer. But I learned about mixolydian flat 6 here. So ... thank you!
I’m a 67 year old guy with a degree in Music Theory/Comp from Cal. St. Fullerton. I learned to write music before there were daws or you tube or sample libraries or internet or personal computers. The only electronic music i had ever heard was “Switched On Bach”. We had to write everything in our heads before we could get it down on paper. The only technology we had that the masters (Bach, Beethoven, etc) didn’t have was a pencil with an eraser. The production was done by someone else (the performers). Our focus was the foundation you talk about. We learned the difference between Creativity (the ability to stare into the dark and hear the music) and Craft (the ability to share it with someone else). Thanks for this great video. You hit the nail on the head.
Good point. Also why i never undwrstood constant yabbering from the brass section about having to prepare for an exam when we had a live show. Back then, only needed electricity, amps and a venue. When real music was a privedgle to play and experience live. Real musical craft and creativity is Live shows, no matter what. Music theory crap vs jamming anywhere you could plug in. No one talks about this
Hey! I used to take piano lessons as a kid at Cal St. Fullerton in the mid 60s. My teacher was Rita Fuzcek. Maybe you knew her. The campus was only 2 buildings at the time. Switched on Bach blew my mind at the time. First time I really clued into a synthesizer. I record quite a synth Bach pieces now. It's a lot easier now that we have computers and quantize. I restored a Zuckerman clavichord and use that for Bach as well.
@@mrratskins Rita Fuzsec, that’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time. I took a class she taught called Piano Pedagogy. She stands out in my memory as one of the best professors. She was scary but an excellent educator. What a wonderful opportunity you had to study with her.
I'd like to tell you I was a good student. But I was horrible. I took lessons from about age 8 thru 13 or so. I didn't practice. I acted like a brat. But for some reason she thought I had talent and tried to get me to go to Julliard. Ended up running away and being a druggie. I wish she could see me now. I developed a good classical technique and have really upped my game. Played in bands. Had a couple of well reviewed albums and been in a few movies. My final analysis is this: music is most fun when on the amateur level.
For the lazy amongst us ;) =] 0:00 (ain't nobody got time for that) INTRO 1:14 STOP MAKING MUSIC 2:22 STEAL IDEAS 3:33 STOP PRACTICING 4:57 PRODUCE LESS 7:40 JUST PLAY THE DAMN SONG 9:35 OUTRO (or "That's all got for today; go away now")
One trick I have is to ALWAYS have a patch open in my DAW (usually an electric piano or some such thing) and play varying chord sequences while I watch a show (usually on RUclips) on my TV, which is also my computer monitor. I keep the gain low enough that I don't drown out the video and if something interesting happens I'll pause the video and charge straight in. I start a lot of my work this way - no pressure, no rush - and I tend to crank out pieces left and right. My problem is when to STOP writing harmonic pieces (unless it's soundtrack work) and actually focus on lyrics and vocal melodies. I haven't found the magic elixir for THAT part, except for patiently waiting for some idea or snippet to jump into my brain.
No need to wait for a melody to jump into your brain. That sounds insane. No such thing as being out of inspiration or waiting for it to come to you. There's just time and effort. Just make sure you enjoy the time you spend making an effort. You can transcribe anything into music. Figuratively, but also literally. Look around you right now or better yet, go outside, get moving, take it all in and I mean truly open your heart and use your senses. Recognize the patterns and irregularities around you. Nature is great for seeing the balance, the eb and flow, etc. Take pictures if you need to. Then choose what and how to translate what you sense into notes or even entire arrangements and concept albums. E.g Say you have a shelve with books. Note they are all a different height and thickness. Draw a imaginary line from left to right over the top of them. Choose a base or midpoint for pitch. Consolidate if you have to. Now apply the rhythm, the theory, fit it into key and arrangement. Aaaaand you have a melody. -Or at least a great starting point and you didn't have to wait for it to come to you. It may have already been done, like anything and everything already has been, blablabla. But this came from your perspective, with your signature and you can sleep at night knowing you haven't blatantly copied someone else (even when no one really cares). You can apply this to almost anything. Objects, feelings, actions, smells, relationships, you name it and you decide!
I’ve been fortunate enough to make music while I’m working. I work from home and I do customer service. In between calls I start my process of findings sounds and as the day goes on I work on my track little by little. By the end of my shift I have the idea of the track and by the end of the day I have the bulk of the song done. It’s been working for me for about 2 and a half years. 😎👍🏽
Stop making music is such a cheat code. The intentionality behind creating is crazy. For "practicing" I think sometimes my "practice" is sitting down with an idea and learning to flesh it out to make it into something real but your so right. the application of your skills is the best. All of these tips are dope and reaffirming for what I like to do! I like the added context as well
I cycle between modes. There are times when I say now is the time for messing around and seeing what will happen with my instruments. And other times where I'm working generally on tracks and doing file housekeeping in between, then there's the third mode which is have a specific plan, work on it, when it's done, make a plan for next time.
@@Xanaduum Thats dope! I think the fact that you are cycling keeps things fresh atleast subconsciously. I do the same and i really feel like it helps the end goal anyways. Thank you for sharing
@@KawaiiSteez some times you've just gotta play around like a kid, improvise, twist knobs on synths even if you don't know what they do and just see what heppens. It's the most fun way to learn. And sometimes you've got to be structured as hell.
Leaving the faders and mix alone when you're making a new song is such a good tip. It really is all about sound selection and whether all the pieces fit together or not rather than trying to force them together from the get go.
What you said about using old school techniques and simpler mixing is so true. I see so much crap on social media with people getting into insane minutia with mixing when I keep saying "if your arranging and songwriting is good, mixing is a breeze".
7:24 is SUCH a GEM 💯 I try to get peers of mine to understand this when I critique them because they only seem to like something when it's produced to pristine quality when the song itself would not be NEARLY as good without production. The true test of a great song is if it still holds weight without the bells & whistles.
This is why I'm still subscribed to this channel. You just accurately portray what its like to make music. Even as a guy who has 5 or so videos on thier musician youtube account and countless unfinished tracks, i still relate to the guy whos doing this for a living. Excellent video, I'm glad I've stuck around.
If you look at so many of the classic jazz albums, they recorded it live often direct to two tracks with no subsequent mixing. Mistakes happen and if the overall take was good, that's what you heard on the record. Your sound was your sound with minimal effects processing. Recording complete performances live tells you a lot about what does or doesn't sound good, etc. You can still record that way with a DAW.
I'm fairly new to music production and your channel as well, and I gotta say you have the best balance of motivation/inspiration and reality checks of the online music production community and you have my ever lasting thanks for that. Due to my 9 to 5 and commute times, I can barely put in one or two hours of work into my music every day. Listening to your videos during working hours at the office has played a huge part on reminding me why I keep pushing to try and create music when I get home, and just wanted to share that with you. Never stop creating, man. You're awesome.
I have been implementing a monthly habit of producing something within 1 hour with my DAW. And it can be hot garbage but at least it helped me maintain or create stuff that I've been inspired by during my downtime. Plus it helps me pinpoint things that I need to do research or learn about once I'm done with my exercize. At the end I can also improve and polish whatever I made within that timespan.
I've been playing guitar for 45 years and writing songs for 40 years. I practice by writing songs. It always ends up happening. I honestly can't remember scales all the way through anyway. The knowledge is there and manifests itself when I'm working on a song.
The beginning of video is just describing all of our lives… All the crazy multitasking, video, marketing, leaning, practicing… all that on top of having another regular job that pays the bills - and in the end no rewards haha oh well
Started making beats around 1999 on a MPC. It started with Drum N Bass and underground Hiphop, then experimental Synth, Industrial, and noise etc. After trying to learn multiple genres, I'm at the point where i take gaps of time off listening to other peoples work, and not sticking to a a particular genre when i create, for me that's when my best ideas come out, and new forms grow.
Once again, here comes Venus to tell me exactly what I need to hear at just the right moment. Been learning more and more about mixing, and now I'm kinda caught in that trap.
I find I'm most productive if I have a goal. For example, last year I said to myself "I've got two months of time, let's make an album", thought about a vibe, a theme for the whole thing for a while and then started pumping out tracks. I didn't end up having those 2 months, but I worked on it for almost a year in my free time and got it done this spring. I wrote 2 hours of music I'm really happy with in a year, after having basically nothing for the 3 years before that, where I just sat down to "make some music" 3 times a week.
I just love your videos. They are so filled with art, and good information on top of that. Just know your work is loved and respected, and appreciated by a lot of people! ❤
As a “gentleman of a certain age” …I remember the dawn of the computer based sequencer, and its metamorphosis into today’s DAW. I’m way happier to do my music today because of the ease at which I can do it. Side note: your first time editing TAPE is frightening. But what I do like is that my “old timey” experience has made me better with today’s tools. Yes… all options are open and endless track counts await me. But being able to (mostly) play all my parts live, and get my ideas down efficiently is something I love… and I think is missing for some. Unfortunate. The quote that always stuck in my head was from a person I worked with who worked at a major music equipment company: “If your music takes more than 16 tracks… I don’t know if I want to hear it.” This has stuck with me and helps keep me on track. I’m going to go yell at some clouds now.
Great to hear the Charlie Parker quote in there, love you for that! A huge benefit of not spending a lot of time editing, manipulating, fixing it... (this is just my experience) whatever it is the first or second pass is always the real essence of it. At least if you're trying to capture something "fresh" or spontaneous.
Thank you mustache man. Billy Schu here. 40 plus years of recording, my go to is still to play live to my tracks. allows me to be "in the pocket". My down fall is having unlimited tracks to keep adding parts.
As someone that started music very late in life and spending the last decade trying to get better at it, the notion of stopping practice just floored me.
Gotta agree that it's much better to play the keyboard than push the DAW spreadsheet cells around. I am not a musician, but I play one when I work through a tune by memorizing where my fingers are on the piano keyboard. And while I'm doing that, sometimes my hand slips and my fingers land on much more interesting notes. "Okay. Change of plan." That simply doesn't happen when I go click, click, click on the piano roll window.
Some of the best music I made, was created by me trying to copy a track I loved and completely failing at it. I tried one thing and ended up with something else that inspired me.
Recently I've taken a hyper focused approach to writing music. I come from a house / dubstep background where sound design was the most important part. Now I'm looking to write more thematic melodies and rich chord progressions. I've started challenging myself to just use piano or a sin wave patch to write out catchy songs without the pressure or distraction of synth tweaking or endless presets.
The hardest part of making music is the endless options and choices. So, I try to give myself only a few choices at each stage of creating. Not only does it make the process easier, but it also commits me to keep moving forward. I finish pieces because I "burn" most of my "bridges" behind me.
I make my best music when I have no idea what I’m doing. If I’m lucky, I did hit record. And remember that Less is Paul, or however the saying goes😉 I totally agree that playing “live” is highly recommended. I worked as a semi-pro bass player for over thirty years and learned so much about playing economically, finding the pocket and fitting my part of the arrangements. Recently, I made my debut playing rock organ. I found the trick to be to, mostly, play as few notes as possible at the same time and to avoid fifths and thirds. And of course using my left hand to adjust draw bars, Leslie and volume. Another great video. Thank you 𝄢
Ennio Morricone made film scores taking here or there. The magic was, he make them sound like a unique, unforgettable thing called geinius... He once made a song based on the french police siren. It was "Se telefonando" by Mina!
Such great wisdom . . . after you carve out the cynicism. The biggest problem for me (and probably everyone else) is wanting to utilize the myriad exotic tools at our disposal. That is how you end up in trouble. So your point about simplifying is well taken. My solution is to make several versions of the same song. Each version has it's own set of plugins, arrangements, and production techniques. That way you get to experiment with many different sounds and have some creative fun.
this video is incredible man, literally every point you made resonated with me so much, ive been producing for years, never released a song. have had a really rough few years, and have finally picked it up again and am going to give it my all. youve inspired me to just DO IT and not sit around waiting for it to happen. so thank you
You have helped me a lot since I started making music. You were the first RUclipsr that I started following, and I learned a lot by watching you. So, thanks, Cameron."🫡
Lovely essay. Happy to see Reaper DAW make some cameos. I agree that "playing" at least some of the parts into your DAW. It makes the tune personal at least. My kid complains about some of my off-grid notes, but I choose to call that "feel." YMMV.
I am happy that I play in a band, in addition to making beats or whatever. I get to do live performances and release albums, so I don’t feel any pressure to make or release beats. Also, my band has a guy who can write entire songs and play every instrument better than the rest of us, so I don’t have to create and arrange entire songs all by myself. It also removes the pressure of releasing music, because it is not 100% mine and I am therefore not 100% responsible for what I release.
Dude you are becoming one of my favourites. you say it like it is.. I have now banned my self from scrolling RUclips during productive hours. because of this exactly. I sendup watching more music making then I get done then I lost interesting go the track as its been to long since it really moved on & then I have hundreds of loops.. so this came at the right time!
That's so true, sometimes I've tried too hard and it could have been done in a more relaxed way, because in the end you probably won't get millions of whatever out of it. If you do, then you're "kinda" lucky, but if not, at least you haven't beaten yourself up.
Some great insights VT. I enjoy your little rants and home-truths. Here's mine: I remember the absolute thrill when I purchased for an obscene amount of money, my first multitrack cassette tape deck (Tascam 244) - yep, FOUR tracks!! each one individually recordable, and you could "bounce" three tracks into one to get awesome multi-layered things happening. And then, shortly after that, another obscenely priced drum machine (Roland TR707) sent me into nirvana as I learnt the art of programming beat by beat the patterns and fills I desired, and then carefully backing them up to tape. Finally, a couple of years later, the same thrills when I bought my first synth (Ensoniq ESQ1) at an equally obscene price, and the buzz of creating new sounds to complement the massive 40-slot onboard patch library, and carefully backing the new ones up to tape.......(I say obscene, because in my country, you pay up to three times the price than you would in the USA). It's 2024: I choose from any number of absolutely mind-blowing DAW's and synth/drum plugins, but the thrill and buzz is absent: seemingly infinite tracks, infinite effects, infinite patches. The creative urge is still there, but the ratio of tool-tinkering to playing music back in the day in now reversed. What I mean is, once I had my "tools" set up, and figured out how get music out of them, I just switched them on and started making music. Today, half my available "music" time might be filled up with PC problems, updates of software, compatibility issues, authorisation (thanks iLok), insane download/install programs that almost every vendor feels compelled to use, checking out recommendations, trying a different reverb plugin because the last one just went weird for a certain setting, useless hours fine-tuning 100 tracks when I've only got 5 instruments, "housekeeping" all those plugins and unused tracks, backups, etc, etc, etc, not to mention software glitches and crashes. The technology is amazing, but it can also kill productivity, and now, with AI, probably can kill creativity. I used to smirk at seeing some guitar legend on stage who had to change guitars at every song, and thinking "why the photon can't he just use one?" But I realise, given how I do music these days, I do the same.
Love your channel and you've made a lot of really great points here. I do disagree with one of them in some circumstances. Your recommendation to stop practicing doesn't work if you are a jazz musician or another genre (like progressive rock) where instrumental playing is where a significant amount of the music is happening. This kind of music requires significant practice on-going, there's just no way around that. I had the privilege to spend a couple of hours with Roger Mayer who hand built some of Jimi Hendrix's famous effects pedals. He said that Jimi lived with the guitar on. He literally made breakfast with a guitar around his neck, he practiced constantly. That's why he was so ground breaking as a guitar player. His instrument became an extension of himself.
Thanks! This video really resonated with me. I think I needed this perspective right now. Intentionality is the name of the game, after attaining a certain amount of knowledge about the craft.
awesome stuff... as always. i go back to pre computer days and restrict what i can do. too easy to stare at the screen for every as you say. I like how Springsteen after he had a huge hit he stayed at home with a crappy 4 track tape machine and made his next albumn
Hey, this is great stuff! Thanks a lot! I've recently seen an interview to one of the Air members (the French duet) and he says that he's made his most intereseting stuff just by being a limited and "bad musician" in a way. Many times coping with limitations is what makes you do very interesting stuff, there is many virtuoso stuff that's sooo so boring, maybe because that makes you kind of limitless.
I think of music making as discovering more than creating. Because "all music as already been written" and "nothing is new under the sun", turning it to personnal discovery by making the music is the most beautiful way i can think about it. Everybody can write, and discover, just like someone walks or travel somewhere. Nobody denies a trip because "other people have been there"
You are so funny. Practicing is more important to me than composing is because it makes creating music easier and more fun. To quote Miles Davis "If you sound good in the practice room, you're not doing it right."
As someone who has maybe 30-60 minutes per night to do music, this really resonated with me. I think it's great that you acknowledge the reality of this for so many people. I don't have the luxury of sitting for 18 hours per day in front of my DAW. And I think - given these kind of constraints - it's useful to acknowledge that I don't have to completely reinvent music from scratch to come up with something worthwhile. Teenage Kicks wasn't breathtakingly original but it was still John Peel's favourite song. I struggle with this. After a heavy diet of Aphex Twin's intricate programming in esoterica software, it's dispiritingly easy to think there's no point in making music if any aspect of it has been done before. But I think of it like sitting down to a meal in a restaurant: I don't need this meal to completely reinvent food from the ground up to be incredibly entertained by what I'm eating; it's the tastefulness of the choices that have been made and that kitchen's unique combination of choices that are fun to experience. It doesn't have to be molecular gastronomy to be enjoyable. I'm here now, this is what's on the menu; am I enjoying it? Am I raving about it to my friends? So, by necessity, I've found the most inspiring ideas erupt out out of enagaging with music as a "play" activity. Some things I do that end up being most rewarding for me: - an hour of just noodling on the guitar, piano, or a really limited selection of electronic hardware (grooveboxes, synths, samplers) - without overthinking what I'm doing; take it into the DAW later and see what comes of it; no production, no finessing - on the flipside, sitting at the DAW thinking "I'm going to play with X idea"; like "make a heavy sounding electronic track in 6/8 time because I never do stuff like that" For me, it helps to remember it's not a calling or a job or an ambition, it's something I do for fun, so make sure it IS fun; whenever I do it like this, I come up with FAR more interesting stuff
Every musician I’ve heard give advice will say that you should just rapidly create new stuff and move on. It’s nice to hear a fresh perspective on producing less. I think it’s probably one of those things where adhering to blanket rules is a bad idea. I think there is wisdom in rapidly churning out new ideas but I also think that there is value in sticking to one of those ideas long enough to really go into great depth of thought and quality with many iterations until it can become something extremely polished and not just another song in the pile of songs. When an artist like Michelangelo started to carve a marble statue, he was inherently making a commitment to devoting months if not years on this one piece of art, and to see it through to the end. The nature of carving a statue of stone is not something you can just churn out rapidly. I think music can be like that too. Once you find that idea that’s worth iterating on, maybe it’s time to make a bigger commitment to it.
These videos keep getting better and better. Great story, amazing videography and editing. And there are not many RUclipsrs that actually make me laugh. Every vid is a must watch!
brings back memories of an old classic which i read decades ago while backpacking in the mountains of Yukon, Thaddeus Golas, "The Lazy Man's Guide to Enlightenment"
You make my favorite channel. Only 25% due to audacity to tell us to get the F*#k off youtube. The remaining 75% is spread across the content type, messaging and its direct execution, humor timing, narrative cadences, audio taste/dynamics and all around production quality. Damn dude. 🤘
5:18 my favorite way to record is using tech only up to the level that still feels like I'm working with the stuff in my heart - tends to land around the mid to late 90s so I record mostly raw audio, just me, a synth or guitar and a pedalboard wherever possible, and come close when I have to exceed that, like using Maschine instead of learning the physical side of drumming and setting up some giant Tama kit. It changes the goal to getting it right on the way in rather than with vsts and the dials on a photoshop image of a mixing board. The tactile experience is too important to my inspiration, and it keeps you honest. My recording style is basically 4-track minus the bullshit problems of a 4 track
For someone new to all of this it's been tough trying to learn gear(need to stop watching geartube) but also the aspects necessary to actually create music that hopefully other can appreciate and enjoy. Love your short life lesson videos.
When you're scrolling through your phone, you are listening to others. when you are creating things, you are speaking for others. When you let silence or ambience take it's space, you are listening to yourself.
I am Mastering my first track I ever wrote this week. I have hope because the section about "only doing the rough mix with faders and panners" - That's EXACTLY how I did it - mostly because the Multiband Compressor is SCARY :D :D :D
Thanks for this video. Really good info, super well presented. You bring great realism into the general music industry dialogue. Good stuff. Best from Berlin.
...Unless your desktop PC bricks, you lose all your work and give up until you finally get a new laptop years later, and have forgotten how to hook everything up and how to use your DAW. 😆😂😭 I literally had a nervous breakdown after not being able to create my sh***y music. Hopefully I can get my life back now that my therapist (DAW) is back in my life again.
The most important thing is to make the first step and to start something..... And at this point music should have such a wide horizon as there are so many options and most musicians should not have any expectations and limitations, especially home recording. In the world when everything can be tuned to perfection, I love to leave the song with several 'mistakes'.....
"there is a difference between lazy and efficient, however it's not always that far between them". I've read a similar thing from another musician, Robert Fripp, phrased thus: "Don't aim to do as little as possible, aim to do only as much as is necessary"
I started working DAWless the last few months. I do design my drum sounds and record and trigger a few samples - some vocals, reverse sweeps, maybe a pad, etc - but use no sounds I can't get out of my hardware. I record the main stereo bus only - the mix is whatever I think is good enough at the time. It's been an incredible experience. The music sounds better, feels more alive, I'm more creative. Limitations breed creativity.
Your videos are great! I love how you take a complex and potentially discouraging topic and make it both relatable and engaging. It never feels like I'm being lectured to, which is a real talent.
This is on point. What I'd like to add, if I'm allowed to, is the other issue that I'd completely forgotten about until earlier this month, when i bought a brand new hardware synth that had a lot of well crafted presets which sound great if you play them in isolation/ in a synth shop/ in your shed (well...) but don't sit well in a mix. You spend hours/ days / weeks (months?) Reprogramming as many sounds as possible, with a view to making the instrument more useable for you. That takes time. Especially if the U.I. isn't as friendly as you initially thought it'd be. I'm towards the end of that part of the journey. Hopefully, this means I'll have learned/learnt more useful synth programming techniques by the end of it. ✌️ 🌅
I like that part about ''not mixing''. I get lots of comments on my channel like ''show how you mixed this or that'' but the truth is, I almost don't mix at all...I just design/choose well my sounds/samples. Like you said, in the end mixing is just polishing an almost finished product. And if I do use ''lots'' of plugins, it's for a sound design purpose and not mixing. If your EQ looks like a roller coaster, somethings wrong. lol great video as usual man, 👌
This is fantastic advice. I've been making music for years, primarily on software, and I just always felt overwhelmed. I would spend hours twiddling with knobs I didn't understand. I recently switched to fully DAWless, and while that word comes with a lot of baggage, it has helped my productivity tremendously. I've made more music in the last four months than the last decade combined as far as finished tracks. There's something about having to rehearse and record the whole track live onto a field recorder that makes it much easier to say, "that take was good enough. Let's move on." As a person new to the world of hardware, your voice shines through as a very rare voice of reason in the RUclips music production space. So thank you. I'm turning RUclips off now.
I really came to value a limited sketchpad. Make something with very little, and only dive deep into your treasure chest of plugins and processing once the idea is solid and the song is written. Work with only 8 tracks for as long as possible - ear candy included! It'll force you to prioritze and figure out what is necessary and what is nice-to-have at best. No processing allowed on these tracks except maybe 1 compressor, 1 EQ, 1 instance of distortion. Once the track is done this way, you're allowed to add whatever you want - because by then, you'll have a vision.
This is a great video, Vibe is king for music, look at Bon Iver, he recorded that record in a cabin with a few mics and it blew everything else at the time out of the water.
I'm very much impressed by how easily you managed to communicate these broad but very well selected valuable advice through a 10 min. video. - The quote "there's a tremendous power in using the least amount of information to get a point across" does astonishingly well suit the work you must have put into making this video. I'm very pleased to come across your work today, last but not least also because it's just a great thing to see interesting thoughts being shared in such a humane and relatable way on RUclips in times when many people continue to create completely sterile or overhyped "content". So thank you, keep up the good work! Off topic: You've mentioned in your review of the arturia keylab that you have again found great joy in your profession after having started with many new freelance projects. What kind of music projects are you busy with these days? I'm working as a full time composer/musician and audio engineer in Germany (close to the french border) and I'd be seriously interested in listening to some of your work if you feel like showing me one or two of your favorite projects. Of course only if time permits, don't we all got busy schedules because of Mrs. Music? ;) Best greetings
Wow, this hits home. I just transferred a track I spent a considerable amount of time on, over from an old laptop to a shiny new modern computer (with upgraded ableton and 3rd party plugins ofc) All but the stock plugins loaded and hearing the mix sans the bulk of production I had done really opened my eyes, and ears, to the time wasted ‘overproducing’. Def gonna streamline my workflow to avoid this. Thanks so much for this 🤘
Good stuff…keep it simple Do not get lost in unlimited boundaries and addition, sometime subtraction and let the soul take the wheel. Produce…keep your vegetables clean! 😃
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Awesome
Dude every time you say something at the beat that I would cringe at-you just say exactly what I think and feel. I’m very happy that you’re out there; it proves that there are geniuses and inspiring conduits doing the good worK. You are amazing; thukbs up soldier! (Captain America reference from capcom vs street fighter)
Most of what's called techno today has nothing to do with copying motown/disco, completely different sound. There is lots of unique music made throughout history but people always tried to put it in a popular label name
@@stizan9185 the song thriller imo is the seed of all dope techno, no?
Dude, I really don’t say this lightly, you are one of my RUclips faves. I value authenticity and you’re doing a great job here. Keep blessing us with your vids.
My words! And I just sticked to this channel because of the voice... I was like... huh .. is it fake ... AI ... ???
No, just an incredible cool dude creating great content and ... a Saturday night radio voice!
And I am watching this being just a hobby drummer.
But I learned about mixolydian flat 6 here. So ... thank you!
Now, get off RUclips and go and make some of that music you've been working on
Well said!!
Agreed. You nailed it with this channel. I normally hate RUclipsrs. Kudos!
Yes! Your authenticity teaches a lot to us.
I’m a 67 year old guy with a degree in Music Theory/Comp from Cal. St. Fullerton. I learned to write music before there were daws or you tube or sample libraries or internet or personal computers. The only electronic music i had ever heard was “Switched On Bach”.
We had to write everything in our heads before we could get it down on paper. The only technology we had that the masters (Bach, Beethoven, etc) didn’t have was a pencil with an eraser. The production was done by someone else (the performers). Our focus was the foundation you talk about. We learned the difference between Creativity (the ability to stare into the dark and hear the music) and Craft (the ability to share it with someone else). Thanks for this great video. You hit the nail on the head.
Good point. Also why i never undwrstood constant yabbering from the brass section about having to prepare for an exam when we had a live show. Back then, only needed electricity, amps and a venue. When real music was a privedgle to play and experience live. Real musical craft and creativity is Live shows, no matter what. Music theory crap vs jamming anywhere you could plug in. No one talks about this
Hey! I used to take piano lessons as a kid at Cal St. Fullerton in the mid 60s. My teacher was Rita Fuzcek. Maybe you knew her. The campus was only 2 buildings at the time. Switched on Bach blew my mind at the time. First time I really clued into a synthesizer. I record quite a synth Bach pieces now. It's a lot easier now that we have computers and quantize. I restored a Zuckerman clavichord and use that for Bach as well.
@@mrratskins Rita Fuzsec, that’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time. I took a class she taught called Piano Pedagogy. She stands out in my memory as one of the best professors. She was scary but an excellent educator. What a wonderful opportunity you had to study with her.
I'd like to tell you I was a good student. But I was horrible. I took lessons from about age 8 thru 13 or so. I didn't practice. I acted like a brat. But for some reason she thought I had talent and tried to get me to go to Julliard. Ended up running away and being a druggie. I wish she could see me now. I developed a good classical technique and have really upped my game. Played in bands. Had a couple of well reviewed albums and been in a few movies. My final analysis is this: music is most fun when on the amateur level.
@@mrratskins as a kid with a dorito guitar and no formal training, I can confirm this.
For the lazy amongst us ;) =]
0:00 (ain't nobody got time for that) INTRO
1:14 STOP MAKING MUSIC
2:22 STEAL IDEAS
3:33 STOP PRACTICING
4:57 PRODUCE LESS
7:40 JUST PLAY THE DAMN SONG
9:35 OUTRO (or "That's all got for today; go away now")
These timestamps are just making the video seem more and more interesting lmao
That OUTRO looks like a "Steal Ideas" step from The Critical Drinker's channel outros....
6:38 DON'T MIX!
@@ThomasLoyd 😁
Also 0:23 PURRFECT GRUMPY CAT
It’s my lucky day. Lazy habits are the only kind I have!
✋😫
One trick I have is to ALWAYS have a patch open in my DAW (usually an electric piano or some such thing) and play varying chord sequences while I watch a show (usually on RUclips) on my TV, which is also my computer monitor. I keep the gain low enough that I don't drown out the video and if something interesting happens I'll pause the video and charge straight in. I start a lot of my work this way - no pressure, no rush - and I tend to crank out pieces left and right. My problem is when to STOP writing harmonic pieces (unless it's soundtrack work) and actually focus on lyrics and vocal melodies. I haven't found the magic elixir for THAT part, except for patiently waiting for some idea or snippet to jump into my brain.
No need to wait for a melody to jump into your brain. That sounds insane.
No such thing as being out of inspiration or waiting for it to come to you. There's just time and effort. Just make sure you enjoy the time you spend making an effort.
You can transcribe anything into music. Figuratively, but also literally. Look around you right now or better yet, go outside, get moving, take it all in and I mean truly open your heart and use your senses. Recognize the patterns and irregularities around you. Nature is great for seeing the balance, the eb and flow, etc. Take pictures if you need to. Then choose what and how to translate what you sense into notes or even entire arrangements and concept albums.
E.g Say you have a shelve with books. Note they are all a different height and thickness. Draw a imaginary line from left to right over the top of them. Choose a base or midpoint for pitch. Consolidate if you have to. Now apply the rhythm, the theory, fit it into key and arrangement. Aaaaand you have a melody. -Or at least a great starting point and you didn't have to wait for it to come to you. It may have already been done, like anything and everything already has been, blablabla. But this came from your perspective, with your signature and you can sleep at night knowing you haven't blatantly copied someone else (even when no one really cares).
You can apply this to almost anything. Objects, feelings, actions, smells, relationships, you name it and you decide!
This is really cool. I will, with maximum gratitude, be stealing the heck out of this idea.
I do this too. I thought I did this because of my ADHD. Do you have it too. 😅
I’ve been fortunate enough to make music while I’m working. I work from home and I do customer service. In between calls I start my process of findings sounds and as the day goes on I work on my track little by little. By the end of my shift I have the idea of the track and by the end of the day I have the bulk of the song done. It’s been working for me for about 2 and a half years. 😎👍🏽
that thumbnail lol
I thought he was holding a pipe wrench at first glance, and had a good giggle.
Dude abides
I ain’t thirsty…
I’m ✨ *_D E H Y D R A T E D_* ✨🥵
He’s kind of a big deal and his studio smells of rich mahogany.
it is a thirst trap
and i am ✨ *_D E H Y D R A T E D_* ✨🥵
Stop making music is such a cheat code. The intentionality behind creating is crazy. For "practicing" I think sometimes my "practice" is sitting down with an idea and learning to flesh it out to make it into something real but your so right. the application of your skills is the best. All of these tips are dope and reaffirming for what I like to do! I like the added context as well
I cycle between modes. There are times when I say now is the time for messing around and seeing what will happen with my instruments. And other times where I'm working generally on tracks and doing file housekeeping in between, then there's the third mode which is have a specific plan, work on it, when it's done, make a plan for next time.
@@Xanaduum Thats dope! I think the fact that you are cycling keeps things fresh atleast subconsciously. I do the same and i really feel like it helps the end goal anyways. Thank you for sharing
@@KawaiiSteez some times you've just gotta play around like a kid, improvise, twist knobs on synths even if you don't know what they do and just see what heppens. It's the most fun way to learn. And sometimes you've got to be structured as hell.
Leaving the faders and mix alone when you're making a new song is such a good tip. It really is all about sound selection and whether all the pieces fit together or not rather than trying to force them together from the get go.
What you said about using old school techniques and simpler mixing is so true. I see so much crap on social media with people getting into insane minutia with mixing when I keep saying "if your arranging and songwriting is good, mixing is a breeze".
7:24 is SUCH a GEM 💯 I try to get peers of mine to understand this when I critique them because they only seem to like something when it's produced to pristine quality when the song itself would not be NEARLY as good without production. The true test of a great song is if it still holds weight without the bells & whistles.
This is why I'm still subscribed to this channel. You just accurately portray what its like to make music.
Even as a guy who has 5 or so videos on thier musician youtube account and countless unfinished tracks, i still relate to the guy whos doing this for a living.
Excellent video, I'm glad I've stuck around.
If you look at so many of the classic jazz albums, they recorded it live often direct to two tracks with no subsequent mixing. Mistakes happen and if the overall take was good, that's what you heard on the record. Your sound was your sound with minimal effects processing. Recording complete performances live tells you a lot about what does or doesn't sound good, etc. You can still record that way with a DAW.
I'm fairly new to music production and your channel as well, and I gotta say you have the best balance of motivation/inspiration and reality checks of the online music production community and you have my ever lasting thanks for that.
Due to my 9 to 5 and commute times, I can barely put in one or two hours of work into my music every day. Listening to your videos during working hours at the office has played a huge part on reminding me why I keep pushing to try and create music when I get home, and just wanted to share that with you. Never stop creating, man. You're awesome.
I have been implementing a monthly habit of producing something within 1 hour with my DAW. And it can be hot garbage but at least it helped me maintain or create stuff that I've been inspired by during my downtime. Plus it helps me pinpoint things that I need to do research or learn about once I'm done with my exercize. At the end I can also improve and polish whatever I made within that timespan.
You have no idea how much I like this genre of videos you make. Also you have no idea how much I actually needed to hear these tips. Thanks a lot!
I've been playing guitar for 45 years and writing songs for 40 years. I practice by writing songs. It always ends up happening. I honestly can't remember scales all the way through anyway. The knowledge is there and manifests itself when I'm working on a song.
The beginning of video is just describing all of our lives… All the crazy multitasking, video, marketing, leaning, practicing… all that on top of having another regular job that pays the bills - and in the end no rewards haha oh well
Started making beats around 1999 on a MPC. It started with Drum N Bass and underground Hiphop, then experimental Synth, Industrial, and noise etc. After trying to learn multiple genres, I'm at the point where i take gaps of time off listening to other peoples work, and not sticking to a a particular genre when i create, for me that's when my best ideas come out, and new forms grow.
Once again, here comes Venus to tell me exactly what I need to hear at just the right moment. Been learning more and more about mixing, and now I'm kinda caught in that trap.
That’s exactly where I’m at… and I’m a beginner to all of this stuff.
I find I'm most productive if I have a goal.
For example, last year I said to myself "I've got two months of time, let's make an album", thought about a vibe, a theme for the whole thing for a while and then started pumping out tracks. I didn't end up having those 2 months, but I worked on it for almost a year in my free time and got it done this spring. I wrote 2 hours of music I'm really happy with in a year, after having basically nothing for the 3 years before that, where I just sat down to "make some music" 3 times a week.
that thumbnail made me feel things I'm not sure I consented to
This is life advice beyond just music production.
I just love your videos. They are so filled with art, and good information on top of that. Just know your work is loved and respected, and appreciated by a lot of people! ❤
been trying to tell my clients this for 15 years - the source is so much more important than the mastering chain
As a “gentleman of a certain age” …I remember the dawn of the computer based sequencer, and its metamorphosis into today’s DAW. I’m way happier to do my music today because of the ease at which I can do it. Side note: your first time editing TAPE is frightening.
But what I do like is that my “old timey” experience has made me better with today’s tools. Yes… all options are open and endless track counts await me. But being able to (mostly) play all my parts live, and get my ideas down efficiently is something I love… and I think is missing for some. Unfortunate.
The quote that always stuck in my head was from a person I worked with who worked at a major music equipment company: “If your music takes more than 16 tracks… I don’t know if I want to hear it.”
This has stuck with me and helps keep me on track. I’m going to go yell at some clouds now.
Great to hear the Charlie Parker quote in there, love you for that! A huge benefit of not spending a lot of time editing, manipulating, fixing it... (this is just my experience) whatever it is the first or second pass is always the real essence of it. At least if you're trying to capture something "fresh" or spontaneous.
I think he makes the most quality and unique music production videos on RUclips ❤❤
Thank you mustache man. Billy Schu here. 40 plus years of recording, my go to is still to play live to my tracks. allows me to be "in the pocket". My down fall is having unlimited tracks to keep adding parts.
As someone that started music very late in life and spending the last decade trying to get better at it, the notion of stopping practice just floored me.
Gotta agree that it's much better to play the keyboard than push the DAW spreadsheet cells around. I am not a musician, but I play one when I work through a tune by memorizing where my fingers are on the piano keyboard. And while I'm doing that, sometimes my hand slips and my fingers land on much more interesting notes. "Okay. Change of plan." That simply doesn't happen when I go click, click, click on the piano roll window.
Some of the best music I made, was created by me trying to copy a track I loved and completely failing at it. I tried one thing and ended up with something else that inspired me.
Just stopping by cause that thumbnail is FIRE!!!!
Recently I've taken a hyper focused approach to writing music. I come from a house / dubstep background where sound design was the most important part. Now I'm looking to write more thematic melodies and rich chord progressions.
I've started challenging myself to just use piano or a sin wave patch to write out catchy songs without the pressure or distraction of synth tweaking or endless presets.
The hardest part of making music is the endless options and choices. So, I try to give myself only a few choices at each stage of creating. Not only does it make the process easier, but it also commits me to keep moving forward. I finish pieces because I "burn" most of my "bridges" behind me.
I make my best music when I have no idea what I’m doing.
If I’m lucky, I did hit record.
And remember that Less is Paul,
or however the saying goes😉
I totally agree that playing “live” is highly recommended.
I worked as a semi-pro bass player for over thirty years
and learned so much about playing economically,
finding the pocket and fitting my part of the arrangements.
Recently, I made my debut playing rock organ.
I found the trick to be to, mostly, play as few notes
as possible at the same time and to avoid fifths and thirds.
And of course using my left hand to adjust
draw bars, Leslie and volume.
Another great video.
Thank you 𝄢
Ennio Morricone made film scores taking here or there. The magic was, he make them sound like a unique, unforgettable thing called geinius... He once made a song based on the french police siren. It was "Se telefonando" by Mina!
Such great wisdom . . . after you carve out the cynicism. The biggest problem for me (and probably everyone else) is wanting to utilize the myriad exotic tools at our disposal. That is how you end up in trouble. So your point about simplifying is well taken. My solution is to make several versions of the same song. Each version has it's own set of plugins, arrangements, and production techniques. That way you get to experiment with many different sounds and have some creative fun.
this video is incredible man, literally every point you made resonated with me so much, ive been producing for years, never released a song. have had a really rough few years, and have finally picked it up again and am going to give it my all. youve inspired me to just DO IT and not sit around waiting for it to happen. so thank you
You definitely make some of the most engaging stuff I find on RUclips. Thanks dude!
You have helped me a lot since I started making music. You were the first RUclipsr that I started following, and I learned a lot by watching you. So, thanks, Cameron."🫡
Honestly, your videos help me so much to reframe my perspective and refocus on what actually matters and makes music. Thank you
Lovely essay. Happy to see Reaper DAW make some cameos. I agree that "playing" at least some of the parts into your DAW. It makes the tune personal at least. My kid complains about some of my off-grid notes, but I choose to call that "feel." YMMV.
I am happy that I play in a band, in addition to making beats or whatever. I get to do live performances and release albums, so I don’t feel any pressure to make or release beats.
Also, my band has a guy who can write entire songs and play every instrument better than the rest of us, so I don’t have to create and arrange entire songs all by myself. It also removes the pressure of releasing music, because it is not 100% mine and I am therefore not 100% responsible for what I release.
Dude you are becoming one of my favourites.
you say it like it is..
I have now banned my self from scrolling RUclips during productive hours.
because of this exactly.
I sendup watching more music making then I get done then I lost interesting go the track as its been to long since it really moved on & then I have hundreds of loops..
so this came at the right time!
Thank you for helping my confidence.
Great video man - love this advice
work fast, like prince, this is one of my rules, stay out of the mind and hyper focus, find sounds that work , move forward. find the flow state
Love your videos, Venus! Thanks man
The background music texture is stellar!
You and Bo Beats are the only RUclipsrs who I remember to check on when I haven't had a notification in a while.
That's so true, sometimes I've tried too hard and it could have been done in a more relaxed way, because in the end you probably won't get millions of whatever out of it. If you do, then you're "kinda" lucky, but if not, at least you haven't beaten yourself up.
Some great insights VT. I enjoy your little rants and home-truths. Here's mine: I remember the absolute thrill when I purchased for an obscene amount of money, my first multitrack cassette tape deck (Tascam 244) - yep, FOUR tracks!! each one individually recordable, and you could "bounce" three tracks into one to get awesome multi-layered things happening. And then, shortly after that, another obscenely priced drum machine (Roland TR707) sent me into nirvana as I learnt the art of programming beat by beat the patterns and fills I desired, and then carefully backing them up to tape. Finally, a couple of years later, the same thrills when I bought my first synth (Ensoniq ESQ1) at an equally obscene price, and the buzz of creating new sounds to complement the massive 40-slot onboard patch library, and carefully backing the new ones up to tape.......(I say obscene, because in my country, you pay up to three times the price than you would in the USA).
It's 2024: I choose from any number of absolutely mind-blowing DAW's and synth/drum plugins, but the thrill and buzz is absent: seemingly infinite tracks, infinite effects, infinite patches. The creative urge is still there, but the ratio of tool-tinkering to playing music back in the day in now reversed. What I mean is, once I had my "tools" set up, and figured out how get music out of them, I just switched them on and started making music. Today, half my available "music" time might be filled up with PC problems, updates of software, compatibility issues, authorisation (thanks iLok), insane download/install programs that almost every vendor feels compelled to use, checking out recommendations, trying a different reverb plugin because the last one just went weird for a certain setting, useless hours fine-tuning 100 tracks when I've only got 5 instruments, "housekeeping" all those plugins and unused tracks, backups, etc, etc, etc, not to mention software glitches and crashes. The technology is amazing, but it can also kill productivity, and now, with AI, probably can kill creativity. I used to smirk at seeing some guitar legend on stage who had to change guitars at every song, and thinking "why the photon can't he just use one?" But I realise, given how I do music these days, I do the same.
This video sums up so many things about making music that I've always wanted to say, without knowing exactly what or how to say them... lol
Love your channel and you've made a lot of really great points here. I do disagree with one of them in some circumstances. Your recommendation to stop practicing doesn't work if you are a jazz musician or another genre (like progressive rock) where instrumental playing is where a significant amount of the music is happening. This kind of music requires significant practice on-going, there's just no way around that. I had the privilege to spend a couple of hours with Roger Mayer who hand built some of Jimi Hendrix's famous effects pedals. He said that Jimi lived with the guitar on. He literally made breakfast with a guitar around his neck, he practiced constantly. That's why he was so ground breaking as a guitar player. His instrument became an extension of himself.
Thanks! This video really resonated with me. I think I needed this perspective right now.
Intentionality is the name of the game, after attaining a certain amount of knowledge about the craft.
Great stuff there man, thanks for the big smile on my face.
awesome stuff... as always. i go back to pre computer days and restrict what i can do. too easy to stare at the screen for every as you say. I like how Springsteen after he had a huge hit he stayed at home with a crappy 4 track tape machine and made his next albumn
One of your best videos! Every artist needs to hear this in their life!
Love your channel, man. Another great video.
I've noticed your filming / editing / lighting in recent videos is just so fucking sick. Props.
There are quite a few reasons I luv your content. One-you use Reaper 🙂 and two-your talks are very inspiring. Thank you
I really like (and value!) your realistic attitude and advice… obviously, personally well learned. Thanks!
Hey, this is great stuff! Thanks a lot! I've recently seen an interview to one of the Air members (the French duet) and he says that he's made his most intereseting stuff just by being a limited and "bad musician" in a way. Many times coping with limitations is what makes you do very interesting stuff, there is many virtuoso stuff that's sooo so boring, maybe because that makes you kind of limitless.
So you are telling me I can go from laying in bed... to walking around the house with sunglasses on and my shirt unbuttoned?! Sign me up!
Amazing and inspiring!
I think of music making as discovering more than creating. Because "all music as already been written" and "nothing is new under the sun", turning it to personnal discovery by making the music is the most beautiful way i can think about it. Everybody can write, and discover, just like someone walks or travel somewhere. Nobody denies a trip because "other people have been there"
I love the colour grading on this vid
You are so funny. Practicing is more important to me than composing is because it makes creating music easier and more fun. To quote Miles Davis "If you sound good in the practice room, you're not doing it right."
As someone who has maybe 30-60 minutes per night to do music, this really resonated with me. I think it's great that you acknowledge the reality of this for so many people.
I don't have the luxury of sitting for 18 hours per day in front of my DAW.
And I think - given these kind of constraints - it's useful to acknowledge that I don't have to completely reinvent music from scratch to come up with something worthwhile. Teenage Kicks wasn't breathtakingly original but it was still John Peel's favourite song.
I struggle with this. After a heavy diet of Aphex Twin's intricate programming in esoterica software, it's dispiritingly easy to think there's no point in making music if any aspect of it has been done before. But I think of it like sitting down to a meal in a restaurant: I don't need this meal to completely reinvent food from the ground up to be incredibly entertained by what I'm eating; it's the tastefulness of the choices that have been made and that kitchen's unique combination of choices that are fun to experience. It doesn't have to be molecular gastronomy to be enjoyable. I'm here now, this is what's on the menu; am I enjoying it? Am I raving about it to my friends?
So, by necessity, I've found the most inspiring ideas erupt out out of enagaging with music as a "play" activity.
Some things I do that end up being most rewarding for me:
- an hour of just noodling on the guitar, piano, or a really limited selection of electronic hardware (grooveboxes, synths, samplers) - without overthinking what I'm doing; take it into the DAW later and see what comes of it; no production, no finessing
- on the flipside, sitting at the DAW thinking "I'm going to play with X idea"; like "make a heavy sounding electronic track in 6/8 time because I never do stuff like that"
For me, it helps to remember it's not a calling or a job or an ambition, it's something I do for fun, so make sure it IS fun; whenever I do it like this, I come up with FAR more interesting stuff
Every musician I’ve heard give advice will say that you should just rapidly create new stuff and move on. It’s nice to hear a fresh perspective on producing less. I think it’s probably one of those things where adhering to blanket rules is a bad idea. I think there is wisdom in rapidly churning out new ideas but I also think that there is value in sticking to one of those ideas long enough to really go into great depth of thought and quality with many iterations until it can become something extremely polished and not just another song in the pile of songs.
When an artist like Michelangelo started to carve a marble statue, he was inherently making a commitment to devoting months if not years on this one piece of art, and to see it through to the end. The nature of carving a statue of stone is not something you can just churn out rapidly. I think music can be like that too. Once you find that idea that’s worth iterating on, maybe it’s time to make a bigger commitment to it.
These videos keep getting better and better. Great story, amazing videography and editing. And there are not many RUclipsrs that actually make me laugh. Every vid is a must watch!
brings back memories of an old classic which i read decades ago while backpacking in the mountains of Yukon, Thaddeus Golas, "The Lazy Man's Guide to Enlightenment"
You make my favorite channel. Only 25% due to audacity to tell us to get the F*#k off youtube. The remaining 75% is spread across the content type, messaging and its direct execution, humor timing, narrative cadences, audio taste/dynamics and all around production quality. Damn dude. 🤘
5:18 my favorite way to record is using tech only up to the level that still feels like I'm working with the stuff in my heart - tends to land around the mid to late 90s so I record mostly raw audio, just me, a synth or guitar and a pedalboard wherever possible, and come close when I have to exceed that, like using Maschine instead of learning the physical side of drumming and setting up some giant Tama kit. It changes the goal to getting it right on the way in rather than with vsts and the dials on a photoshop image of a mixing board. The tactile experience is too important to my inspiration, and it keeps you honest.
My recording style is basically 4-track minus the bullshit problems of a 4 track
YES on the rough mix/faders
For someone new to all of this it's been tough trying to learn gear(need to stop watching geartube) but also the aspects necessary to actually create music that hopefully other can appreciate and enjoy. Love your short life lesson videos.
When you're scrolling through your phone, you are listening to others. when you are creating things, you are speaking for others. When you let silence or ambience take it's space, you are listening to yourself.
I am Mastering my first track I ever wrote this week. I have hope because the section about "only doing the rough mix with faders and panners" - That's EXACTLY how I did it - mostly because the Multiband Compressor is SCARY :D :D :D
Thanks for this video. Really good info, super well presented. You bring great realism into the general music industry dialogue. Good stuff. Best from Berlin.
Needed this. Thanks you.
...Unless your desktop PC bricks, you lose all your work and give up until you finally get a new laptop years later, and have forgotten how to hook everything up and how to use your DAW. 😆😂😭 I literally had a nervous breakdown after not being able to create my sh***y music. Hopefully I can get my life back now that my therapist (DAW) is back in my life again.
The most important thing is to make the first step and to start something..... And at this point music should have such a wide horizon as there are so many options and most musicians should not have any expectations and limitations, especially home recording. In the world when everything can be tuned to perfection, I love to leave the song with several 'mistakes'.....
always love your encouraging and funny videos :)
I'm going to print a poster in my rehearsal/producing room with that Rick Rubin's quote. For real!
"there is a difference between lazy and efficient, however it's not always that far between them".
I've read a similar thing from another musician, Robert Fripp, phrased thus: "Don't aim to do as little as possible, aim to do only as much as is necessary"
Most Excellent!!! Thank you!!!
I started working DAWless the last few months. I do design my drum sounds and record and trigger a few samples - some vocals, reverse sweeps, maybe a pad, etc - but use no sounds I can't get out of my hardware. I record the main stereo bus only - the mix is whatever I think is good enough at the time. It's been an incredible experience. The music sounds better, feels more alive, I'm more creative. Limitations breed creativity.
Your videos are great! I love how you take a complex and potentially discouraging topic and make it both relatable and engaging. It never feels like I'm being lectured to, which is a real talent.
This is on point.
What I'd like to add, if I'm allowed to, is the other issue that I'd completely forgotten about until earlier this month, when i bought a brand new hardware synth that had a lot of well crafted presets which sound great if you play them in isolation/ in a synth shop/ in your shed (well...) but don't sit well in a mix.
You spend hours/ days / weeks (months?) Reprogramming as many sounds as possible, with a view to making the instrument more useable for you. That takes time. Especially if the U.I. isn't as friendly as you initially thought it'd be.
I'm towards the end of that part of the journey. Hopefully, this means I'll have learned/learnt more useful synth programming techniques by the end of it.
✌️ 🌅
I love your ability to disrespect while also encouraging us. one love!
I like that part about ''not mixing''. I get lots of comments on my channel like ''show how you mixed this or that'' but the truth is, I almost don't mix at all...I just design/choose well my sounds/samples. Like you said, in the end mixing is just polishing an almost finished product. And if I do use ''lots'' of plugins, it's for a sound design purpose and not mixing. If your EQ looks like a roller coaster, somethings wrong. lol
great video as usual man, 👌
Didn't have to watch more than a minute to know I still love every video you do
This is fantastic advice. I've been making music for years, primarily on software, and I just always felt overwhelmed. I would spend hours twiddling with knobs I didn't understand. I recently switched to fully DAWless, and while that word comes with a lot of baggage, it has helped my productivity tremendously. I've made more music in the last four months than the last decade combined as far as finished tracks. There's something about having to rehearse and record the whole track live onto a field recorder that makes it much easier to say, "that take was good enough. Let's move on."
As a person new to the world of hardware, your voice shines through as a very rare voice of reason in the RUclips music production space. So thank you. I'm turning RUclips off now.
I really came to value a limited sketchpad.
Make something with very little, and only dive deep into your treasure chest of plugins and processing once the idea is solid and the song is written. Work with only 8 tracks for as long as possible - ear candy included! It'll force you to prioritze and figure out what is necessary and what is nice-to-have at best. No processing allowed on these tracks except maybe 1 compressor, 1 EQ, 1 instance of distortion.
Once the track is done this way, you're allowed to add whatever you want - because by then, you'll have a vision.
You are the most inspiring dude out there thanks for these ❤
This is a great video, Vibe is king for music, look at Bon Iver, he recorded that record in a cabin with a few mics and it blew everything else at the time out of the water.
I'm very much impressed by how easily you managed to communicate these broad but very well selected valuable advice through a 10 min. video. - The quote "there's a tremendous power in using the least amount of information to get a point across" does astonishingly well suit the work you must have put into making this video. I'm very pleased to come across your work today, last but not least also because it's just a great thing to see interesting thoughts being shared in such a humane and relatable way on RUclips in times when many people continue to create completely sterile or overhyped "content". So thank you, keep up the good work!
Off topic: You've mentioned in your review of the arturia keylab that you have again found great joy in your profession after having started with many new freelance projects. What kind of music projects are you busy with these days? I'm working as a full time composer/musician and audio engineer in Germany (close to the french border) and I'd be seriously interested in listening to some of your work if you feel like showing me one or two of your favorite projects.
Of course only if time permits, don't we all got busy schedules because of Mrs. Music? ;)
Best greetings
I love your intros.
Wow, this hits home.
I just transferred a track I spent a considerable amount of time on, over from an old laptop to a shiny new modern computer (with upgraded ableton and 3rd party plugins ofc)
All but the stock plugins loaded and hearing the mix sans the bulk of production I had done really opened my eyes, and ears, to the time wasted ‘overproducing’.
Def gonna streamline my workflow to avoid this.
Thanks so much for this 🤘
Good stuff…keep it simple
Do not get lost in unlimited boundaries and addition, sometime subtraction and let the soul take the wheel.
Produce…keep your vegetables clean! 😃