inspiration starting a track?

[cynic one]

a little less technical, but just wondering what gets you guys going when you're stuck...

how do you guys approach the blank slate when you start up your daw's?

listening to loops?
banging out a drum pattern?
starting a keyboard melody?

[nukmusic]

when I'm stuck....I let my 7 yr old son play with the board. Sometimes he kicks in a rhythm or 2 to jump start a track. and he "WILL WORK FOR FOOD"

[Disco D]

I go paint, play PSP or watch a movie. I don't sit at the computer that makes it worse.

[filterayok]

i find if i'm stuck, meaning "without inspiration" its best to either a) just wait until i actually WANT to make a song, or b) i just start a rythm with a stock kit, and usually whatever rythm i play will inspire melodies----i find i can kick a drum beat in any mood whatsoever, like if i'm happy, i got a really groovy thing goin, if i'm cocky i'll start doing some neptunish really bare wierd beats, and if i'm stuck and feeling frustrated, i'll bust out with some heavy agressive beats, so at least i've been inspired by my lack of inspiration

[Flymax]

Check out the book "The Artist's Way".
It's all about getting unstuck...

[con?one]

Originally Posted by FLYMAX

Check out the book "The Artist's Way".
It's all about getting unstuck...

yeah, it's a good book, i used it in college.

for me, i just go record shopping. sometimes not looking for anthing specific, just to find new shit. other times, i'll just watch a movie or scratch for a few hours

[cynic one]

a lot of times ill have a beat in my head but when i sit down it goes away...or when i finish it - its nothing like what i envisioned.

any of you use voice recorders to beatbox then lay a track down? whats a good one i could put to wav file and import into cubase? something maybe like a little 4 track so i could do different parts over each other....

[sixtoo]

weed.

[Tommy Mas]

heroin, or poppers... that really gets me going.

just listening to old records over a hot drum beat or break will get me on the right path

[STARSKI]

i chop up samples and just let my mind go, try not to think about how its gonna turn out, just zone out and let my mind go and mess around with stuff even if it doesn't sound good, just sequence it and then start taking stuff out, then if its still not happening switch to another sequence, i just start a bunch of sequences and not get stuck on one, then go back to them and see if i want to add stuff to em or scrap em

[blayz2002]

Originally Posted by cynic

a lot of times ill have a beat in my head but when i sit down it goes away...or when i finish it - its nothing like what i envisioned.

any of you use voice recorders to beatbox then lay a track down? whats a good one i could put to wav file and import into cubase? something maybe like a little 4 track so i could do different parts over each other....

I just use a mobile phone with a voice recorder...befor that I use to phone myself and hum it down as a voicemail. This is what I do when I'm not at home to lay it straight down. For inspiration I can just put on the radio or mtv base or play some cd's.

[cynic one]

Originally Posted by blayz2002

I just use a mobile phone with a voice recorder...befor that I use to phone myself and hum it down as a voicemail. This is what I do when I'm not at home to lay it straight down. For inspiration I can just put on the radio or mtv base or play some cd's.

i went looking and there's this little app for my treo called SoundRec from www.infinityball.com that does what you're talkin about...

good lookin on the idea...this shit will help me out.

you just pull that into your DAW then and make the beat off that or play it while you make your track?

[GYMusic]

Either you can cut it or you can't. Fat people say, "how do I lose weight?". Stop eating and exercise! The hardest part is to GET started. However you usually do it... paper, pencil and guitar... or piano... whatever. Get motivated... get off the Internet and go do it! It's really that simple.

I think I got a little off topic.... anyway I'm going to go record now... bye!

[blayz2002]

Originally Posted by cynic

i went looking and there's this little app for my treo called SoundRec from www.infinityball.com that does what you're talkin about...

good lookin on the idea...this shit will help me out.

you just pull that into your DAW then and make the beat off that or play it while you make your track?

My mobile is a Sony Erricson T610, you can't do anything with the recorded sound other than play back. So I play it back to myself when I get home...get back into the vibe and then pick the notes out on the keyboard, record to a click track in Logic, add my drums, listen back and then start tweaking to perfection.

Thought I was the only one with the old T610

They r discontinued, but you can order a new face/parts on ebay for CHEAP

[Methlab]

I am get inspired by tones. So what I do is just crank up a synth and dig for new tones..if i hear something cool, ill write a melody right then. Ill tap out the tempo, turn on the click and track the melody. Then i put down my drums..this seems to work well for me more then starting with drums.

[Relax]

I used to start with drums all the time, now I can't, anytime I do I change em anyway.