Best ways to improve production ...

TLMUSIC · 26th June 2006, 05:09 PM

Just wanted to gather some cool tips on the most efficient ways to improve production.

I think one thing that so many people do is not learn to use their gear properly, you can improve quickly if you just sit down and work out how to make the most of it.

Listening to music constantly and really analysing whats going on is another way you can develop what you're doing quickly. Im pretty new to all this and im getting better quickly, but i wanna get better as quick as i can ... what do you guys have to share...?

What makes Storch, Dre, Timbaland, Dallas Austin, Jazzy Pha, Jim Beanz, Jermaine Dupri etc stand out ...? We're all human and any of us can reach that, if its what you wanna do and you have the dedication ...

Peace

pingu · 26th June 2006, 05:41 PM

Probably not the answer you want to hear as i wouldnt have in the beginning is go to your nearest big studio and bother them until they let you hang out there.

**toolskid** · 26th June 2006, 05:52 PM

You may take this as some kind of smart-ass comment, but I'm trying to be genuine here... do it all the time...do nothing else but make the music you want to, and the music you don't. Take a risk, don't get a part-time job til you're starving or any generosity runs out, listen to EVERYTHING everyone says, you'll feel which information is good advice and which is distraction...it may take years, but things you've heard, seen and experienced will gradually become clearer and the relationships and independence of concepts and techniques will both blow your mind and help build a new understanding for you, all ready for it to be dismantled and rebuilt again (don't worry you should be able to preserve yourself through this!!)

Respectfully: 'Quickly as I can' is not remotely the right state of mind to be in to actually get somewhere with what you're trying to do! Don't set time limits on achieving goals, in fact don't even set super-specific goals: while you're working on some area, you'll be opening up so many other avenues of exploration that you might realise what you were originally intending was not what you expected anyway (by the way, this is all from my experience and my journey in production etc... I'm still constantly excited and rewarded from studying and working out stuff!!).

Learning your tools is important for sure, but never let them get in the way of capturing or representing what you want to! Working fast is GREAT, but don't become sloppy as you're pushing yourself beyond your abilities IN SESSIONS! Try and get in with a good engineer you respect and learn from them, you can do it all yourself, but man, so many pitfalls, I don't even want to think what states I would have got into without a couple of the mentors I've had, and I'm basically self-taught!

For all the conceptual stuff I just spouted out, I'm a gear-nerd, I constantly read about and try-out with new gear, I talk to the people who build it and many others who use it! I spent years working my ass off on logic then got really into ProTools treating it like I approached learning drum-kit (I was a session drummer for years before getting into engineering and production, and still am actually!)

ok I'm in a session now, so I gotta jet but, I hope some of that ramble clicks somehow with you,

all the best and good luck man!

Em

NesNeedsGear · 26th June 2006, 06:11 PM

the simplest and most effective way to improve your production is to maximize the EASE of your workflow.

find the daw/sampler/etc that you work most efficiently with and git 'er done!!

Big 3rd · 26th June 2006, 08:43 PM

I would say if you are working with no real instruments and all synthesizers, sound modules, and soft synths....do whatever you can to make it sound like it's a "real" performance with real instruments. Be very picky with the sounds you decide to use. Don't settle for the first thing that sounds "pretty good." Take a nice amount of time out in just picking sounds that work well together. This also means adding more sprinkles to your music. "Sprinkles" gives production a more polished and thorough sound because sometimes the combination of the subtle things about a track is what gives the track it's character and it's professional sound.

Another, major tip is to try to push yourself out of your comfort zone every time you start a new track. If you see that you tend to have the same sounds or use similar notes, chords, riffs in every track, make yourself go in a different direction. This is extremely hard for a lot of producers but it's essential to becoming great at your art.

adrianex · 26th June 2006, 10:34 PM

Beside the growing as a producer, you have to improve your networking. I know talented, producer and musicians starving to death, waiting to be discover. You may have the talent, but if no body knows you, its talent wasted.

And you have to know that this is a never ending learnig process, you think Strch, Dre, don't still learning new stuff everyday??. New ways to improve their sound and production?? and they still have people to look up too.

Thats the best tip I can give u.

brian_delizza · 26th June 2006, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NesNeedsGear

the simplest and most effective way to improve your production is to maximize the EASE of your workflow.

find the daw/sampler/etc that you work most efficiently with and git 'er done!!

Haha I find this hilariously appropriate because the Logic template that I use for 95% of my songs is titled "git err done".

It really is true though, if you know your stuff it not only speeds you up but allows you to have more fun and be more creative.

The_Phoenix · 27th June 2006, 03:26 AM

1.) Know your gear!

Teach yourself new tricks, in order to produce a new sound. Like filtering, eq, delay, reverb, etc... When I owned a Yamaha RM1x, I abused every sound in that thing. I learned how to manipulate the sounds. After I was finished, I taught myself how to beef up the drums, turn a hi-hat into a new sound efx, etc..

2.) Learn how to use effects!

You can have a banging beat but if the mix is wack, it'll sound like garbage. In my oppinion, the only way to complete a track is a perfect or near perfect mix.

3.) Take a chance!

Don't be afraid to incorporate a new style or sound. Listen to producers: Timbaland, Lil Jon and The Neptunes. None of them sound the same, but they have proved dedication is the key to success.

4.) Recycle!

After you learn your gear, change up the effects. Change up and layer sounds, anyone can make a beat with presets and stock sounds. Step ya game up!

5.) Get another opinion!

Don't be afraid to let people hear your work. This isn't a good example but . The first time I let someone hear my tracks, I play'em for a friend of mine. He was piss drunk and half sleep on the floor. After he heard my tracks. He said, "you should work on your intos". At first, I didn't take him serious, but I tried it anyway. After I spiced up the intros. I realized how important the intro was to a beat. This was one weakness I later improved!

REMEMBER!

Everyone has a weakness. It's your responsibility to find out where and teach yourself how to improve. There were very few people welling to help, take time out and teach me how to produce. So I read books, watched video tutorials and practiced. Now 100 people ask me the same question over and over again. How do you make a bangin beat!

LISTEN, LEARN, STUDY, LEARN, READ, LEARN, PRACTICE! DON"T BE FOOLED!

TLMUSIC · 27th June 2006, 09:17 PM

Cool man - thanks for all the help guys - much to work on so far - keep it coming!!

Peace

MarkusColeman · 28th June 2006, 12:16 AM

a simple structure - no matter if learning new things or making the music better

make a plan on what to concentrate primarly

spot your weak points

reduce your gear to one synth, one sampler, one fx set
(that way, you will know what´s missing, when adding new "flavours" - do it step by step)

get it right at the source: basic tricks when designing sounds/working with samples can give you a huge "boost". most producers (unfortunatly) TRY to compensate that by having great engineers/mixermen.

DON´T put too much time into mixing or learning it - you should know the basics, but you will learn them while creating sounds.

there are people, who will turn your "good" beats into great sounding ones - this is what they do for a living. this is their ART, not yours. otherwise, you end up being a mediocre producer, who wants to become a great mixerman, while your mixerman will be a mediocre slider rider, trying to become a great producer. all succesfull producers work with great mixermen.
this implies NETWORKING...

every song you create should have a unique "ambience" - be it the timbre of vocals, tuning of the lead instruments or the use of fx......it´s making songs unique.

don´t follow trends. they are over the moment somebody spots them.

most music is DANCE music. jump around, dance, feel it. the frequency of your heartbeat when dancing is different, compared to sitting in a chair for hours and turning knobs to get that freaking cowbell right.

there were only a couple of instrumental-only "hit" tracks during the last decades - vocals are important. try to come up with hooklines, catchy rhymes/lines.

don´t forget, only a part of it is science. like dancing/singing/love, it´s a FEELING.

Reza · 28th June 2006, 01:52 AM

Read great production/engineering books... that kind of knowledge is priceless in making the most of your gear.

Michael Stavrou's 'Mixing with your mind" is an insane book for example!

Rez

nukmusic · 28th June 2006, 04:16 PM

Man the best way to improve is Practice....and more practice. On the days you have nothing to do...pullout the users manual for one peice of gear and look up stuff to go over. There are all so books that have a good deal of info in them.

and....

Quote:

What makes Storch, Dre, Timbaland, Dallas Austin, Jazzy Pha, Jim Beanz, Jermaine Dupri etc stand out ...? We're all human and any of us can reach that, if its what you wanna do and you have the dedication ...

talent alone won't get you there. its takes hard work. and in some cases...it also takes being in the "Right Place at the Right Time". Just think of all the folks you know that has as much or much more talent as Storch, Dre, Timbaland, Dallas Austin, Jazzy Pha, Jim Beanz, Jermaine Dupri

..........

TLMUSIC · 1st July 2006, 11:08 PM

Thanks guys - lots of wicked info - you're right - there should be no time limit ... its as simple as practice practice practice haha!!! Well nearly. But seriously thanks, i got some cool stuff to go on now!!

Peace

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26th June 2006, 05:09 PM	#1
TLMUSIC Gear addict Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 344	Best ways to improve production ... Just wanted to gather some cool tips on the most efficient ways to improve production. I think one thing that so many people do is not learn to use their gear properly, you can improve quickly if you just sit down and work out how to make the most of it. Listening to music constantly and really analysing whats going on is another way you can develop what you're doing quickly. Im pretty new to all this and im getting better quickly, but i wanna get better as quick as i can ... what do you guys have to share...? What makes Storch, Dre, Timbaland, Dallas Austin, Jazzy Pha, Jim Beanz, Jermaine Dupri etc stand out ...? We're all human and any of us can reach that, if its what you wanna do and you have the dedication ... Peace

26th June 2006, 05:52 PM	#3
toolskid Moderator Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: london Posts: 2,123	You may take this as some kind of smart-ass comment, but I'm trying to be genuine here... do it all the time...do nothing else but make the music you want to, and the music you don't. Take a risk, don't get a part-time job til you're starving or any generosity runs out, listen to EVERYTHING everyone says, you'll feel which information is good advice and which is distraction...it may take years, but things you've heard, seen and experienced will gradually become clearer and the relationships and independence of concepts and techniques will both blow your mind and help build a new understanding for you, all ready for it to be dismantled and rebuilt again (don't worry you should be able to preserve yourself through this!!) Respectfully: 'Quickly as I can' is not remotely the right state of mind to be in to actually get somewhere with what you're trying to do! Don't set time limits on achieving goals, in fact don't even set super-specific goals: while you're working on some area, you'll be opening up so many other avenues of exploration that you might realise what you were originally intending was not what you expected anyway (by the way, this is all from my experience and my journey in production etc... I'm still constantly excited and rewarded from studying and working out stuff!!). Learning your tools is important for sure, but never let them get in the way of capturing or representing what you want to! Working fast is GREAT, but don't become sloppy as you're pushing yourself beyond your abilities IN SESSIONS! Try and get in with a good engineer you respect and learn from them, you can do it all yourself, but man, so many pitfalls, I don't even want to think what states I would have got into without a couple of the mentors I've had, and I'm basically self-taught! For all the conceptual stuff I just spouted out, I'm a gear-nerd, I constantly read about and try-out with new gear, I talk to the people who build it and many others who use it! I spent years working my ass off on logic then got really into ProTools treating it like I approached learning drum-kit (I was a session drummer for years before getting into engineering and production, and still am actually!) ok I'm in a session now, so I gotta jet but, I hope some of that ramble clicks somehow with you, all the best and good luck man! Em __________________ Emre Ramazanoglu http://www.emremusic.com the wise man can pick up a grain of sand and envision the whole universe. The fool, however, will just lie down on some seaweed and roll around until he's completely draped in it. Then he'll stand up and go "Hey, I'm vine man"

26th June 2006, 10:34 PM	#6
adrianex Lives for gear Join Date: May 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 710	Beside the growing as a producer, you have to improve your networking. I know talented, producer and musicians starving to death, waiting to be discover. You may have the talent, but if no body knows you, its talent wasted. And you have to know that this is a never ending learnig process, you think Strch, Dre, don't still learning new stuff everyday??. New ways to improve their sound and production?? and they still have people to look up too. Thats the best tip I can give u. __________________ Adrianex (a.k.a DEMORI) www.demori.net www.myspace.com/demorimusic www.soundclick.com/demorimusic

27th June 2006, 03:26 AM	#8
The_Phoenix Lives for gear Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 531	1.) Know your gear! Teach yourself new tricks, in order to produce a new sound. Like filtering, eq, delay, reverb, etc... When I owned a Yamaha RM1x, I abused every sound in that thing. I learned how to manipulate the sounds. After I was finished, I taught myself how to beef up the drums, turn a hi-hat into a new sound efx, etc.. 2.) Learn how to use effects! You can have a banging beat but if the mix is wack, it'll sound like garbage. In my oppinion, the only way to complete a track is a perfect or near perfect mix. 3.) Take a chance! Don't be afraid to incorporate a new style or sound. Listen to producers: Timbaland, Lil Jon and The Neptunes. None of them sound the same, but they have proved dedication is the key to success. 4.) Recycle! After you learn your gear, change up the effects. Change up and layer sounds, anyone can make a beat with presets and stock sounds. Step ya game up! 5.) Get another opinion! Don't be afraid to let people hear your work. This isn't a good example but . The first time I let someone hear my tracks, I play'em for a friend of mine. He was piss drunk and half sleep on the floor. After he heard my tracks. He said, "you should work on your intos". At first, I didn't take him serious, but I tried it anyway. After I spiced up the intros. I realized how important the intro was to a beat. This was one weakness I later improved! REMEMBER! Everyone has a weakness. It's your responsibility to find out where and teach yourself how to improve. There were very few people welling to help, take time out and teach me how to produce. So I read books, watched video tutorials and practiced. Now 100 people ask me the same question over and over again. How do you make a bangin beat! LISTEN, LEARN, STUDY, LEARN, READ, LEARN, PRACTICE! DON"T BE FOOLED! __________________ Resurrection! The Rose That Grew From Concrete by Tupac Shakur Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete? Proving nature's law is wrong it learned to walk with out having feet. Funny it seems, but by keeping it's dreams, it learned to breathe fresh air. Long live the rose that grew from concrete when no one else ever cared.

26th June 2006, 05:41 PM	#2
pingu Lives for gear Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Perth Australia Posts: 665	Probably not the answer you want to hear as i wouldnt have in the beginning is go to your nearest big studio and bother them until they let you hang out there.

26th June 2006, 06:11 PM	#4
NesNeedsGear Lives for gear Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: NYC Posts: 540	the simplest and most effective way to improve your production is to maximize the EASE of your workflow. find the daw/sampler/etc that you work most efficiently with and git 'er done!!

26th June 2006, 08:43 PM	#5
Big 3rd Lives for gear Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Detroit, WHAT!!! Posts: 3,774	I would say if you are working with no real instruments and all synthesizers, sound modules, and soft synths....do whatever you can to make it sound like it's a "real" performance with real instruments. Be very picky with the sounds you decide to use. Don't settle for the first thing that sounds "pretty good." Take a nice amount of time out in just picking sounds that work well together. This also means adding more sprinkles to your music. "Sprinkles" gives production a more polished and thorough sound because sometimes the combination of the subtle things about a track is what gives the track it's character and it's professional sound. Another, major tip is to try to push yourself out of your comfort zone every time you start a new track. If you see that you tend to have the same sounds or use similar notes, chords, riffs in every track, make yourself go in a different direction. This is extremely hard for a lot of producers but it's essential to becoming great at your art.

27th June 2006, 09:17 PM	#9
TLMUSIC Gear addict Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 344	Cool man - thanks for all the help guys - much to work on so far - keep it coming!! Peace

28th June 2006, 12:16 AM	#10
MarkusColeman Lives for gear Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: on the couch Posts: 941	a simple structure - no matter if learning new things or making the music better make a plan on what to concentrate primarly spot your weak points reduce your gear to one synth, one sampler, one fx set (that way, you will know what´s missing, when adding new "flavours" - do it step by step) get it right at the source: basic tricks when designing sounds/working with samples can give you a huge "boost". most producers (unfortunatly) TRY to compensate that by having great engineers/mixermen. DON´T put too much time into mixing or learning it - you should know the basics, but you will learn them while creating sounds. there are people, who will turn your "good" beats into great sounding ones - this is what they do for a living. this is their ART, not yours. otherwise, you end up being a mediocre producer, who wants to become a great mixerman, while your mixerman will be a mediocre slider rider, trying to become a great producer. all succesfull producers work with great mixermen. this implies NETWORKING... every song you create should have a unique "ambience" - be it the timbre of vocals, tuning of the lead instruments or the use of fx......it´s making songs unique. don´t follow trends. they are over the moment somebody spots them. most music is DANCE music. jump around, dance, feel it. the frequency of your heartbeat when dancing is different, compared to sitting in a chair for hours and turning knobs to get that freaking cowbell right. there were only a couple of instrumental-only "hit" tracks during the last decades - vocals are important. try to come up with hooklines, catchy rhymes/lines. don´t forget, only a part of it is science. like dancing/singing/love, it´s a FEELING.

28th June 2006, 01:52 AM	#11
Reza Gear addict Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 409	Read great production/engineering books... that kind of knowledge is priceless in making the most of your gear. Michael Stavrou's 'Mixing with your mind" is an insane book for example! Rez

1st July 2006, 11:08 PM	#13
TLMUSIC Gear addict Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 344	Thanks guys - lots of wicked info - you're right - there should be no time limit ... its as simple as practice practice practice haha!!! Well nearly. But seriously thanks, i got some cool stuff to go on now!! Peace

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