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If you were to start from scratch again...

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  • 07-06-2015 5:26pm
    #1
    SuprSi
    Registered Users Posts: 6,936 ✭✭✭


    What would you learn first? I'm looking to take a step back from producing for a while to get better at the things I feel I'm not good at, such as mastering or creating my own synth sounds, etc.

    There's a huge amount of tutorials available online, subscription-based systems and others, which is great, the problem is I'm not sure where I should start.

    Should I look at compression, reverb, music theory? Where would you start?


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    #2
    mordeith
    Registered Users Posts: 5,278 ✭✭✭mordeith


    SuprSi wrote: »
    What would you learn first? I'm looking to take a step back from producing for a while to get better at the things I feel I'm not good at, such as mastering or creating my own synth sounds, etc.

    There's a huge amount of tutorials available online, subscription-based systems and others, which is great, the problem is I'm not sure where I should start.

    Should I look at compression, reverb, music theory? Where would you start?

    For me I think I would go back and get to grips with EQ first. Listening back to many of my earlier efforts they all sound so muddy cos I didn't use any frequency analysis and therefore any EQing was blind. I had the bones of good tracks but they still sounded ****e :rolleyes:


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    #3
    SuprSi
    Registered Users Posts: 6,936 ✭✭✭SuprSi


    mordeith wrote: »
    For me I think I would go back and get to grips with EQ first. Listening back to many of my earlier efforts they all sound so muddy cos I didn't use any frequency analysis and therefore any EQing was blind. I had the bones of good tracks but they still sounded ****e :rolleyes:

    Thanks, that's sort of what I'm thinking, leaving the sound creating part for the time being and focusing on the bits that make the sound better, like eq'ing and compression. I can never seem to get my tracks to sound like the stuff I listen to and I know those guys possibly use studios or even mixing engineers but I'd still like to know how to get as close as possible.


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    #4
    paulo6891
    Registered Users Posts: 352 ✭✭paulo6891


    Definitely sound design for me, I think a lot of EQing is down to the ear, not necessarily one's ability to use an EQ plugin. The difference between my EQing now and back then is not my improved skill with EQ plugins, it's my improved ear at telling me that something is muddy! Compression is something I'd like to know more about though!


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    #5
    mordeith
    Registered Users Posts: 5,278 ✭✭✭mordeith


    paulo6891 wrote: »
    Definitely sound design for me, I think a lot of EQing is down to the ear, not necessarily one's ability to use an EQ plugin. The difference between my EQing now and back then is not my improved skill with EQ plugins, it's my improved ear at telling me that something is muddy! Compression is something I'd like to know more about though!

    While I agree that your ear is important in hearing muddiness, the use of visual spectral analyzers helps identify issues that your ear may not pick up, especially in the higher range.

    I'm on board with you regarding compression. For me its basically twiddling dials until it sounds ok!


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    #6
    Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker
    Closed Accounts Posts: 161 ✭✭Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker


    In the process of doing the whole starting over thing myself after a long time away from it. First thing I opted to do was completely strip down the tools I'm making available to myself. I've built up a pretty comprehensive plugin library over the past 15 years, but there's such a tendency to horde instead of mastering them. I'm now basically attempting to figure out what I'm going to limit myself to ahead of properly getting back into things.

    Once that's sorted, my arrangement is where I need the most work. I'm dreadful at it, quite frankly. I've managed to churn out quite a few decent tracks in the past, but the arrangement always pulls even my better offerings back to a level of mediocrity. So if anyone has any decent resources with tips on that side of things I'm all ears!

    The plan is to revisit my older stuff initially, using the narrowed down array of tools, and work to rearrange them and bring them up to the level I feel they should be at.

    I'm no doubt very rusty on the mixing side of things too, so that'll need a lot of work.

    From the little I've been doing so far, the hardest thing has been not falling back into old routines ("slap a 2-octave descending arp on a mini moog v and that'll do as a bassline" kinda stuff). Easier said than done. Wish I could just blank the whole lot and go again from scratch.


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    #7
    The Inpatient
    Registered Users Posts: 55 ✭✭The Inpatient


    Best advice i ever heeded when i started, was listen to a bassline (For example) from a track you really like and try an recreate the pattern, octave ascents or descents, note lengths etc.

    Create full tracks using all of your own composed melodies, note arrangements and lengths without relying on arp synths as you pointed out.

    And try a mix the song to a perfect state of sound levels listening to it on a few set ups before you ever touch the EQ or Compressors/Limiters.

    Fast forward after your finished getting back to basics,

    I have found Voxengo SPAN free VST very good as spectrum analayser that will pick up any clipping and peaking for you, takes time but very good tool for identifying your possible problem areas if you use it on individual areas of the track in sections of say 30 seconds at a time, i always do this after mixing it as best as possible first by my ears, and before i ever touch the EQ.


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    #8
    auplant
    Registered Users Posts: 24 ✭auplant


    I'm professional on sound design, and mixing, and intermediate on mastering.

    But I start all over again...every single day.


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    #9
    markmoto
    Registered Users Posts: 788 ✭✭✭markmoto


    SuprSi wrote: »
    What would you learn first? I'm looking to take a step back from producing for a while to get better at the things I feel I'm not good at, such as mastering or creating my own synth sounds, etc.

    There's a huge amount of tutorials available online, subscription-based systems and others, which is great, the problem is I'm not sure where I should start.

    Should I look at compression, reverb, music theory? Where would you start?




    Sounds good to me, I like your EdLands - I Can Fly (SuprSi Remix)
    Just make your mixes little bit more commercial

    And perhaps go to youtube and monetize like DJ Electric Samurai


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