Pre Production planning

[tewky1]

Hi

With the constant need to improve, I have been thinking about how I should best fit sounds into the spectrum, and whether I can make life easier by trying to plan things out better.

My current workflow, seems to be centred around designing/writing a bassline, then finding a nice break to go with it, and then starting to decide how to build my drums. I usually hit a block at this point.

Looking for some inpiration on some sound design elements, and think some effective planning could help. I think some time spent just sampling ideas, creating instruments, formulating breaks randomly, with no actual goal of song writing, could help me to get some creativeness flowing, rather than just loop monging

ANyone have any interesting ideas, on how to approach some of these concepts? Whats your sound design process? Do you do extensive sampling of stuff you do? Do you separate sound desin from tune writing?

Watched a vid with Inside Info adn Smooth making a tune, and they were just banging through a library of sounds, and throwing stuff into the mix, was quite a sparse vid, but quite interesting nonetheless.

Anyone got anyting to add/advise?

Cheers fellas

 

[st420]

I usually start by looking through breaks. Find one that inspires an idea, and has hits that have the vibe I want.
Then ill find a sample or just play around with bass lines etc n the build up the break from there.

I have found the best way to produce is let the tune write itself, don't set out on writing a a particular kind of tune, just slap shit together and let it flow, after just throwing stuff in and experimenting I start to get a vibe going and then I plan and think more. That's pretty much my creative process

 

[Sammy Dexcell]

Watched a vid with Inside Info adn Smooth making a tune, and they were just banging through a library of sounds, and throwing stuff into the mix, was quite a sparse vid, but quite interesting nonetheless.

That sounds like the kinda work flow we/I have/do.
I've got a bank of sounds where I've just spent the day or a month of writers block making drum loops or creating synths etc.
Mostly any track I put time in, if I get to the 'loop monging' stage and give up I will have atleast exported the drums or the fx or something in there that I've taken the time to process and now sounds different to the original. It's just to have for later.

It's all down to you and what helps you be creative. I've found over the years just like a good night out, and unplanned project that you just flow with works the best and inspiration comes much easier. Anytime I've sat and planned something out, be it a tune or an evening out, it turns to shit or is just plain boring?

Just know anytime spent on your daw is never a waste there is always something to salvage. Even a technique or a discovery of some old samples or projects etc??

 

[Exert]

I seem to have a massive problem with this lately, mainly where I've changed from making music because I thought it was fun, new and interesting, to trying to get better at the whole thing haha..

I never used to care what it sounded like instrument wise because I didn't know any different, so that's why I think it was easier to write stuff back then, now I'm worrying about everything too much and just making a mess of the ideas I've painstakingly tried to lay down!

I agree with Sammy above though definitely, if you're trying to make a track then it's likely it just won't happen. The best/most interesting/fun stuff I made was sitting with my laptop at 5am making weird sounds (with the software haha..), then adding them to a not-particularly well processed break and it was easy to go from there because the ideas were down.

Don't think I've actually said anything of relevance here but hopefully my point is clear enough to semi-understand haha.