The creative process

A

Apostata

Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2015
Hi guys,

just wondering how you guys go about creating a new track. Do you have an idea in mind and try to realize it as good as you can or are you like me, who justs sits down and starts creating without a goal in mind?

I think I have never head a clear set up in mind when working on a new track. Stuff just comes, or doesn't and sometimes everything I make sounds like shit... then I leave it for a couple of days and suddenly something good comes out of it.

Most of the time I start with a beat pattern and then build around it but sometimes I also start with the intro (rather seldom). How do you do it?

I also have tons of projects I begun and just now realized how useful that is, while I would say a big percentage of it is garbage, there are many nice parts which I can now easily tranform into a whole peace. I went trough old project files yestreday and realized how many unfinished tracks I have.
I also think I have to bring this stuff in order, so much chaos.

How do you organize your files?
 
Bit of everything really. Sometimes I'll have an idea in my head ill try to get out, occasionally it will sound how I perceived it, other times it'll turn into a completely different piece. Then sometimes I may just sit there and work on sound design and something will materialise from that.

Similar to you, I tend to start with a beat and build up from that, and again sometimes I may start with some kind of sinister soundscape intro.

As for the project folder chaos, welcome to hell. we all got it. No matter how much you try and keep on top of it...........you wont :)
 
I normally start the creative process by sitting in front of my daw and experimenting.

There was a time where I used to start with a good drum loop and evolve the rest from there, but nowadays I usually start by making melodies and all. And, tbh, all of them using classical instruments and then, once the midi notes are all good, I change the classical instrument vst for another synth vst (if I think it's needed). and then I start working on the drums/percussion.

Also, I normally choose what key to work on randomly (I normally end up composing in the key of E or D, as I was a guitarist before producing more electronic stuff) and go from natural minor scales, through harmonic minor or hungarian minor dependin on how I want the song to sound (more melodic to more dark sounding)
 
A while back I used to sit in front of my daw and just fuck around until something came about.

But now, I mostly have a basic idea and work with that. It'll be something like: I want to do something with more oldschool feeling drums and an easy 808 bassline. Or my latest project started with '1 note for bassline, atmospheric, minimal'.
Sometimes it works out, sometimes not at all
 
When it comes to guitar tuning, there is all kinds of stuff you can do, I have recently discovered the multi fret guitars with loads of pickups, forgot what they are called though.
 
I've had people say my method is somewhat strange. I'll start with loading a Kontakt Piano / Random resampled Pad I like the sound of and try to build a 16 bar melody. Once I've spent say 30 minutes getting something somewhat interesting going I'll then move on to adding background FX to the 16 like Crash at start / reverse crash towards the end / random hits with reverb then add Percussion with Reverb. I'll usually move onto a vocal then and finally I'll start to work on the Drums & Bass.

I use FL12 and this will all be in one pattern then I'll eventually split it all into individual ones.

I use to start working on intro's first but I found it did not work well for me. I'd spend days working on an intro fine tuning it then feel burnt out and void of any ideas to progress the tune then leave it for the graveyard and start something new. Nowadays I'll start working on my first 16 - 32 after the drop and work backwards.
 
Roll a joint, bump of K, get completely sidetracked listening to inspiring music, remember I'm supposed to be making some music, fire up Logic Empty Project Template, begin the fun ;)

I've almost always got an exact idea of what I want before I start, most of my dnb starts as a sci-fi movie in my head (probably inspired by my love of sci-fi movies?) the sounds are always accompanied by dark, futuristic scenes, not overly detailed visually but enough to inspire the sounds. Fuck knows where all this comes from.... maybe its just the K ;)

I usually start with the drums, then onto the bass, I tend to find that once I've got the drums and bass working together nicely everything else will usually sit on top without too much effort, so I think its important to get the drums and bass right fairly early on.
 
certainly got the scifi vibe there
On the 'what to do with old files' question I found answered pretty well by this blog post http://edmprod.com/production-library/
I did what is talked about in that and straight deleted the first 170 projects lying around in my folder and scavenged the rest for parts,
they can either be for inspiration like the foley etc sounds or re-used, all contributes to getting your own sound when you build up a toolkit like that,
mr. bill's big on getting a toolkit together as well.
 
vikataur said:
certainly got the scifi vibe there
On the 'what to do with old files' question I found answered pretty well by this blog post http://edmprod.com/production-library/
I did what is talked about in that and straight deleted the first 170 projects lying around in my folder and scavenged the rest for parts,
they can either be for inspiration like the foley etc sounds or re-used, all contributes to getting your own sound when you build up a toolkit like that,
mr. bill's big on getting a toolkit together as well.
Click to expand...
I don't agree with deleting older stuff, even it's the shittiest of things that you've done when you were 3yo in FL 3. Everything can be used.
 
Apostata said:
I agree, I have found some pretty nasty basslines in my old project files. I then just delete the rest and use the good parts.
Click to expand...

That's the spirit. I recently found out a remix I was doing for a video game song I like. The proper melodic lines of the original song where there, but the intro for it (a very percussive one) made into song 2 of my release this week. that project file was at least 3 years old, in my times of FL 9 or 10 (can't remember)
 
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