Making Music, how do YOU do it? Options

[tacoboy]

There seems to be a lot of o topics about the technical side of music production. I'd like to know more about the methods.

How did you start out?

What effects has it had on your life and way of thinking?

How have you progressed and where you would like to see yourself in the future?

[trippinginthefal...]

Since nobody wants to tell you their secrets, I will "give away" how I currently work, since it is about to radically change thanks to my switching to mac.

I select a drum kit by picking through my sample archive and/or cutting up bits of an old old song, circa 70s usually.

I transfer the wav files to a zip, pop the zip into my mpc2KXL and load them onto its 16 pads.

I then pound out a beat, starting with the kick and snare usually -- though I have found starting with another soundset can be very stimulating - like a conga or timbale, even 808/909 toms (very danny tenaglia).

Each layer of the beat is done on a seperate track. I record parts that need to interlock well normally, and when I need a change up I SOLO the new track. Then I preview all parts as I go, redoing new bits that dont fit well. Taste is 98% of composition imho.

I follow in with either a bass line or the first synth part. It helps to be in a constant state of sound design, but carefully - instruments like my Nord can easily have overwrites since it has no Naming feature just a number. On the Virus I usually combine the function of the sound with the tracks working title, like padRighteous, if the tracks name was Righteous.

Backing up, sound design and keeping a song log - three very important things to do.

I also intend to get a digital camera for snapping pics of my analog mixer and then printing them out and sealing them in plastic for setting up the mixer at shows.

How else can you start? Maybe with a beer or a bowl.



Scotty