Musicmaking Tips


-Do not think too hard when laying down ideas.

ALWAYS BACKUP EVERYTHING!

                Preferable on 2, even 3 different locations...

-Think hard enough about how you are gonna get this tune that’s in your head, into your computer.
-When creating sounds, do not use any basic effects like compressors and eq’s. Add effects only if you have completed your arrangement. The same goes for automation.
-If some effects are being used that really make your sound/rhythm, go for it.
When mixing, keep levels low for more accurate control in the low frequencies. Also don’t add any effects to the master output and watch the master output peak signals. I tend to leave 3 a 6 dB headroom for more control in the mastering session.

NO DIGITAL TRACK CLIPPING ALLOWED

When recording to disk or mixing signals, never ever clip your signal. Clipping means that the signal is going into the red. Then again ANALOG clipping can add warmth and character to your sound if you have the gear.

If you mixed your arrangement with effects per track and automation, render the file at best quality for importing it into a mastering session.

                         LESS IS MORE

You quickly get the feeling that if you put another snare roll in your tune, adding a few more hihats and cowbells, might give you the punch you are looking for.

Mostly this is not the case.

Don’t be afraid to remove sounds. But remember, always save stuff! Everyone has days with no inspiration even though you think it’s good at the time. Evaluate...

                              MASTERING

This is an art in itself. Few people have great mastering skills for different styles of music. Mastering can make or break your mix, so be carefull how you approach it.

Mostly following effects are inserted into the master output: multibandcompression, subtle eq, stereo imaging, maximiser and dithering. Those last 2 always should be last in the chain, for the rest U can mingle effects to your likes.

                                 REVERB

Reverb is mostly overdone if not taken care of intensively. One nice little trick is to grab the wet/dry control from your reverb, open it up until you just hear the reverb, then decrease it a bit again. Reverb tends to get heavily amplified in the mastering process.

THINK!

JUST DO!

These are some general tips which are very usefull if you are just finding your way around the whole music creation process. Please note that these are guidelines and should not be taken as a rule.

            KNOW YOUR FILESYSTEM

Fully understanding your computer’s file system+creating your own system on it so you can easily find the files you want and solve problems is very important for your workflow. The better the organisation, the better the performance and last but not least, no missing files. Again...BACKUP!!!