If there was one tip I would pass on to another pc

[Stalker]

....musician is:

 

Hit the damn save button often!!!

 

 

and yours? come on guys share your perls of wisdom

[Otto Matta]

Nice one. I'd say don't fall for your first idea, be it a sound, melody, beat, etc. Try about ten or even twenty different ways to do what you're trying to do, so by the time you're done, your first idea will probably seem pretty simplistic.

 

I think we all know when that first idea is a keeper, but if your intuition is not happy with it, keep searching.

[Ov3rdos3]

Stalker that is truely universal advice given there.

 

Not only with making music, but playing difficult video games, like saving just before you get to the boss....or a long word document / spreadsheet at work. Save often. Also remember to save just before you go sky-diving.

[Philter]

sometimes less is more!

[Bahamut]

My tip: Once you have a basic idea, a basic set of sounds, an acceptable starting point, you will have to start expanding the track, while gradually making it a complete song... or give it up and start all over again with something completely new.

 

Cuz my experience is this: I start with a basic idea, but I always keep adding and tweaking things until it's a complete short snippet. It could already be the 'climax' of the track for example... but then I still have to make an entire track out of it... and that can become a pretty uninspired process if you already put so much effort into that first snippet.

So I think this is not a good way to do it, but I can't help it. I keep fooling around with the same snippet over and over again, changing things, playing melodies on the synth... sometimes spending a whole afternoon or evening with basicly the same loop.....then it keeps playing in my head until the next morning. By that time I'm usually so sick of it that I will most likely never touch it again... so it becomes another one of the hundreds of unfinished snippets (I delete them).

[Psychocell]

Everytime i add something new to my track, i "save as", usually putting my saves in sequence order like song0001, song0002, song0003, etc...i only "save" when im tweaking a devise or effect and im obviously happy with it.

[phobium]

I usually save before I add something, in case it might cause a crash. After some tweaking I save again. At least that's what I should do ... but I often forget.

[Colin OOOD]

Especially if you're new to music-making, don't start a new track until you've finished the last one. It will take a lot of discipline but it's very important to be strict with yourself about this. In my experience, the major thing that distinguishes professionals from wannabes (apart from production skill, which you learn with experience, ie. getting tracks to a finished state) is that the professionals end up with tracks you can actually listen to from start to end, as opposed to twenty or thirty great 1-minute ideas. And no label ever released a 20-track, 20-minute-long album.

 

Except maybe Nhjo's.

[dj mylo]

Especially if you're new to music-making, don't start a new track until you've finished the last one.  It will take a lot of discipline but it's very important to be strict with yourself about this.  In my experience, the major thing that distinguishes professionals from wannabes (apart from production skill, which you learn with experience, ie. getting tracks to a finished state) is that the professionals end up with tracks you can actually listen to from start to end, as opposed to twenty or thirty great 1-minute ideas.  And no label ever released a 20-track, 20-minute-long album. 

 

Except maybe Nhjo's.

452219[/snapback]

sage advice.

 

or was it thyme?

[Stalker]

Especially if you're new to music-making, don't start a new track until you've finished the last one.  It will take a lot of discipline but it's very important to be strict with yourself about this.  In my experience, the major thing that distinguishes professionals from wannabes (apart from production skill, which you learn with experience, ie. getting tracks to a finished state) is that the professionals end up with tracks you can actually listen to from start to end, as opposed to twenty or thirty great 1-minute ideas.  And no label ever released a 20-track, 20-minute-long album. 

 

Except maybe Nhjo's.

452219[/snapback]

 

I agree entirely

 

I mean, i am newbie myself, but i know ho much you can get by discipline. I never even start about starting something before finish it what i am doing at the moment. Its very important to sticky with it, no matter how much work it provides

You have to put yourself a goal and dont give up untill you get what you want.... Excelent advice Colin

 

Its also good to give yourself a couple of days before starts another track...just to clear up your mind trust me

 

another good one is:

 

Before thinking about being a successful musician, think about being a successful music student

Even if you are completly auto-didactic, you have to learn how to learn

 

Gather your information together, read as much as you can, and most important...be organized.

Set yourself objects, chalenges, deadlines etc.... Go after subjects you dont get it and dont give up untill you get it. Practice leads to knowloge, but is not everything. Your practice "time" will be much more usefull if you know what is in front of you....

So, thats my advice for another fellow pc musician....Know your shite

[Rupture]

Especially if you're new to music-making, don't start a new track until you've finished the last one.  It will take a lot of discipline but it's very important to be strict with yourself about this.  In my experience, the major thing that distinguishes professionals from wannabes (apart from production skill, which you learn with experience, ie. getting tracks to a finished state) is that the professionals end up with tracks you can actually listen to from start to end, as opposed to twenty or thirty great 1-minute ideas.  And no label ever released a 20-track, 20-minute-long album. 

 

Except maybe Nhjo's.

452219[/snapback]

Word!!!

i have some friends that think exactly the opposite way...like "oh if i make a lot of small parts i'll improve my skills much more instead of working only around 1 idea"...well the prob is that i only heard 2-3 finished tracks and they are into music production for much more time than i'm...i'll defenitly link this thread to them...

[dj mylo]

My advice:

 

PAY FOR THE SOFTWARE THAT YOU USE.

 

It makes all the difference! Cracked warez often crash or have less functionality. Remember that developers often sell "stripped down" versions of their software ( eg. Cubase SX vs. Cubase SE, Logic Pro vs. Logic Lite ) and these are often easily affordable. Also by buying the software you are entitled to support, knowledge bases and Forums for all the problems and questions that arise.

[Ov3rdos3]

My advice:

 

PAY FOR THE SOFTWARE THAT YOU USE.

 

It makes all the difference! Cracked warez often crash or have less functionality. Remember that developers often sell "stripped down" versions of their software ( eg. Cubase SX vs. Cubase SE, Logic Pro vs. Logic Lite ) and these are often easily affordable. Also by buying the software you are entitled to support, knowledge bases and Forums for all the problems and questions that arise.

495569[/snapback]

The best way is to actually go to the software store and steal the original copy from behind the desk. This way, you get to register it, and get all the extras that come with the original package.