What's the one thing you wish someone had told you about making music when you started?

[chassis]

Wish someone had explained to be the importance of samples, even making your own sample and using non-music samples too.

[LimpyLoo]

Don't compromise your stuff for fear of it being lost on people.

[GraveGlitcher]

Wish someone had explained to be the importance of samples, even making your own sample and using non-music samples too.

[psn]

When someone tells you your stuff is good, work even harder instead of relaxing.

 

Produce, produce, produce.

 

Document, document, document.

[psn]

Wish someone had explained to be the importance of samples, even making your own sample and using non-music samples too.

 

Interesting, please elaborate.

[MadameChaos]

more cowbell

[MisterE]

Not to

[joshuatxuk]

When someone tells you your stuff is good, work even harder instead of relaxing. Produce, produce, produce. Document, document, document.

 

This is good advice. Not necessary self-criticism or obsession with perfection, but perpetual challenging of one's efforts seems like a good way to go. Avoids complacency I suppose.

 

 

 

You know, I think some musicians get so much cheap positive attention that they, their fans, and the press fall into a cycle where the acclaim and fame is manufactured...and by that point it's impossible to diss out any form of criticism or sincere feedback. I think that's why some taste-maker sites and their hyped artists burn out so quickly: the substance was never there and perhaps even the artists figure that out. They all create, perpetuate, and then abandon a trend. It's like an Abilene paradox.

 

 

[digit]

use compressors. they make a huge difference. ( i ignored them in my music making for the longest time ).

[Chris Toffer]

Be patient. Be a man. Fuck vsti's. Use samples. Fuck the police. Make music for pleasure. Repetition. Timing is key.

[Friendly Foil]

Not to

Pretty much

[mcbpete]

use compressors. they make a huge difference. ( i ignored them in my music making for the longest time ).

Absolutely - Didn't actually understand them for over 5 years until I heard the analogy of people of various heights standing in the room with a ceiling that could be raised or lowerd (that probably makes no sense unless you've read the same analogy )

 

I wish I'd known about it back in 2001 when

I made this as it scares the crap out of me every time I hear it (even though I think the other half of cubus had ran the whole mix through a compreser when mastering the album)

[granty]

Listen to your tracks through various speakers, car, hifi etc - not just your crappy headphones - before making them public.

 

Also, you can't please everyone - so just try to please yourself.

[Guest Rulohead32]

This (I'm still learning)

use compressors. they make a huge difference. ( i ignored them in my music making for the longest time ).

 

and this (related with compression)

Listen to your tracks through various speakers, car, hifi etc - not just your crappy headphones - before making them public.

 

Also, you can't please everyone - so just try to please yourself.

 

I'm still relatively a noob so I wish people tell me more advice in the future.

And I also wish to meet people who also makes electronic music for this same reason.

[granty]

Wish someone had explained to be the importance of samples, even making your own sample and using non-music samples too.

 

This is something I seriously need to explore - I have no idea where to begin though.

[Guest wascal]

Don't compromise your stuff for fear of it being lost on people.

 

This. Only just figuring this one out after 16 years of producing tbh.

[weakmassive]

Wish someone had explained to be the importance of samples, even making your own sample and using non-music samples too.

When Zoe B figured out that some of the sounds in Bucephalus Bouncing Ball were sound effects from pinball machines, I was like whhhhhhat. I just had this perception that Rich handcrafted every little synth sound in there.

 

I still don't think I'm taking full advantage of samples. Any more thoughts on this?

[impakt]

"Nobody will ever care"

[granty]

Lol. But that's no why we do it, right folks?

[spunktronics]

don't buy loads of gear and not use it. get something and get good on it!

[brian trageskin]

read the manual

[pierlu]

[edit] see below, double post

[mcbpete]

Technique trumps technology

[chim]

Everything's gonna be alright

[pierlu]

"1. don't stop, 2. keep going"

(let's see if someone gets the reference)

Well, in my 20s, after a concert, I asked the musician what was a suggestion he had for me to keep improving in my music. He looked at me, took my hands in his and told me "Learn everything you can as soon as you can... study and study. you see my hands? they cannot learn anymore" (he was a singer/jazz player). It's quite the same as don't stop/keep going, but nonetheless, I never fully followed that advice. Thinking about it, he was right.