I'm a hobbyist student. I've played piano for a long time but got into music production about 1~2 years ago. I can create songs (add instrument parts, arrange them, add automations and fx, etc) but I feel that I'm not improving. I know what eq, compression, reverb, saturation does but I can't utilize them and know when to use them. I think this is because I've been relying on cracks for so long, downloading and erasing stuff. Because of this, I want to start using legit stuff - I've bought a few cheap pluginboutique sale things (which I almost nevand accumulated freebies companies give out. I got komplete select because of the keyboard I bought. I'm tempted to participate in IK group buy since it does look like an offer that doesn't come regularly (and includes some stuff like modo bass which I use pretty frequently as a crack, buy first and learn how to use em gradually). However, I know that people say that learning stock plugins and feeling limitations is when I should buy stuff. Tbh I've been afraid to spend money on ableton live (what I use now) because it's a lot of cash and newer versions keep coming out. What would be the best choice for me? Hold off on group buy and just buy the DAW first? Also, how should I improve from here? Copy and remake songs? I watch youtube videos and take lessons but it feels like a professor's lecture and can't immediately apply what I learned to production. I know I sound stupid and shouldn't have encountered cracks in the first place, but I reckon a lot of experienced people might have experienced what I'm feeling and any suggestions would greatly help. Thanks a lot. I've attached my soundcloud just in case it helps answer my questions)

https://soundcloud.com/prod_cvdence

 

Buy Ableton first, so you also support the people at Ableton and you also get improvements in the form of updates.
And if problems arise with Ableton, then you are a customer and you will also receive support.

Your problem of stagnation can neither be solved with new plugins nor with YouTube videos.

When you have problems, try to analyze your problems. Many users who feel the same way buy out of frustration
and hope that they will be happy with a purchase of things. It is more of a distraction than problem solving.

You need a goal. What do I want to be, what do I want to do, what do I enjoy,
where have I failed, where are my strengths and where are my weaknesses?

 

Thank you for your answer. It's really hard to face my problems mostly because I guess it isn't limited to one particular thing. I think I know what kind of sound sources are generally used for different types of genres, but I feel like I lack the knowledge to shape each sound to sound professional. Mixing is also something I'm basically clueless about, not to mention arranging. I've learned music theory and piano so I guess that part isn't so behind. My goal is to produce quality music and try different genres (bc I don't have a favorite..) and collaborate with vocals. I always feel that part of why I feel so uninspired and vacant is because I don't have a vocal on it. Also, although I don't have a specific story to tell, I'd like to release a cohesive EP someday.

 

Transitioning from crack is never easy.

 

Glad it's not only me that feels that way - how did you transition? Did you improve a lot after?

 

DISCLAIMER: I'm not professional musician.

For me musical satisfaction is all about managing expectation and breaking down goal bit by bit. Steve Vai wording it better, see it for your self.
He's talking about guitar but i think it can be applied for music in general as well.

 

Hello @ Ludo7777, you are not lost. Do not give up. Write your goal on a piece of paper at the bottom.

Define your goal more clearly, I don't want to, I will
My goal is: to release a coherent EP.
Do not try to solve your problem with the previous options, but take a different approach.
Write a realistic year after it (2027).

In this way you narrow down the goal a little more and you have 6 years of leeway to make your dream come true.Hang up
the note so that it is clearly visible. And look at it every day. In the brain, this idea solidifies and the synpase becomes thicker.
Find out what you are particularly good at, find out what you are not good at.

Write it down - make a small list. It may be that you want to do things that you will not be able to master.
Talk to other musicians a lot. Forget YouTube and forget about ads. It just obscures you and you don't get ahead.

You can learn to mix, some are good mixers and some are bad mixers. When you have finished a product,
you can also go to the studio or have the song mixed for money.
You can play music theory and the piano - write that down, "I can play music theory and I can play the piano,
whenever you have self-doubt, tell yourself" I can play music theory and the piano, I've learned that. "

There will be a reason why you learned this. It is your love for music. It is your drive to make
music because this music gives you something. Peace of mind - contact with the divine etc.

Many began to make music in a band, in most cases it goes wrong, frustrated with
the breakup of the band and the financial obligations, some fall by the wayside.

I can only recommend books and practice to people.
Maybe a book about arranging (which is the hardest thing in music), maybe take a course.

Bobby Owsinski https://bobbyowsinski.com Books https://bobbyowsinski.com/best-selling-books/

 

Last edited: Sep 28, 2021

My humble 2 cents on this:

No you don't. "The biggest wisdom comes from not knowing." I feel this is an apt quote, which has numerous variations. You're on the right track since you're willing to learn.

From my experience, people suggest using stock plugins since they are intended to work efficiently on the specific DAW you're using. Less hassle dealing with cpu spikes and just having the most optimal tools to work with (natively) on your DAW.

If you plan on buying a legit DAW, maybe it's a good idea to focus on whether you want to be more of a songwriter or mixer. If you want to be more of a songwriter, then look for a DAW that helps/inspire you to come up with arrangements, etc. Ableton is also known to have a good workflow for songwriters that want to put out their ideas/tracks fast. So that's not a bad investment at all, especially if you're already familiar with it.

If you intend to be more the latter (mixer), then probably look for DAWs that excel in that. I'd suggest taking a look at Reaper. Cheap, rarely crashed on me when working on large projects and very cpu efficient. A bit of caveat though, it may take you some time to get used to it and set it up to have a good workflow (especially when you delve into customizing your scripts, etc.)

Buying 3rd party plugins (especially suites/bundles) is not a bad thing either, especially if they're known to be effective and reliable, like in terms of QoL to make workflow faster and/or cpu efficiency.

I myself adhere to the "try before buy" mentality/attitude. When I find the plugin being used enough that makes my workflow better and becomes part of it, then it becomes a "definitely buy" for me. More often I find myself going back to old stuff that I've acquired that have no "gimmicks" and I'm just too familiar with. In the end, I just grab the stuff that help my workflow.

TLDR: Invest on tools that improve your workflow either as a songwriter/mixer, etc.

 

My recommendation:

The Mixing Engineer’s Handbook 4th Edition
https://bobbyowsinski.com/mixing-engineers-handbook/

Hal Leonard - "How to write songs on keyboards" von Rikki Rooksby
https://www.halleonard.com/product/331345/how-to-write-songs-on-keyboards

 

Last edited: Sep 28, 2021

Everyone has to start somewhere and its great that you can compose, play, arrange and record. That's the important bit...!

If you want to save money I suggest - grab the free trial of Reaper (it uses the honor system so will not suddenly stop working, and as mentioned is stable and tot a CPU hog), use the stock plugins and learn one of - eq, compression, reverb, saturation -- at a time and focus on just that one tool, try not to get sidetracked. Maybe use your own recordings as you'll know the sound (and the sound you want) and play about, get a feel for when to apply on a single track or on a group - personally I'd leave learning compression and limiting till last.

good luck and have fun..

 

Thank you everyone for your genuine and kind words. I'll definitely take in all of these advice. I learned that there is so much more than the technical aspects - I think I should reflect on myself and hone my mind first.

 

Don't expect to learn everything all at once. This stuff takes time. Music and your passion for it will last a lifetime.

Learning and understanding evolve with time. The things I learned when I started no longer apply, like live punch ins, spot erasing on 24 track tape, calibrating tape machines or editing tape with a razor blade. However, I retain and use many old skills, and still We learn new things all the time.

A little advice: Don't get ahead of yourself and be patient. You'll be there before you know it. Remember nobody, not even the experts know everything.