whats that deal with bx_ plugins

 

Does this mean what it used to mean? I can't afford that crap

 

I can't really put it on one thing, other than maybe generically saying "Learning the process of correctly mixing and mastering" like @Nefarai said.

I'd say I'm still learning, and probably will never stop learning, but my tracks have come a long way from when I started. Started out like most, I'm sure.. very muddy, and cluttered. Now stuff breathes a fair bit better, although I definitely don't claim to be close to perfect at mixing/mastering.

 

For years I used to plug my computer audio out straight into a hi-fi system and thought "if i sounds ok in this shit, it will sound ok anywhere". Now when I listen to these early recordings of mine my ears bleed! (being a third world punk rocker that doesn't care for noise, ear-piercing frequencies and muddy resonating low end all over the place is nice only when you are young).

 

1. Doing a lot of R&D (Research and Development)
2. Simplifying my plugin chain
3. Comparing with other mixes.
4. Never be content with your knowledge.
5. Take a break when you're struggling. Making music is suppose to be enjoyable.

 

I got my feet wet in the late 70s. Learning how to splice a reel to reel tape took my production skills to a new level. I made a good living creating remixes for major labels, and artists without much competition, if any, from other producers. Splicing certainly was a skill I fully exploited for as long as it lasted.

 

Always try hard to improve my music taste everyday by never stop listening, searching for relevant new good music and good musicians. Everything (music related) I do can only be as good as my taste in music. First thought about this 15 years ago, not epic enough yet, still going strong.

 

yes, but all that time saved on boring things like rendering can be used on actual audio work, so it does improve my production so to speak

 

I immediately googled this, thinking maybe it's some nice plugin I didn't know yet. Not what I expected. But hey, whatever gets the job done I guess.

 

Back in my day we couldn't afford speedballs, all we had were bennies and ludes- and we liked it that way!

I know a kid now that just mixes vodka with Red Bull. This Is Not The Way.

 

Since you guys are suggesting drugs I'll go ahead and suggest a woman (or a man if you're into that). That can make wonders.

 

Sex, drugs, level headed analysis... all these things are helpful

 

Last edited: Sep 1, 2023

I would also like to add, improving your workflow/speed of production by learning shortcuts or more efficient ways of doing things is a great help, lets you spend less time slogging out and more time enjoying your creation

 

I like Kick2 for tweaking your own Kicks a lot, the new Baby Audio Transition plugin is nice and safes so much time. It really surprised me positively. Songmaster is great to analyze a reference track if you're working lick that. Things I use almost in every Project: FF Q3, Devious Machines Duck or Infiltrator and definitely Shaperbox 3 even if those are kind of similar and some stuff you could achieve with both. The new Boom Library Plugin Enrage does seem also like a good one so far.

I can see why you'd associate drugs with women

Both could help improve your music and inspire you (be your muse lol). Unfortunately they can both also have the exact opposite effect. If you're not careful and not fully aware what you're messing with, both could have serious negative consequences not just concerning your music production. If you're especially unlucky (or dumb) they could even fuck your whole life up. You could easily end up worse than you were before without them in your life. So always make informed choices with enough knowledge to make a the smart choice. One thing I sadly know for sure though, mixing both women and drugs is never a good idea and probably always ends badly especially when your woman is also into drugs....

 

I wasn't associating women directly with drugs, I don't even do drugs (unless you consider women a drug) but I can see why you would make that connection. Thanks for sharing your experience, I get your point. On top of that I'm going to add that being "informed" can only help someone to a certain extent, in this spirit I really hope you all get fucked by life... but just slightly (still a challenge), just enough for the intellectual knowledge to solidify into direct experience.

 

biggest gamechanger for me was : Learn to trust yourself.

 

Actually using A/B functionality in plugins.

 

I noticed that my productivity / workflow improved drastically after I bought the arturia keylab essential mk3.

 

The ability to listen like a professional. In my experience most "producers" hear music but have no idea how to listen to it. It's all in the ear, not the gear.

 

THIS 1000%

I used to spend hours trying to find the sound for a drum or melody part, when the original one I started with ended up being the best one from the start. Also, forcing myself to commit a part to audio and then moving to next part was one of the biggest level ups for me. Working in midi is great but the temptation to keep tweaking is never ending. The additional benefit to this also is you never have to worry about missing plugins when you revisit the project because the audio is there.

I think the biggest for me though is trusting myself and the decisions I make in the studio that has helped me make the most progress. Its too easy to second guess yourself, especially when you're starting out. I think we all at some point suffer a bit of imposter syndrome and the thought that we're not good enough can creep up regularly. There's a million tutorials out there to tell you how to use a daws or plugins, but not enough that talk about the psychology of music making. This is such an important aspect to the process.

 

Last edited: Sep 10, 2023