What skills are you working on developing at the moment?

[teddymcw]

Like constantly figuring out what notes can go with other notes, I'm constantly trying to figure out what device or parameter can modulate what to make the end result sound more clean, interesting or dynamic. Essentially tightening my knowledge of the matrix of parameters that the program and it's devices gives you.

[grizelda]

Keeping it simple. Removing stuff. Reduce to the absolute necessary. More whitespace on the canvas. It´s so easy to add another note layer, FX or instrument with nowadays possibilities to obfuscate the result.

so true man

[grizelda]

Finishing damn songs. The idea generating phase is easy and fleshing out eight bars or so is also easy. The problem is I get bored easily and move on to something else almost never revisiting my orphaned ideas. It's a vicious cycle.

... I did quite well with such things when I was still smoking pot. It kept me focused.

OMG this. what i also find is after about a really productive and creative half hour or so (i have re-recorded/arranged/mixed the whole vibe of a song in this period with excellent results) to then all of a sudden like a switch goes off, i am looking at back of the rack trying to work out how to side chain this off that and tweak this eq here and copy it to that track etc and it actually makes me start to feel really overwhelmed and almost like being travel sick and i have to quit out altogether for the night lol i dont know if its just me but that always happens to me

[Oquasec]

Inputs/outputs.
Mix and match to your liking.
Boom.

Signal flow's universal. routing an output directly to the sidechain will allow you to sidegate aka "ghost kicking"
While routing via a mixer/spider gives the sound an output.

[TritoneAddiction]

Just writing more tunes. And by that I mean actually finishing tracks.

You tend to cover most things when you do that: songwriting, arrangement, synth tweaking, sound design, mixing, mastering.
I'll even trow in the not so obvious: Self discipline.

[Oquasec]

Yep, if you're focus is the track making and not the sound design.
Also, if you actually intend on finishing any tracks.

[Kalm]

Definitely sound arrangement for longer arrangements and synth textures as I'm diving more into synth creation and making combinators

[avasopht]

Another area I'm trying to work on is just craftsmanship in general.

It's so easy to create something and not bother to paint textures in the landscape.

Basic artistic expression goes a long way.

[deepndark]

Atm. mostly understanding my purchased REs. As example I have been using the Synapse GQ-7 to do the final touches to my mastering. It sounds different than the native EQs do.
And I really should keep learning what I have and buy less new REs. It's amazing how mastering can change the whole feel of how the music makes you feel.

[txh003]

As I have for the past 30+ years, improving my skills as a musician in relation to being a semi-professional bassist and guitarist in the Gospel, Fusion Jazz-Funk and R&B/Soul music communities. More specifically, one concept that I am presently revisiting is triad pairs and using them as a means to create interesting fills, approach notes, etc.

[HepCat]

Another area I'm trying to work on is just craftsmanship in general.

It's so easy to create something and not bother to paint textures in the landscape.

Basic artistic expression goes a long way.

Nice to see visual artists (?) here. Put up some pics of your work, peace

[ejanuska]

Trolling, complaining, losing a few pounds, getting a promotion, cutting the grass, cleaning the pool.

[Oquasec]

Might start making it a habit to start finishing tracks later on when I have a reason to.
Other than idle threats that count as lawsuit money

[grizelda]

Inputs/outputs.
Mix and match to your liking.
Boom.

Signal flow's universal. routing an output directly to the sidechain will allow you to sidegate aka "ghost kicking"
While routing via a mixer/spider gives the sound an output.

totally my prob is more that when i smoke up, a lot of those pretty straightforward things (i am only reason user for 2 years) seem really hard and overwhelming until my brain starts to hurt! but like gorgon said i definitely get really creative with melodies and beats during that time so nowadays i try stay away from the technical stuff if im getting high and just record new ideas and come back when im straight and sort out the rack and structure etc lol

grizel

[KevTav]

Proper gain staging from the outset. And constant awareness of MONO versus stereo. It's a puzzle

first post, hi everyone

i learnt so much about gain staging from this site.

there are some good RE products you can buy to make gain staging super easy. personally i use a "selig gain" meter RE on every track in my sessions and tweak the volume through the chain until i can get a steady peak reading of -12dbfs (i think thats what its called!) without having to add or subtract too much volume from any one part of the chain. once set i can then i can play with the volume faders in the SSL as much as i want as they dont affect the gain setting.

f you search gain staging here you will find loads of good stuff from the very helpful members and mods on this site

grizel

I've been just setting the volume with the "Input Volume" knob way at the top of the channel strip. I peak at around -10dB. Or I use the volume on the instruments themselves to peak it. It helps. The Selig way is a good idea though, I might try that.

[stxlm]

Patience and initiative.

[Oquasec]

Inputs/outputs.
Mix and match to your liking.
Boom.

Signal flow's universal. routing an output directly to the sidechain will allow you to sidegate aka "ghost kicking"
While routing via a mixer/spider gives the sound an output.

totally my prob is more that when i smoke up, a lot of those pretty straightforward things (i am only reason user for 2 years) seem really hard and overwhelming until my brain starts to hurt! but like gorgon said i definitely get really creative with melodies and beats during that time so nowadays i try stay away from the technical stuff if im getting high and just record new ideas and come back when im straight and sort out the rack and structure etc lol

grizel

Ah. been a reason guy since 2012 [used to hook it up to fl studio on the daily till 2014 when I left fl studio for studio one]
I feel ya, Feeling the same way about synthedit after drinking a few beers.

[normen]

Whammy bar technique and closing some gaps in my modal visualization of the fretboard ^^

[grizelda]

Proper gain staging from the outset. And constant awareness of MONO versus stereo.

...

I've been just setting the volume with the "Input Volume" knob way at the top of the channel strip. I peak at around -10dB. Or I use the volume on the instruments themselves to peak it. It helps. The Selig way is a good idea though, I might try that.

this is how i used to do it too but i really didnt like having to solo channel by channel just to gainstage using in the big meter or the ssl master fader. there may be another way to do it that im unaware of but with a gain meter i just chuck one on every channel, and every channel out even from a kong sent out to 16 channels and i can tweak the gain in real time without having to solo or mute anything. you could try a demo of it and see if that workflow works for you. as i say, it really changed my mixing and mix control sooooo much.

[Rason]

Finishing songs. I am able to make intro + drop that I am really very happy with, but the middle breakdown just always sounds stupid. And I have no idea how to change or vary the second drop so I keep listening to it like crazy, come up with some stupid ideas, get bored and go start another track. Knowing this also acts as a drawback for me to even start turning the 8-bar into something longer. I find myself spending more time at the back of the rack building sounds. This was not originally appealing for me at all and I considered it as a necessary evil, but once I realized it is always either audio or cv going from A to B, I stopped being scared and currently I actually really enjoy the modular approach learning and building custom synths. I will be upset if Verdane takes a look at the rack and says what are all these awful cables for..lets cancel them so it is easier. It has always happened to me with most things I liked. Simplified and buried. But that's different story for other dedicated topic.. just saying:D

[selig]

Recording drums. Without recordning i can play basically error free. As soon as it's recording i screw everything up and need like 1000 takes if i don't want to cheat with editing afterwards *lol*. Goal is to record an album in one take.

Try this: always record. Seriously. Just do it, never play anything without putting the track in record. It's the way I got over the "red light fever" - and I never miss any 'greatness' because I forgot to hit record. It's my habit now, and while it seems an overly simplified way of dealing with the red-light issue, it worked for me!


Sent from some crappy device using Tapatalk

[selig]

Proper gain staging from the outset. And constant awareness of MONO versus stereo. It's a puzzle

first post, hi everyone

i learnt so much about gain staging from this site.

there are some good RE products you can buy to make gain staging super easy. personally i use a "selig gain" meter RE on every track in my sessions and tweak the volume through the chain until i can get a steady peak reading of -12dbfs (i think thats what its called!) without having to add or subtract too much volume from any one part of the chain. once set i can then i can play with the volume faders in the SSL as much as i want as they dont affect the gain setting.

f you search gain staging here you will find loads of good stuff from the very helpful members and mods on this site

grizel

I've been just setting the volume with the "Input Volume" knob way at the top of the channel strip. I peak at around -10dB. Or I use the volume on the instruments themselves to peak it. It helps. The Selig way is a good idea though, I might try that.

Make sure you're NOT using the channel meters, since they do not show peak level (they show RMS, which is handy for other things but not for setting gain to prevent clipping your outputs).


Sent from some crappy device using Tapatalk

[Oquasec]

interesting. Any difference from the 3 meters at the top?
SSL the 4th one

[Kov]

Try this: always record. Seriously. Just do it, never play anything without putting the track in record. It's the way I got over the "red light fever" - and I never miss any 'greatness' because I forgot to hit record. It's my habit now, and while it seems an overly simplified way of dealing with the red-light issue, it worked for me!


Sent from some crappy device using Tapatalk

Exactly what i started doing a week ago and it allready shows results