Overcoming Challenges in Music Production: Share Your Stories

[john]

 

Hey Gang,

 

We all know the journey of music production isn't always smooth. Whether it's choosing gear, then learning about the gear you buy, struggling with technical glitches, creative blocks, time management issues, or even imposter syndrome, we each face challenges that can make creating music tough.

 

I thought it would be valuable for us all to share our experiences with the obstacles we've encountered in music production, and more importantly, how we’ve overcome them. Not only will this thread be a safe space for venting, but it will also be a place where we can support each other by sharing practical tips.

 

Consider including the following when you reply:

• A challenge you faced: What issue or obstacle did you run into in your production journey?
• How you overcame it: What steps did you take to push through or work around the problem?
• Advice for others: What would you suggest to someone facing a similar situation?

 

Sharing our stories can help others feel less alone and find new strategies for handling their own challenges. Let's encourage each other to keep pushing forward in our music production adventures!

 

I look forward to hearing about your experiences and how you've overcome your production challenges!

 

Cheers

 

John

[SchroederKr]

Sad, the thread is lacking replies. I'm a newbie in songwriting and I don't have much experience. I would love to learn from the community. Anywho I have something to share. 

I managed to appear on a local radio with a song I recorded with a tape recorder. I used only my guitar, bass and a drum machine. Vocals were on my friend. I was extreely lucky RJs chose my song. 

Now I see the quality is bad and I would love to improve it.

[john]

Answering my own thread here (so someone else better chime in!)…

 

I know that people tend to try and live in the fast-lane all the time now, and very few work with home built sample libraries… it’s a lost art, along with creating your own patches on your synth of choice. Still, it’s what I would suggest for the financially challenged (most of us).

 

It’s so common now to try and solve diversity of sounds by buy new sound libraries. That is certainly faster, but also a shortcut to sounding like everyone else. Building your own sample library helps you create something unique. It also teaches you a lot about the nature of sound, and the capabilities of filters, envelopes and waveforms, and the pros and cons of different synthesis types, (AM, FM, Additive, Subtractive, Granular etc). Sure, Initially you might spend a day creating a single patch, but the more you do it, the faster it gets.

 

Top Tip, you can use free VSTs and effects to help you have some source sounds. As an exercise, try selecting some target sounds you would like to have in your arsenal. Then try to recreate them using the sounds you actually have. It’s not fast, but a great way to learn about tech in general and your kit in particular. 🙂

[Pantonal]

I think part of the problem with responses to this thread was the suggestions for how to reply. I use Logic for my productions and sometimes it does stuff that mystifies me. I had one song that would give me the endless spinning beach ball from hell if I tried to start it at any point within the song, but played no problem from start to finish. I never solved that, but fortunately I was almost done with it. If anyone has experienced and solved that I would love to hear it.

 

If I have a problem now it's that I don't really have anyone to run mixes past. I'm an older guy and my ears are tired, north of 10k doesn't exist for me, except in the tinnitus I hear constantly. Fortunately, north of 10k is just crispy land, but that's definitely not something one wants to overdo.

[john]

4 hours ago, Pantonal said:

I think part of the problem with responses to this thread was the suggestions for how to reply. I use Logic for my productions and sometimes it does stuff that mystifies me. I had one song that would give me the endless spinning beach ball from hell if I tried to start it at any point within the song, but played no problem from start to finish. I never solved that, but fortunately I was almost done with it. If anyone has experienced and solved that I would love to hear it.

 

If I have a problem now it's that I don't really have anyone to run mixes past. I'm an older guy and my ears are tired, north of 10k doesn't exist for me, except in the tinnitus I hear constantly. Fortunately, north of 10k is just crispy land, but that's definitely not something one wants to overdo.

Not perfect by any means, but will catch bigger issues, run your audio through a spectrum analyser and compare to a reference track at a similar stage of the song. Not a substitute for good ears, but better than sweet fa!

[VoiceEx]

One of the big obstacles I faced when I started getting into composition, was learning how to mix a full orchestra. It was challenging because it meant learning how to deal with a lot of different instruments, each individual piece requiring careful arrangement/editing/panning/techniques (etc) of its own set of unique parameters. Not to mention, there was also the matter of learning how each instrument is suppose to 'behave'. But that's a story for another time.

 

The steps I took to overcome this problem were actually pretty simple. It was a combination between trial and error, reading books about the subject, and conducting online research. I've also contacted various composers and producers I've met online, whose work and ability impressed me. I'd struck a conversation with them, compiled a long list of questions based on what I've learned, and sent it to them, hoping for the best.

 

In some cases, people answered gladly and we'd have back an interesting back and forth conversation and I'd receive valuable critique on my mixes. But.. in most cases none of my questions were answered, if they even bothered responding at all. That's.. just how it is, sometimes 😅👍

 

In terms of what sort of advice I could give for others - Its important to ask questions. And if you don't know what to ask, try to find out what to ask. However, don't rely on the kindness of strangers. Do your own research before asking for help, less you find yourself potentially wasting your time on people who can't help you.

[GregB]

For me, EVERYTHING is an obstacle ... even just switching on the damn computer and firing up the DAW  

 

I outlined HOW I produced a home-studio album in the first episode of my new podcast ... 

 

My 3 home-produced albums were released in 2015, 2020 (for the obe shown above) and 2021.  I was aged 64, 69 and 70 respectively and was increasingly concerned about the natural decline in the accuracy of my hearing.

 

It helps if you have people who's ears you trust.  It's not about whether they LIKE the track, but whether they can hear what you want them to hear.    Obviously, it first has to pass muster with ME ... I'm the only one who knows what the ingredients are ... can I hear one?  Then I have ONE friend who also does home studio stuff.  He'll usually comment on whether a particular instrument or section is out of balance (even down to one part of the drum kit), and whether there's any bum notes or flamming I've overlooked.   My last port of call, before I release an album, is a husband/wife team of producers who I pay to listen to it and give me precise feedback regarding compression, frequencies, reverb etc..

 

Cheers,

Greg B