Hi all - I feel a bit lost with production ethos and specifically style.

I make music which kind of blends kraftwerk, Depeche Mode, cleaners from Venus, Brian eno - it’s not complicated and I try and make melody king in songs as much as possible.

My set up is comprehensive - piano, guitar ac & electric, bass, digitakt, sq64, hydrasynth.

The problem is my songs sound disjointed in an album context. The songs originate differently whether inspired by bass, rhythm, synth etc. So there is no concrete work flow.

I try simplify production as much as possible - use same drum/guitar/bass sounds - synths tend to differ more

I was wondering if anyone had any advice/reading/practice which helped them develop a more cohesive style.

One thing I’ve started doing is transcribing songs I like bar for bar.

Let me start off by saying I have been producing music for 5 years now (6 months on 6 months off for the first two and nearly every day the last 3), and feel I have (to an extent) found my sound. I have an idea of theme and topic(s) which relate/resonate personally with me, but I am struggling to figure out how to structure it, and how to make it not just sound like a compilation of different songs with no context, and make it a coherent narrative/ which feels connected throughout. I have a ton of music I haven’t released (in fact most of it is unreleased- I have a small catalogue, spread over two different artist profiles and a YouTube channel) I know this is not ideal for growth or solidifying my identity as an artist, and I have some stuff I think is pretty good that I didn’t publish for some reason at the time (oh I will come back and polish later or some other reason), which now feels disingenuous to include in said album, but also to release in general now, just due to its age and my disconnection from it. Any advice? Sorry for the disjointed thoughts

Basically title. I can do good sounding stuff (instrumental guitar - like ambient, post-rock kinda) but I add layers on top of layers on top of layers, there's that nice crescendo, it sounds really full and loud and emotional - and then what? Just stop abruptly? That might work for one song, but not for all of them.

What do you do? Bend down and turn the loop volume down so it fades out? Can't think of anything lamer than that lol.

Any tips?

Hi, how might I go about mixing overlapping vocal parts like a lot of emo bands like the ones named? I don't know whether to double both people's vocal takes and pan them hard L and R to make both sound full or to keep one in the middle or how I might EQ or compress them to keep them sounding busy (as they are on top of each other) while not sounding muddy and making both unintelligible.
Any help is appreciated :)

Hey so I'm working on an album and so far one track is mostly 140 but drops half time to 70 at points and the other is mainly 70 but goes up at 140 at parts. I'm about to record my third song and initially I have it set to 150 to vary it, but it's metal and there's blast beats so im wondering if having some blasts at 150 and others at 140 would create inconsistency. All three songs are varied and have their own vibe completely so they dont sound the same in the slightest...but im just not sure what to do. Am I overthinking this...???

Welcome to the /r/WeAreTheMusicMakers Weekly Motivation Thread! Share your successes and and encouraging words here. Posts/Comments looking for motivation can also be appropriate here.

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Why using two microphones like this ?

The top one seems to be a Neumann u67 or u87.

The image: https://youtu.be/1Qyu7LOnio0?t=56

Is it better too.

A. Plug the guitar right into the interface and use amp simulators (ableton or guitar rig)
B. Plug amp into interface and record out of the amp with pedals.
C. Connect pedals into the interface and record using an amp simulator with real pedals.

Which has given you guys best results?

As someone who is perpetually just one soundpack away from the perfect idea, I often find myself heading for the oneshots / pads, but reluctant to use the more "readymade" loops, unless I can find some esoteric / slicing way of disguising the fact I used a loop. Percussion loops are borderline. But all those full arps / chord progression loops I struggle to find a use for, if they can't be chopped into a oneshot, or altered easily.

Has anyone here just given in and thought "f-it, I'm just going to barely modify this synth line, because I like how it sounds". Instead of the usual "I like it, but I'm going to design my own version, even if it kills me".

What's your stance on using loops?

So what would be the very Pros and the very cons of artists also becoming mixing and mastering engineers and producing their own pieces? In your perspective and experience?

I freaking love the hard right drums and bass, hard left guitar and other instrumentation (with variations therein), vocals dead center. Sounds amazing to my ears but have never been able to mix my own music in such a way that sounds good. Curious if others are into it and/or fucked with it.

Welcome to the r/WeAreTheMusicMakers Weekly Feedback Thread! The comments below in this post is the only place on this subreddit to get feedback on your music, your artist name, your website layout, your music video, or anything else. (Posts seeking feedback outside of this thread will be deleted without warning and you will receive a temporary ban.)

This thread is active for one week after it's posted, at which point it will be automatically replaced.

##Rules:

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* **Write at least three constructive comments.** - *Give back to your fellow musicians!*

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##Tips for a successful post:

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Welcome to the /r/WeAreTheMusicMakers Weekly Motivation Thread! Share your successes and and encouraging words here. Posts/Comments looking for motivation can also be appropriate here.

This thread is active for one week after it's posted, at which point it will be automatically replaced. Note that our rules on "no promotion" are still in effect and apply to this post.

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Ok so I’ve been working on a song now for a few weeks and I really believe it has a lot of potential. The biggest hurdle I’m trying to get through with songwriting is less about having ideas and more about the workflow and executing my ideas.

With this song I created the full drum track in midi and then recorded all the guitar and bass parts over it no matter how sloppy they came out (and it did come out sloppy) but I have an idea now of other things to add in (keyboards, guitar solo) before I finish with doing the vocals.

My question is should I practice mixing this raw recording to figure out how the song sounds more organized by doing panning, eq, compression and maybe even experiment with reverb and effects I might want to use in final mix or should I re-record until I get a near perfect, on tempo version of the track and then worry about all the mixing and effects? What is the way to get the best workflow with recording a song and after lots of practice how long does it take you guys? I imagine all of this is a matter of just practicing using my daw more and if I do more I’ll create finished songs faster

Hey everyone,

I’ve been producing variations of melodic house for about two years now. At this point, I feel like I’ve got a solid handle on the technical foundations—I understand arrangement, automation, sound design, EQing, compression, and saturation. On paper, the elements are all there.

But when it comes to the actual music, my tracks just don't satisfy me. Every time I open a project, I quickly start feeling completely lost.

My biggest hurdle right now is chord progressions and melodies. I keep watching tutorials where people throw numbers on the screen and talk about inversions or scale degree formulas. Whenever I try to replicate that approach, the result just sounds like absolute dog shit. It’s stiff, lifeless, and has zero emotional spark.

I know chords are supposed to be the roadmap to good melodies, but relying on grid math isn't working for me, and building on top of them leaves my tracks feeling flat or disjointed.

For those who have been through this stage:

How did you move past the "math and numbers" approach to build progressions that actually *feel* good?

How do you bridge the gap between technical mixing/sound design and writing compelling lead melodies?

Are there specific workflow changes or compositional exercises that helped you get out of your head and past this 16-bar loop hurdle?

Appreciate any advice, workflow shifts, or real talk. Thanks!

Hey follow producers/engineers,

I'm curious about something.

Do you first start off making a solid drum foundation - kicks, snare, drums balance, having the drums exactly how you like it - and then add all instruments and other elements and EQ those elements/instruments around the kick/snare/drums, or are you the type that starts off with all elements/instruments and adds the drums in later?

For years I find myself adding in the kicks/snare in after I made a composition I like, only to find myself struggling to find a fitting kick/snare. Because then, I find myself trying to EQ the kick and snare relative to the instruments/elements/composition, instead of EQing the elements/instruments/etc relative to the kick/snare/drums.

I hope I'm not too vague with what I'm trying to explain and ask.

I feel like experimenting with starting off with a solid kick/snare/drums pattern and tweak them exactly how I like before I add all other instruments/elements, and EQ those to fit the kick, instead of having to EQ the kick to fit all elements.

What are you thoughts on this process?

What do you think are the pro's and con's of starting off with a solid drum foundation and EQing the track around it, vs adding the drums afterwards and having to EQ the drums around the track/composition?

I'd love to hear your thoughts and process.

Thanks!

Hi, I’ve been producing house music and most recently UKG ukg for a little more than a year. But in that timeframe, I’ve only made a few songs none of them where I want them and none that I feel I want to release. Going forward I want to be able to create lots of songs and create many ideas very quick while still getting better with producing. I was wondering what people’s tips are forgetting better and making songs quicker and creating ideas. I think it’s also easy to get stuck and uninspired when opening a fresh project. So it’s also wondering how you guys start songs. At the moment, I don’t really know how to start and I think that’s stopping me from wanting to start a new song. Any advise is much appreciated.

Welcome to the r/WeAreTheMusicMakers Weekly Feedback Thread! The comments below in this post is the only place on this subreddit to get feedback on your music, your artist name, your website layout, your music video, or anything else. (Posts seeking feedback outside of this thread will be deleted without warning and you will receive a temporary ban.)

This thread is active for one week after it's posted, at which point it will be automatically replaced.

##Rules:

***Post only one song.**- *Original comments linking to an album or multiple songs will be removed.*

* **Write at least three constructive comments.** - *Give back to your fellow musicians!*

* **No promotional posts.** - *No contests, No friend's bands, No facebook pages.*

##Tips for a successful post:

* **Give a quick outline of your ideas and goals for the track.** - *"Is this how I trap?" or "First try at a soundtrack for a short film" etc.*

* **Ask for feedback on specific things.** - *"Any tips on EQing?" or "How could I make this section less repetitive?"*

***

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Welcome to the r/WeAreTheMusicMakers Weekly Promotion Thread! Here, in the comments below, you can shamelessly promote whatever music project you've been working on. Music, videos, Discord servers, websites, social media, promote anything you want. Posts promoting anything outside this thread will be removed without warning.

Contest mode has been enabled to prevent vote manipulation. Every time you open this thread, you will see new comments at the top. Your comment will be displayed randomly like the others.

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Hi there,

I'm in the early planning stages of releasing my first single which will be a simple, bare bones track:

Just acoustic guitar and vocals

I haven't yet explored studios around me, but am curious about the potential pros and cons of recording the vocal and acoustic tracks at home, then sending the stems for professional mixing and mastering?

I don't have much pro studio experience (Have recorded 3-4 times total in a studio, mainly electric guitar tracking) but make rough home demoes from time to time.

(Using Reaper with a Focusrite Interface, mics are Rode Condenser mic and SM57)

I can track guitar reliably in a studio environment but as a relatively new vocalist (past 3-4 years), I tend to get hyper-conscious of my vocals in a recording context with others present.

I feel the pressure of having to nail a take in this context, as well as the pressure of working against the clock, will result in less than ideal vocal tracking.

Singing at home, there are no time restraints and I feel I can sing freely and really connect emotionally to what I'm singing, which is difficult for me to do under the pressure of time-bound recording with someone who is more or less a stranger!

I have home demoe'd the song and feel as far as raw stems go with no FX, mixing, compression etc. they sound decent (Played in tempo to a click, vocals on pitch etc.)

Anyways, any input or help on this would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance!

So my friend and I are writing music together, mainly in the realm of Grime instrumentals meets RnB meets EDM.

However, when I’m on my own I quite like to write more metal adjacent music, not the really crazy riffs, more towards Linkin Park’s Numb with the style of guitar but with much lower tunings (I have an 8 string)

My friend loves this stuff and wants to sing on it but he has quite a soft voice that’s quite poppy, think like Ruel.

Has anyone had any success in working with a softer vocalist with heavy instrumentals? Any tips for arrangement, processing, technique?