Get Your Shine On
Jun 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Mo Volans
MODERN MUSIC PRODUCTION CAN BE A ROCKY QUARRY OF JARGON AND NEW TECHNOLOGY. FOLLOWING THESE 10 TIPS CAN HELP TRANSFORM YOUR TRACKS FROM DULL CARVINGS TO PROFESSIONALLY POLISHED GEMS
TIP 1
KNOW YOUR SYSTEM
It sounds almost too obvious, but many musicians using modern digital workstations lack basic IT skills. Whether your setup is Mac- or PC-based, ensuring your system is optimized and running at its best can prevent serious problems later. The last thing you need when you're feeling creative is a heavy troubleshooting session.
Even simple adjustments can make a world of difference to your workflow and productivity. For instance, it's a good idea to have at least two hard drives connected to your machine. One drive should contain your system software and applications, while the second drive takes care of playing back your audio. This will both lengthen the life of your drives and ensure glitch-free running. Keeping all your drives defragmented and running with at least 15 percent of their capacity free will also help.
Getting to know your specific OS is always important, and if you feel you need them, IT classes can be useful. While such knowledge is not the most exciting part of music production by any means, it's definitely necessary.
TIP 2
CHOOSE THE RIGHT DAW
The idea that any one application is better than another for creating certain types of music is somewhat of a myth. The majority of music-production applications available don't discriminate by genre. Rather than listening to hype and taking everybody's advice into account, a more sensible approach is to try as many different demos as possible. That way, you can spend some time trying different creative processes within each environment. It will become apparent which product you feel most confident with and which one contains the best tools for producing your music.
Although most DAWs' features cover nearly all areas of music production, each app has its strengths and weaknesses. A program such as Propellerhead Reason 4 (www.propellerheads.se) has almost limitless routing possibilities and an excellent selection of instruments, but no capability for recording and editing raw audio. On the other hand, applications such as Digidesign Pro Tools (www.digidesign.com) and the Apple Logic Studio (www.apple.com) bundle have outstanding editing capabilities. Once you've made the right choice, the software's interface will become second nature and let you concentrate on making music.
TIP 3
GET CONTROL WITH A PRO CHANNEL STRIP
Although it isn't true of all music-production platforms, some native plug-ins bundled with audio workstations leave a lot to be desired. To solve this problem, many turn to third-party plug-ins and processors. Although that's perfectly acceptable, you often end up using several plug-ins for a straightforward job.
As another way to go, invest in a professional-quality channel strip — plug-ins that replicate the channel strip area on a traditional mixing console. They usually include all of the processors you need to perform run-of-the-mill audio-processing tasks.
One perfect example of a current channel-strip plug-in, the excellent URS Classic Console Strip Pro ($599 for VST/RTAS/Audio Units and $1,199 for TDM; www.ursplugins.com), not only includes a compressor, filters, preamp and a fully parametric EQ section, but it also offers cutting-edge analog component modeling.
Each area of the plug-in can be set to emulate a large list of classic hardware compressors and equalizers, potentially giving you a new hybrid channel strip. The difference between most native plug-ins and a processor such as this is truly night and day and is well worth the investment.
TIP 4
PUMP UP YOUR DRUMS WITH PARALLEL COMPRESSION
Modern producers often make the mistake of overprocessing sounds. With the huge list of plug-ins available, it's very tempting to strap compressors, limiters, equalizers and saturators on every channel in a mix. People most commonly fall into this trap when using compression, especially on drum tracks. Although compression can add real magic to your overall drum sound when used correctly, the exact opposite can happen if you don't apply the correct settings. Having said that, many people really aspire to a heavily compressed drum sound, but luckily there is a method that allows you to dial in large amounts of compression while retaining your all-important transients.
Try sending all your drum parts to two separate groups. One of these groups will be used as a totally dry group, representing your original untouched drum mix. The second group can then be heavily compressed and mixed with the first. This provides you with complete control over how much of the processed sound is mixed with the original signal. Some argue over where this parallel-compression technique originated. It may have been invented in Chicago, although it is widely known as a New York technique as some believe that engineers working in New York during the disco era pioneered it.
TIP 5
KNOW YOUR SYNTH INSIDE AND OUT
Many budding producers use dozens — if not hundreds — of synthesizer plug-ins. That is fine if you are well versed in synthesis, but it could be a mistake if you are relatively inexperienced in synth programming. A more sensible approach involves mastering one or two go-to synths that you can use as a foundation to explore other instruments.
I suggest starting with a subtractive synthesizer, which often come in the form of virtual analog instruments or emulations of classic synths. Find an instrument that you are 100-percent comfortable with and that you feel is versatile enough to create all the sounds you want throughout the production process.
A perfect example of a suitable synthesizer plug-in currently available is the Arturia Jupiter-8V ($249; www.arturia.com). Its controls are clearly laid out, and it has a versatile sound. Add to that a great effects section and a large amount of presets, and you have a potentially perfect go-to instrument.
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