Knowing what you know now about Creating Music using a DAW and a computer

[kennywtelejazz]

If you could go back in time to when you first  started what would you tell yourself to do differently .

 

Lets hear your thoughts on this topic .

 

Kenny

Edited May 22, 2023 by kennywtelejazz

[satya]

wish i knew to play instrument

[Base 57]

I would tell myself not to check the Forum every morning for six months looking to see if there is an up... I mean a umm...

Nevermind 

[Bapu]

I would say "don't be fooled into thinking you'll be the next Chris Lord Alge"

[craigb]

Don't do something stupid and break my arm?  That's why I had to stop playing guitar for YEARS and got me onto the computer to make music in the first place...

[Bruno de Souza Lino]

Give up and get an actual job.

[kennywtelejazz]

The posts so far all contain good points of view and answers . 

Kenny

[PhonoBrainer]

High pass eq every track except bass and kick, getting rid of everything below 300 hz

Edited May 20, 2023 by PhonoBrainer

[kennywtelejazz]

When the sound and performance of the plugin is stellar , don't worry about the out dated look of the plugin ...case in point Sonitus plugs .

 

Kenny

Edited May 20, 2023 by kennywtelejazz

[mettelus]

Hmmm, since computers (and especially DAWs) didn't really exist when most of us started, maybe "Blow off all of this expensive hardware and focus on performance... personal computers will be a thing soon (seriously), and you can get all of this gear for a fraction of the price."

[Starship Krupa]

Numero uno is that I would have warned myself about the audible effect of jitter and staying away from interfaces from before the JetPLL era. And I would have only purchased a single 8-input interface rather than springing for a pair of them that I could chain together. I think there was one single occasion where I used 10 of my 16 inputs, and very few where I used more than 4 (I track drums using a 4-mic setup).

I'd probably warn myself away from mixing plug-ins that combine multiple functions (compression, expansion, EQ, saturation whatever) under the hood with only 2 or 3 controls (Trackspacer is the NOTABLE exception). The tracks in my earliest mixes have too many of those pulling each one in different directions.

Really, though, I don't look back and see big missteps or long detours, only a learning process that continues to this day. It takes time to learn mix engineering, and part of that time is discovering things that don't work. I sought out good advice, both from friends and from what was around on the web. Still do.

I will say, though, that there is some cliche "wisdom" that I was subjected to that I would never throw at a n00b. And more than one "rule" that I consistently break.

[kennywtelejazz]

11 hours ago, satyabrata satapathy said:

wish i knew to play instrument

I had the opposite problem I could play the $hit out of a guitar yet  I had no idea how to use a computer 

 

Kenny

[Bruno de Souza Lino]

Don't buy anything from Unison Audio. Not that I even did. This is more advice for future me.

[kitekrazy]

That I never listen.

[rfssongs]

There is a lot of gear & software I would never buy again that I spent a lot of money on. Keep it simple. The gear won't make me better.

[Gswitz]

Emulators are interesting but not equivalent to the real thing. 

Try ribbons!

When it stops feeling fun, plug in, stand up, close eyes, play. 

[Esteban Villanova]

The DAW is for recording, not for composing.

[hockeyjx]

Save SAVE SAVE! Then label all the presets and such in your projects. Keep great notes.

Just better organization.

[rfssongs]

1 hour ago, Esteban Villanova said:

The DAW is for recording, not for composing.

I think the opposite way - I use the DAW as a central component in writing & arranging.

[Wibbles]

Don't post in music forums.

Edited May 22, 2023 by Wibbles