i need a musical enema

you know what - I'm really fed up with making tracks and have been for some months now...all my newest stuff has, in my opinion, been pretty shit compared to what I used to make. I used to make all my tunes on a cheap laptop and FLoops and I enjoyed it and came up with some cool stuff. now I have "better" setup involving a few hardware synths and a MacBook, but I don't enjoy making tracks any more really and don't make half as many as I used to. I'm fed up. fed up with laying down a fucking electro-ish beat, then sticking some analogue bass on top of it, then some pads, then....*yawn* I can't be fucked any more. it's all the same old shit. i've been experimenting with just using my MacBook and Reaktor and that's alright, but I got no direction or inspiration, so I usually end up just making little patterns, looping them for a bit then turning it off and going to bed.

I need a new direction - my mate suggested making tracks entirely out of just kick drums (with various effects). I've thought about fucking the whole "music" side of things off and getting into noise.

whadyareckon watmm?

i don't know about the whole noise thing, but it wouldn't hurt to go back to the comp for a bit... try some diff genres....

I also have extremely limited time with which to make music - I live with my girlfriend in a very small flat in London and we are, for all intents and purposes, married. this is all lovely and great, but it means I don't feel comfortable sitting for hours at my keyboards with my headphones on while she's in the same room watching TV...we don't have much room and all my gear is just crammed in to a corner of my living room (which is small). she doesn't mind me making tracks at all and actively encourages it, but I just can't work or concentrate in that environment. I need to bang my stuff out loud and be able to dance around and talk to myself whilst making tracks. silly I know, but that's how I work. so anyway, i basically have about 1 hour a day after I get in from work and before she gets home from work in which to make tracks - but I'm never in the mood then coz I've just fucking got in from work.

i'm investigating making some kind of generative patches in Reaktor that will effectively make music for me while I'm cooking dinner, doing the washing and all that boring married life stuff.

a good thing could be to collaborate with someone

lol I've got no mates in London - they all moved away a few months ago...it's just me and my girl. and she wouldn't know one end of a drum machine from the other.

and get your own studio! rent a bigger place in which you'll have your own room with all the gear so you can make your silly noises in your own little world

jeesh you've got no mates? what are you, a fucking hermit or something?

i've had the same problem with making tracks with my girl in the room.

i think it's important to establish a space for yourself. i have a seperate room for my studio; i close the door and it's like an airlock. she understands, and won't bug me if i ask her to give me some time to work on a track. i felt bad, until i realized she really doesn't mind. she needs private time just like i do. if you feel like you can't leave her alone for a few hours, maybe there's some fear and insecurity you need to deal with.

once you get a few seriously uninterrupted hours, it's quite possible you'll lay out a banger and feel better about the music end of your life. then, once it's all mixed down, you can go give her 100% of your attention, instead of 90% her 10% fretting about music. compartmentalization man. it's no good to be torn between your musical world and your daily world -- both will suffer.

yeah, I really need my own room as a studio - we are looking into renting a bigger place maybe at end of September, but we need to spend LESS than we do now so probably can't afford it :( we could move to a shit area where rents are cheap but fuck that shit - I'd never stop worrying about my GF when she's walking home and stuff...or myself for that matter - I fucking hate dodgy areas where you can't relax and get hassled on the street and stuff. I'd rather move out of London. And if I move out of London i'd have to get a different job and so would my girlfriend and OH GOD WHY IS IT SO HARD???

sell drugs

  On 7/27/2009 at 6:22 PM, BCM said:

OH GOD WHY IS IT SO HARD???

that's like a fat chick screaming "why do you make me so fat??" at a cheeseburger

make changes or give up music!!

List all the hardware you're using and we'll tell you what to keep, what to sell and what to buy.

make your boring track, remix it like luke rhinehart lived his life in the dice man.

youre asking other people to be creative for you?

try different genres, playing with an instrument, use patches you've never used, get drunk, make a beat without kick-snare feel/sound. all these work for me

Learn a style you love but have never attempted to create before. Pick one piece of music and learn absolutely everything you can about it. Maybe you should go find a nice two-part invention by Bach and recreate the entire thing in a piano roll. This will A) get your mind off of the usual B) teach you a whole lot about counterpoint between multiple voices C) develop your harmonic understanding D) be nice and simple since all you need is a piano roll and any instrument with enough of a range to facilitate the song E) Teach you a lot about motivic development F) If you're not copying it from a score it will increase your ability to do things by ear that much more.

Also, let me point out, that if you're stuck musically, delving into the timbre aspect may not do a whole lot for you. You can learn all you want sound design, but there's the possibility that after coming back from your tangent you'll still be making the same beats and loops with fresher sounds.

  On 7/27/2009 at 6:26 PM, hahathhat said:

  On 7/27/2009 at 6:22 PM, BCM said:

OH GOD WHY IS IT SO HARD???

 

that's like a fat chick screaming "why do you make me so fat??" at a cheeseburger

 

make changes or give up music!!

jesus relax - i was only pissing about... i know that i must make changes, hence this thread for ideas..

  On 7/27/2009 at 7:02 PM, chimera slot mom said:

youre asking other people to be creative for you?

not at all - what gave you that impression?

anyway, right I've had a plan. i'm gonna sell all my shit (possibly) apart from the mixer, multi track, monitors and FX and invest in an a simpler, but more fun to use synth and a drum machine - keep it simple and fun to actually use and make tracks with. at the moment i find it all a bit of a chore - got loads of stuff all hooked up and i sometimes get a bit lost in it all tbh - this is why i liked just using my laptop - it's all there and simple and above all FUN!

gonna check ebay now and see what i could potentially get cash-wise..

Make noise.

hmmmm, nobody seemed that keen on my noise idea, but i may well still experiment with it....

i reckon i could get about a grand, maybe a bit more for the stuff i want to sell...it's tempting...

reason

And honestly BCM, I've been having the same problem, but I'm just doing the same 'ol shit with my computer. I really need to get my hands on some hardware as I now have none (other than a shitty midi keyboard controller with a few knobs n shit) as it has the potential to evoke inspiration in me (personally).

That, being said, I've just finished 2 tracks in 2 days (which is absolutely insane for me), and they are fun as fuck. I'm getting ready to go start #3...

EDIT: "IT'S ALL FOR DAMIAN!!!!!!"

I'm considering selling my Creamware Pro-12 as they've actually gone up in price by about £200 since I bought mine and I'll most likely make a bit of profit :) same goes for my micron. considering getting an x0xb0x...you can buy them fully assembled now for $700 - about £425....that and perhaps some old drum machines and that's about it! keep it simple innit.

  On 7/27/2009 at 8:28 PM, BCM said:

hmmmm, nobody seemed that keen on my noise idea, but i may well still experiment with it....

 

i reckon i could get about a grand, maybe a bit more for the stuff i want to sell...it's tempting...

You should definitely do it, we can make noise together and hang out on the weekends, and talk about distortion pedals and feedback loops.

my name is Dan C as well you know. mental.

noise is too easy BCM.... don't do it, except to piss about. You have way too much talent to not show off what you have in your other aspects or something and shit.

*runs*

*ducks back in*

even GOOD noise seems easy to me to make

*sprints*