what should i buy to help me progress as a musician?

if it makes you happy that's all that matters. its about having fun right?

I can't believe some of the things I was writing earlier in this thread!

The EQs in Ableton, first off, are perfectly useful. I've been pushing them.

Second, you guys are basically totally right that it's what do with you have that matters. EDIT: even though there are major flaws to this idea... and it's kind of bullshit in some ways. just a tiny bit. I want other musicians to keep in mind that the tools are important to a certain degree. But you don't need a Machinedrum or Max MSP, necessarily. You just need to enjoy working, and have the very BASICS down for what you're trying to do, which for some people is just a laptop and some software synths, but for others is a microphone, drumset, etc.

However, getting some "air" between the wires really adds something... I bought an Elektribe ESX with the money I had, and it's really adding something completely different. It's exactly what I needed. I pray I don't lose this inspiration in the future, with better machines. This is the best work I've ever done, production wise. I made a loop and listened to it for about 10 minutes, because I was so surprised that I'd gotten the exact sound I wanted. I'm very pleased, but this is only the beginning.

Music really is 99% pushing yourself. It's work, but interestingly when it's work the work sucks. The work should be fun. Because that's the only damn way I'm going to do it...

And making it an adventure, with knobs, and sound adventures, and delving into sound worlds, really makes it more fun for me.

:)

  On 12/29/2012 at 5:16 AM, vamos scorcho said:

I can't believe some of the things I was writing earlier in this thread!

 

The EQs in Ableton, first off, are perfectly useful. I've been pushing them.

 

Second, you guys are basically totally right that it's what do with you have that matters. EDIT: even though there are major flaws to this idea... and it's kind of bullshit in some ways. just a tiny bit. I want other musicians to keep in mind that the tools are important to a certain degree. But you don't need a Machinedrum or Max MSP, necessarily. You just need to enjoy working, and have the very BASICS down for what you're trying to do, which for some people is just a laptop and some software synths, but for others is a microphone, drumset, etc.

 

However, getting some "air" between the wires really adds something... I bought an Elektribe ESX with the money I had, and it's really adding something completely different. It's exactly what I needed. I pray I don't lose this inspiration in the future, with better machines. This is the best work I've ever done, production wise. I made a loop and listened to it for about 10 minutes, because I was so surprised that I'd gotten the exact sound I wanted. I'm very pleased, but this is only the beginning.

 

Music really is 99% pushing yourself. It's work, but interestingly when it's work the work sucks. The work should be fun. Because that's the only damn way I'm going to do it...

 

And making it an adventure, with knobs, and sound adventures, and delving into sound worlds, really makes it more fun for me.

 

:)

Some nice points in here.

Yes the tools matter to a degree. But people have made great music with rubbish gear (or

I think the thing about new gear is that yes it offers new sounds, but perhaps more important it brings along with it a new workflow, a new perspective.

I guess I'm forever infatuated with the old romantic idea of the artist that can pull beauty from whatever happens to be at his disposal.

i think the work thing is a synthesizer guy problem. Some many workflows you have to deal with making electronic music. Youd never hear a guitarist say its hard work. Cause playing guitar is fun. Or banging drums is fun.

  On 12/29/2012 at 9:33 PM, marf said:

i think the work thing is a synthesizer guy problem. Some many workflows you have to deal with making electronic music. Youd never hear a guitarist say its hard work. Cause playing guitar is fun. Or banging drums is fun.

I dunno, I think novelists think their job is hard work, and it's much harder for them to blame the word processor (though it's still possible, with enough mental contortion). Then there's programmers, who blame their tools and invent better ones instead of doing the actual work itself. Although all of these are much nicer jobs than, say, filing.

ESX is magical. Good choice imo.

i cant recommend a specific book because i was taught in school and uni, but i would recommend spending a few weeks/months studying basic compositional techniques, as far as putting melodic stuff together it gives you a really interesting understanding of how mathematically (for want of a better word) music, and chords that sound good, work together. to know how the basic stuff is constructed gives you more freedom to experiment later on without lapsing into harmonic nonsense.

For years I couldn't for the life of me make music on computers. I tried and tried and it always was lifeless horrible crap. I used to play in krauty/shoegaze bands in the 90's so that's where I came from as far as playing music. Over the last few years I invested in a hardware rig and a board and I haven't stopped since. I'm now getting into cool things like rerouting sound out of the DAW or board and into a cool old guitar amp with a spring reverb and remicing it. I think you'll find that a lot of those idiosyncratic bits in a lot of AFX and BOC recordings are accomplished by unique routings like this.

Here's a shot of this.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=329536587160996&set=a.276256242489031.64427.274106642703991&type=1&theater

  On 12/30/2012 at 5:03 AM, messiaen said:

i cant recommend a specific book because i was taught in school and uni, but i would recommend spending a few weeks/months studying basic compositional techniques, as far as putting melodic stuff together it gives you a really interesting understanding of how mathematically (for want of a better word) music, and chords that sound good, work together. to know how the basic stuff is constructed gives you more freedom to experiment later on without lapsing into harmonic nonsense.

Yeah, I can't emphasize the compositional stuff enough. I'm about to study composition (namely reharmonization) via snail mail with one of my favorite composers. This stuff might be my favorite part about making music.

An example:

Say you have the melody notes E, F, G.

There's a million chords you could put under them. A common sequence would be Dmin, G7, Cmaj, but that shit sounds like something old people would listen to.

You could do:

Fmaj, Bbmaj, Amin

Bbmaj, Bbmin, Fmaj

B7sus4, Dbmaj7, Emaj(+9)

Eb7 (b9), D7(+9), Db5 (+11)

etc

Anyway, that's what I would study if I were you.

  On 12/30/2012 at 6:47 AM, pixelives said:

For years I couldn't for the life of me make music on computers. I tried and tried and it always was lifeless horrible crap. I used to play in krauty/shoegaze bands in the 90's so that's where I came from as far as playing music. Over the last few years I invested in a hardware rig and a board and I haven't stopped since. I'm now getting into cool things like rerouting sound out of the DAW or board and into a cool old guitar amp with a spring reverb and remicing it. I think you'll find that a lot of those idiosyncratic bits in a lot of AFX and BOC recordings are accomplished by unique routings like this.

 

Here's a shot of this.

 

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=329536587160996&set=a.276256242489031.64427.274106642703991&type=1&theater

Agreed.

  On 12/30/2012 at 7:01 AM, scones to die for said:

  On 12/30/2012 at 6:47 AM, pixelives said:

For years I couldn't for the life of me make music on computers. I tried and tried and it always was lifeless horrible crap. I used to play in krauty/shoegaze bands in the 90's so that's where I came from as far as playing music. Over the last few years I invested in a hardware rig and a board and I haven't stopped since. I'm now getting into cool things like rerouting sound out of the DAW or board and into a cool old guitar amp with a spring reverb and remicing it. I think you'll find that a lot of those idiosyncratic bits in a lot of AFX and BOC recordings are accomplished by unique routings like this.

 

Here's a shot of this.

 

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=329536587160996&set=a.276256242489031.64427.274106642703991&type=1&theater

 

Agreed.

Yeah!

  On 12/30/2012 at 6:47 AM, pixelives said:

For years I couldn't for the life of me make music on computers. I tried and tried and it always was lifeless horrible crap. I used to play in krauty/shoegaze bands in the 90's so that's where I came from as far as playing music. Over the last few years I invested in a hardware rig and a board and I haven't stopped since. I'm now getting into cool things like rerouting sound out of the DAW or board and into a cool old guitar amp with a spring reverb and remicing it. I think you'll find that a lot of those idiosyncratic bits in a lot of AFX and BOC recordings are accomplished by unique routings like this.

 

Here's a shot of this.

 

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=329536587160996&set=a.276256242489031.64427.274106642703991&type=1&theater

You played with Juan Maclean? I saw them/him with LCD Soundsystem a while back. I really dug "Less than Human" at that time. That was the first and only time I've seen someone use a theremin onstage.

  On 12/30/2012 at 7:25 AM, AdieuErsatzEnnui said:

  On 12/30/2012 at 6:47 AM, pixelives said:

For years I couldn't for the life of me make music on computers. I tried and tried and it always was lifeless horrible crap. I used to play in krauty/shoegaze bands in the 90's so that's where I came from as far as playing music. Over the last few years I invested in a hardware rig and a board and I haven't stopped since. I'm now getting into cool things like rerouting sound out of the DAW or board and into a cool old guitar amp with a spring reverb and remicing it. I think you'll find that a lot of those idiosyncratic bits in a lot of AFX and BOC recordings are accomplished by unique routings like this.

 

Here's a shot of this.

 

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=329536587160996&set=a.276256242489031.64427.274106642703991&type=1&theater

You played with Juan Maclean? I saw them/him with LCD Soundsystem a while back. I really dug "Less than Human" at that time. That was the first and only time I've seen someone use a theremin onstage.

Yeah! Juan's an old friend. We recently DJed together in this tiny place in Vermont over Thanksgiving. He's also an incredible DJ besides the live stuff. So locked in.

But back to the topic. There are so many interesting instruments out there that could be used and could be cool. Thousands upon thousands of cheap effects pedals, piles of unwanted and cheap (mostly digital) drum machines (roland R8, kawais, yamahas), cheap midi syncable digital synths (1985-1995), etc, etc. You don't need the newest sound module hard/software and in a way your own esoteric setup with immediately differentiate you from you sound pack and soft synth masses. Ebay is your friend.

I think once you get to this place of having some gear that is unique and your own, that you will start to vibe on this because it is your specific take and doesn't sound like anyone else in particular.

For instance: The Kawai K4 I picked up a few years ago for 75.00 off of craigslist. Sure, it's a ROMpler. But the strings are pure Detroit: Drexciya and UR. S'got some really weird evolving waves in there, as well. The lower the bit rate 12/16 the better IMO. Digital fuzz.

  On 12/30/2012 at 6:47 AM, pixelives said:

For years I couldn't for the life of me make music on computers. I tried and tried and it always was lifeless horrible crap. I used to play in krauty/shoegaze bands in the 90's so that's where I came from as far as playing music. Over the last few years I invested in a hardware rig and a board and I haven't stopped since. I'm now getting into cool things like rerouting sound out of the DAW or board and into a cool old guitar amp with a spring reverb and remicing it. I think you'll find that a lot of those idiosyncratic bits in a lot of AFX and BOC recordings are accomplished by unique routings like this.

 

Here's a shot of this.

 

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=329536587160996&set=a.276256242489031.64427.274106642703991&type=1&theater

cool. i agree! think out of the box. connecting the unconnectable.

  On 12/30/2012 at 7:37 AM, pixelives said:

But back to the topic. There are so many interesting instruments out there that could be used and could be cool. Thousands upon thousands of cheap effects pedals, piles of unwanted and cheap (mostly digital) drum machines (roland R8, kawais, yamahas), cheap midi syncable digital synths (1985-1995), etc, etc. You don't need the newest sound module hard/software and in a way your own esoteric setup with immediately differentiate you from you sound pack and soft synth masses. Ebay is your friend.

I think once you get to this place of having some gear that is unique and your own, that you will start to vibe on this because it is your specific take and doesn't sound like anyone else in particular.

those toys are fine, but you might sound like Dan Deacon

  On 1/16/2013 at 6:23 AM, marf said:

  On 12/30/2012 at 7:37 AM, pixelives said:

But back to the topic. There are so many interesting instruments out there that could be used and could be cool. Thousands upon thousands of cheap effects pedals, piles of unwanted and cheap (mostly digital) drum machines (roland R8, kawais, yamahas), cheap midi syncable digital synths (1985-1995), etc, etc. You don't need the newest sound module hard/software and in a way your own esoteric setup with immediately differentiate you from you sound pack and soft synth masses. Ebay is your friend.

I think once you get to this place of having some gear that is unique and your own, that you will start to vibe on this because it is your specific take and doesn't sound like anyone else in particular.

 

 

those toys are fine, but you might sound like Dan Deacon

Naw.