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I have been producing music for almost six years now and I learned by watching tutorial videos online and also hanging out with senior producers and watching them work their magic.
I use Cubase just because it got recommended to me back when I was looking to get into music production. I feel like Cubase is a great choice for anyone who is looking for their first DAW, but it also won't let you down as you progress and want to achieve more complex things.
I really like my audio interface because it honestly served me pretty well all these years. Nothing really fancy, it's a Steinberg UR242 but I never had any hardware issues with it and the sound quality also decent as well.
If we are talking about just audio plugins, I'm really satisfied with Waves products because they gave everything you need for the mix and mastering process. But if we are counting virtual instruments as well, I have a lot of affection for Session Guitarist by Native Instruments cause they sound incredibly realistic and are easy to work with.
First of all, I try to put my focus on melody and lyrics before anything else and after I've found something that I'm happy with, I try to experiment with different instruments to see which ones go with the vibe that I'm looking for. Usually, after I'm done with all of that, I try to ask another producer to help me with the rest; you will be surprised how much a second opinion can help your craft.
YouTube videos are a big help for me, it's honestly mind-blowing how much there is to learn for free. I also learned a lot from being around other producers as well. Sometimes you just have to look at a master to learn the untold secrets.
The last tutorial video I watched on YouTube was a video about Native Instruments' new VST. I recommend taking a look at it if you are looking for realistic guitar sounds in your work.
I wish I knew that learning a musical instrument was not necessary for being a good music producer, so I would focus on other things that are more necessary skills.
My biggest challenge that I feel like I'm always facing now is getting out of my comfort zone and trying new stuff on each track. I never want any of my songs to sound close to each other and that's why I like to experiment with different genres and instruments a lot. It's a challenge for sure since most of the times I have to check and understand how other people are doing it and hopefully, put my own spin on it!
My killer tip might be a simple one, but I advise all producers to use at least one real live instrument on their track even it's an electronic track. The difference might be subtle but I believe it can give your song a soul. A lot of amazing, seasoned musicians are out there to hire.
Yes for sure! Even if someone mentions something small, I just can't stop thinking about the feedback I received at all. People are usually very nice and they try to say what they don't like in a positive way and because I have good memory for this kind of stuff, I will always remember the feedback before starting a new project and sometimes during it as well.
I really like my latest track 'Tonight' because it's one of my few attempts to make an EDM song in my own style and I believe I did a good job despite all the difficulties.
Absolutely! I found my music label through RepostExchange and a lot of other great musicians that gave me incredibly useful feedback to make better music.
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This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.