I started producing music when I was about 15 years old (now I am 38). I got together with some of my friends and began downloading audio editors and some digital instruments (mainly Cool Edit and ReBirth Reason) without having any idea on what we were doing. No musical nor technical background, YouTube didn't exist, so no tutorials whatsoever were available to us, but we knew what we wanted to achieve, so we began to experiment. We also tried to ask as many questions as possible to older friends that had some sound production experience even if they didn't like it at all.
Later on, I went to Barcelona's Microfusa (School of Sound) and became a professional sound technician. It was right then that everything clicked in my brain. Everything I learned over the years technically and musically started to make sense and my sound production skills became better.
My favourite DAW is Logic Pro X, I find it pretty easy to use and very intuitive. Every tool is just a couple of clicks away, short cuts are very logical (if you don't mind the redundancy), and it's not that expensive.
I have to say that some other DAW(s) are quite incredible also, like Ableton, Reason, Pro-Tools, Cubase or Digital Performer. It's just a matter of what suits you best, and which one allows you to have a great workflow.
That is a very difficult question to answer in my opinion, only because there is such an immense variety of instruments, each with a very unique sound and colour. Also, if we start thinking about special effects, dynamics, and studio gear, in general, the list would be too long! So in order to answer the question, I will name some of the gear that I would love to have in my studio today.
For synths, Access Virus C, 2 x Clavia Nord Lead, and Arturia MatrixBrute. Plus, a couple of Neve 33609 compressors, Eventide Harmonizer H9000, and two Genelec Monitors 8030C.
Waves have always had an amazing selection of plugins very useful for dynamic processing and effects applications. They are very easy plugins to use and also not very demanding on your CPU. As for virtual instruments, love DIVA, Serum, some of the Arturia V Collection (Mini, Cs80, Jup8), Pigments, and my always faithful Native Instruments (Battery, Absynth, FM8, Massive, Reaktor).
It's true that you might not be always in the right mood to produce music, so I try to sit in front of my gear mostly when I feel the beat inside. It is hard to explain, but it is like when I was a little kid and I would get super excited to play a new video game that morning and I just couldn't wait to get started, I feel exactly the same way about music.
If I manage to do this, normally the rest comes out quite easily. For instance, I always start with a nice powerful kick, which in my opinion it's SUPER IMPORTANT, then I start designing my bass line, which most of the times is two different bass sounds layered, then it's time to groove some percussions, which is always super fun, and then some melodies that fit my bassline and percussions.
From then and on it's all about detailing and transitioning, I ALWAYS try to Mix everything on the go, and I never leave stuff to get fixed in the end because when the time comes I usually forget what I wanted to fix and then the mix gets all screwed up and it is very difficult to get it right. Also, I definitely believe that less is more and that applies to the number of sounds that I use, and the amount of processing that I apply throughout the track. I always try to finish my tracks, at least the main idea, in one sitting.
YouTube channels, magazines, tutorials, all of them! There is always someone, somewhere that knows something you don't. Also, the best producers got where they are by learning and adding skills throughout their whole careers. So, practising, experimenting and working with other people is also very important, not only books, videos, and magazines.
Lately, I have been watching Tron's psytrance with Serum Tutorials, which are freaking amazing. Very well explained and you can apply everything on the go. JUST AMAZING!!! Here is the link for the first one:
I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND IT!!! Especially for psytrance lovers...
I think knowledge and understanding come exactly when it's meant to be. You have to experience every step of the way. When it comes to sound production there are no shortcuts, no cheating sheets that work universally nor some magical recipe that applies to everything - only practice and experience! If someone would have tried to explain to me something I learned today about sound design, ten years ago, my understanding of it would have not been the same because of my lack of experience.
Because I am always busy being a family man, I don't have all the time in the world to spend in the studio. So when I sit, I try to make the most out of it by producing when I get that funky feeling that I already mentioned, so that means that with the time I have, I am usually very productive. If I get writer's block, I take a break and come back at it later during the day and that usually helps a lot. Also, I try not to listen to any music before I start composing because it tricks my brain and I don't want to write something that resembles or sounds like some else's ideas.
Try to produce like there will be no mixing, that means to try to leave everything on the go as well mixed as possible so when your done writing stuff, the mixing process will be easier. Then when you mix, try to do it as if there would be no mastering, and by that I mean to have a tight, clean, and well-spaced mix from the beginning!!! If you have a shitty mix, the mastering phase won't fix it it will only make it worse.
I always use Landr to master my tracks online and from home. That helps a lot to improve my mixing skills because I can go back and forward until I get the result that I want without having to pay lots of money. And, if I manage to have a great final product from Landr, it is because the mix is properly done. That means if I decide to send my pre-masters well mixed to a mastering professional, I will get an even better result.
All the time! And it's not always easy, mainly because lots of people will try not to break your heart, so asking someone you know might not be the best option unless you definitely know that their feedback is straightforward and honest. Another way to do it is through forums where lots of people think they're experts and their critiques are usually very harsh, but mostly helpful if you have a thick skin.
I always leave a little piece of my heart in every track I produce so I couldn't say which one makes me proud the most. It's like asking a father which one of their kids he loves the most, I guess.
TOTALLY!!!! I have met and worked with some amazing independent producers thanks to RepostExchange, so that means that I have learned a lot because of it and has made me, in my humble opinion, a better producer.
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This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
