Oh wow, it’s been a while! I believe I started producing (or at least trying to) around 12 years ago. However, I didn’t really consider myself a producer at all until around three or four years of learning and practising in my free time. It took even more time for me to start producing music professionally; it’s been approximately four years of that now – and such a blessing.
Rewinding back many many years to when I was a child, I got a Casio CTK-496 Keyboard as a gift for Christmas and that changed everything for me. It was my favourite toy and I would spend countless hours just playing nonsense because I hadn’t properly learned to play the piano. It was just the keyboard and I. No rules, no lessons, no one there telling me I had to do things in a particular way. I honestly feel like that made the whole experience of learning an instrument (or anything about music) so much more of a blast. It felt to me like I was discovering something myself. After a few months of that, I started teaching myself some of the songs on the keyboard’s song bank and then (without really knowing it) I would start composing. I remember grabbing sheets of blank paper and writing the names of the notes in list order (such as D, F#, B, D) with no concept of timing besides what I remembered (mind you I was pretty young, with no music classes, and just vague information about the names of the notes).
Fast-forward a few years. I finally discovered the beauty that is the internet, YouTube, and the endless possibilities that comes with information overload in any subject you can imagine. So I learned about MIDI one day and (no way!) this same old keyboard (which I still have to this day!) had a MIDI output. It became my very first MIDI controller and it helped me discover that I could play notes and arrange them on a DAW. I downloaded a demo version on FL Studio and began making some of the wildest experimental tracks (because I had no idea of what I was doing).
I fell in love with producing on the computer at that very moment, the same way I fell in love with being able to play notes on the keyboard a few years back. That freedom and that desire to learn are among some of my fondest memories.
I use Ableton Live now and the workflow feels so natural to me. I remember seeing somewhere online that a lot of electronic dance music I liked at the time was being made with it and magically stumbled upon a free online intro course (maybe it wasn’t magic, maybe it was the cookies doing God’s work). After learning the basics, I knew I had to make the switch. Ableton just felt right to me. The fact that it’s great for production and live performance made it a big plus for me. Also, it’s cross-platform compatible which is fantastic since I had access to both a Windows and Mac computer growing up. Before Ableton, I was making beats and learning how to arrange in FL Studio and GarageBand separately, depending on which computer I had access to that day.
My favourite piece of gear has to be my laptop. I have an Apple MacBook Pro right now and I use it for absolutely everything music-related. Without it, music would be ten times harder to make. But if we want to narrow it down to anything besides my laptop, it would probably be my AKAI MPK Mini. This was the first piece of equipment I ever bought myself with my own money and it was such a good deal. That MIDI controller and my computer are all I would really need to produce anywhere and at any given moment.
There is so much to choose from! My favourite and the virtual synth I’ve been using for the longest time is Massive. It was the first plugin I think I ever got and the one that introduced me to sound design – so it holds a dear place in my heart. Another favourite is Serum, it’s so powerful and fun to work with. There’s like a hundred other plugins out there that I like to use from time to time and it’s always the best to experiment and see where it takes you. However, you can sometimes get lost trying to find the right fit or the perfect plugin for a track and I feel like that can be a big waste of creative time. With that, I just want to mention that native plugins are sometimes all you need; and I want to give Ableton’s Simpler & Sampler a big shoutout for the number of times it’s sparked some dope ideas.
Honestly, it really varies each time. It’s never a clear cut way for each track and the origins for my ideas tends to switch constantly. The first thought for a song can come from anywhere – it can be a session of me trying to create some melody or chords, or me singing in the shower, or as weird as me waking up in the middle of the night with an earworm I need to record ASAP.
For the latter type of ideas where I need to record and I can’t just immediately start working on a song, I record it on my phone by humming or singing. Then I listen to that when I’m ready to work on it and put it on my DAW (whether that’s through MIDI or recording vocals/instrument).
Once I've got something cohesive going, I program some drum patterns around it and see how the groove feels. Although sometimes, an idea can start with drums and then it’s the other way around. I’m a pretty organized person but when it comes to creative processes like these, I like to be free and let the music take the lead.
I think listening to a lot of music and different genres is one of the most important ways to improve your craft as a musician. I have a super varied taste in music and I’ve learned to appreciate every type or form of music I hear. My philosophy on this is that by exposing yourself to different types of music (even those outside your comfort zone) you’ll learn to appreciate what makes them unique and special to those who enjoy it. At the same time, you open your mind, expand your taste, and unlock more possibilities in your creative arsenal.
Besides that, I’ve spent a ridiculous amount of time on YouTube and just browsing sites on Google as I try to look for things I want to understand or learn. Forums like Gearslutz have saved me so many times. The SadowickProduction and Dubspot YouTube channels have taught me so much over the years too.
I’m a big fan of Reid Stefan’s YouTube channel and his tutorials. They are so informative and very entertaining to watch. Oh yeah, he is a puppet with mad production skills and a great sense of humour.
Sends & Returns are super useful features on any DAW. I think because of the way I use of groups/busses on Ableton, I had not utilized much of the send and return track features Ableton as of recently. I know that there are benefits in using their capabilities such as saving CPU power and glueing tracks from separate busses together. This is a great video for anyone getting introduced to the concept or anyone needing a refresher of what this skill can do for you and your productions.
Focus on the music. Everything else is secondary. There will always be more tasks and goals to achieve. Chasing them and trying to do everything will only burn you out and make you unhappy in the long run. If you are doing this because you love music, then that should really be your priority. Be happy, enjoy the present and make music that you enjoy. That’s it. You’ll see how everything else follows.
Perfectionism is a challenge and it’s something I deal with. It’s hard to keep moving along and enjoying your work when your biggest critic is yourself. I’ve constantly found myself battling that voice in my head telling me that I’m not good enough and that I must not be working hard enough. It’s taken years of this for me to get a better way of dealing with it. It’s not as easy as saying ignore it but I’ve found that part of the problem for me is linked to caring what others might think of me and my work. I’ve started to focus on my own happiness more and it’s done wonders for me on this regard. If I like it – it’s all that matters. Trust the process, keep creating. I repeat these phrases to myself mentally.
I used to blast my volume when making music. This can be a huge problem given our perception of music quality as opposed to loudness. My tip is to try producing, mixing, and mastering at lower volumes. Use both your ears and eyes when making gain staging decisions. Avoid clipping and going into the red – there are better ways to achieve distortion without affecting the quality of your audio.
Splice is my go-to resource for samples, loops, plugins, and collaboration tools. I’ve used their artist packs so many times to spark inspiration and just browsing around on their app has landed me on some fantastic sounds. It’s been an awesome part of my workflow for many years – so much so that I actually partnered with them recently. Anyone reading this can use my promo code AUGGIE100 for a free month!
Yeah, I share my music with some people who I trust are honest with me and give useful feedback. It really depends on the track though, music is a very personal process and it’s good to understand that any feedback should be taken with a grain of salt because it's all based on opinion, taste, and perspective (no matter how technical it is). There is no right way of doing anything in art.
It’s really hard to choose and I feel like my answer would change depending on how I feel that day. Right now, a favourite song of mine which I am proud of is Down With Me. I made this whole song as I was in the process of battling the anxiety I felt from my own pressure I gave myself as an artist. This song was somewhat of the start of me not caring about expectations or worrying about what others think of the art I create. I was just in the moment, enjoying the groove and dancing in the studio.
I’ve found some super cool artists through RepostExchange that I would not have found otherwise. Not only have I discovered new music from them but I’ve been supported by these dope artists who found my music the same way I found theirs. We’ve helped each other and our music grow. Not only does that help me reach new listeners but it’s a big motivation booster. That’s how connections and communities grow online. That’s the beauty in a platform like this one.
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This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
