I’ve always been interested in music production since school as a teenager. I tried a few times, in my teens, to start producing properly and learn the fundamentals. However, I didn’t put any time, energy and/or focus into it until the COVID 2020 lockdown began in Scotland, UK. When the lockdown was announced, I knew I had to find an escape/something to keep my mind busy. So, since February 2020, I have put a lot of my time into learning and becoming a more well-rounded producer. From following tutorials on YouTube to reading about different VSTs on Google, it allowed me to improve incredibly and reach/achieve my personal goals.
I use Ableton Live 10 Suite. I feel it’s the best DAW out there but of course, that opinion varies in the producing world. I find it very easy to learn and manoeuvre between VSTs. It also supports all the plugins/VSTs/kits that I really enjoy using.
I only have speakers/headphones as equipment for producing, other than that I use my QWERTY keyboard to use VSTs etc. using the built-in keyboard within Ableton Live. My headphones are Audio-Technica ATH-M50X and I really can’t recommend them enough. They are affordable yet the performance is outstanding and has really allowed me to develop & improve hearing frequencies. My speakers allow me to blast my music and hear a different angle almost, they are Logitech Z-906 5.1 Surround Sound Speakers and I recommend them a LOT.
My favourite plugins have got to be, and in no particular order; iZotope Ozone, iZotope Neutron, Output Arcade & the FabFilter collection. I feel these are must-haves for any beginner. They come at a cost but are well worth the money. Ozone and Neutron allow me to mix/master my tracks with ease, they are both very easy to understand and learn. I’d pick those two as my overall favourites as mixing/mastering has been something I’ve really had to put time and effort into. I never wanted to, and still don’t, hand my tracks to engineers as I feel it's something all producers should have in their arsenal.
To summarise my approach, I always start with drums and then begin my melodies/sounds/elements. I like getting a nice beat and rhythm going first before adding anything and I find it easier to mix to make sure the bass is not muddy etc. The track's overall feel and emotion comes straight from how I feel that particular moment in time. I find my motivation towards producing tracks in expressing my emotion and feelings into them.
Ableton have outstanding resources online to learn each different part within the DAW and that’s what I found the best resource to be. They have a YouTube channel too that provides tutorials which can help as well. There is a lot of YouTubers who I have found whilst scrolling through and each provide really good tutorials/resources on how to learn and improve.
The last video I watched was this, I found it very useful towards learning Ozone 8. I had just purchased the VST and needed to learn the fundamentals. He provides very useful tutorials on his YouTube which I would recommend all Re-Ex members to watch.
I wish I could tell my younger self to pursue his passion for music sooner. I would tell all who are thinking about it, to just start. You will be a much happier person with a future you can be excited about.
Definitely motivation/writer’s block. I’m still at university currently and when the workload is high, I just don’t have the time or energy towards making tracks. That’s why there’s often a month or two gap between each track I upload. To anyone in the same situation, I would only say that balance is key and there are other parts of your life that need time put into. To just not stress or worry about your tracks being uploaded or producing tracks regularly all the time.
Unfortunately, I’m still learning so don’t have any incredible tips for the pros out there but for the new ones like me, I’d recommend a sidechain process using the built-in Ableton compressor. It's probably the easiest side-chaining technique I have found, search into Google and you’ll find many videos on it. Great for EDM/Dance tracks.
I don’t unfortunately. After speaking to labels and pros, I feel it is a lot better to learn it all yourself and your future self will be very thankful.
Yes definitely, I feel it's key to improvement. I use RepostExchange and a few other websites such as SCPlanner to get feedback for my tracks. I honestly cannot recommend using these tools enough for beginners as they will help you a lot.
I would definitely say 'Sígueme' is my favourite and most proud of track. I really took my time towards mixing/mastering it. After producing and uploading it, the feedback/response has just been overwhelming and I am very grateful for it. The track gained a lot of recognition and I was signed to a label because of it. It will be my first track ever to be taken up by a record label so I’m over the moon about it all. It's being released on April 17th with Reckoning Records.
RepostExchange definitely has affected the way I make music. The platform has allowed so many different people across the world to listen to and give feedback on my tracks. It is a very easy-to-use website/platform, and it gave me so many different opportunities and has given me a future to look forward to.
Connect with Lorenzo on SoundCloud, Spotify, Twitter, and Instagram.
Want more? Sign up at RepostExchange.com.
This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
