In The Studio

In the studio with Deft Soul

This week, we catch up with disco producer, Deft Soul!

Jaz from the RepostExchange Team

How long have you been producing music and how did you learn?

I have been producing music for the last five years. Initially, I got into music by writing poems and songs, and never had the slightest idea of how to compose a song. However, I saw an interesting looking mobile application from Magix Studio that enabled a user to compose songs with an in-built range of samples. This got me interested and I ended up spending a lot of time with it and came up with some interesting stuff. I then went on to buy their music software for my laptop and continued to play around with samples and some of their instrument plug-ins.

However, I found my options limited pretty soon, and I did some research on the best DAWs in the market. I finally settled for Logic Pro X, as I was quite impressed with its workflow and the amount of instruments and plug-ins that came with it. After buying my first MacBook, I finally bought this DAW, which I have been using ever since.

All that I have learnt till now has come through listening to my favourite artists (Daft Punk, Justin Timberlake and The Weeknd to name a few), watching YouTube tutorials and most importantly, spending a lot of time with Logic Pro X. I have done a lot of in-depth research on each and every instrument and plug-in that it has to offer so that I could understand them well enough to use them to their maximum potential.

What DAW(s) do you use and why?

As mentioned earlier, I use Logic Pro X now. It is the only DAW I use and indeed have ever needed. I can say with confidence that I have been using it for over two and a half years now, and there is still loads of stuff that I haven’t fully explored and understood. It has been worth each and every penny I have spent to purchase it, as it has provided me such a wide variety of instrument and effect plug-ins, that I have hardly had to look at any other third-party plug-ins to get new sounds and inspiration.

It does have quite a steep learning curve, however, I suggest spending as much time as possible with it, as the results are just amazing.

What are your favourite pieces of gear and why?

I believe in simplicity and not throwing a lot of gear into my music projects. I currently own a Yamaha PSR-I455 keyboard, Focusrite Home Recording studio equipment and microphone, Audio Technica ATH-M50x headphones and a MacBook.

This is all I really require to compose music and record my vocals. As I mentioned earlier, 'less is more'.

What are your favourite software plugins and why?

I use the Logic Pro X stock plug-ins as there is a wide variety of them inbuilt in the DAW. You could be an analogue or digital person and there is plenty for both types of producers.

However, recently I have been exploring a few free stock plug-ins from Native Instruments and I quite like their Analog Dreams and Guitar Rig 5&6 plug-ins. They can be used both as instruments as well as effects for other instrument plug-ins that I already had.

How would you summarise your approach/workflow when creating a track?

I am a keyboard player, so that’s how I like to approach an idea for any new music that I have in mind. I like getting a good synthesiser bass line or lead in place before building up the rest of the elements in the song. I believe that once my bass/lead is ready, and I’m fully convinced about it, the rest of the song falls into place quite easily, hence this phase usually takes most of my time. After the main groove is in place, I like to work with Logic Pro X’s versatile drummer feature to get the right beats and percussion for the project.

What resources do you use to improve your craft?

I like to spend a lot of my time acquiring new knowledge and skills. I usually achieve this objective by watching specific YouTube tutorials on a skill or using a plug-in/equipment that I feel the need to explore and understand better. For example, Musician On A Mission, Delicate Beats, Nathan Larsen Music, MusicTechHelpGuy, Valentina Bilancieri and Superior Singing.

I consider myself to be a music nerd so I’m always taking notes while watching tutorials. I also have a habit of going through my notes every fortnight, to pick up any points that I may have missed out on before.

What is the last YouTube tutorial you watched that you would recommend to other Re-Ex Members?

What knowledge or advice do you wish you'd learned earlier?

Since I’m learning mixing and mastering now, I feel that it is so important to make your song stand out when it comes to the sound quality and the personal style of an artist. Artists often overlook this particular aspect of production, and I think it’s the biggest mistake you can commit as an artist who is serious about their craft. A song that is mixed and mastered well, doesn’t only make it sound professional but also validates all the effort you have put into constructing the song, by giving each instrument and sound its place.

I think there are a good number of YouTube tutorials on this particular subject. It can be a little daunting and technical at first, but trust me it’s something you just cannot overlook. There are professionals who charge a lot of money to mix and master songs, however, I feel with a little dedication and time, an artist can do this for themselves.

What challenges related to making music do you face and how do you overcome them?

The main challenge I usually face while writing or making music is ensuring that I’m not getting repetitive in any way. With each project, I need to have that feeling of growing as an artist, breaking new ground, challenging myself to try out a new effect or instrument or even write on a topic I have never explored before.

As an artist, it becomes quite easy to stick to the safe zone and use the tried and tested methods used before or ones that are currently trending. I believe in having a signature sound, however, that should never become an excuse for not treading a new path.

Everything said and done, this does bring different challenges along with it such as resistance to change and writer’s block.

The way I deal with these challenges is to just give the whole process time, and not forcing things through. When the sound is right, you will be the first one to know it.

Can you share any killer tips or techniques?

As an artist, I still consider myself to be a novice and by no means in a position to advise anyone making music.

However, I strongly believe in my idol Daft Punk’s philosophy that music doesn’t have to be 'loud' to catch the listener’s attention. A song that is composed well, every instrument and sound-treated with respect and given its space and most importantly not overly compressed will always find its place in the 'loudness war' of today.

Do you use any online tools to assist with the production process?

I don’t use any online tools as such to assist in my production. However, I enjoy sampling, and I’m always on the lookout for some analogue sample packs out there, that could enhance my project in some way.

Do you try and get feedback or suggestions to improve your music? If so, how?

I am a regular user of RepostExchange and I end up getting a lot of feedback on my songs that I release twice a month. I think the comment option that is provided, is very helpful for artists seeking genuine feedback on their work.

I also try to send my music to blogs for reviews, however, I am still quite early in the process here.

Which track are you most proud of and why?

Now, this is a tough one. However, I would say it’s my song 'Retrouvailles' from my debut album, Mon Trésor. The simple reason being, it is inspired by my favourite song, 'Voyager' by Daft Punk.

I felt a little pressure when I undertook this idea for a song, as Voyager is such an aurally nourishing track, and it may sound simple, but there is a lot of stuff going on in the background that was going to be hard to model into my new project.

I knew that I had to find a killer bass in order to get the song sounding right, and after quite a struggle, I managed to get a good sample that I could work with. The rest of the song came in place fairly quickly after that, and I was really pleased with the final sound.

I also must point out that while working on this project, I learnt how important it was to get the bass sounding right. Ever since I have been able to compress and EQ bass lines really well.

Has RepostExchange affected the way you make music? If so, how?

RepostExchange hasn’t necessarily affected the way I make music, but it has surely given me a great avenue to collaborate and connect with artists around the globe! It has helped me find new artists, and in turn, other artists discover my music. So for sure, my networking has been helped in a large way here.