First of I prep all of my equipment...like; opening the coke bottle, turning on my amp, kill the tv, unmount my doorbell (I've had a few neighbours over due to some midnight producing), sit my ass down on my less than perfect chair, grabbing my very simple
midiboard (which is a freakin testemony of my intelligence, in the way that two of the keys was F'ed up, but nothing a little creativity couldn't handle), and finally firing up Reason or Cubase.
I find myself having different sessions. Some of which is pre production sessions where I'm getting an initial idea down, or just playing around with the board. Sometimes I have "layering-sessions" and try to make up some meaty kick or crispy snare, or just make something unusual. All my stuff is all layered out for me when I go about producing, cause for those of you in here being serious about this you know how the brain works, and the relationship between the left and right handside of your brain. You might not KNOW what I'm talking about, but I guarantee you that you've at some point found yourself smack in the middle of that shit.
I start with whatever's gonna be a the hook of the track(not "hook" as in chorus, but "hook" as the the very little thing that's in your track that makes it stand out. Or should make it stand out that is...) If I'm making a track that is samplebased, this really isn't the biggest issue to conquer. Anyways, then I build the track around that.
I keep the building the track until I'm happy with the overall feel to it. After each instrument and element I add, I also strap on a compressor to harness the sound, and to bring it to a steady level. This sort of depends on what style I'm going for, but it's usually what I do. When the track's kicking, I'll shitmix it and bounce it down. Then it's of to shitmastering/shitmas'ing it and trying to make it fit into my 512mb mp3player(I knew I should have gone for the iPod).
I'll listen to this for a few days, making notes of the pro's and the con's, mental notes...Then I "air" it around for people to check the respons. Then I usually get someone that wants something and it's off to remove the dislikes, make a proper mix, and mastering it to the best of my knowledge. Leaving some room in the master for the cats to track it.
Recording sessions...
Sorry man, gonna have to get back to you on that cause there ain't no way in heaven I'm gonna be inside when the honeys are out with their twins hehe
-Nito