R
Raydio
Member
When you are ready to do the music for a song, do you already have your instruments (sounds) laid out or do you audition sounds as you go along recording parts to see what sounds good with what you just recorded?
M
mikeh
New member
I try to have a general idea of what sounds I want in advance. With the thousands of sounds available, you risk never getting to the end of a project (given too many choices, no choice can be made).
As an example, I may have a recording in mind that will require bass, drums, accoustic guitar, electric crunch guitar, a lead guitar solo, a "Rhodes piano" and a synth pad. I would normally have an idea on which bass sound and which snare sound, a guitar sounds, etc. etc. so I dial those up.
Now maybe after I record the crunch guitar, I may decide the piano needs a brighter attack, or the synth needs to cut through more, etc. If possible I'll simply dial up another piano or synth sound, or possibly just try to EQ the sound I already have.
When I first started to work with synths (many years ago) I spent way too much time trying to find "just the right sound". Looking back, I could have recorded 3 more songs in the time I spent trying to dial up the right "synth sound"
If the song is good, the sounds are simply frosting, thus not worth a significant amount of effort.
MIDI is great because it allows so many sound choice options (you can delay committing to a final sound until the mixdown )- however, it can also cripple you from making a final decision and simply living with it.
As an example, I may have a recording in mind that will require bass, drums, accoustic guitar, electric crunch guitar, a lead guitar solo, a "Rhodes piano" and a synth pad. I would normally have an idea on which bass sound and which snare sound, a guitar sounds, etc. etc. so I dial those up.
Now maybe after I record the crunch guitar, I may decide the piano needs a brighter attack, or the synth needs to cut through more, etc. If possible I'll simply dial up another piano or synth sound, or possibly just try to EQ the sound I already have.
When I first started to work with synths (many years ago) I spent way too much time trying to find "just the right sound". Looking back, I could have recorded 3 more songs in the time I spent trying to dial up the right "synth sound"
If the song is good, the sounds are simply frosting, thus not worth a significant amount of effort.
MIDI is great because it allows so many sound choice options (you can delay committing to a final sound until the mixdown )- however, it can also cripple you from making a final decision and simply living with it.
Y
YeshuasFan
Guest
I don't think there is a right or wrong answer here where one approach fits every recording/composing situation. Sometimes I sit down to record and already have an idea of what I want the song to sound like so no experimentation is required. Other times I have to play around with different sounds to get one that works best for the mood of the song. And sometimes I wind up not only scrapping an arrangement, but rewriting the melody, which then requires a whole new approach to the song than my original vision.
The key is to be flexible, but realize, as one of my mentors once taught me, that there has to be a time when you realize it's time to let the thing be.
The key is to be flexible, but realize, as one of my mentors once taught me, that there has to be a time when you realize it's time to let the thing be.