Which is your favourite part of the process ?

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grimtraveller

grimtraveller

If only for a moment.....
Songwriting, arranging, recording or mixing. Which do you prefer and why ? Do you feel you're equally strong in each ?
 
Writting, arranging and editing is work.
Mixing is rewarding, in that it's the final stage of a project.
As I've said it many times in various forum threads....for me the recording/tracking stage is the most fun because that's really where the recorded song takes shape, and where you get to play some instruments, etc.
 
Editing, arranging and mixing are damn near the same thing anymore. I feel I'm REAL good at it. :D
 
Mixing. I like fooling with it endlessly, looking for that particular sound.
No, i am not equally strong in each of them.
 
This is hard to answer - since ..... it depends. Like many if not most on this site - I wear many hats.

As a writer, I find satisfaction in the creative process, however, it tends to be a lonely rocess, which sometimes feels like work (to find thestrongest phrases, tell the best story, etc.)

As a musician, I enjoy trying to create performances that serve the song - and when I am playing well and executing properly, it is a joy ..... however, if I can'tcreate a part that works (pr worse, can't nail the part in a few takes ..... it becomes a chore. I play many instruments, but often I don't feel I play them well enough to create truly great parts.

As a producer, I really enjoy trying to create solid arrangements, vocal harmonies, etc. to take the shell the writer created and turn it into a strong song.

As an engineer, I enjoy the challenge of getting all the equipment to work properly and to get the single from point A to point Z - but I hate the amount of time I spend reading intruction manuals to get all the gear to work.

The problems happen when all those people can not seem to agree on the direction or the finished product (which happens often).

I beleive my skills are strongest as a writer and arranger. As a musician I have passion and a fair level of skilll - but I often fall short of my expectations.

My weakness is an an enginneer. I do not have a strong enough knowledge base, my ears are not fine tuned enough (occupation hazard of almost 40 years of gigging) and I simply do not have the level of passion (for the technical aspects) to really achieve a higher level of skill.
 
I like writing and then putting down a rough demo. if I can't get the song completed in a single session I usually get a little bored and then move on.
 
ido1957 said:
What's with all these open ended questions?
Click to expand...
Do you have a problem with them ? I noticed in another thread you commented something like "open ended questions are annoying....."
If a thread doesn't tickle a person's fancy, they're not under any duress to take part. Just ignore it and move to what you want to get involved in.
That's democracy ! :D

But to answer your question directly, the questions arise from curiosity. There are obviously some members that enjoy discussing different things and every so often, I'm curious about different peoples' approaches to and thoughts on certain matters. In this particular instance, many of us wear a variety of hats and I thought it would be interesting to hear how people feel about those hats.
Also, I think slightly futuristically, so I'm also thinking that some of these topics may be ones that newcomers to the site may want to take part in or easily digest to get something of a feel for what sometimes goes on here.
 
I like all aspects of making music, from the first idea of the song to the last recorded/mixed note. I'm in a bit of a lull, songwriting wise, at the minute. I have a lot of anger, frustration and general negative feelings inside me since my Mum died suddenly in January. Songs don't need shit like that put in them so I'm happy not to write for now. Luckily I have a backlog of songs that will keep me going for a many years, if needed.

I love writing. I usually hear all the parts I want to add while I'm actually building the song from nothing. I hear music in my head more than I play, if you know what I mean. I write with different instruments a lot also. Sitting strumming a guitar for years can get a bit tedious, chords all sound the same and the progressions get dull. Other instruments inspire the magic. I like writing basslines and then building songs around that. Or on the Ukulele, Piano, Organ. Sometimes just my imagination, pen and paper.

With recording I also like to challenge myself. Write and record and finish a song in a day. Cover a song but do it completely different to the original or try and keep to the same instruments and similar sounds as the original. Record a song with only one take allowed per track. I like to mix it up and keep myself on my toes. Good fun.

Obviously, as much as the next person, I love recording. (Or I wouldn't be here) Playing the tracks and building them up and hearing the progress and your idea come to life, is a great thing/feeling for me. In my little room, in my little world, no one to interrupt or distract me. Heaven!

I kind of see tracking and mixing as one as I'll mix as I go along, in a fashion. I'm only recently (the last year or so) getting into making drum tracks. Using EZDrummer, although I've just purchased Superior Drummer, I enjoy creating drum tracks from scratch. (Never used any groove or whatever they're called) I can't play the drums at all and I'm not very good at getting that "real drummer" sound but I enjoy it all the same, so I don't care.

I'm not interested in making a living, I'm just interested in having fun.
 
I like it when a good song idea happens, i like good ideas i may stumble into while recording but the best part is when the music is all recorded,mixed and pretty much finished.

but we all must like the full process in some way i know i do.
 
I like the mixing best.

I've likened it to flower arranging. Someone hands you a bunch of flowers: they are all pretty, but when you arrange them well, you create something that is greater than the sum of the parts.
 
Mixing! Thats where you get to see the music come to life. You never mix one song the way you would mix another. Each mix requires special delicate attention and allows me to be as creative and imaginative as I desire.

Editing. I hate editing. Necessary. Yet awful!
 
I'm pretty shit at mixing. My favorite parts are definitely writing and recording. I've been trying to get better at mixing, but it's just not as enjoyable as actually making the music, to me. Hopefully as I get better, that'll change.
 
My favorite part is when the recording process is done and we see if we can do it with a live audience.
 
grimtraveller said:
But to answer your question directly, the questions arise from curiosity. There are obviously some members that enjoy discussing different things and every so often, I'm curious about different peoples' approaches to and thoughts on certain matters. In this particular instance, many of us wear a variety of hats and I thought it would be interesting to hear how people feel about those hats.
Also, I think slightly futuristically, so I'm also thinking that some of these topics may be ones that newcomers to the site may want to take part in or easily digest to get something of a feel for what sometimes goes on here.
Click to expand...

And, sometimes we glean little kernals of tidbitish minutae from these little soirees! It's like looking through your driveway gravel for jasper quartz at times, but for some of us, it's just plain fun. :D
 
Grim, to the question. I like writing. I like to try to mix and often get done with everything else too early I tend to not learn the parts before tracking and then I've got lousy tracks and don't want to go back and do practice and tracking all over. So I'm mixing unrehearsed, lousy tracks. I need to learn patience and get my parts down well before tracking (because that's not my fun part) so I only have to do it once. The fever of a new song, like the first buck of the year...
 
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