A little background story.. I'm coming from playing guitar, to making music in DAW for my bands (rock music), to starting produce electronic music all in the computer. Then I took a break for about 5-6 years.
I then discovered NI Maschine (about a year ago), getting some motivation again, because of the 'hands on' experience on Maschine. It was fun, just like starting to learn a new instrument again. After a couple of months, I realized that in order to finish a complete music, it's all about to work in a DAW (computer) again. So my Maschine was collecting dust, but I finished more songs and better music with DAW.
Sold my Maschine over a month ago. Now I feel like I'm in a position 6 years ago, working music all in-the-box, feeling my motivation decrease over time. I still watch new gear or plugin review in Youtube and gets excited about it. But do I have to buy new gear or plugin to get my motivation for making music back? What do you guys think? What piece of hardware or software makes you feel motivated again? Maybe some kind of new workflow suggestions for making music?
Boosting motivation with gear
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- KVRian
- 642 posts since 22 Jun, 2018
I think it's not motivation you want, it's inspiration. A new piece of gear can be very inspiring, after all. I think a good thing for you to try is to try to source that inspiration from somewhere else. To me, limitations have always been one of the best sources of inspiration. So, maybe try to impose some arbitrary limitations on yourself, like maybe using only a certain synth or maybe writing in time signature you never used before. This can help to get out of the old habit of doing the same things over and over again.
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- KVRAF
- 4590 posts since 7 Jun, 2012 from Warsaw
Well, I'm here on KVR, because new software and gear inspires me. At least until I get it 
Blog ------------- YouTube channel
Tricky-Loops wrote: (...)someone like Armin van Buuren who claims to make a track in half an hour and all his songs sound somewhat boring(...)
Tricky-Loops wrote: (...)someone like Armin van Buuren who claims to make a track in half an hour and all his songs sound somewhat boring(...)
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- KVRAF
- 12352 posts since 7 May, 2006 from Southern California
I think it helps to consider why new gear is often a path to inspiration. Some gear will force you to think about making music in a different way or it will help you do something that you were not able to do before. In a lot of cases, it's because you are learning. From this perspective, I don't think the inspiration comes from new gear, though gear may be a catalyst.
We can learn to provide our own spark of inspiration, without purchasing stuff. Learning a new skill which can be applied musically, approaching an instrument (or any tool you use) from a different perspective or with a different technique, or making a game out of mundane tasks. These are all ways to spark inspiration.
I was studying creative writing before I started making music and during that time I learned a lot of habits which help me maintain a creative mindset without getting bored. One thing is to spend as much time each day as you can, thinking about creative ideas. When I was writing, I would keep a journal of ideas and I do something similar with musical ideas. Sometimes I will record myself humming or tapping out a beat with my phone or a portable recorder, other times I will jot down musical ideas in a form of notation which I have to interpret later (the act of which may cause the idea to change). I get a lot of rhythmic and sound design ideas that way.
Another thing I found which helps me, is actively telling myself not to be frustrated when I can't get an idea out in a satisfying way, when inspiration strikes. Be able to let an idea go and allow something else take it's place.
We can learn to provide our own spark of inspiration, without purchasing stuff. Learning a new skill which can be applied musically, approaching an instrument (or any tool you use) from a different perspective or with a different technique, or making a game out of mundane tasks. These are all ways to spark inspiration.
I was studying creative writing before I started making music and during that time I learned a lot of habits which help me maintain a creative mindset without getting bored. One thing is to spend as much time each day as you can, thinking about creative ideas. When I was writing, I would keep a journal of ideas and I do something similar with musical ideas. Sometimes I will record myself humming or tapping out a beat with my phone or a portable recorder, other times I will jot down musical ideas in a form of notation which I have to interpret later (the act of which may cause the idea to change). I get a lot of rhythmic and sound design ideas that way.
Another thing I found which helps me, is actively telling myself not to be frustrated when I can't get an idea out in a satisfying way, when inspiration strikes. Be able to let an idea go and allow something else take it's place.
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- Rad Grandad
- 38044 posts since 6 Sep, 2003 from Downeast Maine
l: acquisition>instant gratification>inspiration>anticipated gratification>lost inspiration>no gratification :l
The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires profound, purpose‐larger‐than‐the‐self kind of understanding.
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- KVRAF
- 10598 posts since 31 Aug, 2013 from Somewhere near the Morgul Vale.
my reply to this thread
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
-Martin Luther King Jr.
-Martin Luther King Jr.
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- KVRAF
- 25053 posts since 20 Oct, 2007 from gonesville
When the band I lived with and occasionally worked with acquired the DX7 ('84 or '85) it was a period of inspiration and growth for me, it was a new way of approaching creating sounds with a synth and I took to its paradigm immediately.
When I got Absynth 2 in 2003, I was first of all excited to use the FM (phase modulation) ratio paradigm in an oscillator that had more than sine waves. And applied some other learning which I was able to get in the meantime.
I also bought my own DX7 at that time. My flow with it was gone, which was me personally first and foremost, I had dropped out for a long time.
But today, it's all software. I don't look for 'gear' in the literal sense and find it cumbersome actually.
I can work with just a laptop and draw everything in, everything I did in 2017 was and nearly all of it in the public library.
This I can do because of the wealth of resources in the box and because of the extensive experience I bring to it, even after dropping out and the brain damage and all of that shite.
I have to say that the sound is foremost, that working on a track means I have this terrific palette before me AND that I know what to do with it. Inspiration vs perspiration, the old adage, has a kind of truth to it. I do believe you have to be working in order to be inspired. Inspiration is not a magical property, it's a synergistic thing where the more you work the more you are feeding yourself.
I'm not as clever as Justin and I don't know about strategies if I'm stuck; for me if I don't have the specific energy to create a track I don't go to the workstation to bother with it. This is not a block, it's just something about me personally. I am somewhat driven but I don't put this pressure on myself as though I lack creativity. I think that could block a person.
I'm a bit of a freak, there is no moment when musical ideas are not bubbling in my head. I could work 24/7 but physicality precludes it today. That said, I think one can be in better shape at times in terms of outlook and mental hygiene. For instance I was on methadone for over 13 yrs and I didn't do shit except for study in the library. But, I think 8 hrs a day studying kept me from atrophying worse than I have.
When I got Absynth 2 in 2003, I was first of all excited to use the FM (phase modulation) ratio paradigm in an oscillator that had more than sine waves. And applied some other learning which I was able to get in the meantime.
I also bought my own DX7 at that time. My flow with it was gone, which was me personally first and foremost, I had dropped out for a long time.
But today, it's all software. I don't look for 'gear' in the literal sense and find it cumbersome actually.
I can work with just a laptop and draw everything in, everything I did in 2017 was and nearly all of it in the public library.
This I can do because of the wealth of resources in the box and because of the extensive experience I bring to it, even after dropping out and the brain damage and all of that shite.
I have to say that the sound is foremost, that working on a track means I have this terrific palette before me AND that I know what to do with it. Inspiration vs perspiration, the old adage, has a kind of truth to it. I do believe you have to be working in order to be inspired. Inspiration is not a magical property, it's a synergistic thing where the more you work the more you are feeding yourself.
I'm not as clever as Justin and I don't know about strategies if I'm stuck; for me if I don't have the specific energy to create a track I don't go to the workstation to bother with it. This is not a block, it's just something about me personally. I am somewhat driven but I don't put this pressure on myself as though I lack creativity. I think that could block a person.
I'm a bit of a freak, there is no moment when musical ideas are not bubbling in my head. I could work 24/7 but physicality precludes it today. That said, I think one can be in better shape at times in terms of outlook and mental hygiene. For instance I was on methadone for over 13 yrs and I didn't do shit except for study in the library. But, I think 8 hrs a day studying kept me from atrophying worse than I have.
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- addled muppet weed
- 105824 posts since 26 Jan, 2003 from through the looking glass
dunno about elsewhere but here gear means drugs. so yes they can be inspiring.
as jimi said scuse me while i kiss this guy!
as jimi said scuse me while i kiss this guy!
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fluffy_little_something fluffy_little_something https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=281847
- Banned
- 12880 posts since 5 Jun, 2012
When you are a guitar player, you might simply be drawn to "real", hands-on instruments. Maybe you would be more creative with a hardware synth such as Yamaha's Reface series.
Another problem might be that you are not using the right DAW due to workflow issues.
You might also solve both issues with a good arranger keyboard.
Another problem might be that you are not using the right DAW due to workflow issues.
You might also solve both issues with a good arranger keyboard.
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- KVRAF
- 12352 posts since 7 May, 2006 from Southern California
It's not always a good idea to push past a creative block (as you said that can create more of a block) but I like having a few exercises at hand to keep the creative juices flowing. I agree that the longer you can keep working the easier it is to stay creative. It becomes muscle memory, if you know what I mean.jancivil wrote: ↑Fri Oct 12, 2018 8:58 pmI'm not as clever as Justin and I don't know about strategies if I'm stuck; for me if I don't have the specific energy to create a track I don't go to the workstation to bother with it. This is not a block, it's just something about me personally. I am somewhat driven but I don't put this pressure on myself as though I lack creativity. I think that could block a person.
I know that if I take a break from working on music all together, it's much more difficult to get started again. If I keep doing creative stuff, even if I'm not working toward a specific goal, it's much easier to jump into a project later on.
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- KVRAF
- 2367 posts since 17 Apr, 2004
This almost sounds like an either/or. Either you are working in a DAW finishing songs, or you are just futzing around. But I think doing both is important.eluherlu wrote: ↑Fri Oct 12, 2018 4:12 pm I then discovered NI Maschine (about a year ago), getting some motivation again, because of the 'hands on' experience on Maschine. It was fun, just like starting to learn a new instrument again. After a couple of months, I realized that in order to finish a complete music, it's all about to work in a DAW (computer) again. So my Maschine was collecting dust, but I finished more songs and better music with DAW.
It's the futzing that keeps you motivated and delivers the creative sparks that lead to music and new approaches. And it's the finishing the idea off in a DAW that brings those sparks to a conclusion.
The hard part is finding gear that is not only inspiring initially, but inspires you over the long run. Not everything has the same allure. Sometimes, turning to the neglected gear is a great way to rediscover what attracted you in the first place, and forces you to adopt a different approach.
One attribute that gear needs if it's going to be something you "just muck around with for 5 minutes" leading to an all-nighter is immediacy. If you need to wait for the computer to start and projects to load and... can't be arsed, this is boring. Being able to pick up something and start making noise within 5 seconds makes it much easier to just have fun for the sake of fun.
Voted KVR's resident drunk Robert Smith impersonator (thanks Frantz!)
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2myYesRBRgQB3LkZzEYdt5 | https://soundcloud.com/steevm/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2myYesRBRgQB3LkZzEYdt5 | https://soundcloud.com/steevm/
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- KVRian
- 1185 posts since 11 Sep, 2015
^well said, here's to futzing around.
@op, if maschine didn't do it for you, but you still liked to play on it, try Ableton with a Push2 instead... neither is better than the other, each has its strengths and weaknesses - but it's undeniable that Live is a much more powerful DAW better suited for finishing most types of productions.
@op, if maschine didn't do it for you, but you still liked to play on it, try Ableton with a Push2 instead... neither is better than the other, each has its strengths and weaknesses - but it's undeniable that Live is a much more powerful DAW better suited for finishing most types of productions.
