Production VS Composition
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- KVRist
- 237 posts since 12 Jan, 2005 from Sydney - Australia
I was actually thinking about this the other day...
Back when I had a 4 track cassette based portastudio machine when I wanted to record a song I had to basically have it all mapped out and have the whole song programmed into the drum machine and try to play each part with as few mistakes as possible cause punchin's were sometimes difficult (crossfade???) and you couldn't just copy and paste and comp things together.
Sure I recorded ideas but you'd still develope them a lot further than I do now beacuase it is hard to wade through a bunch of cassette tapes.
NOW, I record all these little ideas and have scraps all over the place and don't end up developing as many as I would before.
In the past I may have setled for an "OK" take as any overdubbing may result in a worse take.
NOW I keep recording takes and comp it all together.
Don't know that it destroys your songwriting, but I think it does make you lazy... or remove the focus somewhat from the songwriting.
But when I weigh up the 2 scenarios I would much rather have the functionality I have now with unlimited tracks/takes, comping ability, low noise, ability to insert measures etc.
I don't dislike the technology, I dislike the bad habits it has allowed me to develop...
I am starting to think I should focus less on production and more on songwriting and just get the production to "decent demo" quality.
And leave the top notch quality to people that focus on engineering rather than songwriting...
But it is so easy to get sucked ito the endless loop of trying things out to try and improve the sound/quality when for a muscian, the time could be better spent on other things when there is nothing wrong with the tools you already have...
Rich
Back when I had a 4 track cassette based portastudio machine when I wanted to record a song I had to basically have it all mapped out and have the whole song programmed into the drum machine and try to play each part with as few mistakes as possible cause punchin's were sometimes difficult (crossfade???) and you couldn't just copy and paste and comp things together.
Sure I recorded ideas but you'd still develope them a lot further than I do now beacuase it is hard to wade through a bunch of cassette tapes.
NOW, I record all these little ideas and have scraps all over the place and don't end up developing as many as I would before.
In the past I may have setled for an "OK" take as any overdubbing may result in a worse take.
NOW I keep recording takes and comp it all together.
Don't know that it destroys your songwriting, but I think it does make you lazy... or remove the focus somewhat from the songwriting.
But when I weigh up the 2 scenarios I would much rather have the functionality I have now with unlimited tracks/takes, comping ability, low noise, ability to insert measures etc.
I don't dislike the technology, I dislike the bad habits it has allowed me to develop...
I am starting to think I should focus less on production and more on songwriting and just get the production to "decent demo" quality.
And leave the top notch quality to people that focus on engineering rather than songwriting...
But it is so easy to get sucked ito the endless loop of trying things out to try and improve the sound/quality when for a muscian, the time could be better spent on other things when there is nothing wrong with the tools you already have...
Rich
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- KVRAF
- 3075 posts since 6 Dec, 2002 from Ljubljana/ Slovenia
Pretty much what SF said.
That's why I do my songwritting on a piano, and when I'm on to something I just
record it as a voice message on my cell phone.
Production kicks in when I'm happy with what I've got already.
k
well, sometimes I get ideas from noodling around, but I try to take
all those to the very same piano (away from computer that is)
That's why I do my songwritting on a piano, and when I'm on to something I just
record it as a voice message on my cell phone.
Production kicks in when I'm happy with what I've got already.
k
well, sometimes I get ideas from noodling around, but I try to take
all those to the very same piano (away from computer that is)
