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Messages - Final Kindgom

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31
Composition/Arrangement/Theory / Re: Spicy, interesting chords
« on: January 17, 2016, 02:18:55 am »
I didn't read OP tbh, but what I like to do is add 7ths and 9ths. A way to use chords outside of the progression is to use the secondary dominant of a chord. (Theory is worth learning because of them so I suggest you look it up if you don't know what it is.) They enable you to use chords as pivots to other keys, as well as just enhance your chord progression.

32
The songs I write tend to be happy songs, so I go for fun bouncy sounding melodies. Of course when it's called for, I'll go more sad or aggressive depending if the song calls for it.

33
I feel like I have come quite far. Every project I work on, I feel like it's exponentially better than the last (not to say there isn't always a vast amount of room for improvement). I don't feel stagnant at all, and I feel good about my ideas and stick to them, so I'm happy about htat.

I like most of the songs I have made - I feel like I'm usually able to come up with good musical ideas, but the older tracks have a less polished and less full sound.

I feel the exact same way. The constant progression is so motivating!

34
Mixing/Mastering / Re: Squashed sounding master?
« on: January 15, 2016, 05:47:37 pm »
Good idea, Kinesthetics! I'll definitely try that and see if it makes a difference! I usually use a volume enhancement because the built-in speakers are booty :-\ and I always forget that they are still on when I switch to headphones

35
Inspiration/Creativity/Motivation / Re: Work habits?
« on: January 15, 2016, 07:15:58 am »
And even if I get enough sleep my whole circadian rhythm is all messed up if I sleep from 4AM-Noon or whatever.

That's me right now and my semester starts again in a few days  :-\

36
i am a firm believer that the less you know about music theory the more you are creating from the heart. that doesn't necessarily mean you are getting things out in key though. it takes a lot of errors and the more you make the quicker you figure out how to get what you need out. i have known one too many people that were classically trained in one instrument or another who could play the shit out of something, but couldn't "play" the shit out of something. that doesn't apply to all though.. everyone is different

While I see what you're getting at, I don't agree with that first statement. Anyone that's classically trained isn't trained to be creative; they are trained to play to the best of their ability. I have also seen classically trained musicians that just don't have the same soul as musicians of other disciplines (jazz, self-taught, other, etc) do, so I see what you're saying there; but don't confuse that with simply knowing music theory. I've taken lessons for various instruments (not classically trained) and have taken theory classes over the years. I'd say that music theory helps me translate what I feel into sound, not diminished my ability to create anything with feeling.

37
Mixing/Mastering / Re: Squashed sounding master?
« on: January 15, 2016, 06:51:20 am »
What you're hearing with the ASIO driver is pristine, unaltered audio. If it's sounding like trash in other software, it could be making it's own alterations to the sound. Broadband boosts in the bass end are a really common EQ make-up with some general software and audio drivers, to compensate for low-quality sound systems.

I'm listening to it within my DAW, I just switch between the ASIO driver and the internal sound card.

38
But then again, it was never really with me, that is, until I reached rock bottom. That's when I dedicated my life to it.

"When we hit our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change."

39
Inspiration/Creativity/Motivation / Re: Work habits?
« on: January 15, 2016, 03:33:54 am »
I usually work during evenings/nights, but I'll work intermittently through the entire day when given the chance. If I want to produce while at school, I'll probably have to switch to mornings. I'll switch between songs occasionally to keep from burning out within the DAW. I also like to get high/(rarely) drunk and produce, but only if there's a song in progress. Otherwise, I don't get anything done. Luckily, I produce while sober 98% of the time lol I can work for hours on end or get distracted every now and then, depends on my attention span at the time. Sometimes I let myself listen to previous songs to get myself pumped for the next/current one. I like hearing my progression, even when its subtle.

40
Mixing/Mastering / Re: Squashed sounding master?
« on: January 14, 2016, 09:27:54 pm »
@ manducator: In a DAW you can change whether the output comes through the laptop/computer's internal sound card or through an ASIO driver.

I'm not sure how you currently master, but I find that it's better to use a lot of subtle compression at different points throughout your mix, rather than taking a track with lots of dynamic range and slamming it into one compressor/limiter. find out which tracks and busses in your mix can get away with 2-3dB gain reduction, and make sure that none of the tracks have any stray huge peaks. that way, when you finally get to the mastering stage, the compressor and limiter don't have to do as much work, which makes it just a tiny bit more transparent. (although at the end of the day, the louder you want it, the more you have to compromise with some squashing)

So you basically automate the compression? And I'll have to give the gain reduction a try. Thank you!

41
In FL 11 (haven't updated yet to 12) I put all automation under the instrument it's connected with.

This is what I do. Sometimes there might be a pattern in between the two, but either way I make it so that it's not very hard to find.

42
I play piano primarily, though I can also play drums, guitar, and flute. I've been a musician since 2008, and I haven't looked back since.

43
I mostly agree with what's already said, but sometimes forcing yourself to make something is better than nothing. Don't rely on motivation to help you make music; you need discipline. You may not come out with the best song you've ever written without the inspiration, but at least you'll have something. Learn and apply a technique you've never used before, practice something you're bad at, restrict yourself to only 5 different sounds, or learn/practice sound design. Cool things can happen when you challenge yourself.

There have been a few sessions where I had no inspiration but I noodled around with my DAW anyway. Some of those sessions were shit, but a few have gone on to be full tracks. Inspiration may not come to you all the time, but sometimes you have to actively seek it out.

This isn't to say that you have to be in your DAW all the time. Take a breather and experience new things to revive your inspiration. However, I do think that in order to keep improving, you need to make the effort even when you don't feel like it or if you're not inspired.

44
Inspiration/Creativity/Motivation / Re: [TL;DR] Musicianship
« on: January 14, 2016, 07:08:02 pm »
I tend to have a habit of judging those who say the phrase, 'if it sounds good to you, then that's all it matters.'

Those who like music: If it sounds good, that's all that matters.
Those who love music: If it sounds good and makes you feel something, that's all that matters.

The average music listener doesn't care for deep interpretation or why a chord progression sounds pleasant. That's probably why they love Pop. They don't care for what's behind it. It's not about the art. Same thing about the Gangsta/Hardcore Rap genre (I would distance this from Hip Hop a bit, as the culture rose up out of a need for unity and peace, not as a means of promoting shitty themes such as hypermasculinity, oversexualing women, etc). It's not about the camaraderie amongst your fellow brothers and sisters, its just a bunch of noise screaming "Fuck bitches, get money, I'm the best, I'll kill you if I see you on the street, etc". The words crafted to spew this nonsense take away from the actual beat that are in some cases really good. Any potential artistry is lost due to the violent, fucked up nature of the genre.

However, I find a lot of the offspring from most genres are where the artistry and musicianship can. Because they aren't consumed by the masses, there's more room to be you, tell your story, and let people feel who you are.

45
Mixing/Mastering / Re: Squashed sounding master?
« on: January 14, 2016, 05:45:32 pm »
I've got FL's native EQ (for cutting), multiband compressor, another EQ (for boosting), and a limiter.

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