STUDIO STRATEGIES

Our resident creativity guru dispenses some sound advice for making sure your music has a style that’s all your own

Resound helps you find your own signature sound

More music is being made right now than ever before. As the number of people making music has risen, it’s become increasingly difficult to stand out from the crowd. Of course everyone wants to sound unique, but how do you actually get there? How about developing a clear strategy for achieving your own signature sound?

How to be unique

There are several components to having a signature sound. Obviously, there’s your artistic vision and your emotional preference, along with your personal influences. But your sound is also defined by the tools you use and the techniques you apply; and then there are all the personal habits, rules and principles that guide the way you work.

All of this, taken as a whole, defines what your music ends up sounding like, but in order to create a unique and interesting sound, you need to look at each component individually.

Thinking it over

It’s important to understand that all of this is an ongoing process – one that continues in your mind at a subconscious level. Some people never really think about these things and it still works out great for them, but it does pay off to become conscious of it.

Really clarify your approach to each of the components that constitute your sound. Once you have, you’ll come away with a better understanding of the direction you want to go in, and therefore, you’ll be able to focus your creative process on what’s important. You’ll establish better cohesion and continuity in your music. You’ll be more efficient which will help create the required momentum to make your mark. How about those for some benefits?

In a musical context

Most importantly of all, to establish your signature sound you need to make lots of music! The thinking and the planning is only one small part of the process – you also need to put it all to practice. Only through a constant cycle of first thinking and then trying things out will you discover and solidify your direction.

Look at the tools you’re using, for example. A lot of folks these days are using the same popular plugins and instruments to make music, but you can stand out by picking ones that aren’t so obvious. Resist the temptation to go with the trends, and always use the latest and greatest things – that’s exactly what so many others will be doing. Rather, make a priority of acquiring tools that sound unique and force you to work in a different way – these will give you an instant edge over the masses.

Make a list of all of your favourite production techniques and music-making methods. Just write it all down, then start applying them in your music more consciously and methodically. Create custom effects chains and save them in your DAW so that they’re always ready to go.

A nice way to generate fresh ideas is to make a note of what’s popular and then do the opposite. Trends come and go – instead of following them, base everything you do on your personal emotional connection to the music. Adopt the mindset of an originator. People who create trends don’t follow them. Don’t worry about what anyone else is doing – carve out a niche that is all yours.

“Acquire tools that sound unique and force you to work in a different way”