PRO TIPS

MOVE ON!

This is a vital tip for staying in the creative flow: be strict with your time! Recognising when something isn’t working is a skill in itself, which is why I don’t spend more than 30 minutes on one individual element. In the past, I’ve wasted hours on one particular part, only to realise it just doesn’t work in context. If something isn’t quite right for your current project, though, you should bounce the sound to audio and archive it for use another day – it could well become the perfect starting point for a different song.

This tip also applies to entire projects. When working on the same song over and over again, I usually wind up getting stuck in a rut and making mistakes. In this case, I start something completely new or go back to another track, then return to the first song with fresh ears at a later time.

RTFM

Like many producers, I often make the mistake of firing up a new piece of software without opening the accompanying manual. After a few minutes of ignorant knob-twiddling, I remember the importance of reading the documentation – after all, modern music software can be complex, with each product having its own idiosyncrasies that you’ll probably never discover without some kind of helping hand.

If you’re not quite up for a thorough read-through, you should at least skim through the manual and pick up a handful of quick tips or shortcuts to get started. However, the most foolproof way to learn a new tool is to methodically work your way through each section of the manual and try out each particular feature in turn, with no agenda other than to test out the product. Funnily enough, doing this can quickly lead you towards an inspiring new sound or effect that may kickstart a musical idea.