More Apps = Less Production?

JRSIV

There was a cool thread on this topic a few weeks back; coming from a different angle but echoing the same dilemma here.https://forum.audiob.us/discussion/comment/221892/#Comment_221892 The thread was on cassettes and the old analog discussion brought on the same points of how many choices we have with technology today and how the fog of so many options can make even just beginning to record, compose or jam difficult.

I ran into this after first leaving the comfort of my Tascam 488mkII 8-track PortaStudio setup for a PC/ProTools setup. I had the basic "light" version of ProTools, still back in the Digidesign days, very few plug ins or virtual instruments. Compared to my iOS studio set up and app complement it was very lean, but it still felt like I had a million roads in front of me.

It takes time and just plain old determination to power through with inspiration and not let the myriad of apps and sounds cloud the mind. Half of it is if the inspiration is being forced from jumpstreet: if you sit down with AudioBus open, your DAW set to record and have 90 synth & drum apps available and then say "Okay, time to write a song!" that will drive you mental. Just sitting with an acoustic and a pad & pen will be hard going if you always start off with "okay now, create!!!", trying to "do it". The best stuff always come out naturally anyway, at least in my experience.

I don't mean you never try to bring out something or only wait until you "feel it maaannn", but putting expectations or boundaries on something will gimp it from the beginning. I go the other way too often of very little discipline at times, with tons of unfinished bits and sessions with lots of tracks open for vocal and guitar overdubs. How about deciding between the 3 takes of the vocal or guitar solo causing everything to stop, while trying to comp the tracks and going over each note taking hours and hours and... Sometimes finishing a song or piece of music is just as hard as starting one.

I am a lot better with just going with the flow and not double and triple guessing everything. Sometimes THAT B3 sound will be fine, I don't have to go through each organ on the iPad to make sure. As some of you guys stated, working in just one app environment (Gadget, etc) can make a difference. We have such powerful tools in the iOS music production scene now that the paralysis by analysis and extreme array of choices is bound to confuse us...hey, we're musicians.

My bigger problem, as evidenced by this novella of a post, is this:
I can write about, read about and talk about music, gear, guitars, recording, etc. just as much if not more than actually writing, playing and recording music. I love all this stuff but the obsessive bookworm tech head thing can get away from me. I love forums like this and hearing other cats music and ideas on stuff. Hell, I can read music retailer catalogs until my butt goes numb. I can be holding my guitar, using the tuner in one of the guitar amp sim apps, and somehow three hours later with guitar still in lap I'll be on the Kawai piano website reading about their manufacturing process...

And with that I'll press post and go record.

Be cool...

[Deleted User]

Why do people worry about getting everything perfect. Are you all professionals making money from selling your music? No? Well get to know what makes what sound and throw stuff in until something sounds good yes tongue in cheek no one take it personally.

Personally I like the process of making and playing. It's not about getting some wonderful song made, but yes some want to have that type of result.

I also think people are asking too much of themselves. To be the musician of all instruments, the arranger of songs, the master of mixing, the wizard of mastering, the artist of cover design, the promoter of product - the whole kit and kaboodle.

Yes too much can be a distraction can....well.....distract you from making songs, yet in the words of the immortal punk song - So What! Just have fun doing whatever you do and you will soon forget those distractions and loose hours just making or playing music.....by the way, the washing up needs doing!

Just for fun - if you disagree don't be a dick about it, go make some music

JRSIV

@Fruitbat1919 said:
Why do people worry about getting everything perfect. Are you all professionals making money from selling your music? No? Well get to know what makes what sound and throw stuff in until something sounds good yes tongue in cheek no one take it personally.

Personally I like the process of making and playing. It's not about getting some wonderful song made, but yes some want to have that type of result.

I also think people are asking too much of themselves. To be the musician of all instruments, the arranger of songs, the master of mixing, the wizard of mastering, the artist of cover design, the promoter of product - the whole kit and kaboodle.

Yes too much can be a distraction can....well.....distract you from making songs, yet in the words of the immortal punk song - So What! Just have fun doing whatever you do and you will soon forget those distractions and loose hours just making or playing music.....by the way, the washing up needs doing!

Just for fun - if you disagree don't be a dick about it, go make some music

Absolutely. Great stuff brother. Talking about Prince recently brought to mind his fluency in the "one man band" process, writing, playing, recording, producing...doing everything. This process can also be a negative as no one person CAN DO everything perfectly.

I know my life in music has had some bumps in the road because it was just me, no one else to help take the baton down the road. When I was younger I did a lot of it out of ego 'I can do it all!'...then other times it was necessity.

[Deleted User]

@JRSIV said:

@Fruitbat1919 said:
Why do people worry about getting everything perfect. Are you all professionals making money from selling your music? No? Well get to know what makes what sound and throw stuff in until something sounds good yes tongue in cheek no one take it personally.

Personally I like the process of making and playing. It's not about getting some wonderful song made, but yes some want to have that type of result.

I also think people are asking too much of themselves. To be the musician of all instruments, the arranger of songs, the master of mixing, the wizard of mastering, the artist of cover design, the promoter of product - the whole kit and kaboodle.

Yes too much can be a distraction can....well.....distract you from making songs, yet in the words of the immortal punk song - So What! Just have fun doing whatever you do and you will soon forget those distractions and loose hours just making or playing music.....by the way, the washing up needs doing!

Just for fun - if you disagree don't be a dick about it, go make some music

Absolutely. Great stuff brother. Talking about Prince recently brought to mind his fluency in the "one man band" process, writing, playing, recording, producing...doing everything. This process can also be a negative as no one person CAN DO everything perfectly.

I know my life in music has had some bumps in the road because it was just me, no one else to help take the baton down the road. When I was younger I did a lot of it out of ego 'I can do it all!'...then other times it was necessity.

I remember there used to be a big market for tech type guys with the larger bands as they didn't want to waste time making sounds on synths and samplers or mixing or getting stage rigs sorted - they just wanted to play and pose for the groupies

asnor

Sometimes I think it would be nice to be a writer; they have such simple production tools. Then again, they have all those words to choose from

u0421793

I’ve always wanted to be a lumberjack.

[Deleted User]

@u0421793 said:
I’ve always wanted to be a lumberjack.

I sense a wild flower pressing session

[Deleted User]

TLDR; no offense, but I just read the topic and that is blasphemy. I just sampled Eddie murphy on the train in trading places chanting. The scene where he is eating beef jerky and wearing an African disguise. I'm now putting it into a song because I can. Could I have done that without plugging my iPhone into my computer using musicIO? Of course, but could I have added pitch correction and made his African chant sound like a demon straight from the bowels of hell? Could I have then put him on another track and made him sound like Popeye

skiphunt

denial ain't just a river in egypt

[Deleted User]

@skiphunt okay mr twain I was only sharing my entertaining experiences with iOS. The music industry is the one lacking in productiveness. No jobs. Greed, and people my age are getting played daily.

skiphunt

@TheMaestro said:
@skiphunt okay mr twain I was only sharing my entertaining experiences with iOS. The music industry is the one lacking in productiveness. No jobs. Greed, and people my age are getting played daily.

No, it was just tongue in cheek. The video a few posts prior sums the problem of too much choice nicely I think.

For me, it's just getting better at self regulated limitation In order to force creative imagination. It's easy to do as had been discussed in this thread.

[Deleted User]

@skiphunt For me it's my mind, notes, microphone, keyboard, and anything to record. Most of the time I'll get inspired by watching movies. The rest is just extra for composing sake. Fluff and entertaining, and I need it. I'd be bored without new ways to create.

AudioGus

@u0421793 said:
I’ve always wanted to be a lumberjack.

Its ok, sleep all night, work all day.

JohnnyGoodyear

@asnor said:
Sometimes I think it would be nice to be a writer; they have such simple production tools. Then again, they have all those words to choose from

I am a writer and it's unpleasant. Making odd bits of music is what I do to procrastinate and avoid staring at the bare and unsatisfactory result of my labors. The more apps the better as far as I'm concerned...

scadet

@Nathan said:

@u0421793 said:
I’ve always wanted to be a lumberjack.

At school, I told a disinterested careers office I wanted to be a Witcheta Lineman.

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=stp wichita lineman

scadet

@Nathan said:

@u0421793 said:
I’ve always wanted to be a lumberjack.

At school, I told a disinterested careers office I wanted to be a Witcheta Lineman.

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=stp wichita lineman