Advice on production?

[OfficialDAPT]

Does anyone have any advice on the process of writing a dubstep song?

What i usually do is:
1)Create drum rack
2)make my synths, wobbles
3)arrange
4)mix
5)master

Lately it hasn't been working out too well for me. What are the processes that you guys go through when writing songs? Any advice for me to help me get through my song more easily?

[B-Frank]

I don't have a formulated way of doing things and I don't believe other people should but I often start by messing around with synths really tweaking sounds, the best songs I've made come together by itself if that makes any sense. For example my sig, started off when I was messing about with Reeses. Played a few licks on my keyboard that I actually thought sounded pretty cool and the rest was natural progression. I must admit a lot of my tracks happen the same way.

[OfficialDAPT]

What do you do if you get stuck and can't come up with a good melody or can't find a synth to match your wobbles?

[Towany]

I could get a random melody from fuckin nowhere and i wouldn't be near my computer so i'd have to sing or hum it into the recorder on my phone. I never sit down and say ''ok...i'm goin to write and dubstep song today and its goin to be jolly good'' cause in most cases were i've tried to do that its turned out RUUUUUUBISH. If i am on my computer and want to start something i always start with drums and just build them up till they sound solid. Then I just mess with massive, not trying to get a sound or anything just random tweaking and what not. Then all of a sudden BOOM i'm in the middle of a work in progress.

[OfficialDAPT]

cool i'll definitely have to do that... and dude i just listened to your song, nice work. What vst do u use for that reese sounding bass in your drop section?

[Aphile]

sounds like ableton? Get the helicopter showdown template and look at how its routed. then make subtle changes to it, I added a few of my own sub mix channels for FX layers (returns) but they're not actual return tracks. Anyway.

1)focus on the musical aspect of your song. this requires some research, but looking up chords while you produce is probably the best way.
2)Create direct relationships within your song by sidechaining effects and compression.
3) Layer layer layer

[Sharmaji]

in order: melody, arrangement, drums.

[OfficialDAPT]

Thanks for the advice guys hopefully starting with the chords will help.

[Autonation]

Hmm what daw do you use?

[outdropt]

I mean, IMO. I don't think the order matters. I personally hate putting together drum racks so i get that out of the way first. If you sit in by yourself, No friends, TV, whatever and dedicate a solid 3 hours to just making loops, youll come up with some good stuff. Interruption ruins inspiration. Then mix up/put in order loops until your happy. Everyone has a different work flow but for me, 3 hours, some herbs, and a red bull and ill put together some decent tunes.

[Jas0n]

Usually I start with an instrument and a melody, play with it over a basic kick/snare pattern, arrange for a while, and then just listen. I find myself drumming on the table or my leg, so that's what I try to replicate then.

[Airgonaut]

You can always try collaborating or setting a deadline for yourself. That way you FORCE yourself to make something. It may not be great, but after that you can always refine and tweak it to make it sound great.

[subsynth]

I usually spend a lot of time on the nuances on a section before I move on. In other words I'll spend a lot of time on the main melody / A section of a tune, I'll get it where I like it, have a couple developments within that theme, and so on.

Then I'll put it away for a few days and come back and work on a second section / Drop / what-have-you...

Or I'll spend a lot of time on getting the initial sound design done the layers and notes the way I want. And after that's all done I'll begin re sampling those individual parts. Other times I'll save Re sampling to the very end.

And some songs just come together in a linear, start-to-finish fashion. It really depends on the tune.

I play in a live group with a drummer, I'm playing live synthesizers and keyboards alongside our production, so after playing a tune out a few times I'll go back and tweak it once I see how certain sections flow. (and which ones still need work)

[coogcoo]

i ALWAYS start with the sub bass line, and just build everything else around that usually, since its really like the core of the song

[Autonation]

Man if you make a template with your kick, sub and hihats or whatever sounds you use frequently with eq and filters already applied and whatever else effects you want. Then you can get a better creative flow without having to stop mid song and thinking to technically it helps me alot. Also i genrally make synths way before i think about making a song spending lots of time having a synth session that way when i've got something in mind it flows so quick and i can get it out fast enough without stopping, that and learn the keyboard shortcuts of things that you spend alot of time doing this makes boring tasks go quicker and yet again helping your creative flow.

Hope I Helped

[Artie_Fufkin]

@coogcoo: That method seems so odd to me. I couldn't see myself working that way at all. That's great if works for you though. Different strokes for different folks. That's what music production is all about.

The most consistent way for me I think is coming up with melodies. It just seems like a sure thing when you can think of what to add to the song in that way.

[jrisreal]

don't set anything for yourself. When you get an idea, you get an idea...whether that be for a melody, sub bass, modulation technique, etc. The way I start my tunes varies from track to track.

[Autonation]

''ok...i'm goin to write and dubstep song today and its goin to be jolly good''

HAHA

[Ldizzy]

i either start with an idea, a texture or a groove in my head..

[OfficialDAPT]

Thanks for all the feedback guys... I was just wondering because right now ive hit a huge block... None of the melodies I make sound good to me so I don't know what to do. I've been stuck for like a week.