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Hey producers. How do you know when you've gone to the "next level". What for you is the next level, how is it acheived?

And when you've gone to your desired level, do you keep going? Are people limited to only going so far within their talent threshold? Is there only so far you can go, is what I mean?

For me personally, I'm improving with every tune, but I feel I can go "much" further....I know I should wait though, and not leap before I can walk as it were. I'm learning to do this through other peoples advice. And also I don't believe one's talent is strictly limited....anyone with a bit of early potential can go and be better than the best.

You've just gotta be realistic and grounded at the same time...and even if you're never going to be a "famous name" as 90% of the people aren't (it should be for the love of the game, not the fame) you still have to believe in your own production. I think that's where I struggle because I start for me what is a promising track and delete it because I think it sounds crap.

Some people's progression is quicker than others and it really does amaze me the likes of Banana Bomber etc but I think everyone can get as good as they personally can be if they put the work in and learn the fundamentals which I am still doing.

jaydot wrote:I think that's where I struggle because I start for me what is a promising track and delete it because I think it sounds crap.

earlier in the year i deleted probably damn near 100 tunes in various stages of completion, some were really old tunes from years ago, some were new. tbh i think most of em were completed. my logic was that "this shit is garbage....".

then randomly over the past couple months i find myself thinking about a bunch of them tunes, b/c the ideas were most certainly there. like the actual entire tune would be running through my head...

i figure i should try one of these file recovery programs and get those songs back, see what i can learn from em. but no go....they've all been completely overwritten.

and i regret deleting them now. although i posted some of them online at some point....so i was able to recover 4 tunes lol.

so never delete anything. b/c if anything you can go back and see what was really good with those tunes.

as far as the "next level"...i doubt very seriously i'll ever see my own shit as next level. it'll sound good to me, and i'll play them to myself. but i think with a lot of cats that produce/"produce", you can never fully say to yourself "damn son...this is classic". i think it's more like you keep working at it, do you like it? sure, maybe no. does someone else in the world like it? sure, maybe no. however, i will admit there's a clear distinction between beginners-intermediate-advanced. but does that mean i might personally find the advanced mans tune more interesting than the beginners? so many people will tell you that they had more interesting ideas when they first started off then now that they have the technical skills or whatever.

rambling...

but yes those 100 tunes or however many that i said i deleted...if i was to look at their completion dates or what have you chronologically, i can see moments of taking a step forward, even if it wasnt next level



but again, as long as the finished product entertains me, i suppose thats all i wanna achieve. but whatever....my music is probably still womp-womp to a larger cross section of cats

fuck it...keep at it.

Well with music you are only going to get better. There's no point when you are not going to be able to learn something new and improve on your current talents.

Next level for me happens when I find myself having to learn a specific technique or needing to get better at doing a particular thing to finish a track or to have progress in that track occur. Lately melody has been my thing, because I've stepped out of dubstep for a while (on some electro & progressive house, and electronica). Also, the "next level" thing comes naturaly for someone like me who's only been really producing for 11 months. I never delete things for the sole pupose of being able to go back see what I've improved on, or for a laugh I guess..

I still have yet to really finish a good number of tracks, my project files have turned into a sketchbook of sorts. But I treat them as if they're finished. For me, doing this as a hobby, I don't feel pressure on finishing a track. And everytime I start a completely new track (I'll usually recycle the drums and synths if I like them) then I definitely see progression, but I don't do that often. I'll twiddle with tracks, change them, save them under a new name, and keep on.
The best ideas come from a track that I've changed four times or whatever, saving each version of course.

You will never have the same passion and drive for Music Production than when you first start. I'm sure many of you can relate to that!

In my opinion, everybody is always progressing, and i believe its more about experimenting in order to learn more. For me i have been learning the music theory side of things and already my beats have improved yet again.

The key is to keep wanting to know more!

@ Jaydot,

I think you have answered your own question, you just have to take your own advice. It is highly unlikely that you (or I) will become famous producers, known across all the land. So - relax! You may get to the next level, you may not. It doesn't really matter.

whatshisface wrote:You will never have the same passion and drive for Music Production than when you first start. I'm sure many of you can relate to that!

I dont agree with that.

Echoi wrote:

whatshisface wrote:You will never have the same passion and drive for Music Production than when you first start. I'm sure many of you can relate to that!

I dont agree with that.

+1

I do it because I enjoy doing it, I could do this for the rest of my life and I would never get bored of it or even disappointed that I would never get as famous as <mt eden>.... <insert joke here>

but seriously dude the more time you put in to it, the better results you will get


but hey what do I know I'm just a noob.

I just love the way that as you progress as a producer.... shit gets better!! like I have come along way in the last year...
but I still need to get myself some monitors, so I can have my sound as clean as I want it.

Im concentrating on drums & resampling at the mo,

what ya think of ma sig?? getting better with every track I reckon!!

!!chea

Spend less time on here discussing possible success/progression etc.. and actually unplug the internet, make some music. Rinse and repeat

Depone wrote:Spend less time on here discussing possible success/progression etc.. and actually unplug the internet, make some music. Rinse and repeat

he speaks the truth!

i find i progress 10 times faster whenever i clean up my harddrive and put everything where it should be

Progression doesn't always mean closer to a result, it can simply just mean a better understanding.

Depone wrote:Spend less time on here discussing possible success/progression etc.. and actually unplug the internet, make some music. Rinse and repeat

All day. Plus if you are doing something to achieve an ultimate goal as opposed to just enjoying the 'doing it' then stop fucking doing it because it's most likely ego driving you along for some reward.

grooki wrote:

Echoi wrote:

whatshisface wrote:You will never have the same passion and drive for Music Production than when you first start. I'm sure many of you can relate to that!

I dont agree with that.

+1

+ 2.

Ive got that folder called temporary files where i automatically bounce anything im working on that sounds kinda fresher then the usual, even a bit...

i bounce like a loop, no real edit, no arrangement... ive kept them for a while now and i can tell each time i bounce a new one.. it sounds better then all the previous ones... especially the drums...

its not the best way to finish ur tracks... but its a proper ego boost regarding progression if u ask me.

also, i try to learn a new tip or a new thing each day.

green plan wrote:

grooki wrote:

Echoi wrote:

whatshisface wrote:You will never have the same passion and drive for Music Production than when you first start. I'm sure many of you can relate to that!

I dont agree with that.

+1

+ 2.

+3

Ldizzy wrote:

green plan wrote:

grooki wrote:

Echoi wrote:

whatshisface wrote:You will never have the same passion and drive for Music Production than when you first start. I'm sure many of you can relate to that!

I dont agree with that.

+1

+ 2.

+3

+4

I produce music because I like it, pretty much it, I'll try to produce every day till late in the hours.
And due people's opinion I feel like I've became better, just like now, I released my free to download album and suddenly someone from a record label asks me to join him for a couple of remixes, which I think is a major opportunity, I am not saying I am already there but it's a start, and I am not planning quitting very soon, since I am just 17.