Describe your workflow (How Do you make your tracks?)

[MixolydianPony]

I'm still trying to figure out my workflow. I've only ever written one song that I'm happy with, and I can barely remember how I did it, which frustrates me to know end.

I THINK when I first came up with it, it was the result of jamming on a 12 string with a scale I had just learned. I'm pretty sure it started as a collection of three or four riffs, organized as an intro, verse, chorus, and bridge. The verse came first (if that makes any difference )

The guitar version was cool, and I liked it, but for some reason or another, I then opened up Finale and orchestrated it for a wind ensemble.

In summary, the phrases were created on guitar, and then orchestrated for other things in Finale. The bulk of it was in real life, but the specifics and the little embellishments (woodwind glissandos! Heck yeah!) were done on my computer. I'll probably try and repeat this process in the future, because it worked once, and it'll probably work again.

[Peak Freak]

...

[Fimbulin]

Guitar on my lap while I orchestrate. There's no replacing that sweet secret weapon.

[meletric]

It varies with the style, but for songs with vocals it typically it goes:

-Lyrics and chords for the chorus. This establishes the initial idea for the theme/concept
-Intro. Writing intros is fun!
-Spend weeks playing around in the key signature and coming up with different progressions and ideas
-Condense ideas down into a song structure
-Record the chords
-Write the rest of the lyrics
-Record the rest of the instruments and vocals
-Drums
-Mix (poorly)

[Deathsongx3]

-Decide What Chords will match with this chord and that chord
-Start with the Melody
-Add Bass
-Add Drums
-Procrastinate and never finish that certain track

[Spirit]

-Fuck about
-Hey, this sounds good
-work with it
-get frustrated
-scream
-burn PC
-mix
-master
YEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH

[Hangin' From A Cloud]

I'm kind of the opposite of CommandSpry
that is: open daw > think it's good > work on it > think it actually got worse >get frustrated > quit daw >rinse,repeat

But on a more serious note:
-start out with a melody (and set the tempo)
-add pads go with it
-add drums
-add more things
-mix (actually,I mix on the go, but I leave the majority of it 'till the end)
(mastering? what's that?)

[EDIT]
I always start out with the intro and build from there. But sometime I find a really interesting sound or melody and just throw everything else out the window and build upon that.

[DJSheogowrath]

I just...make shit. I sometimes start with a melody, sometimes I start with drums...I don't know.

[Joaftheloaf]

Depends on what music I'm making, I generally always start with a guitar riff or chord progression of some sort. If I'm making acoustic music, I write all the guitar out first, messing with the melody of the vocals at the same time. Then I take what I think I have for a melody and a guitar part and write lyrics and then I'm done with it. If I'm writing stuff containing a full band, I come up with a riff and immediately tab in into guitar pro, I tab out the guitar, then bass, and last drums.

[Ed Viper]

1. Rudimentary Planning that I am sure to forgo as soon as I open my DAW
2. Sound Design
3. Drums
4. BASS
5. Melodies
6. Arranging and Rearranging
7. Feedback
8. Fix anything that's wrong
9. Feedback
10. Fix anything that's wrong
11. Mixing & Mastering
12. Export

I have a tendency to write my bass tracks first, then write melodies to go with the bass, as opposed to the other way around.

[Matthew N.]

I always choose the genre first. It's a huge deal, as it gives you a particular direction as to what samples to use, tempo and even VSTs. Then I pick my samples, usually beginning with a kick followed by hats, claps and snares, and other misc. instruments depending on the said genre. I then move onto creating a basic beat which is aimed to be the intro beat. I mash 4 patterns onto the playlist and stop at this point with the beats. Now it's the time for the leading melody, which will be the basis for any other sounds (e.g. pads, arps - you name it.) Then comes the bass line, usually based on the pads and strings. By this time I should have a general idea where I want to put what; I get my intro finished, expanding the drums to make the beats more interesting, start automating a variety of stuff (volume, frequencies on the filters, reverbs etc.)

I never add effects (crashes, rev. crashes, white noise sweeps, other sound effects of my own design) and real instruments until the main layout of the song is finished.

This is how I basically work on my tracks. Sometimes it's very random and without any pattern; sometimes things just pop into my head (melodies, ideas for drumbeats) out of nowhere, which is GOOD. I found that workflow isn't necessary and doesn't really save too much time. Whenever I try to stay too organized with producing my music, I end up stuck at a point where I don't know where to go with my songs.

[Pixel Bass]

I'm finally posting again!

Workflow:
1. Listen to a bunch of other songs
2. Get inspiration
3. Make something
4. Realize it was an almost exact copy of something I heard in step 1
5. Change it until nobody can tell
6. Build the rest of the song around it

The only song I really care about and put more than 5 hours into I did this:
1. Make a bunch of patches in massive
2. Make a cool intro
3. Make a decent drop melody (Yes, it's dubstep )
4. Make a decent bassline for the drop
5. Build on the intro and verses
6. Build on the drop
7. Realize that the verse is almost exactly the same as the intro
8. Make the verse different
9. Build on the drop
10. Build on the verse
11. Add lots of automation clips for volume
12. Make sure the parts I like are audible
13. Make sure nothing clashes with anything (pitchwise)
14. Build on the verse
15. Build on the drop
16. Make more patches
17. Implement Orchestras
18. Build on verse
19. Build on drop
20. Change volumes more
21. EQ EVERYTHING
22. EQ EVERYTHING AGAIN
23. EQ EVERYTHING SOME MORE
24. Take some of the EQs off (I have been known to put up to 7 EQs on a single channel)
25. Work on a different song for a while
26. Take new experience from other song and adapt the knowledge to this song
27. Add more orchestral stuff
28. Read MLR for more tips on mixing/mastering
29. Mix and Master better
30. Export and send to friend(s)
31. Sit on it. <--- That is the step I'm currently on.

[ph00tbag]

Typically, I start with either a particular synth sound that catches my fancy, or a little ditty pops into my head. These two aspects of the seed idea usually inform each other. Certain sounds are ideal for certain melodies and vice versa. This usually ends up being the hook of my track. Afterwards, I'll put together drums and rhythm sections that fit the mood of the hook. I also start getting an idea of how the track will progress after this point, and two or three distinct themes will also start to coalesce, as well as the way the track will transition between these themes. Then, usually sit down and bang out the composition in an hour or two. A couple mixing tweaks later, I master that sucker (sort of?) and then send it out to people who will want to listen to it.

[Conduit]

Improv until I find a decent sounding melody, then record it. Then I improve the harmony and bass over top. Add drums, rinse, repeat.

I also copy paste parts I've already made, and then mangle the midi until it's not even recognizable as the same part.

[xadobex]

Unplanned:
-OH HEY WHAT IF THIS BUTTON
-OH HEY WHAT IF THIS BUTTON
-OH HEY WHAT IF THIS BUTTON
-OH HEY WHAT IF THIS BUTTON
-OH HEY WHAT IF THIS BUTTON
-OH HEY WHAT IF THIS BUTTON
-OH HEY WHAT IF THIS BUTTON
-OH HEY WHAT IF THIS BUTTON
-OH HEY WHAT IF THIS BUTTON
-OH HEY WHAT IF THIS BUTTON
-OH HEY WHAT IF THIS BUTTON
-Half-assed mastering

fucking this

on topic:

-messing around with synths, trying to figure them out-
-get cool sound-
OH HEY I LIKE THIS, LET'S SEE IF WE CAN DO SOMETHING WITH IT
-attempt to write melody-
ugh this sounds like shit
-rewrite melody over and over-
NONE OF THE SOUND GOOD BLARGH
-give up on project, never to be seen again-
and that's why i have a bunch of half started projects.

now, when i actually make one, it goes (usually)
>make melody out of cool sounding synth
>add sub-bass (because you can never have enough)
>add drums (that usually end up sounding like shit)
>realize that you can't have just sub bass, and proceed to add a real bassline
>throw every single track in the mixer
>listen to over and over and over adjusting volume
>realize I had headphones on the whole time
>rage
>adjust volume for non headphones
>slap a reverb, bass boost, and soundgoodizer on the main track
>done

also, i usually do mixing and EQing as i'm working on the song