What are your bad production habits?

[Captain Ironhelm]

recently realized I need to revamp my melody writing process.

[itroitnyah]

I have this annoying ability to write a chord progression and melody and like it while I'm still on the computer, but as soon as I get off the computer to go do something else I'm like "As soon as I get back onto the computer, I'll change the melody and progression. They sound horrible right now" and when I get back on, they sound perfectly fine <_>

[cplbradley]

i always end up having too much sub bass

also i use too much gain boost apparently

which i disagree with, but whatever i guess

[Dr. Plague]

I use Vengeance loops. I don't have a good drum rack ATM (I'll be moving to Live soon, Drum Rack in that works great). I also tend to use the same chord progression in a whole song; it can be kinda repetitive.

Holy shit, are you me (minus the "moving to Live soon")??

And yeah, I rely on Vengeance samples for almost everything. I also heavily abuse presets, but I'm moving away from that now, which is why my music sounds fucking weird -- I don't know how to make instruments that fit together well.

I'll usually mix in too much or too little bass, but never the right amount, it seems.

Oh, and lately, I've been putting Maximus on everything. And then I just use a preset setting like "Clear master" or one of the punchy drums ones, and that's it.

[Fl Brony]

Procrastination.

[Androidred0100]

High standards, crippling self doubt, short attention span, fleeting inspiration and Facebook are the five biggest detriments to any of my creative endeavors. For real.

[Stakeout Punch]

[Motivfs]

Apparently now it's (and this is what I see can be bad) the overusing of pads in my songs. I just lay some pads down to fill the empty spaces.

[Genkar]

Apparently now it's (and this is what I see can be bad) the overusing of pads in my songs. I just lay some pads down to fill the empty spaces.

I almost started to do something similar to this, just remember you always can use low frequency synths, soft basses and stuff like that to fill space too, then just go by your best judgement on what will fit.

[Ocular]

1) My songs are messy. Like, REALLY messy. It would be so much easier if I just put the same stuff on the same track but I don't ever do that :/

2) Repetitiveness. Repetitiveness. Repetitiveness. Repetitiveness. Repetitiveness. Repetitiveness.

3) I never mix anything, mainly because I haven't learned how to yet.

4) I never read the manuals. (Friv would kill me for this)

5) Sometimes I use loops. And presets.

6) I get sidetracked a lot. I need to block reddit on my PC or something.

7) I get a good song going but I make one mistake and then trash the whole project.

8) Nexus arps. (I've actually been making my own lately, but still...)

9) Having too many projects at once.

10) Trying to make music in genres that I know I can't do.

11) Comparing myself to other people, which in turn decreases my production quality.

12) Quitting.

There are a lot more but I can't think of them at the moment.

[Nine Volt]

Loops and presets really aren't bad, so long as they're used sparingly (I'm talking drum or percussive loops, not melody loops). Presets are definitely easier than synthesizing effects, which can actually be extremely difficult if you have no idea how to synthesize an effect.

But I digress.

One of my bad production habits is the fact that I have 150+ unfinished songs.

[froggy]

Loops and presets really aren't bad, so long as they're used sparingly (I'm talking drum or percussive loops, not melody loops). Presets are definitely easier than synthesizing effects, which can actually be extremely difficult if you have no idea how to synthesize an effect.

I agree. Presets can be a huge time saver and a great way of learning how to make certain sounds. Personally I wouldn't use an unmodified preset in a song, but I know plenty of producers do especially when it comes to Nexus (e.g. Avicii, Archie)

As for melody loops, personally I don't see a problem as long as you're creative with them. A lot of French House depends on samples from other songs that are essentially melody loops, and a number of sample vendors offer funk/disco melody loops specifically to put in French House tracks and the like. Synth loops are obviously lazier than "song" loops, but even then I would argue that an inspiring loop could be a great way to start a song. Just don't do what Steve Angello did with Knas, lazy bastard.

[cplbradley]

I say presets aren't bad as long as you made them. For example, I use like 5 different presets for massive that I made because it's kinda like MY specific sound.

[Genkar]

I say presets aren't bad as long as you made them. For example, I use like 5 different presets for massive that I made because it's kinda like MY specific sound.

Yeah, I think that's the case for most people. I have like a folder full of like, 20 of my favorite synth patches I've made, and when I need a synth, I usually just go in there and tweak one of them to fit whatever I'm working on.

[Magnitude Zero]

I have a couple patches I made just screwing around that I might use later on, but I never use the same one more than once. If I want to use the same one again I make it from scratch. It ends up sounding a little different and usually fits the song better, and it helps me become more familiar with the synth.

[itroitnyah]

That's actually a good production habit though

[Magnitude Zero]

I'm aware, just adding to the conversation. You want bad? Fine.

I use a limiter on the master. Just turn up the gain. That's my mastering.

[JSynth]

I used to have a really bad problem with cranking the volume on everything.
This is something that I got over only a few days ago.

This is what my mixing used to look like:


Now its this (still a wip):

[Ed Viper]

Bad production habits?

I don't spend enough time on production. That's likely my worst habit. The last full song I actually made was like two months ago, and the one I released before that was four months ago.

Just got no ideas, man.

[Genkar]

Okay, I just thought of another huge problem I have.

Procrastination.

There have been so many times, with music and everything else, that I think I have all the time in the world, and then I'll find out in needs to be done like, next week. I'll start off hearing about it months before, and I'll be in no rush, but then I guess I just don't realize how long it's been.

[zorg]

My problem: If i don't start something with a clear idea, no matter how good it will sound, it will end soon (after 8-16 bars) as a loop; can never finish those things by myself (i'd rather give them away to others to be honest)

Other thing is that i have a ton of things spread over 2 computers and 5 websites (at least); i can not keep up with what was uploaded/what is kept where...
...and i can't delete obsolete versions from any site either, that would cost comments and whatnot.

yes these are production habits as they inhibit me from concentrating on producing further tracks (seriously, i wish i were joking)

[FlyingNinjaBannanas]

I have a new one.

Spending hours on drums and never even touching anything else.

[Stakeout Punch]

My biggest one is feeling like I HAVE to be working on music, when I could/should enjoy other things. I'm only a teenager, right? Music isn't my job, why is it so controlling?

[FLAOFEI]

My biggest one is feeling like I HAVE to be working on music, when I could/should enjoy other things. I'm only a teenager, right? Music isn't my job, why is it so controlling?

And that is why I didnt chose to go to a music school, caus then I'd have to work on music instead of doing it only when I want to. I still end up doing music almost all the time, but as soon as there is a "must" involved it gets less fun. (I allso didnt chose a musicshool caus I like science, maths and that stuff to)

[Dr. Plague]

My biggest one is feeling like I HAVE to be working on music, when I could/should enjoy other things. I'm only a teenager, right? Music isn't my job, why is it so controlling?

Maybe it's what you're meant to do, and your obsession over it is your mind's way of trying to tell you that? ;P