It's getting hard finishing music. Feel like new songs sound too much like previous ones or the band is not elevating them. With new recordings I'm getting bogged down with too many options.

Hell, its even hard figuring out how to answer the question.

I'm in a band that wants to record some new stuff. I haven't been feeling it, but that may change.

I forget what I posted earlier in this thread, but I'm still playing guitar for at least an hour every day, most days considerably longer. I come up with new riffs and bits all the time, give me some weed and 15 minutes and I'll come up with something for you, no problem.

So I keep writing these little ditties, and refining them day by day. I keep spending money on more guitars, or new pickups, because I think "oh, it'd be good to have one with p90s (or whatever) for when I need that sound for recording."

I have a totally kick ass studio I love spending time in. All the guitar stuff is wired up/patched in, I can be recording in a flash, it's all set up to be as simple as possible.

I love making records, recording, working on arrangements, coming up with parts, mixing, all of it. It's how I've spent most of my time my whole life.

I currently have ZERO interest in sitting down and making a record out of any of these new songs. None. I sit back on the couch, picking away and having a ball, and the thought of getting up, firing up the big system and sitting up front in the chair is just like NOPE, that's what I do for work.

In the past I think this would've really bothered me, and probably this is just me being lazy, but right now I really just don't care at all. I'm perfectly happy just playing the guitar for the sake of it. I feel like, maybe at some point I'll throw the camera up and make some one-take vids of these songs to a shitty drum machine beat, and that'll be enough.

We'll see how it goes. Entirely likely I come back here in 6 months talking about how great it is to get submerged in the record-making process and how much fun I'm having coming up with basslines and drum parts.

Yes. It might be different if there were any real money on the line, or some sort of potential to reach a much higher plateau in terms of exposure, but it's good to remember that most people are under no obligation to create and release things.

Have thought about it before and if I wanted to maximize the amount of enjoyment I could get out of playing music while minimizing the headaches and hassles, I'd probably just start a cover band and play Eddie & The Hot Rods and Link Wray songs. The onus of creating original art that might stand up to scrutiny, while not always unpleasant, can detract from the basic fun that's ideally at the heart of being involved in music.

Once again, I make something (or a few things) for the PRF monthly tribute challenge, and all of a sudden the faucet is back on. New songs and ideas just pouring out.

Well I finished a new song on Saturday that I spent the better part of this last week trying to nail down. I 100% don't regret this, even with all of the irritations, cycling through belief and doubt, and general running myself ragged/not getting enough sleep/being a cranky little bitch/etc. The upshot of D.I.Y. stuff is that if you don't like the results, you don't have to put something out (unless you're under contract); if you do like the results, then it's another feather in your cap and reason to press onward.

The dividing line for a good recording for me now is that, first and foremost, it will sound good loud. I realized today that one thing I put out last year doesn't, and neither does the re-recording of one of its tracks. Now that I'm more in the zone, I've decided to pull both from platforms and have another go at it all once rested. The thing with music now, if you're most people, is that once you have what you need, there isn't loads of overhead, at least at the recording level, so whatever you have to do to please yourself as a listener is less prone to being indulgent/excessive.

DaveA wrote: Sun Mar 05, 2023 9:23 pm The upshot of D.I.Y. stuff is that if you don't like the results, you don't have to put something out (unless you're under contract)

I realized today that one thing I put out last year doesn't, and neither does the re-recording of one of its tracks. Now that I'm more in the zone, I've decided to pull both from platforms and have another go at it all once rested.

The thing with music now, if you're most people, is that once you have what you need, there isn't loads of overhead, at least at the recording level, so whatever you have to do to please yourself as a listener is less prone to being indulgent/excessive.

Ohh yeah, Agree with all this. I'm tied up into the distro service for multiple uploads and cancellations. I think YouTube says they require a minimum of 3 singles or releases to grant an artist page, but I'm curious of the technicalities behind like if you upload 3 singles then cancel 1... technically you'd be at 2 singles so do they strip the artist page away? In my experience... they don't. But I notice they keep moving the goal-posts to strain more money out of everyone, obviously.

Before this whole digital distro platform instant gratification.... bands would have more leeway with assembling material into EPs, and like even demo'ing out entire albums at studios that never got released widely... then getting signed and putting out the final product... Sometimes over the course of years and years... so I kind of consider that as well as I evaluate stuff.

Also, I've noticed it does take time to really hear stuff more objectively. I recently listened to 3 songs I've had stashed for over a year, stuff I paid to have mixed. I was 100% being overly critical from just having heard the songs over and over at the time. Now that time has passed I can say, "Oh, you know what, those little errors are just what they are and don't impact the listening experience nearly as much as I thought they did." I'm happy to have pulled the material together to assemble it into a more uniform package, which will require pulling stuff down from the platforms and re-uploading.

One of my biggest being neurotic type of thing with recordings is uniformity. I've worked on projects before in makeshift studio situations, and I hate how putting together an album I'll have different mics on different songs, it makes it sounds amateurish. Leaving mics up for years and years is definitely a part of my solution. I also find myself making less impulsive decisions and plotting more as I get older. Giving yourself a chance to succeed is key. And if that means taking some time off, a couple weeks here and there, but staying focused on the fact you're still "in the zone" as you put it. Definitely works. For the record I've very rarely been able to stay in the zone for writing/recording more than 5-8 songs at a time. But... do that twice and you'll have a pretty uniform 16 track album so... Just takes focus.

I try and fiddle with something each day. Even if it is just for 30 minutes. That being said, my workspace is the garage and it has been just too damn cold out there this winter so I have not been motivated like I usually am. I'm headed on a vacation next week and I am bringing a little midi keyboard with my laptop and going to try and make something each day as an exercise in making some beat/loop based tunes to switch it up.

One thing I have been doing lately is actually practicing guitar, bass, keys and drums. What I usually hate about my music after it is finished is how shitty i can be on guitar. Actually rehearsing parts a lot before even trying to record has been such a step up for me. Duh. Too often I just jump in and start recording an idea.

indiegrab_360 wrote: Thu Mar 09, 2023 2:15 am

DaveA wrote: Sun Mar 05, 2023 9:23 pm The upshot of D.I.Y. stuff is that if you don't like the results, you don't have to put something out (unless you're under contract)

I realized today that one thing I put out last year doesn't, and neither does the re-recording of one of its tracks. Now that I'm more in the zone, I've decided to pull both from platforms and have another go at it all once rested.

The thing with music now, if you're most people, is that once you have what you need, there isn't loads of overhead, at least at the recording level, so whatever you have to do to please yourself as a listener is less prone to being indulgent/excessive.

Ohh yeah, Agree with all this. I'm tied up into the distro service for multiple uploads and cancellations. I think YouTube says they require a minimum of 3 singles or releases to grant an artist page, but I'm curious of the technicalities behind like if you upload 3 singles then cancel 1... technically you'd be at 2 singles so do they strip the artist page away? In my experience... they don't. But I notice they keep moving the goal-posts to strain more money out of everyone, obviously.

Before this whole digital distro platform instant gratification.... bands would have more leeway with assembling material into EPs, and like even demo'ing out entire albums at studios that never got released widely... then getting signed and putting out the final product... Sometimes over the course of years and years... so I kind of consider that as well as I evaluate stuff.

Also, I've noticed it does take time to really hear stuff more objectively. I recently listened to 3 songs I've had stashed for over a year, stuff I paid to have mixed. I was 100% being overly critical from just having heard the songs over and over at the time. Now that time has passed I can say, "Oh, you know what, those little errors are just what they are and don't impact the listening experience nearly as much as I thought they did." I'm happy to have pulled the material together to assemble it into a more uniform package, which will require pulling stuff down from the platforms and re-uploading.

One of my biggest being neurotic type of thing with recordings is uniformity. I've worked on projects before in makeshift studio situations, and I hate how putting together an album I'll have different mics on different songs, it makes it sounds amateurish. Leaving mics up for years and years is definitely a part of my solution. I also find myself making less impulsive decisions and plotting more as I get older. Giving yourself a chance to succeed is key. And if that means taking some time off, a couple weeks here and there, but staying focused on the fact you're still "in the zone" as you put it. Definitely works. For the record I've very rarely been able to stay in the zone for writing/recording more than 5-8 songs at a time. But... do that twice and you'll have a pretty uniform 16 track album so... Just takes focus.

No one has ever once put on "When The Levee Breaks" and thought to themselves "Man, I wish the drums sounded like "Communication Breakdown"..."

Past that...

Than anything actually sounds "Amateurish..." is pissing up a rope.

If you are listening to this and getting caught up on that he recorded it on a cassette four track?



You are seriously getting life wrong.

numberthirty wrote: Thu Mar 09, 2023 6:03 pm

indiegrab_360 wrote: Thu Mar 09, 2023 2:15 am

DaveA wrote: Sun Mar 05, 2023 9:23 pm The upshot of D.I.Y. stuff is that if you don't like the results, you don't have to put something out (unless you're under contract)

I realized today that one thing I put out last year doesn't, and neither does the re-recording of one of its tracks. Now that I'm more in the zone, I've decided to pull both from platforms and have another go at it all once rested.

The thing with music now, if you're most people, is that once you have what you need, there isn't loads of overhead, at least at the recording level, so whatever you have to do to please yourself as a listener is less prone to being indulgent/excessive.

Ohh yeah, Agree with all this. I'm tied up into the distro service for multiple uploads and cancellations. I think YouTube says they require a minimum of 3 singles or releases to grant an artist page, but I'm curious of the technicalities behind like if you upload 3 singles then cancel 1... technically you'd be at 2 singles so do they strip the artist page away? In my experience... they don't. But I notice they keep moving the goal-posts to strain more money out of everyone, obviously.

Before this whole digital distro platform instant gratification.... bands would have more leeway with assembling material into EPs, and like even demo'ing out entire albums at studios that never got released widely... then getting signed and putting out the final product... Sometimes over the course of years and years... so I kind of consider that as well as I evaluate stuff.

Also, I've noticed it does take time to really hear stuff more objectively. I recently listened to 3 songs I've had stashed for over a year, stuff I paid to have mixed. I was 100% being overly critical from just having heard the songs over and over at the time. Now that time has passed I can say, "Oh, you know what, those little errors are just what they are and don't impact the listening experience nearly as much as I thought they did." I'm happy to have pulled the material together to assemble it into a more uniform package, which will require pulling stuff down from the platforms and re-uploading.

One of my biggest being neurotic type of thing with recordings is uniformity. I've worked on projects before in makeshift studio situations, and I hate how putting together an album I'll have different mics on different songs, it makes it sounds amateurish. Leaving mics up for years and years is definitely a part of my solution. I also find myself making less impulsive decisions and plotting more as I get older. Giving yourself a chance to succeed is key. And if that means taking some time off, a couple weeks here and there, but staying focused on the fact you're still "in the zone" as you put it. Definitely works. For the record I've very rarely been able to stay in the zone for writing/recording more than 5-8 songs at a time. But... do that twice and you'll have a pretty uniform 16 track album so... Just takes focus.

No one has ever once put on "When The Levee Breaks" and thought to themselves "Man, I wish the drums sounded like "Communication Breakdown"..."

Past that...

Than anything actually sounds "Amateurish..." is pissing up a rope.

If you are listening to this and getting caught up on that he recorded it on a cassette four track?



You are seriously getting life wrong.

I think you misunderstood what I was trying to say.

I'm saying if you put on an album to listen to it from start to finish... and each song was recorded with different gear through different interfaces... at different locations... There's gonna be less uniformity to the sound of the album. Pretty much like album production 101 type stuff, but hey, what do I know?

When you single out one specific song you're missing the point of what I was trying to say. But you're entitled to your opinion. And maybe I wasn't as clear as possible.