How long did it take you to complete your first track?
- Thread starter Deadwax
- Start date
slunk
New member
Something ridiculous like 6-12 months. I was working on other things at the time but actually finishing the full structure of a track, then mixing it and everything else. I got impatient as well and ended up getting someone else to master it. He was a freelancer and kept sending me back the track with various parts missing. I was like "dude, I've been working on this track for eight months now, I know there should be a cowbell at bar 24". I guess he had a lot on his plate because he made many mistakes. I would assume the first track will always causes a lot of stress and will takes a lot of time. But its all a part of learning the process. I've finished probably around 10-12 tracks now and only feature a couple on my Soundcloud because I know that every time I make a track they get better and better.
B Side Producer
Moderator
The perfect mix is never finished 
Thanks Slunk for your feedback, I am also struggling with it. Whenever I am putting something together it sounds great until i get mad at it for having no inspiration and I just scrap it. I guess I am pretty good at doing things my way. i have a really unique way to make pads just cant put anything together ever hehe.. also B Side Producer youre probably right.
slunk
New member
Hmmm, I sometimes find it hard to stay motivated with music. But you've got to just take a break sometimes and let your ears reset. I also find it really useful to get other people involved in my music. I have very few friends that play instruments or make music, so I've tried to reach out on the internet and get some of my friends involved. An extra pair of ears can really help you put things together.
As for completely finishing a track, have you ever thought about copying the structure of another song? I know it sounds cheap but it gives you a basis to work around. Just copy the bpm, and then follow the structure bar by bar. Then, when the basic structure is finished, you can work around that.
As for completely finishing a track, have you ever thought about copying the structure of another song? I know it sounds cheap but it gives you a basis to work around. Just copy the bpm, and then follow the structure bar by bar. Then, when the basic structure is finished, you can work around that.
jordslikesnachos
New member
4 months but it was far from perfect
localspace
New member
An afternoon. Probably started on the next one that same evening.
I've always hated poring over tracks with a fine comb and going back on ideas. I've never made anything better that way..
Before I got started with electronic I was playing funk and punk so rawness and spontaneity has always been always a huge factor with all my music.
Even if I go back to a track a few days later, the vibe is different, I'm different... and I usually end up killing what made me dig the original version.
This does totally mean that my mixes sounded like utter shit for many years, though. I'm not saying this is the best approach, but iteration isn't everything either.
It did teach me to get A LOT of ideas down quickly and has given me giant catalogue of stuff (tracks, loops, samples, crap) to go back to... and I never have the sense that
'I can't do this now because I already did it in track so and so'
My process has gotten a bit more involved, so it takes longer now.. but the basic idea is still the same: Put something down one day, DON'T overwork it.
Rinse the crap out of it at night, take it out for a ride and then finish the next day... and then on the next (even better) one.
I've always hated poring over tracks with a fine comb and going back on ideas. I've never made anything better that way..
Before I got started with electronic I was playing funk and punk so rawness and spontaneity has always been always a huge factor with all my music.
Even if I go back to a track a few days later, the vibe is different, I'm different... and I usually end up killing what made me dig the original version.
This does totally mean that my mixes sounded like utter shit for many years, though. I'm not saying this is the best approach, but iteration isn't everything either.
It did teach me to get A LOT of ideas down quickly and has given me giant catalogue of stuff (tracks, loops, samples, crap) to go back to... and I never have the sense that
'I can't do this now because I already did it in track so and so'
My process has gotten a bit more involved, so it takes longer now.. but the basic idea is still the same: Put something down one day, DON'T overwork it.
Rinse the crap out of it at night, take it out for a ride and then finish the next day... and then on the next (even better) one.
Epsilon-144
Musician and Producer
When I started, I always started and finished a track in one sitting. Idk why, but I felt like I had too. ...
Now I'll spread a project out over multiple days to a week. I'll work on a song for a week or 2 weeks to really dial it in. You'd be surprised how much more "fine detial" you can add and really make the listening experience rememberable.
But for my first song(s), it was only a few hours in the same day. Over the years though, many of these projects never see the light of day (realistically, I've probably made around 1,200 song "projects", ...but only 30-40 make it to the fans). But um, ya lol if you produce a lot, you'll see your unreleased library grow hella fast.
Now I'll spread a project out over multiple days to a week. I'll work on a song for a week or 2 weeks to really dial it in. You'd be surprised how much more "fine detial" you can add and really make the listening experience rememberable.
But for my first song(s), it was only a few hours in the same day. Over the years though, many of these projects never see the light of day (realistically, I've probably made around 1,200 song "projects", ...but only 30-40 make it to the fans). But um, ya lol if you produce a lot, you'll see your unreleased library grow hella fast.
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KonKossKang
Ozagas
Back in the day I was churning out tons of random little beats.
These days It's the exact opposite, much more research than producing since I've grown obsessed with modular environments. Since then, making music isn't a primary focus if being compared.
These days It's the exact opposite, much more research than producing since I've grown obsessed with modular environments. Since then, making music isn't a primary focus if being compared.
whoisriccardo
New member
When I started, I made a lot of 4 minutes shitty attempts before getting anywhere close a real track... take me about one year to start bouncing stuff!
KonKossKang
Ozagas
Bout a day, back in 2010. But that's because I watched warbeats videos a year before.
wearesalty
New member
Took me 1 month but there were many (Failed) Attempts before that.
hollandturbine
New member
My first track took about a week, mind you that was back when we were using tape machines and didn't have any sequencing gear that could talk to each other so it was take after take of playing and synchronizing shit by hand until is was right and contrary to what you might think the process actually got slower as I got access to more technology, I mean you have to bear in mind that there is a learning curve to overcome before you can become proficient with technology and then it provides far more flexibility and options which makes it quite easy to try a hundred different things without really committing to any of them.