Producing - Is Less Really More??

[CinaMatics]

I've been doing music for a few years now. When I listen to modern day music, I just hear very simple melodies a few instruments and that's it. It makes me conscious when I am creating and sometimes I have too much in there. My question is: Is less sounds in a production really more when it comes to the finished product?

[lovenara]

yes with supercomputer nowaday,it's easy to fall into trap of unlimited instrument tracks.You'll endup with lot of them with each not edited enough.It takes sometime to know that throwout unneccasy tracks and edited those important one will better up your mix

[deezzer]

CinaMatics it took me a decade now to realize what you discovered in just a few years! It works on so many different levels.. For listeners, they can appreciate the sounds easier. There's also this sense of confidence when you come out simple, you come out stronger and more refined. Hoever, the devil is in the details. You have that simple lead or bassline, but underneath it, the effects, and many layers that the listener wouldn't think of, but they're there to add the dimension to the simplicity..

(now I gotta walk the talk, my soundcloud is fl3ktor)

-dom

[BeatGenerals]

Really depends on what youre going for but I think that overall more simple tracks work better for artists from what I've noticed, sometime the overproducing only impresses other producers but really just turns the artist off because of the complexity.

[ThaRealKapone]

Simplicity and subtlety are key words. Too many things goin on in a track can easily lose a lot of average listeners. The same way that GREAT rappers learn to say less words to express the same message, we as producers should all learn to use less instruments, effects and crazy chord progressions to get our points across

[SoundSplash]

Really agree with this sentiment.. Well said..


I think the better sounding your starting points are.. the less you have to add for it to sound good.

[The Funk Junkie]

I don't think complexity is necessarily bad. It seems to me that the key is to make sure that nothing is drowned out or overshadowed. There can only be one or two "main" things going on at once. But there can still be a lot underneath it as long as it sticks to the key points (melodically and rhythmically) in the main lines. I love simple and complex music equally. They both take a lot of skill to pull off though.

[JayNastyOnTheBeat]

I like creative production with a lot of sounds. But when it comes to the whole project I think less is defiantly more. Less helps the artist get more creative especially when working on a big record.

[youngjboy]

Less is definitely more. Having crazy instrumentals may sound good, but could someone actually sing or rap over them....can someone sing over all the drum fills and keyboard runs.....

[CinaMatics]

Dam that sample is ridiculous...

---------- Post added at 04:42 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:41 AM ----------

I guess the common thread is that Less IS really more... I guess its more about Layering the sound effectively with some great eq and modulation fx