What Kind of Setting for Sound Design

Zil

Iridescent Raindrops
I'm curious about when/how different people produce.
• Are you more productive in the morning? Midday? Nighttime?
• Do you prefer the lights on, or lights off for different tasks? (I've heard of some sound designer who liked making patches in the dark because it was less distracting to him)
• Do you produce sober? Intoxicated?
• Do you take frequent breaks? Or do you basically lock yourself up til the track is done?
• Do you finish your tracks within a specific time frame, or do you incubate them and come back?

I for one can get pretty zoned in when I'm producing, and forget some times to eat and some times even ignore the fact that I should probably get a drink of water or go to the bathroom... Eep. I admitted it.
I produce at any time of the day, but if I do it at night, I tend up to stay up far too late.
Generally Depending on what time of the day I produce, results in different kind of emotional tones in the songs I make.
I used to get screwed up and produce, but recently I've only been doing it sober, and I think it's been better for me to stay focused and not think that everything I'm doing is 'awesome' only to be disappointed with myself later. haha.
I have found that it's easier to keep the track's original intent if I make it all in one go, but I often incubate tracks and revisit them later.
 
I seem to be most creative in the morning after my first coffee. I make music until i lose the motivation. That could be 30 minutes later or until i go to bed that night. I take breaks at a mininum every 90 minutes to 2 hours. If i'm "feeling it" that day i'll take breaks more often in order to keep my focus. Even when i'm taking breaks i'm usually doing something related to music like logging on to FP or watching a tutorial vid on Youtube. Even though i've only had one p**s test in the past 6 years, I view it as too much of a risk to smoke weed. I would love to!! But i have to make sure my kids have health insurance and a roof and food so i can't risk getting fired for the sake of creativity. As for finishing projects... That's my problem. I can go hard for 32 bars and then i hit a wall. It's tough for me to make a transition into that second part of the track. I'll usually let the track sit and marinate for a few weeks / months. Then one day i'll go through all of my projects (completed and incomplete), If i'm still excited by what i hear i'll either try to finish it or let it marinate some more. If not i delete it. That's not to say that i save everything either. I delete 80% of everything i start without ever having saved it. If i don't feel excited by or see some potential in what i'm doing, then i won't even waste time saving it.
 
"Marinate" ..haha. I like that.

Even when i'm taking breaks i'm usually doing something related to music like logging on to FP or watching a tutorial vid on Youtube.

I don't do that... If I take breaks, I try to make sure I don't get influenced by other music or sounds. I tend to watch tutorials on days I don't have time to produce.
 
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