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5 tips for getting started with production by SampliFire
Today we are launching a new article series on Dubstep Mag! If you have followed us from the start, you know we do everything we can to support the heart of the dubstep scene: producers.
Today we are launching a new article series on Dubstep Mag!
If you have followed us from the start, you know that we do everything we can to support the heart of the dubstep scene: producers.
After live production sessions fostering mutual support within the scene, we want to go further. Without dubstep producers, the scene simply would not exist!
It is therefore crucial to train and help the young talent of tomorrow!
We hand the floor to SampliFire, one of the leading figures on the French scene! If you do not know Break Them Down or Game Over, there is not much we can do for you!
How to get started with music production — that is the answer SampliFire will give you in 5 points!
- Set fixed production hours
When you start something, whether production or any other activity, you struggle. That is normal.
From the beginning you need to structure your production sessions. Set yourself hours every day and stick to them.
It is simple and it will help you progress very quickly!
SampliFire
Productivity is a subject that applies to everything. If you want to become a good producer you need to be organised!
Give yourself working hours and a solid start. The main issue when starting out, I think, is simply getting started!
- Research the artists who inspire you — there is no shame in drawing heavily from them, especially when you are starting out…
During the learning period it is important to have reference points both in terms of structure and sound design.
Take a track from your favourite dubstep artist and copy it! Take note of what you learn and reapply it in a different way.
SampliFire
It is very easy to import a track into your favourite DAW. Make sure to set your project to the same BPM as the track and slice it according to its structure. You will learn a lot!
- Go all the way with every new tool.
For example, if I discover a new VST, I need to go all the way with it. It is better to master a few tools thoroughly than many tools halfway.
I often see beginners surround themselves with 23 million VSTs, downloading the latest trendy plugin etc. If it is for collecting, that is great — but productivity-wise we hit rock bottom!
Take one VST, Serum for example, and master it from A to Z. Everything you learn on that VST will be useful later.
SampliFire
Mastering your tools is the key to making music. It seems obvious, but as SampliFire says, a beginner's common mistake is wanting to download as many VSTs as possible. We notice that the "pros" have very few VSTs and master their tools to perfection.
- Keep equipment to the essentials.
What I need is: a solid computer (especially the processor, SSD, >= 16 GB RAM); an external sound card to improve performance (Scarlett 2i2 or Scarlett Solo for example); production headphones (Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 80 ohm for example).
There is no need for a €34,000 computer to make music. The gear is not really what matters here. Technique is.
SampliFire
A good computer is not really necessary. Just look at Rusko's now-legendary video in his "studio" in 2008 to understand that equipment is only a detail in music production!
- Drink water during production — yes, we will keep saying it but it is the basics!
Maybe the only health tip in this article haha. But if you want to stay effective for a long time you need to drink water. Alcohol is not water, for the record!
SampliFire
Health matters — staying hydrated boosts your productivity.
Thanks to SampliFire for answering our questions during his first North American tour!
And thank you for following us on Dubstep Mag — I hope you will enjoy this new article series.