Why Can't I Finish two Recordings?

[Kamil]

Originally Posted by Magicbuss

committing to mix decisions during tracking

Now actually practicing what i preach is another matter...

Yes, and also during the mix/production! I have started doing this (Mostly because of the crazy amounts of heavy duty plugins used) and it really helps to solidify and finalize a mix. You just bounce the items in place with fx in reaper, offline the plugins so IF you really need to go back your settings are there and they are not using any of that valuable computing power.

[Bristol Posse]

I used to do this procrastination around finishing when I started out recording.

After a little introspection I realized it was because I was worried that I wouldn't be able to write anything else. These couple of songs might be all I'm ever able to create.
If I finish them am I done?

working on little bits of a song makes me feel creative and secure that I have something to work on, even though I'm really just tweaking things and looking for an excuse to keep working rather than finish and move into a scary position of having to create something new all over again

So I gave myself a kick in the ass and just got the project done

sometimes there are creative gaps and that's fine, that's a good time to gig more and work on technique and performance so I'm ready and at the top of my game when the next creative moments arrive

Cowboy up and get it done

[Alberto]

None of you know how important can be, a single meditation session once or twice a week.

Your brain is a "radio waves receiver". The more you are obsessed and full of ideas-thoughts-stress, the more you won't be able to receive lots and quality "radio waves".

As Tesla said, "my ideas come from the cosmos".

All the genius understood this. And all of them meditated at some point.

Leave your mind empty. Breath. Repeat.
Then enjoy what the cosmos has for you.

[Kamil]

Originally Posted by Alberto

None of you know how important can be, a single meditation session once or twice a week.

Your brain is a "radio waves receiver". The more you are obsessed and full of ideas-thoughts-stress, the more you won't be able to receive lots and quality "radio waves".

As Tesla said, "my ideas come from the cosmos".

All the genius understood this. And all of them meditated at some point.

Leave your mind empty. Breath. Repeat.
Then enjoy what the cosmos has for you.

Very insightful, thanks!

I go for daily walks in the forest near my place. Works wonders when a break is needed or a musical brick wall has been hit.

[lxm]

I implemented the 5 min rule last night. No looking back!...

[lxm]

Originally Posted by Magicbuss

committing to mix decisions during tracking

Just wait until that Slate mic system comes out... LOL

[Jeffsounds]

Originally Posted by somebodyelseuk

People still buy AC/DCs stuff.

That is correct... but they've been around and in the public eye for many years. I, on the other hand, have not...

[somebodyelseuk]

Originally Posted by Jeffsounds

That is correct... but they've been around and in the public eye for many years. I, on the other hand, have not...

OK. Give it up and find something else to do.

[Shippo]

Originally Posted by Jeffsounds

I don't have a lot of confidence in my own material and I don't believe there are people, even 1 person, who would be interested in the music made by a 60-year old man, let alone purchase it.

Different genre, of course, but Richard Strauss wrote his Four Last Songs when he was well into his eighties, and they are amongst the most sublime music ever written. (Especially the last one, 'Im Abendrot').

He had been around for a while by then though.

[RoboPlankton]

Originally Posted by Jeffsounds

.............I don't believe there are people, even 1 person, who would be interested in the music made by a 60-year old man, let alone purchase it.

Well, a sixty-year-old man was born at the advent of rock 'n' roll, was around ten when The Beatles hit the world, around 20 when Bowie turned the whole show upside down, around 30 when synths became huge in popular music and around 40 when the rave scene was booming.


I'd say a sixty-year-old man could come up with some fine music, with all those experiences in his soul.

[Garrick]

Originally Posted by RoboPlankton

Well, a sixty-year-old man was born at the advent of rock 'n' roll, was around ten when The Beatles hit the world, around 20 when Bowie turned the whole show upside down, around 30 when synths became huge in popular music and around 40 when the rave scene was booming.


I'd say a sixty-year-old man could come up with some fine music, with all those experiences in his soul.

very nicely put

[RoboPlankton]

I was about to edit in:

"And everything else in between!"

[Jeffsounds]

Originally Posted by Shippo

Different genre, of course, but Richard Strauss wrote his Four Last Songs when he was well into his eighties, and they are amongst the most sublime music ever written. (Especially the last one, 'Im Abendrot').

He had been around for a while by then though.

Originally Posted by RoboPlankton

Well, a sixty-year-old man was born at the advent of rock 'n' roll, was around ten when The Beatles hit the world, around 20 when Bowie turned the whole show upside down, around 30 when synths became huge in popular music and around 40 when the rave scene was booming.


I'd say a sixty-year-old man could come up with some fine music, with all those experiences in his soul.

Originally Posted by Garrick

very nicely put

Originally Posted by RoboPlankton

I was about to edit in:

"And everything else in between!"

I'll never give music up. They can pry my guitar out of my cold, dead hands...

I make music because I love it. Music has always been there, good times or bad, ups or downs. It is ONE thing that nobody can take away from me. I have no misconceptions that I'll be a huge star or make a great living from it (anymore - but at one time...) especially at this age and I don't expect anything in return. I'm just saying that nobody important, like record companies or managers or other music pro is interested in a 60-year old man whom nobody has ever heard of.

[morgon]

Originally Posted by Jeffsounds

I'll never give music up. They can pry my guitar out of my cold, dead hands...

I make music because I love it. Music has always been there, good times or bad, ups or downs. It is ONE thing that nobody can take away from me. I have no misconceptions that I'll be a huge star or make a great living from it (anymore - but at one time...) especially at this age and I don't expect anything in return. I'm just saying that nobody important, like record companies or managers or other music pro is interested in a 60-year old man whom nobody has ever heard of.

You would have made truckloads of money gigging that CD in Australia back in the 80s. If YOURE not selling CDs then ive got grave fears I ever will. I wish you well with it, great work.

[Muddy Tbone]

I had dinner with an old friend last night that used to be a music producer for many years.

He got tired of that game and the excessive travel, and got a masters in phsycology and now works with folks that need phsycological counciling.

I mentioned this post, and the surprising number of people that confided they had the same problem, and asked for his opinion on my issue.

His take was completion of the song may be interpreted as akin to saying goodbye to a close friend that you know you will never see again. I agree.

I just need to say goodbye, and make some new friends.

[Alberto]

Originally Posted by Muddy Tbone

I had dinner with an old friend last night that used to be a music producer for many years.

He got tired of that game and the excessive travel, and got a masters in phsycology and now works with folks that need phsycological counciling.

I mentioned this post, and the surprising number of people that confided they had the same problem, and asked for his opinion on my issue.

His take was completion of the song may be interpreted as akin to saying goodbye to a close friend that you know you will never see again. I agree.

I just need to say goodbye, and make some new friends.

I think there is another more important point involved. Which is that you are afraid to end the song not as good as you believed it could be.

You can't end the song because you fear the possibility to finish it worse than you expected. And sometimes it's hard to delete the result and rethink the whole final, and you get trapped in an endless circle.

You have the idea in your mind, but when you are developing in the daw, you see that you are not going to the expected point. Then you get a bit disappointed till you end giving up, thinking that the next project will be the good one.

[keyman_sam]

Originally Posted by Muddy Tbone

I'm not even sure where to post this? Here or a psychology forum?

I have 2 recordings now that are 90% complete that I'm very proud of from the viewpoints of musical performance and good clean recording quality. The instrument and vocal tonal qualities are exactly what I heard in my mind when both projects started.

My problem is I have some type of mental issue where I just can't finish either one and begin the mix to complete the projects.

One song requires two comp vocal takes on harmonies, the other requires an electric lead comp take and a bass line. That's it.

In my life I have never not completed any project I've started. I'm just baffled as to what mental issue prevents me from bringing myself around to completing these recordings.

Any insights are very welcome.

You just pulled the words out of my mouth. Misery loves company. Join the club.

That ill methodology video helped me do something good in 3 hours. Do check that out.

[keyman_sam]

Originally Posted by Alberto

None of you know how important can be, a single meditation session once or twice a week.

Your brain is a "radio waves receiver". The more you are obsessed and full of ideas-thoughts-stress, the more you won't be able to receive lots and quality "radio waves".

As Tesla said, "my ideas come from the cosmos".

All the genius understood this. And all of them meditated at some point.

Leave your mind empty. Breath. Repeat.
Then enjoy what the cosmos has for you.

I know the importance of meditation. I was/am a firm believer of it. Unfortunately I get less enjoyment out of it than I used to.

A piano, your voice and a touch of reverb will take you straight to audio nirvana. That's the best form of meditation I've ever experienced.

[Muddy Tbone]

Originally Posted by Alberto

I think there is another more important point involved. Which is that you are afraid to end the song not as good as you believed it could be.

You can't end the song because you fear the possibility to finish it worse than you expected. And sometimes it's hard to delete the result and rethink the whole final, and you get trapped in an endless circle.

You have the idea in your mind, but when you are developing in the daw, you see that you are not going to the expected point. Then you get a bit disappointed till you end giving up, thinking that the next project will be the good one.

Alberto,

Your observation about the possibiltity of finishing the song worse than expected was one of my first postulations about my hang-up.

If this was the day of tape, when there were a finite amount of tracks, and there was no ability to have an unlimited number of takes of a particular track, this would have been my issue.

That is not the case with DAW's. It can never get worse, we can always go back to the prior version, or add as many tracks, comps that it takes until we're happy.

Thanks for the thought, but I think my friend was right. I'm afraid of saying goodbye to a good friend.

[Goldreap]

Great thread, all good thoughts, but let's not forget the obvious: sleep, exercise, food etc.

[Jeffsounds]

Originally Posted by morgon

You would have made truckloads of money gigging that CD in Australia back in the 80s. If YOURE not selling CDs then ive got grave fears I ever will. I wish you well with it, great work.

Thank you for the kind words! But you have to remember... I'm not selling CD's because I'm not really trying to, because of the reason I stated above and the fact that I know nothing about marketing. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try!

Go for it!

[Alberto]

Originally Posted by Muddy Tbone

Alberto,

Your observation about the possibiltity of finishing the song worse than expected was one of my first postulations about my hang-up.

If this was the day of tape, when there were a finite amount of tracks, and there was no ability to have an unlimited number of takes of a particular track, this would have been my issue.

That is not the case with DAW's. It can never get worse, we can always go back to the prior version, or add as many tracks, comps that it takes until we're happy.

Thanks for the thought, but I think my friend was right. I'm afraid of saying goodbye to a good friend.

Yeah i was talking in general. Not specifically to your case. In fact that's my situation sometimes. I prefer to delay the end of a song until i feel i have the proper inspiration etc.

It's true you can make a snapshot or simply delete the result. But then another doubt appears: Will be the second finish better than this? Should i keep it as it is?

Anyway i think it's better to just avoid talking about this because it brings this situation again to your mind. So let's work with no fears and get our work done.

PD: It's true. That ill methodology brought also to me a good idea and the way to get it done, and yesterday i almost finished a very, very, very cool song in something like 4 hours. Magic.

[somebodyelseuk]

Originally Posted by Jeffsounds

I'll never give music up. They can pry my guitar out of my cold, dead hands...

I make music because I love it. Music has always been there, good times or bad, ups or downs. It is ONE thing that nobody can take away from me. I have no misconceptions that I'll be a huge star or make a great living from it (anymore - but at one time...) especially at this age and I don't expect anything in return. I'm just saying that nobody important, like record companies or managers or other music pro is interested in a 60-year old man whom nobody has ever heard of.

Good, that's more like it. Fed up of reading people whining about the music business.
Record companies are waiting to be convinced that YOU have something they can make a shitload of money from. The standard of music is secondary.
Seasick Steve is a prime example. Absolute shite, but someone convinced a record company and the record company convinced the public.
Pubs up and down the UK are full of musicians whining about the talent that never sees the light of day, because of the record companies, but the hard truth is that people who don't 'make it', don't have what it takes.
Whether it's musicians, sportsmen, actors... even top businessmen, they have an overwhelming determination to succeed and make big sacrifices - it's their life for years before they get anywhere, and I mean they don't get laid, they don't own a car, they don't have friends other than bandmates, they don't even have jobs. The vast majority can't carry a conversation about anything other than what they specialise in. It's not about being in the right place. It's about putting yourself there.

[Gurt Tractor]

Related Burial quote from the superb Wire interview -

"Burial: When I listened to these old tapes, I took what these jungle MCs were telling me seriously. Rolling a tune out, I took it as a commandment about how to make a tune: roll it out, do it fast. I was into old hardcore, darkside, trying to do a properly dark record. Not this new, pumped up tech sound. I liked the old tunes, properly darkside like finding a body in a lift shaft: dank moody tunes, suburban tunes. I want to go back to that hardcore era of darkside someday, which would be rugged, film samples just pitched up and down with strings. It wasn’t just that pure monochrome thing, it was something else, it sounded like tearing through an empty building. But the thing is, I had this bunch of tunes for my 2nd album that were dark tunes, and I just scrapped them. I took ages on them. I was worrying, because after my first album I felt a bit of pressure to follow it up. I worked for hours on these tunes, and I was trying to learn these programmes. These tunes were darker, more technical, all the tunes sounded like some kind of weapon that was being taken apart and put back together again. But then I got sort of sick of them, because I spent so long on them, I was moody about other things. So I wanted to make a glowing record, I wanted to cheer myself up. Instead of doing those dark tunes that took ages and were really detailed, I wanted to make a record fast. Something warm, glowing, junglist and garagey. I was listening to these Guy Called Gerald tunes. I wanted to do vocals but I can’t get a proper singer like him. So I cut up acapellas and made different sentences, even if they didn’t make sense but they summed up what I was feeling. I love those Foul Play and Omni Trio tunes where it was just the girl next door singing, So I got a lot of those quite low-quality vocals and started to pitch them up and down. You can do it really fast. I sort of did the whole album in about two weeks. Most of it in the final week. When I made this a lot of things were wrong. It was nice to say, ‘fuck this’, I’m just going to make it well fast. So I’m quite defensive of it. When you’re making a tune and it’s really late… I heard this thing on EastEnders about burning the candle at both ends with a flamethrower, I was making tunes in the middle of the night, if I didn’t have the vocal to keep me awake, like singing a lullaby, trying to hypnotise myself so I didn’t fall asleep"

[Magicbuss]

Originally Posted by Muddy Tbone

I had dinner with an old friend last night that used to be a music producer for many years.

He got tired of that game and the excessive travel, and got a masters in phsycology and now works with folks that need phsycological counciling.

I mentioned this post, and the surprising number of people that confided they had the same problem, and asked for his opinion on my issue.

His take was completion of the song may be interpreted as akin to saying goodbye to a close friend that you know you will never see again. I agree.

I just need to say goodbye, and make some new friends.

Not in my case. I tend to never want to hear the song I'm mixing again. It ruins the tune for me on any listening enjoyment level. I like watching other people react to it though - if the mix is good.

[brainwreck]

Time to finish some projects. Who is down for this? http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?p=1365349

[mr_prozac]

Beer, always helps.
It can make you more creative and it will also give you big enough balls to delete projects :-)

[Alberto]

Originally Posted by mr_prozac

Beer, always helps.
It can make you more creative and it will also give you big enough balls to delete projects :-)

True. Hahahaha!

[@non]

Makeing decisions- easier for other (informed) peep to see whats working(or not)
Finishing processes- we dont Actually have the Entire Skill set to compeete w professionals
Working in a timeline- no one cracking the whip, taking notes,
Systems faliure- need working processes,

we really set ourselves up trying to be al things to all people

[yep]

Originally Posted by Magicbuss

Still thinking about this.

Everyone here is probably aware of any number of legendary recording sessions wherein an entire album was recorded AND mixed in a matter of days.That boggles my mind...

If someone came up to you right now, and said:

"Hey, I need a song to use in the World Cup broadcast tomorrow night. You have 18 hours to give me at least two minutes of music, and I'll pay you $500k and give you worldwide exposure. Otherwise, we'll go with something by David Bowie..."

If that happened, you'd probably deliver the best music you ever made in the next 18 hours.

[PitchSlap]

This is an important thread. Psychology is the the hardest aspect of music production to master.

I'm currently struggling myself. One week away from a big show (all new material) and I'm second guessing everything, and have spent so long working I hate everything... :/


Glad to see that Ill Gates video posted. There's a lot to learn from it regardless of what kind of music you make.

Another person I find great when it comes to the psychology side of music making is Mike Monday, he's got a tonne of videos and I've found them very helpful (vs. watching another pointless tips and tricks tutorial type video).

He's actually got a whole short series of videos called "How to finish a track you're bored of". Definitely worth watching for anyone stuck.

Here's part 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJVskBUU7lc

[Garrick]

Originally Posted by PitchSlap

This is an important thread. Psychology is the the hardest aspect of music production to master.

I'm currently struggling myself. One week away from a big show (all new material) and I'm second guessing everything, and have spent so long working I hate everything... :/


Glad to see that Ill Gates video posted. There's a lot to learn from it regardless of what kind of music you make.

Another person I find great when it comes to the psychology side of music making is Mike Monday, he's got a tonne of videos and I've found them very helpful (vs. watching another pointless tips and tricks tutorial type video).

He's actually got a whole short series of videos called "How to finish a track you're bored of". Definitely worth watching for anyone stuck.

Here's part 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJVskBUU7lc

It is an important thread. That Mike Monday link is gold.
cheers Pitchslap

[Magicbuss]

Originally Posted by PitchSlap

Another person I find great when it comes to the psychology side of music making is Mike Monday, he's got a tonne of videos and I've found them very helpful (vs. watching another pointless tips and tricks tutorial type video).

He's actually got a whole short series of videos called "How to finish a track you're bored of". Definitely worth watching for anyone stuck.

Here's part 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJVskBUU7lc

Looks useful. I subscribed.

One thing I am working on towards the goal of faster production is forcing myself to use fewer plugins and focus on ones with limited options.

So the first part is fairly simple and one that has been discussed here many times. Taking EQ as an example I really only need one surgical EQ with a graph and then one console/analog/program EQ that has a fixed number of bands and NO graph.

Console EQ's are really important IMO. I disagree with the folks who say all EQ's are the same in that i can dial any digital EQ to sound like any other using a spectrograph and null tests. That may be true but its COMPLETELY missing the point. The reason console EQ's are SO useful is that they impose limitations (fixed bands/bandwidth) and force you to work quickly and use your ears NOT your eyes. I have found using my ears to be a MUCH faster way of getting the sound I need (duh!). That may seem obvious but its incredible how much many of us rely on our eyes when working ITB. Anything that forces us out of that visual thinking mode is a good thing IMO.

Another example of useful limited options is in the universe of compression. Reacomp is a full featured compressor. You have threshold, ratio, attack and release, knee, lookahead, rms size, sidechain with filters and auto makeup gain. Reacomp can do almost any style of compression besides the saturated color compression we all love, But its ALOT to wrap your head around. I also own DC8C2, the expert mode looks like the cockpit of a 747. I never use expert mode.

My new favorite drum compressor is the Massey CT 5. It has 3 fixed attack and release options, a compression knob, a limiter mode, a blend knob and makeup gain. Thats it! It sounds great and i can have it dialed in about 30 seconds. It may take me 5 minutes or more to get good results with reacomp. Similarly, One reason analog compressor emulations are so popular is that they are typically WAY simpler and they can sometimes make your audio sound better without ANY gain reduction due to the coloration.

One benefit of using a small stable of goto plugins is that you really learn them. That can't be overstated. Its way too easy nowadays to scroll through a dozen compressors looking for THE ONE when what you really need is an understanding of what the goal is and how the compressor (or eq, etc.) at hand can get the job done. Eventually you will learn what things that compressor is good for and when it might not be appropriate. But you will never learn that by auditioning a preset and immediately scrapping one compressor for another.

Anyway, I don't want to derail the thread but I think these topics overlap. One reason our projects can bog is that you can spend hours auditioning plugins, then twiddling EQ's, compressors, reverbs etc looking for the perfect sound. I am starting to limit my choices and choosing processors that force me to work quickly and use my ears.