Reason EDM producers, how long to create a track?

[fotizimo]

Hey there,

This might be the wrong section, but am wondering how long most people take to finish a track? I tend to write progressive house/techno tracks, and find it takes me forever to get anything done. I can spend so many sessions I am working on a track just working the drums, or developing a bass sound. I am not a pro, and do this when not working my normal job, but am wondering how many hours some of you would say each track takes.

So I started wondering how long some of the people here take to complete a track? I see these RE-specific competition threads, and I see some people have tracks up in days, and I can never enter as it takes me so long to complete a simple track.

[FlowerSoldier]

I've spent months on songs, but just because I'm working on them doesn't mean I'm making them better.

Frankly, the ideas I'm happiest with come together in a few hours. Then I'll work on arranging and mixing down for a week or so.

My favorite projects are simple: I try to go for 5 or 6 tracks that work together in an interesting way. Anything more than that and I'm willing to consider I'm putting lipstick on a pig.

But, also the more you practice the better you'll get so enjoy the ride. It's a rabbit hole and you can go as deep as you want.
[edit: spelling]

[JamesKerwin]

I do mostly progressive house, too. Usually if I spend a few hours a day and hit it heavy on weekends, I can have an idea go from start to finish in 2-3 weeks. However lately I haven't had the luxury of that time so it takes a bit longer - plus I've been working on multiple tracks at once.

I like to create an idea, then the form, and then add/change anything later on whether it's a big rewrite or just some creative effects, too.

I'm still curious to hear what others have to say. Maybe they have a better process than me, but I feel like mine is satisfactory at the moment. Check out my soundcloud www.soundcloud.com/jameskerwin. I also have a few hidden tracks and WIPs if you're interested in checking them out.

[Karim]

Hey there,

This might be the wrong section, but am wondering how long most people take to finish a track? I tend to write progressive house/techno tracks, and find it takes me forever to get anything done. I can spend so many sessions I am working on a track just working the drums, or developing a bass sound. I am not a pro, and do this when not working my normal job, but am wondering how many hours some of you would say each track takes.

So I started wondering how long some of the people here take to complete a track? I see these RE-specific competition threads, and I see some people have tracks up in days, and I can never enter as it takes me so long to complete a simple track.

I can do an Edm track in like one day.. The most for me is mix and master it (so it can take 2-3 more days for cutting edges). BTW I use Reason everyday professionally

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[Peter]

I work an overnight job and I usually save music production for the weekend through which I shift my sleeping pattern to get the best results. I like this approach because I spend the work week recharging my creative tank and prepping myself to hit the ground running like a maniac through the weekend. I'll do one track all day on Friday after I work all night, another track on Saturday and I take the "day" off on Sunday to readjust my mind for reentry into society, spend time with the lady, go out to lunch, laundry, etc. That said, it doesn't leave time for anything else in my life, and this rhythm I've fallen into recently is making life go by very, very fast. I'm excited for the next couple tracks I'll do this weekend though. One more freaking work shift to go!

I feel pretty comfortable with twelve hours to produce a track start to finish. I could probably have it done in ten hours if I really focus but I like to have fun, listen to it obsessively, write something on a forum, etc.

[devilfish]

With Reason: 1-2 weeks
With Elektron Gear: 1-2 Hours

[centomila]

From 2 hours to 1 year :p

[Gorgon]

If you work continously on the arrangement of your track, you should be able to finish something in about 8 hours.

That's not including mixing and fine tuning.

[Kaosis]

I think it boils down to how well you know your tools and the energy you've got for the song.

The 1st song I completed that I actually really really like took a few hours from start to main composition. Then another day or 2 of finishing touches, then a few hours here and there for a proper mix. But that was with rex loops for drums.

One thing that taught me was that I needed to learn how to make the drums I like and don't sound like they came from a printing press. So now my creative process has changed. I build my drums and from that I can generally come up with a melody fairly easily. The rest falls into place. I just gotta give my drums proper lovin

[Koncide]

A lot of the producers I know, as well as from what I've gathered from the big guys in videos/interviews, is that a track on any DAW can take between a few hours to a few months to complete, depending on the producer's preferences, genre, and complexity.

Another thing I've gathered is that you are more likely to create a good track if it's done relatively quickly. if you're stuck working on a track for ages it's not going to inspire you as much as it did initially, meaning it's going to become harder and harder to work on it.

[Jmax]

It takes about a week for me.

I have a rule where if I don't really like something the next day I will just delete it. And I don't work on anyway other projects except the one I need to finish, no matter how sick I am of it. I just look for things to tweak, or chords to add layers.

I've been stuck on a song for the last few weeks. I like it but don't love it. Yet I think it's descent enough to finish. I've wanted to play around with other things but stopped myself and only focus on getting it done.

This rule has worked out very well for me.
In the past I just went for track to track, in the end having lots of unfinished work.

J

[Peter]

One thing that taught me was that I needed to learn how to make the drums I like and don't sound like they came from a printing press. So now my creative process has changed. I build my drums and from that I can generally come up with a melody fairly easily. The rest falls into place. I just gotta give my drums proper lovin

Yeah drums need proper lovin'. There are so many techniques that can be used to create more interesting drums.

If we think about the history of dance music it comes down to drums. Tribal cultures gathered around, beating drums with interesting rhythms.

Although some people, especially non-EDM folks, think it's just boom-tsss-boom-tsss-boom-tsss. There's more to it than that or at least there should be.

If you work continously on the arrangement of your track, you should be able to finish something in about 8 hours.

That's not including mixing and fine tuning.

FWIW to the OP it took me a couple years to be solid with one day sessions (mixing included). I admittedly often go back and do some minor freq tweaking the next day like maybe I'll hear a nasty resonance in the car or the hats are too harsh on ear buds. I'm still learning of course. I often crack open some beers towards the end of the session which might alter my mixing perception just a little bit. Hey, we have to be able to vibe to the music if it's EDM right? Anyways, one day sessions should be ideal for anybody. Just a matter of grinding out the time.

[aisling]

I just opened a file from 10 years ago and finally have the inspiration to keep working on it.

[EdGrip]

I am slowly getting the hang of "Stop fiddling about with the rack and with the sound. It sounds fine. Get back in the sequencer. Do another bar." That's why I never get anything done.
That, and just grabbing rex loops and chucking them around for inspiration.

[fotizimo]

FWIW to the OP it took me a couple years to be solid with one day sessions (mixing included). I admittedly often go back and do some minor freq tweaking the next day like maybe I'll hear a nasty resonance in the car or the hats are too harsh on ear buds. I'm still learning of course. I often crack open some beers towards the end of the session which might alter my mixing perception just a little bit. Hey, we have to be able to vibe to the music if it's EDM right? Anyways, one day sessions should be ideal for anybody. Just a matter of grinding out the time.

I guess I am still going through that first phase, where I work on something, even for a few hours, and I really like what I have done. But the next time I listen, I find 100 things wrong with various elements.

I am so far away from one day builds, but haven't progressed to the point of bringing the recreational beverages into my work environment. I may have to try that one next.

[fotizimo]

I just opened a file from 10 years ago and finally have the inspiration to keep working on it.

That is awesome!

[aisling]

I just opened a file from 10 years ago and finally have the inspiration to keep working on it.

That is awesome!

Per many of the comments of the thread, some tracks write themselves in a day or less, others start out with an inspired bang and become masturbatory exercises in twiddling around endlessly with no creative direction, until I loose the creative inspiration and shelve them. I have a folder from 2001 when I started with reason, and every year or so take a peak and quick listen to hear if I get re-inspired with something.

[Kaosis]

I just opened a file from 10 years ago and finally have the inspiration to keep working on it.

That is awesome!

Per many of the comments of the thread, some tracks write themselves in a day or less, others start out with an inspired bang and become masturbatory exercises in twiddling around endlessly with no creative direction, until I loose the creative inspiration and shelve them. I have a folder from 2001 when I started with reason, and every year or so take a peak and quick listen to hear if I get re-inspired with something.

And this is why reason is awesome. That whole backwards compatible thing, assuming you don't end up missing a library of audio files, or lean heavily on line6

[kuhliloach]

This technology is about 20 - 30 years more advanced than our brain's capability to use it, thus the great importance for Reason to one day have the greatest user-interface a DAW can possibly have.

I resonate with the comment above about a "few hours" being the amount of time it takes -- and I've noticed this happens best when the musical idea itself happens before launching the DAW. Launching the DAW without some kind of musical plan first can easily result in a hard drive full of 8-bar experiments and no finished projects.

I face this problem myself -- so what do we do when we want to make these experiments into something? (No, don't upload them to some silly collaboration site -- that's not writing music!). My suggestion is to do anything but launch Reason. Take a walk. Listen to an incredible production. Call a family member. It needs to stew first in your brain. Don't let the activity of looking at a screen wipe out a musical idea.

[Sorped]

fotizimo, you should give the 1 synth challenge a shot. The music I made might not be great, but I learned a lot from the process of starting and finishing songs.

[aisling]

I just opened a file from 10 years ago and finally have the inspiration to keep working on it.

That is awesome!

Per many of the comments of the thread, some tracks write themselves in a day or less, others start out with an inspired bang and become masturbatory exercises in twiddling around endlessly with no creative direction, until I loose the creative inspiration and shelve them. I have a folder from 2001 when I started with reason, and every year or so take a peak and quick listen to hear if I get re-inspired with something.

And this is why reason is awesome. That whole backwards compatible thing, assuming you don't end up missing a library of audio files, or lean heavily on line6

I have been a casualty of both scenarios over my tenure with reason.