Measuring progress

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Prophän
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Measuring progress

Post by Prophän »

Okay so big question here, I absolutely have no clue how to tell if i'm progressing or learning new things while producing, at the moment it has been a year or so, and I still suck at making techno tracks, I'm wondering if someone with significant experience had that issue at the beggining or if you just went on without looking back until you find out that you're almost there, i'd love to be pointed at the right direction, things tend to get depressing and demotivating when you don't see any progress for a long period.

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Stace
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Re: Measuring progress

Post by Stace »

Hey Amon :)

I know exactly where you are coming from and often feel exactly the same. No time spent making music is a waste and even if you don't feel like you are making progress, you will be if you are putting in the hours.

I read this the other day, I just happened to stumble by it and I also did my learning on Logic 9. It was nice to be able to take stock of a time where I didn't know anything AT all. Everything is progress :)

https://www.residentadvisor.net/features/1446

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rktic
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Re: Measuring progress

Post by rktic »

Amon Derrich wrote:Okay so big question here, I absolutely have no clue how to tell if i'm progressing or learning new things while producing, at the moment it has been a year or so, and I still suck at making techno tracks, I'm wondering if someone with significant experience had that issue at the beggining or if you just went on without looking back until you find out that you're almost there, i'd love to be pointed at the right direction, things tend to get depressing and demotivating when you don't see any progress for a long period.
Counterquestion: What do you think how much time it takes to get "there"?

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Stace
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Re: Measuring progress

Post by Stace »

You never get there. That is the point :)

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Lost to the Void
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Re: Measuring progress

Post by Lost to the Void »

Just be patient and enjoy making music, progress will happen continuously in small increments punctuated by the odd "AHA!!" revelatory moment (like the first time you really hear a compressor working and understand it).
This forum is a great place to get feedback.
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Prophän
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Re: Measuring progress

Post by Prophän »

Thank you stacie for that article, looks like an interesting read, so I guess the conclusion is just to keep making music until it becomes second nature.
rktic wrote: Counterquestion: What do you think how much time it takes to get "there"?
First of all what I mean by "there" is when you are actually able to translate the sounds in your head to real life, and you can make something that sounds semi-professional, and my guess would be 5 years at least.
Lost to the Void wrote:Just be patient and enjoy making music, progress will happen continuously in small increments punctuated by the odd "AHA!!" revelatory moment (like the first time you really hear a compressor working and understand it).
This forum is a great place to get feedback.
You just described something that happened not too long ago , and it was exactly with compressors and sidechaining :lol:, I agree on this forum being a great place for feedback, the problem is I feel a little bit ashamed of what I produce after hearing what some people considered as beginners here have to offer , raises big doubts actually.

But still thank you for the helpful answers !

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Lost to the Void
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Re: Measuring progress

Post by Lost to the Void »

Amon Derrich wrote:Thank you stacie for that article, looks like an interesting read, so I guess the conclusion is just to keep making music until it becomes second nature.
rktic wrote: Counterquestion: What do you think how much time it takes to get "there"?
First of all what I mean by "there" is when you are actually able to translate the sounds in your head to real life, and you can make something that sounds semi-professional, and my guess would be 5 years at least.
Lost to the Void wrote:Just be patient and enjoy making music, progress will happen continuously in small increments punctuated by the odd "AHA!!" revelatory moment (like the first time you really hear a compressor working and understand it).
This forum is a great place to get feedback.
You just described something that happened not too long ago , and it was exactly with compressors and sidechaining :lol:, I agree on this forum being a great place for feedback, the problem is I feel a little bit ashamed of what I produce after hearing what some people considered as beginners here have to offer , raises big doubts actually.

But still thank you for the helpful answers !
We are all on the journey of musical progress.
And all of us started not knowing anything.
Don't be ashamed of your music or your production, it is what it is.
I listen to my own stuff and feel like dirt sometimes.

I think critique here in the members track section seems pretty civilised and helpful.
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The_G
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Re: Measuring progress

Post by The_G »

When I feel stuck, I ask for help or advice from people who are more advanced than me. I've also been using the members tracks section a lot, both post No my own stuff and listening critically to other people's music. Both help.

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Re: Measuring progress

Post by PatrickHughes »

Whenever I get in a rut or feel stuck I try to change things up and produce a track nothing like what I normally make. Usually I go for a more progressive house or electro sound just to change things up and then when I go back and make my next Techno track I usually feel a bit more creative and fresh.

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Re: Measuring progress

Post by terly »

Technical advances always plateau at various points but even things which seem like technical hurdles are actually subjective, creative choices - ie how much mid and treble to include, or the relative weight of percussion vs synths. Different producers approach these issues in a variety of ways, and I don't think there is an absolute "right way" to do everything - so just do what sounds good to you.

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rktic
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Re: Measuring progress

Post by rktic »

Amon Derrich wrote:First of all what I mean by "there" is when you are actually able to translate the sounds in your head to real life, and you can make something that sounds semi-professional, and my guess would be 5 years at least.
That's much more realism than I expected tbh. But yeah, I was thinking about the study that says it needs 10.000 hours to master a skill. Let's stop it right there.

I'm still thinking about measuring progress.

What about keeping an eye on the time you need to manifest an idea into something that gets close to it?
What about your perceived distance between the idea you had and the result you're listening to?

Last not least: do you have a learning strategy?

Pity to hear about your feeling of shame. Does it help to know you're probably hearing more tracks of people who are on some pages ahead of you? And that you're likely going for some unfair kind of comparison?

Man, I'm happy that when I started making music I wasn't flooded with the amount of quality there is today. The internet was a piece of shit :) Is there a way you can prevent yourself from listening to the works of others without comparing and judging yourself?

Or would you like to share your works with only a selected few folks? If so, who would that be around here?

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bounduk
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Re: Measuring progress

Post by bounduk »

If you listen to something you made a year ago and something you made today, I'm sure you'll notice a difference. Progress is so incremental that you'll barely even notice it happening but if you then take a moment to look back, you'll notice you're quicker at doing something or you can hear and understand how something was done in another track that you had no idea on last time you heard it.

Music is definitely a labour of love and if you don't stop to appreciate what you've done every now and then you'll never realise the progress you've actually made because you're chasing what you're still yet to achieve.

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Aureliano
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Re: Measuring progress

Post by Aureliano »

bounduk wrote:If you listen to something you made a year ago and something you made today, I'm sure you'll notice a difference. Progress is so incremental that you'll barely even notice it happening but if you then take a moment to look back, you'll notice you're quicker at doing something or you can hear and understand how something was done in another track that you had no idea on last time you heard it.
Came here to say this. In my first 18 months producing with ableton I can look back and quite clearly chunk up periods where I had clearly progressed from the previous period. I can also feel disheartened with where I am but to an equal amount I also feel surprised at how far I've come.

Don't worry about 'measuring' your progress; we will all progress at different speeds depending on our unique skill sets and perspectives. If you can say that you are better at making music now than 6 months ago, that should be all the affirmation you need that you're getting better and progressing.

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Prophän
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Re: Measuring progress

Post by Prophän »

Some great piece of advice on the answers, this really boosted my motivation.

Answering your question Rktic, nope , if I shared it it would be with everyone here I just don't feel ready yet, I did it in the past with the very first tracks I made and published in soundcloud thinking I was the shit :lol: , and after listening some time later, I discovered it was pure crap.

But you are right, sharing tracks and getting feedback is probably a good way to progress, so I'll convince myself to do it haha

And no I don't have any learning strategy , I can spend an entire week reading and watching production related stuff, and then go for 2 months without even opening the daw.. but the passion is here trust me

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TimBuys
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Re: Measuring progress

Post by TimBuys »

Dude, the exact same process here. When I made my first tracks after about 2 months of producing I thought I was hot shit for a couple of weeks, then I realized the track sucked hard. Now about 2 years later (admittedly with huge breaks and definitely not producing every day) I am finally starting to get at a point where I feel like my tracks don't completely suck.


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