# Working smarter and more efficiently



## loutlander (Jan 29, 2022)

Hey guys,

I was wondering if you had any workflow tips or composing hacks in order to compose faster, and by that I mean more efficiently.
Getting more stuff done in less time. Minimum effort for maximum results.
Would love to hear some of your wisdom.


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## Henu (Jan 30, 2022)

I don't think there are shortcuts to "minimum effort for maximum results". The more you compose, the more efficient and knowledgeable you become, thus allowing you to know faster what to do next instead of having to rely on trial and error. This takes time and effort and practice.

Philosophy aside, Trevor Morris has an excellent video on scheduling stuff which could help you out. And this discussion could be useful to check out as well!


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## M_Helder (Jan 30, 2022)

I guess learning the tools you have is the shortest and most direct way to realise what you have in mind on paper.

For example, finally devoting some quality time to learn Serum inside-out and all the synthesis tricks with it, helped me immensely in terms of speed and workflow. Same for the DAW, orchestra, kontakt, omnisphere, you name it.


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## jononotbono (Jan 30, 2022)

For me, having a touchscreen that has all sorts of Key Commands, macros and other things really help with workflow and speed. I also feel like I'm in Minority Report. Sort of.


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## chillbot (Jan 30, 2022)

I feel like I could write 20 pages on this and maybe I will or maybe I have and I don't remember. Either could, will, or have, take your pick (I like the odds).

I could summarize efficiency with three uber important words: less mouse click. Every time you click the mouse that you didn't have to is a wasted click... organize everything around the least amount of clicks. Even if it takes you a day of busywork/organizing to eliminate one extra click down the line it's worth it.

What this means in the real world: shortcuts, more shortcuts, also get a streamdeck.

Subfolders are a real killer, why do you have so many subfolders? So many clicks. If you have subfolders that only have a few folders in them you don't need subfolders for this. You have a gigantic f-ing screen with so many pixels and you have a subfolder that contains 3 folders when your screen could display 3,000 folders.

Also what this guy just posted while I was posting (less mouse click):



jononotbono said:


> For me, having a touchscreen that has all sorts of Key Commands, macros and other things really help with workflow and speed.


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## Collywobbles (Jan 30, 2022)

A great way to save time and improve workflow is to organise all your samples, loops, vsts etc. so you never go "where's that thing again?" I've made custom instrument and fx lists in Cubase, removing all the stuff I don't use. If you have "goto" stuff, make sure you can get to it as quickly and easily as possible.

Another obvious one would be having templates, which is a big topic all on it's own. If you're loading and routing stuff every time there's definitely time to be saved. You'll also be able to setup articulations or expression maps the way you like them.

Making track presets of your most used fx chains can be great as well since you often just use the same or similar settings anyway.

Lastly just sit down and think through your current process and try to identify areas where you can improve the efficiency. Try to find redundant things you do every time that could just be part of your starting template.


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## arafaratanran (Jan 30, 2022)

I think the chances that someone who knows the answer to your question is a frequent contributer to this forum are pretty slim!


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## dgburns (Jan 30, 2022)

chillbot said:


> less mouse click.


Rant On:
I am amazed at how much software forces many mouse clicks when setting up a template. Currently adding BBC Pro and Arone to my template and it’s really insane how many mouse clicks required.
Also OPUS does not come default with all artics defined by a note, which means you have to click three times per artic x undefined keyswitches to get them all setup. Bad OPUS. No idea why they did this.
Rant off.

Setting up templates sucks.


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## rgames (Jan 30, 2022)

In composing or any other endeavor there's one key to productivity that I've found a lot of people miss: Product Dictates Process.

In other words, get to work and figure out your process improvements along the way. All too often people get caught up thinking too much about *how* they're going to do something rather than actually doing it. That's process dictating product, the opposite of what you want.

Now, that's not to say that thinking about what you're going to do is a bad idea. You definitely do want to take time for planning, but in the creative world I've found that people who plan the most are almost as unproductive as those who plan the least. There's a balance, and optimum will depend on what you're trying to do. For creative endeavors where the product is an idea (like composing) the balance tends to heavily favor the doing and less the planning.

For example, let's say you want to learn to play the violin. How much time should you spend planning how to learn violin vs. just trying to play it? Intuitively everyone understands that you should spend more time just messing with it to figure out how to play it. But for some reason people don't apply that same reasoning to other endeavors (like composing).

However, let's say you want to send people to the moon. In that case you certainly want to spend a lot more time on the planning side because doing so provides significant benefit. You don't just throw together some guesses on what kind of rocket *might* work and throw some guys in a capsule on the front then hope for the best. The consequences of not having a detailed plan and up-front effort are severe, so it's worthwhile to spend a lot more time on the planning phase.

That's the point: the product dictates the process. In playing the violin (or composing) the product dictates less process. In sending people to the moon the product dictates more process. If you applied the same amount of planning and process to learning the violin as sending someone to the moon you'd be dead before learning a major scale.

And as I said above, when you're generating ideas you're almost always leaning much more heavily towards the "less process" side. For example, if you look at people who are very creative you'll see that it's usually not because they just have more good ideas than anyone else. Most of those people are just good at quickly getting past all the bad ones. They just generate more ideas, period, including a lot more bad ones. The secret to creativity in science or music or whatever isn't having that one great idea, it's getting past the 10,000 bad ones quickly enough to be productive.

Do the work and adapt as you go. Product Dictates Process.

rgames


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## Marcus Millfield (Jan 30, 2022)

Get enough sleep, eat healthy, exercise regularly, spend time in nature. This will help you stay sharp and focused while working, which will make you more efficient.


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## SupremeFist (Jan 30, 2022)

loutlander said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> I was wondering if you had any workflow tips or composing hacks in order to compose faster, and by that I mean more efficiently.
> Getting more stuff done in less time. Minimum effort for maximum results.
> Would love to hear some of your wisdom.


Have baby. Have time to compose only while baby is napping.


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## timprebble (Jan 30, 2022)

rgames said:


> In composing or any other endeavor there's one key to productivity that I've found a lot of people miss: Product Dictates Process.
> 
> Do the work and adapt as you go. Product Dictates Process.
> 
> rgames


Agree, observing your own workflow is essential.
One way I approach this idea is that whenever I notice myself doing something repetitive while working, I ask myself if it's worth scripting it. When I first started work Quickeys was a lifesaver for this, now replaced with: *Keyboard Maestro (OSX)* - works well with StreamDeck too.

Similarly, any text or labels (or recurring tech support emails etc) that I will reuse go into *aText (OSX) *(which replaced TextExpander when it stupidly became SaaS only)


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## stigc56 (Jan 30, 2022)

Sit down at your instrument every day. Don’t wait for inspiration, to find you.


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## cmillar (Jan 31, 2022)

Here's how I've learned by my own mistakes.

I was:
- very happy and productive with my DAW, software instruments, and even my notation scoring program of choice. (working, composing, having great work flow due to really knowing my tools and working with or without any perceived limitations... I got things done!)

Then:
- thinking that there must be software to help me be even more 'creative', 'faster', 'more inspired', etc. etc. I started to try some other DAW's and other notation programs, etc.
- spent thousands of dollars on various sample libraries looking for the 'holy grails'

Results:
- many wasted hours, days, months, and probably years of under-achievment as the result of re-learning software, installing/upgrading, trying this, trying that,....and then getting a deadline and having utter panic attacks because I'm trying to 'learn-as-I-go' all over again.
- 'rinse-and-repeat' several times over the years; scold myself and tell myself to stop the madness

Moral of story:
- all of today's DAW's, notation programs, and sample libraries are pretty amazing. They'll all get the job done!
- stick to one DAW and really get to know it
- stick to one notation program and really get to know it
- stick to fewer libraries of sounds and really get to know what you've got (..and, check in on VI Forum for advice and ideas about what else you should know about...but...realize that at some point you have to settle on something and just get to know it inside out!)
- I'm back to my first 'DAW love' and the first notation program that I feel right at home with

If you have all the time in the world, an unlimited household budget, or are maybe just exploring all the software possiblities for 'fun', then none of the above may apply.

But if you're trying to get some real creative work done, then just listen to all the 'old school' advice.

And finally, I'm so glad that I've discovered a nice Pentel automatic pencil and a lead that I really love!

I always find that nothing beats pencil/paper/eraser and score paper for really getting something done and feeling unlimited creativity!

Then... get out your 'tools'....a DAW you really know and notation program you know like the back of you hand.

Now....I have to practice what I preach!


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## Minko (Jan 31, 2022)

Mindset side.
Write it. Listen it once. Do not listen to your track thinking about what you need to do. The thinking can be done without listening. So listen once. Think and decide, than alter or add what needs to be altered.

Schedule it. Having a deadline helps me a lot actually.

It is what it is. Enjoy the process. Your music does not define you. So make another track.

I switch a lot during writing. Get stuck on one track. Work a bit on the next. Come back to the first one. Always moving forward. Momentum is better than finishing one track. Why? Because I find that I actually finish more stuff doing it this way.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you use some of this stuff and how it helped you (if it did).


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## loutlander (Jan 31, 2022)

Thank you very much for all your responses. I'm sure these answers will help others as well.


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## jcrosby (Jan 31, 2022)

loutlander said:


> Thank you very much for all your responses. I'm sure these answers will help others as well.


Chillbot pretty much hit the nail on the head... And it's not just mouse clicks, it dragging.. Duplicating 8 or bars into 64/128/etc with shortcuts is way faster than option/alt dragging. Spread that across every channel in a track and you have an incredibly inefficient loss of time. Eliminating clicks (and mouse related functions like dragging) will optimize your time. It'll also save your wrist from the wear and tear that causes carpal tunnel. (Metagrid's another alternative to streamdeck. Same concept, but ipad based).

Assuming you work with more than just orchestral instruments - searching's also a MASSIVE time sucker. Worse it kills creative momentum. Find a way to organize things, so use Quickload (even though it has its pitfalls, the benefits outweigh them)... If you work with an array of instrument types, finding stuff that might not live in a template easily will speed things up. And again, it also helps you stay in the pocket).

If you have a messy sample life get a sample manager. I have things organized in a way that would drive some people nuts... like Kontakt, I just prefer to sort things on my drives by developer/designer... This makes for a painful sample search process though... So I keep everything organized by genre/sound category in a sample manager. You really need to demo them to see which one fits you. Mac side there's AudioFinder, PC side there's Resonic, there are others as well... You really need to demo them to see which one fits you though. Depending on the kind of music you make there are features that might make life easy, or get in the way... They can also vary in how you organize things. Some use folders, others playlists, so see which feels right to you.

*(Stay away from the ADSR one. I thought this thing was crafty because you can use it as a simple instrument to audition your own library of one shots in real time... But it has crippling bugs. One of which is a database that WILL break on you at some point. I had many thousands of samples tagged, it crashed randomly in one project and took a bunch of tags with it... hours of tags gone forever... It's also just super crashy in general.)*

Basically...

1. Reduce mouse actions wherever/however possible
2. Use organizational features like Quickload
3. Take the same approach to samples by using a sample manager. (Most synths have a long way to go in this department unfortunately).
4. Do organizational/optimizing tasks at least once every month. (Every couple weeks ideally)... Those extra days not only translate into better use time, they also translate into creative focus.


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## Prockamanisc (Feb 1, 2022)

Having a properly routed template is a must.

To expand on Chillbot’s idea of automating processes, keep a list (I keep in on my Dock) called Template Fixes. Every time I find a sticking point, or something that I think can be done more efficiently, I write it down. Then, when I have a free day, or if I feel like doing some research, I set out figuring how to make it into a Macro or something. This is an idea taken from a book called Getting Things Done.

Also, read the book Getting Things Done, it’s great!

Also, combine DAW hotkeys, and let the ideas of one influence your workflow in anoother. For instance, in Sibelius I was able to hit Command + Up to move a note up an octave, so I created a (I think) Logical Preset in Cubase to do the same thing. When I moved to Dorico, I set that same hotkey to Dorico.


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## dylanmixer (Feb 1, 2022)

Use loops. No, seriously. How much time have you wasted programming simple things like a drum beat, or a percussion sound doing sixteenth notes, or an ostinato, etc. Loopcloud is a big part of my workflow ever since I discovered it. Saves tons of time on things that don't necessarily matter to be programmed in by hand, and probably sound better as a live performance anyway. Allows me to focus more on the meat and potatoes of the composition.


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## loutlander (Feb 2, 2022)

Prockamanisc said:


> Having a properly routed template is a must.
> 
> To expand on Chillbot’s idea of automating processes, keep a list (I keep in on my Dock) called Template Fixes. Every time I find a sticking point, or something that I think can be done more efficiently, I write it down. Then, when I have a free day, or if I feel like doing some research, I set out figuring how to make it into a Macro or something. This is an idea taken from a book called Getting Things Done.
> 
> ...


Before creating this thread, this is exactly why I did because I found it the most sincere, authentic and efficient way of saving time.
I was writing a percussion rythm again and I thought to myself "I have to do that again? How can I avoid wasting my time like this?" 
I thought this because I felt I was wasting my time but also cause it killed my momentum.
So I just sat and took time to think. I asked myself "When composing, what does waste my time for no reason?", and I wrote my answers. Then I asked another question "What can I do to save my time?" (for each personal answer)
Still figuring out the answers, will keep you updated. 

Ps: I think everyone should take some time to reflect on their workflow - understanding what is necesseray and what is a waste of time, and also how to keep the momentum.


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## davidson (Feb 2, 2022)

Have a looming deadline. I'm a productive rocketship when I've got 8 hours before delivery!


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## cmillar (Feb 2, 2022)

I just remembered some sage advice from one of the first real music/tech gurus, Craig Anderton.

When I was really getting into the music tech of the '90's, I read all the great magazines you could buy at the time, like Keyboard and Electronic Musician.

It was in one of those magazines which featured a monthly column by Craig Anderton, he said (to the best of my recollection):

"In order to stay productive in the world of music and technology, it's best to be on the 'trailing edge of technology'. If you have deadlines and really need to get something done, stick to what you know and let other people be the beta testers".

Sage advice from the '90's that's always been true for us musicians.


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## Alex Fraser (Feb 2, 2022)

Great advice. I've only got a couple to add:

*1.Commit and move on.*
Modern production environments really go to town on providing ways to procrastinate. "Take folders", multiple plugins that basically do the same thing..

My beard is grey. I remember when committing to tape was a thing and the mindset has stuck.
When I'm writing, once a sound or musical brain fart is working, I (try to) leave it alone and move on to the next thing. No questioning or second guesses.

*2. Don't "fiddle" to early.*
I tend to compartmentalise my work when I'm writing at speed. First up comes the "ideas raid" - that's chasing the musical idea until I know that it's a goer. At this point, I'm not mixing or applying plugins (unless they're integral to the sound) and my DAW looks like a hot mess.

Once I'm satisfied that what I have will work, I then tidy up. Quantise perhaps, fixing playing mistakes. Track colours etc.

I guess what I'm saying is that it won't serve you to dive into the complexities too early. If you have a nugget of a musical idea, move onto developing it immediately rather than trying out 5 reverbs to see which one sounds best and killing whatever vibe you were on in the first place.

Oh yeah - and touchscreens. 😉


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## Prockamanisc (Feb 2, 2022)

loutlander said:


> Before creating this thread, this is exactly why I did because I found it the most sincere, authentic and efficient way of saving time.
> I was writing a percussion rythm again and I thought to myself "I have to do that again? How can I avoid wasting my time like this?"
> I thought this because I felt I was wasting my time but also cause it killed my momentum.
> So I just sat and took time to think. I asked myself "When composing, what does waste my time for no reason?", and I wrote my answers. Then I asked another question "What can I do to save my time?" (for each personal answer)
> ...


I took a class on mixing one time (long after I already had a masters in composition), and they even stressed templates for mixing. That's what I mean by "properly routed" template. Send all of your strings to a string group, and put a good string EQ on your string group. Then route that to where you're going to be bouncing the stems, etc. Any little technical thing that you can do that will free you to just be free to compose, tweak plugin parameters, or just stay in the zone, do that.


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## anp27 (Feb 2, 2022)

loutlander said:


> So I just sat and took time to think. I asked myself "When composing, what does waste my time for no reason?", and I wrote my answers. Then I asked another question "What can I do to save my time?" (for each personal answer)
> Still figuring out the answers, will keep you updated.


Why don't you post your questions (and answers) and maybe we can help you figure out solutions for the ones you still haven't found answers for yet?


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## jononotbono (Feb 2, 2022)

loutlander said:


> I was writing a percussion rythm


I'm now going to teach universal standard of how to spell RHYTHM correctly...

R - Rhythm
H - Has
Y - Your
T - Tiny
H - Hips
M - Moving

You get a free pass this once as you clearly didn't know, but we'll all be monitoring your progress from now on x


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## loutlander (Feb 3, 2022)

anp27 said:


> Why don't you post your questions (and answers) and maybe we can help you figure out solutions for the ones you still haven't found answers for yet?


Will probably do that but first I would like to use my brain a little bit to figure out solutions for my personal workflow. :D


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## Rob Elliott (Feb 3, 2022)

davidson said:


> Have a looming deadline. I'm a productive rocketship when I've got 8 hours before delivery!


Yep - to expand. Trust that supercomputer between your ears. With a rising curtain looming - that 'puter' just figures it out FOR YOUR work. (love the idea above and use EVERY day - pen/paper to sketch template/process improvements - once the project is in the can - figure out how to accomplish the 'list' of do-dads.)


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## Emanuel Fróes (Oct 31, 2022)

loutlander said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> I was wondering if you had any workflow tips or composing hacks in order to compose faster, and by that I mean more efficiently.
> Getting more stuff done in less time. Minimum effort for maximum results.
> Would love to hear some of your wisdom.


Are you good in improvisation?


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