# Working fast / efficiently



## Noizmak3r

Any general tips or suggestions on strategies to compose / produce both more quickly / more efficiently?


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## Jdiggity1

Just do it. And do it often.

Edit: Ok maybe that wasn't very helpful...

Identify your shortcomings, where you think you can improve, and spend the time to hone in on that specific element.
Whether it's composition, production, mixing, mock-ups, whatever, you can almost always break it down into many smaller tasks.
Maybe you struggle with EQ, or still don't fully understand compression? Set yourself the task of learning that specific tool/element and you'll feel more productive than addressing 20 things at once.

Same goes for composition. Maybe you get slow when you have to come up with beats? Fine. Spend a day practising beats. Work out what your best tools are for the job.

When you want to play an instrument with speed and precision, you practise. I see this as being no different.


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## tmhuud

LIMIT your palette.


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## enyawg

Regarding composing speed and efficiency they rarely have anything to do with each other... remember Beethoven's Fifth took 4 years to write.

Great composing, both in scope and quality, takes time to come together. Some thing I use are:

Know your VI instruments tones and arts and how to get to them quickly
If your idea or motif is not working have one last go then throw if it is still not good. The next idea will be better!
Have breaks, do anything that is nothing to do with music, then go back to the project fresher.
Have a DAW template-for-most-occasions (if you choose to work this way)
Consider sound textures as how they blend not necessarily as a solo instrument.
Don't keep buying library's... lock' in for 6 mths and work!
Regarding strings specifically (but can apply to other sections) I make seperate tracks for longs and shorts and manage minor volume issues in kontakt:
Eg:

Longs (sustains, con sordino, tremolo, harmonies, flautando etc.)

1st vn
2nd vn
va
vn
cb

Shorts (stacc, spicc, staccatissimo, pizz etc.)

1st vn
2nd vn
va
vc
cb

Legato/ solo

1st vn
2nd vn
va
vc
cb

I have this setup in my templates per various string libraries ready to go depending on the task.


Have stem groups laid out in orchestral long, short sections, PHB, aleatoric, synth, solo elements, guitar, bass, choir, other etc.

In regards to most genres, production and the art of recording, editing (midi, audio, sound design etc.), mixing, mastering I follow these general principals:

Use record/ mix/ mastering templates
Watch your levels on large mixes... I set approx -12 on mix tracks to avoid clipping at busses.
Use group FX busses for modulation, reverb & delay to improve efficiency.
Careful with general orchestra section mix levels... I sometimes hear woodwinds very loud in mock ups. Drop them down a bit in the woods group, so they just appear... this works better for me anyway.
Apply verb across busses but don't get too caught up with compression, eq, saturation etc. on tradition orchestral pieces anyway. Obviously needed on cinematic epic or rock/ heavier stuff eg. MI 2 soundtrack, Cimbassi ensembles lol.
Plugins are very different to outboard gear. Hold back a bit on plugin dynamic processing. I own Pultec, Urei, API, DBX, Telefunken and other outboard stuff and it always sounds better/ different than plugins... even if dials set the same as the equivalent plugin.
If you are sending pre-mix to engineer don't push desser, eq, comp, limiting, tape saturation on mix bus...and delivery somewhere -7 to -3 db (at least to mastering engineer). You can always do a louder processed mix bus version separately.

I do understand that the quicker you can create music content, the quicker you can deliver that next job. So it's never an easy answer depending on your requirements.

Sorry if any of this is totally irrelevant to your question and if contains errors (I wrote in coffee shop in 10 minutes).


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## Noizmak3r

enyawg said:


> Regarding composing speed and efficiency they rarely have anything to do with each other... remember Beethoven's Fifth took 4 years to write.
> 
> Great composing, both in scope and quality, takes time to come together. Some thing I use are:
> 
> Know your VI instruments tones and arts and how to get to them quickly
> If your idea or motif is not working have one last go then throw if it is still not good. The next idea will be better!
> Have breaks, do anything that is nothing to do with music, then go back to the project fresher.
> Have a DAW template-for-most-occasions (if you choose to work this way)
> Consider sound textures as how they blend not necessarily as a solo instrument.
> Don't keep buying library's... lock' in for 6 mths and work!
> Regarding strings specifically (but can apply to other sections) I make seperate tracks for longs and shorts and manage minor volume issues in kontakt:
> Eg:
> 
> Longs (sustains, con sordino, tremolo, harmonies, flautando etc.)
> 
> 1st vn
> 2nd vn
> va
> vn
> cb
> 
> Shorts (stacc, spicc, staccatissimo, pizz etc.)
> 
> 1st vn
> 2nd vn
> va
> vc
> cb
> 
> Legato/ solo
> 
> 1st vn
> 2nd vn
> va
> vc
> cb
> 
> I have this setup in my templates per various string libraries ready to go depending on the task.
> 
> 
> Have stem groups laid out in orchestral long, short sections, PHB, aleatoric, synth, solo elements, guitar, bass, choir, other etc.
> 
> In regards to most genres, production and the art of recording, editing (midi, audio, sound design etc.), mixing, mastering I follow these general principals:
> 
> Use record/ mix/ mastering templates
> Watch your levels on large mixes... I set approx -12 on mix tracks to avoid clipping at busses.
> Use group FX busses for modulation, reverb & delay to improve efficiency.
> Careful with general orchestra section mix levels... I sometimes hear woodwinds very loud in mock ups. Drop them down a bit in the woods group, so they just appear... this works better for me anyway.
> Apply verb across busses but don't get too caught up with compression, eq, saturation etc. on tradition orchestral pieces anyway. Obviously needed on cinematic epic or rock/ heavier stuff eg. MI 2 soundtrack, Cimbassi ensembles lol.
> Plugins are very different to outboard gear. Hold back a bit on plugin dynamic processing. I own Pultec, Urei, API, DBX, Telefunken and other outboard staff and it always sounds better/ different than plugins... even if dials set the same as the equivalent plugin.
> If you are sending pre-mix to engineer don't push desser, eq, comp, limiting, tape saturation on mix bus...and delivery somewhere -7 to -3 db (at least to mastering engineer). You can always do a louder processed mix bus version separately.
> 
> I do understand that the quicker you can create music content, the quicker you can deliver that next job. So it's never an easy answer depending on your requirements.
> 
> Sorry if any of this is totally irrelevant to your question and if contains errors (I wrote in coffee shop in 10 minutes).


thanks i was curious - why do you have all of the string articulations split out so specifically? any reason why you don't keyswitch or exp map?


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## Nmargiotta

I was thinking about this just tod


Noizmak3r said:


> Any general tips or suggestions on strategies to compose / produce both more quickly / more efficiently?



I was just meditating about this earlier today.. my wife came into my studio and was asking to hear a vocal I was editing, (it was stuck in her head) I carved away 2 hours or so in my schedule tomorrow to edit and mix/finish the cue, most of which would be spent on getting this vocal dialed. Wanting to show her what it will sound like finished I whizzed through the edit while she was in the room, throwing on my go to comp, eq and topping off with (Flex pitch in logic for slight pitch correction) and boom....I finished 2 hours work in 10 minutes max.

I think just because you HAVE the time doesn't mean you need to spend the time going over and over and over it. When I'm balance a few projects at once i often have no choice but to do my best on a few passes of the mix and move on. Those projects tend to sound the best. I think committing is key.


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## chillbot

I would like to write a book on this... maybe I will at some point.

Two things that are extremely important to me:

1) organization
2) mouse clicks

Sounds like a joke but look at where you click the mouse the most and figure where you can cut down on it. Endlessly auditioning patches, sorting through multiple levels of folders, setting up similar things multiple times, clicking through menus, clicking over to check emails or facebook, doing things via mouse that you could do via faders or an ipad or a footswitch or key commands, etc etc. If you add it all up... SO MUCH time wasted clicking the dumb mouse/trackball. And... #1 helps a ton with #2.


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## enyawg

Noizmak3r said:


> thanks i was curious - why do you have all of the string articulations split out so specifically? any reason why you don't keyswitch or exp map?


Just in long/ shorts/ legato per section so 15 tracks. I do have some templates with just 5 (1st vn, 2nd vn, va, vc, cb) & set key switches and others with each art so 50+ (No keyswitches required). I lately use the 15 track method I wrote in my first reply and set key switches. But again depends on the project.


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## Noizmak3r

enyawg said:


> Just in long/ shorts/ legato per section so 15 tracks. I do have some templates with just 5 (1st vn, 2nd vn, va, vc, cb) & set key switches and others with each art so 50+ (No keyswitches required). I lately use the 15 track method I wrote in my first reply and set key switches. But again depends on the project.


the fifteen track method is the one with no keyswitches?


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## Noizmak3r

enyawg said:


> Just in long/ shorts/ legato per section so 15 tracks. I do have some templates with just 5 (1st vn, 2nd vn, va, vc, cb) & set key switches and others with each art so 50+ (No keyswitches required). I lately use the 15 track method I wrote in my first reply and set key switches. But again depends on the project.


what is the benefit to having every articulation on a separate track?


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## enyawg

Noizmak3r said:


> the fifteen track method is the one with no keyswitches?


No


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## enyawg

Noizmak3r said:


> what is the benefit to having every articulation on a separate track?


No keyswitching needed but the template size is then relevant to your string library.


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## gsilbers

i come from the tv post world, where seasons are an easier thing to do than one off movie projects. 

from that I've learned to do a lot of save as. so do one track that i like in X style, then do save as. jump right ahead and do something similar. and keep writing. no bad ideas. just keep at it. doing similar things. 
so now instead of one main theme you have 4-8. change what matters thats enough to make it sound a bit different. 
and of course limiting the pallete. basically doing a suite of tracks. 
if u are doing a movie then do the same of all the scenes that are similar. 

then as chilbot said, less mouse clicks. and ways to do the same in less time. key commands etc. think ahead 3 steps. 


but i think the most important part is inspiration and getting those ideas "to tape" and following in through fast w the production. sound obvious but i am very fast,, and still , i have the problem that i just stare at stuff or just look elsewhere in the room and have a hard time getting in the zone. to me thats the most wasteful. and i only work fast when i have a deadline.


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## anp27

enyawg said:


> PHB



What does PHB stand for?


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## enyawg

anp27 said:


> What does PHB stand for?


Piano Harp Bells


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## anp27

enyawg said:


> Piano Harp Bells



Oh ok right


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## Ned Bouhalassa

Nothing like a hard deadline.


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## bosone

the most time-saving trick i ever used was to create a big template with (near) all of my instruments/libraries. orchestral, percussions, sound design elements...
here is a quick look:


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## Jeremy Spencer

chillbot said:


> Endlessly auditioning patches, sorting through multiple levels of folders, setting up similar things multiple times, clicking through menus, clicking over to check emails or facebook, doing things via mouse that you could do via faders or an ipad or a footswitch or key commands, etc etc. If you add it all up... SO MUCH time wasted clicking the dumb mouse/trackball. And... #1 helps a ton with #2.



Sounds like me! Removing distractions is definitely a big one...just close the studio door an commit. Regarding the mouse clicking, I have virtually eliminated this by learning/programming my Nektar LX88+; I rarely touch the mouse anymore. I'm now thinking about an iPad, although I don't know if I'd get much added benefit.

Having genre-specific templates ready to load are also a huge time saver for me.


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## anp27

Wolfie2112 said:


> Regarding the mouse clicking, I have virtually eliminated this by learning/programming my Nektar LX88+; I rarely touch the mouse anymore.



Which DAW do you use?


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## Jeremy Spencer

anp27 said:


> Which DAW do you use?



Both Logic X and Cubase 9.


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## dstorfer

Nmargiotta said:


> I was thinking about this just tod
> 
> 
> I was just meditating about this earlier today.. my wife came into my studio and was asking to hear a vocal I was editing, (it was stuck in her head) I carved away 2 hours or so in my schedule tomorrow to edit and mix/finish the cue, most of which would be spent on getting this vocal dialed. Wanting to show her what it will sound like finished I whizzed through the edit while she was in the room, throwing on my go to comp, eq and topping off with (Flex pitch in logic for slight pitch correction) and boom....I finished 2 hours work in 10 minutes max.
> 
> I think just because you HAVE the time doesn't mean you need to spend the time going over and over and over it. When I'm balance a few projects at once i often have no choice but to do my best on a few passes of the mix and move on. Those projects tend to sound the best. I think committing is key.



Nothing like overanalyzing to eat up hours of time. Often when I do that I wind up deciding on my first gut instinct anyway. Trying to outsmart myself I guess.


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## dstorfer

chillbot said:


> I would like to write a book on this... maybe I will at some point.
> 
> Two things that are extremely important to me:
> 
> 1) organization
> 2) mouse clicks
> 
> Sounds like a joke but look at where you click the mouse the most and figure where you can cut down on it. Endlessly auditioning patches, sorting through multiple levels of folders, setting up similar things multiple times, clicking through menus, clicking over to check emails or facebook, doing things via mouse that you could do via faders or an ipad or a footswitch or key commands, etc etc. If you add it all up... SO MUCH time wasted clicking the dumb mouse/trackball. And... #1 helps a ton with #2.



As a computer programmer and heavy user, if you are clicking away on something, figure out how to do it with a shortcut key. Or if that's not available, maybe you can build a macro or get some software that will do that for you. Even extra hardware devices like Steinberg makes those little modular things that wire up to various functions in Cubase. Try to use some kind of physical interface that has play/stop/rec/rew/ff etc.. controls. If you don't play keyboards then something like Nektar Panorama P1 might be good (and if you do, then try the ones with keys). Also this will give you many physical shortcuts even on your VST internal controls.
Getting your hands off the mouse and onto the music making instrument is paramount (unless you don't play an instrument, then I guess the mouse is your axe?).


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## Alex Fraser

Commit! Don't use multiple takes/versions etc.
As soon as the idea works, lock it and move on. Or if it's nearly there, just massage it in the editor.
Also, keep audio plugin use to a minimum during the composing phase. Broad EQs and anything that contributes to the actual sound (e.g timed delays) is OK, the rest can wait.
Sometimes I don't bother quantising until later if the flow is on.

Some tips I found, my 2cents etc


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