I was inspired by Nithin Prabhakar’s post “100 Things About Photography” here. I found a lot of parallels and decided to alter it for Electronic/Computer musicians.
100 Things About Electronic/Computer Musicianship
1. Just because someone has expensive outboard/analogue/vintage gear doesn’t mean they’re a good musician.
2. When possible, always work with WAV files.
3. Choice is the enemy of creativity.
4. Sample editing is an art in and of itself.
5. The Cycle of Fifths works 99% of the time.
6. Always send your tracks to be mastered no matter how finished you think they already are. If only for a second opinion.
7. Don’t just talk about music. Make it.
8. Thoroughly learn to use what you have before investing in new equipment.
9. Finding new uses for old equipment is far more rewarding than buying new equipment to fulfill an old need.
10. Analogue isn’t better than digital.
11. Digital isn’t better than analogue.
12. There’s no “magic” gear or plug-ins.
13. Don’t buy something just because you think it will make you better or inspire you. Or worse, because your favorite DJ/producer mentioned that they use it in an interview. Buy it because it will fulfill a specific need you have.
14. Spend just as much time listening to other people’s music as you do making your own.
15. Girls dig guitar players. Synthesists, not so much. If you’re in it to get attention from the opposite sex you’re in it for the wrong reasons.
16. Don’t bring your synth to a party.
17. Putting your track through a mastering plug-in doesn’t make it “finished”.
18. Creativity comes in waves. The lull in between can be long and torturous but creativity will always come back.
19. You don’t need to save everything you start.
20. Create at least 2 backups of all your music (whether you made it or bought it).
21. Buy music if you like it. Don’t piss on your own foot by stealing it; you’re part of the ecosystem now. Don’t be afraid to gift your own work now and then.
22. Take time to focus on parts, not just the tracks as wholes.
23. Electronic music needs both DJs and producers. It’s essential that you understand the culture from both perspectives.
24. If you’re a producer, learn how to DJ. Someone will ask you to play your music at some point and knowing how to DJ, even at a rudimentary level, is going to be very helpful.
25. If you’re a DJ, learn how to produce tracks (or at least loops). You’ll be able to use them to make your sets more unique.
26. Learn from others mistakes. It’s cheaper and will save you time in the long run.
27. Always give yourself at least 1dB of headroom on your master channel.
28. The more music you make, the better you get.
29. Don’t be afraid to make several versions of one track. Try different things. Remix your own work. You just might end up with a very interesting EP.
30. Take the time to tell someone that you like their music, even if it’s an e-mail to someone you’ll never meet.
31. Making music and DJing are both work. It won’t always feel that way but sometimes it will. Too much in either direction, though, and you’re probably doing something wrong.
32. Find a community to be part of, online or off, even if you’re just lurking.
33. Critique the work of others as an engineer not an artist.
34. Bounce your tracks to 24-bit WAV before sending them to a mastering engineer. It will give them extra headroom and reduces the overall number of dithering cycles by one.
35. A good track shouldn’t require explanation.
36. Remember that while substances often enhance or alter the listening experience, they usually hurt production and performance (including DJing). Use them as inspiration to build your engine if you must, but never as oil to keep it running.
37. Noise is beautiful.
38. Like any piece of art, a track or DJ mix will never truly feel “finished”. You’ll always find things to be improved. The hard part is knowing when it’s good enough to stop.
39. If you’re using a limiter make sure it’s not lit constantly. At most it should get touched briefly and occasionally.
40. Simplicity is key.
41. One definition of music could be: “painting on silence.” Use silence in your favor.
42. Remember when critiquing other people’s work that it’s just as important to point out things that are great as well as things that should be changed.
43. Use your gear and plug-ins “incorrectly”. Push them to extremes.
44. Never hoard your musical insight, share it with the world.
45. Draw inspiration from other musicians but never idolize them.
46. Never let music production get in the way of enjoying music itself.
47. Don’t pamper your gear. Use it.
48. There is something fundamentally different about electronic music enthusiasts. It’s not worth arguing with someone that doesn’t get it. Find someone that loves it like we do and talk to them instead.
49. If you’re a DJ, don’t look up to someone just because they’re a “producer”.
50. If you’re a producer, never look down on someone because they’re “just a DJ”.
51. When appropriate, play music loudly. It will make you happy.
52. Make music and mixes for your friends.
53. Make music and mixes for strangers.
54. Don’t forget to label everything you give out.
55. Don’t get caught being the promoter as well as the DJ/performer. It might work out before the event but at showtime one role or the other (or both) will suffer.
56. Find the best part and work everything around that. Whether it’s a track in a DJ set or a really nice sample you’ve found/made.
57. Always give tracks or mixes “The Car Test” before making them public. That is, listen on your commute (however you get where you’re going); it’s where most people consume music.
58. Sometimes things aren’t working properly because they’re broken, not because you’re doing something wrong. This goes for people most of the time as well.
59. Some people will love what you do. Most will probably hate it. Focus on pleasing those that love it rather than the multitudes that don’t. Your fan base will grow much more slowly, but they will be fans for life.
60. Strive to be an artist not an entertainer.
61. Natural reverb is the best reverb.
62. CD-quality (16-bit/44.1KHz) for final playback is fine. Most people will listen at something far below that.
63. Do it for yourself first.
64. Buy the best gear you can afford. Don’t cut corners. Remember to do your research and, if it seems too expensive, it probably is.
65. Don’t be ashamed if the best you can get is “free”. It’s how you use it not how much it costs that is important.
66. Too little gain is always better than oversampling.
67. You have the right, the power, and the responsibility to veto any suggestions when it comes to your art if you don’t agree with it.
68. Music is always more interesting when the human element is left in. Don’t over-quantize.
69. You can’t “master” a bad track into a good one. Garbage in, garbage out.
70. Everyone is their own favorite DJ, whether they realize it or not.
71. You don’t need to rent a studio to make better music; the best music you can produce is made in your own unique environment. That’s where your personality will shine. Don’t think that just because you’re working out of your bedroom on your laptop that your music is any less “real”.
72. Color code and label the channels on your projects consistently. It will make them that much easier to figure out when you come back to them at a later date.
73. Just because you don’t DJ with vinyl doesn’t make you less respectable.
74. Just because you DJ with only vinyl doesn’t make you less respectable.
75. Music production and DJing aren’t hobbies – they’re a lifestyle.
76. Make music, not excuses.
77. Be original with your music. Don’t try to copy the style of others.
78. The best DJ sets and albums tell stories that keep the listener begging for more. Even if they aren’t really sure what that story was.
79. Remember that music is subjective. Even the best critique is colored by personal preference.
80. The more gear you carry around with you the less you will enjoy playing out (whether DJing or performing live).
81. When you run out of headroom make the other parts quieter instead of making that one part louder. This usually helps to preserve dynamic range.
82. Don’t compromise your art for sales or popularity.
83. When DJing or performing live make eye contact with the audience once in awhile. Whether it’s one person in your living room or ten thousand at a festival. Or, in my case, my cat sitting on my lap.
84. Any type of music can become dull after awhile. Cycle between a few different genres that you love.
85. Have fun while making music.
86. Low-level monitoring (at or below 85 dB) is essential when producing music. It also preserves your hearing. But sometimes it just has to be loud.
87. Be respectful when playing and working on music, especially when in close proximity to others. That loop you’re working on might be sounding better to you after working on it for a few hours, but after it’s thousandth iteration it sounds considerably worse to others in audible range. Don’t get stabbed.
88. Leave instruction manuals for new gear and software in your bathroom until you’re fully acquainted.
89. Travel and handheld audio recorders are the perfect pair.
90. Learn how to use a spectrum analyzer.
91. A dirty sample is usually better than a clean one; gritty, not oversampled.
92. Play the room/environment. Just because you’re headlining doesn’t mean the person before you won’t clear out the place. Be prepared to play to five or five hundred.
93. Learn how to enjoy the moment rather than relentlessly trying to recreate it.
94. Never make music on an empty stomach.
95. You will discover a lot about yourself through music.
96. Don’t let anyone make you feel stupid or discouraged.
97. Never stop making music.
98. Find a partner, preferably someone on the same level as you. Learn together.
99. Make music with friends. Make friends with music.
100. Always have an open mind and an open ear.
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