The daily routine of a EDM producer...

[WilDFire]

Ok gang - this topic idea just came to me as I was blown away by a Derek Howell remix (of Ahmet Ertenu - Why.)

So my question is - do producers like Derek, Mike Hiratzka, and others simply wake up, turn on their gear, sit down, and start tooling on their tracks for a few hours? Then take a break, eat, put in an afternoon session, check email and [ms] (or something trying to be the equivalent every so often.) After the afternoon session, pack up their record box, and head out to play whereever? Add in some girl/boyfriend time, drug time, and record shopping time, sleep, and repeat?

I know Desyn has a "day job" of running a label. Do we think most kickass producers do?

Is this a ridiculous notion that I care about their day? I guess I'm just curious how they can get so many tracks done. Discipline must be the answer, so I guess I wanted to know how that plays out day to day.

Cheers,
Alex clearly getting SO much done at work


EDIT: And Encryption, by drug time, I mean having a smoke, going to a pub or a starbucks

[scottpuig]

i think thats about right, My buddie doesn't have a "job"...
the only real work he does is some movie sound edits....

[Garrick]

i would think/hope most producers have a day job... depending on productions alone won't get you far supporting yourself, unless you've made it way up the food chain.

[thesightless]

wake up around noon., cruise 100 sites for obscure records, email every producer who you have spoken to to see if they have anything in the works, eat some bagel bites or hot pockets, shower, sit back at the computer after smoking some pot to enhance your musical theory, putz and fiddle with one loop in about 15 different filters, go to bed after eating half a pie from dominos.

start over

[Wanni]

Opening up a sequencer (ie: ProTools, Cubase, Logic...) when you have nothing to input is not something that most producers do. Would you open your word processor when you have nothing to write? Sitting at the computer staring at a blank sequencer page is highly unmotivating.

However, when you have a great riff, hook, melody, bassline, etc... it usually doesn't hit you right in front of the computer. Usually I get my best musical ideas when I'm driving my car. A lot of people get ideas in the shower as well.

[rewing3]

I get them either in my car or while sleeping which sucks b/c u wake up in the middle of the night and have to get this riff down before u forget.

[MJ]

Opening up a sequencer (ie: ProTools, Cubase, Logic...) when you have nothing to input is not something that most producers do. Would you open your word processor when you have nothing to write? Sitting at the computer staring at a blank sequencer page is highly unmotivating.

However, when you have a great riff, hook, melody, bassline, etc... it usually doesn't hit you right in front of the computer. Usually I get my best musical ideas when I'm driving my car. A lot of people get ideas in the shower as well.

I disagree there sir. I sit down at my desk, open up reason and fire as many ideas into it as i can in the time i have till i have something i like the sound of. Yeh, sometimes i`ll hear something while i`m driving my car during the day that i may try to incorporate in my track in some way but most of the time i just start with a blank sequencer.

I wish i didn`t have a day job then i could spend more time doing the thing i love most.

[mike hiratzka]

It depends on the day. Usually I have at least 3 projects going at once, so I always have something I can be working on. I try to work on music 6 or 7 days a week, usually during the day/evening, that way I have time at night to hang out with my girlfriend or kick it with my friends. It really comes down to how creative I'm feeling, sometimes I'll work for 4 hours, sometimes 20 if things are rocking and I'm getting a lot accomplished.

i do a lot of freelance audio engineering work to help pay my bills, also I am getting ready to produce a rock band. Dance music is a tough way to make a living, you really have to love it in order to keep moving forward...

Peace

Mike

[WilDFire]

Re: The daily routine of a EDM producer...

Wow! Thanks a million for the response, guys. Good to know how the good shit gets done

And I hear ya about the necessity to work beyond house, Mike. Good luck to you! I'm sure you'll do well.

[groffhibbitz]

I am by no means a full time EDM producer, or even good at what I do, but I'll post my info anyways.

I have a full time job. Sometimes, I get really excited while I'm at work about working on music, but by the time I get home I am tired from a long day and just want to relax. Since I sit in front of a computer all day at work, it's hard going home and sitting in front of a computer some more.

I havea *ton* of projects, none of which are ever 'finished.' I am always learning, and sometimes I have a lot of good 'musical' ideas, and I try to get as many down as possible when I have them. Sometimes, I want to putz around but don't have the motivation for something new, so I'll go through my *many* unfinished projects until I find one that sounds interesting and I work with that, either by adding more, or working on mastering, trying out a new technique or new synth or sample, or whatever.

but yea, my biggest problem is ever 'finishing' something. My current theory is that I know what sounds good, and I know my stuff doesn't sound good, so I don't have much completed stuff since I wouldn't want to say 'this is what I did' if it sucked.

[gokada]

Re: The daily routine of a EDM producer...

I usually just open up reason, stare at that blank sequencer, try a few things, delete it, try it again, delete it again, spank it, try it again, delete it again, then I turn on the t.v. and fall asleep to whatever I'm not really paying attention too...that's the life of a wannabe edm producer............ :cry:

[supaz]

i do a lot of freelance audio engineering work to help pay my bills, also I am getting ready to produce a rock band. Dance music is a tough way to make a living, you really have to love it in order to keep moving forward...

Peace

Mike

rock band...ah, thus the tattoo of the green guitar...now it all makes sense!

[hansh20]

gokada
I usually just open up reason, stare at that blank sequencer, try a few things, delete it, try it again, delete it again, spank it, try it again, delete it again, then I turn on the t.v. and fall asleep to whatever I'm not really paying attention too...that's the life of a wannabe edm producer............

lol, i agree with you man, i just wanna add do some homework cause im still studing and hear some great sets, but mostly is the same for another amateur EDM

[konfussion]

Re: The daily routine of a EDM producer...

wow, this is a really good topic... glad to see alot of responses. I too have been curious about this for some time.

[mike hiratzka]

rock band...ah, thus the tattoo of the green guitar...now it all makes sense!

Do I know you?

I got that tattoo when I was 19, it's a picture of a guitar that I built when I was 17. Rock music is my first love, it's nice to be getting back into it now with all the production and engineering experience that I've accumulated during my years as a dance music producer/engineer/DJ. Really what it comes down to is working with people that I get along with and love to hang out with, it makes it seem less like work and feels more like we're just enjoying life and the experience of making music...



Mike