If you could go back to when you first start producing

[Lasse Lammert]

Pro tools instead of cubase

 

[EOC]

Reaper has made things sooooo much easier for me!
Nebula is something that is slowly growing on me also.

Also i would say to me: Use more references while mixing!!!!!!(Not more reference tracks, but choose one and go back regularly to get you in the zone)

 

[Mikaël-ange]

Pro tools instead of cubase

I second that

 

[Arsenu,]

I second that

i third that times a million.
goofing around with Cubase and a bunch of cracked Waves plugs was a big waste time. only when you strip your setup to about 2 compressors and 2 EQ you can actually working on improving the mix through skill and listening, rather than which bullshit plugin will make the guitar sound less shitty.

so Pro tools first.
that it would be: LISTEN to what the song NEEDS, not to your vague idea of how producing a song looks like.
than a decent interface, since getting the MOTU 896HD recently was a brilliant idea. i didn't think it will make everything sound that much clearer! and i was using a pretty good interface beforehand...
next would be Slate trigger instead of bullshit free drumagog samples...

and well, the rest is still before me

 

[Audiosprite]

i'd tell myself not to buy groove agent 2, then come back to the present and pay my parking tickets

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

Desktop computer.

Fucking laptop was a dumb fucking idea.

 

[Terminus]

Anything instead of cubase.

treating my mixing room with better materials (regular ass foam from a warehouse I worked at)...looked good but didnt work well.

 

[Matt-Steele]

Invest in a high quality interface with high quality pres and converters and good monitors. Sad to have to say that I haven't given up my Cubase addition yet. Guess I haven't learned that lesson, although 7's mixer might make me give it up. I really can not stand it.

 

[tk7261]

I would have started on Pro Tools instead of Logic. I had the opportunity to buy logic from a local shop cheap so I got that instead of Pro Tools. Even now im still a bit more more comfortable with Logic than i am with Pro Tools.

 

[plague_rider]

I would have kept my Mbox-1 for longer rather than upgrading to the mbox-2 mini
I wouldn't have sold my Shure SM-7b
I wouldn't have paid that much for Guitar Rig 2 when there are so many decent ampsims for cheaper/free
I would have logged on here much sooner than I did
I would have kicked myself in the face for the lack of back ups...

 

[Line666]

I'd not have destroyed that first pair of Ath-m50s in less than a year.

Other than that, no regrets.

 

[StefTD]

on a more serious note than my first post in this thread (that actually was serious):
- buy high quality stuff instead of medium quality stuff
- don't buy those randy rhoads because of the looks
- don't sell this limited fender guitar with a floyd rose...
- fucking buy that PRS CE24 for 700€ in great condition when you had the chance to
- why on earth did I think that racks are really great if you only need one sound...
- don't buy every rack preamp (guitar) you see
- don't sell the good rack preamps (guitar)
- save for good stuff
- don't buy all those guitars

Yeah, ahm, if I would have saved all the money like I would today, I would have been
able to get myself an Engl Savage 120, Mesa Recto 2x12 cab, Randall RM100 with 5
modules and a 4x12 cab, a PRS and an ESP Eclipse for the money I spent on way too
many guitars, preamps and shit.
As soon as I had a few hundred bucks cash I spent it on some medium quality gear and
2 months later, I got the chance to buy one of the things mentioned a few lines above
and was broke...

 

[RemoWilliams]

Since my audio antics began at around '98ish, '99ish, I would have done the following.

-Delve into Cubase as soon as poosible.
-Delve into MIDI program, sequencing.
-Take my Music classes way more serious.
-Spend more time in the music library studying score/listening to music
-Post demo's on bulletin boards and forums.
-Network a lot more.
-Build a writing routine/deadlines
-Build a frequent testing of concept/function regimen with the DAW
-Skip the part about wanting to record bands
-Monitors, treatment, and awesome keyboard.

 

[kvoid]

- why on earth did I think that racks are really great if you only need one sound...
- don't buy every rack preamp (guitar) you see
- save for good stuff
- don't buy all those guitars

Yeah, ahm, if I would have saved all the money like I would today, I would have been
able to get myself an Engl Savage 120, Mesa Recto 2x12 cab, Randall RM100 with 5
modules and a 4x12 cab, a PRS and an ESP Eclipse for the money I spent on way too
many guitars, preamps and shit.
As soon as I had a few hundred bucks cash I spent it on some medium quality gear and
2 months later, I got the chance to buy one of the things mentioned a few lines above
and was broke...

Tell me about it. I drowned 700 Euros on a Carvin Quad X and a Marshall EL34 100/100. I also bought an MP-1 Mod IV Mk II and a Mesa Strategy 500. At least that came with a homemade 2x12 with V30s in it. At 750 Euros it seemed like a steal at the time. After some more silly purchases (another MP-1 at 70 Euros, a Peavey Rockmaster for 200 US$, a broken Crate SS Pre for 20US$ and an ADA MP-2 that I got for free from a friend which will cost another 100 Euros to bring to optimal condition), I have a rack rig of death that costs a fortune to maintain/service, is gonna be a pain in the ass to sell off, and will never sound like a 5150/Dual Rectifier.

I did get all those items rather cheap or free, but 600 watts of tube power and 5 preamps is something I will likely never put to good use. And I highly doubt I'll be able to trade this for anything substantial, what with all the Kemper love these days

 

[kvoid]

Too many cheap guitars as well, but I realized soon enough that even in a metal oriented recording environment, you'll get much more mileage out of a nice telecaster than some shitty import "metal" guitar. I have 4 of those worthless broomsticks (cheapo Kramer, Jackson, Rondomusic Douglas, and a neck thru B.C. Rich that's got dead as a doorstop tone). Luckily I quickly realized the error of my ways and started spending money on better deals that came by (G&Ls, Fenders, Ibanez Prestige...)

 

[Direngreyyy]

I'd tell myself to jump ship from wanting to be a metal producer as there's scant money or future in it, and that the quality of the genre will widely decline during and after the 00s. I'd tell myself to focus on genres that necessitate recording musicians playing together in a room, being recorded in whole takes. I'd tell myself to make a push toward getting more film and videogame mixing work. I'd show myself that mixing anything which doesn't involve multiple layers of distorted guitars is several orders of magnitude easier, more enjoyable and profitable.

I'd also get myself to learn more about music theory and electronica, leading to being a more well-rounded producer and eventually paving the way for doing my own electronic/industrial music.

I'd get myself to quit JMC after the first year, as the other two were both a waste of time and money. In its place I'd make myself read my own mixing book, so I could fast track through 8-odd years of learning.

I'll be honest... Your systematic mixing guide taught me ALOT of stuff in a very short space of time. I relate it to electronic music as well as metal and my mixes have gotten alot better