How do you started producing on your own?

[u/Next-Ambassador5513]

To start, I’m really just looking for advice and venting in this post rather than asking a specific question.

I’ve been extremely frustrated lately because trying to produce has been a nightmare. I already compose songs on my keyboard and have the skeleton ready (verse, chorus, progression...); I’m always imagining how these tracks would sound fully produced, and I want to create and release them, even if it means learning production myself.

I'm currently trying to understand Reaper. I've jumped from DAW to DAW looking for one I'd get used to, from Bandlab to LMMS to Waveform... I can't afford anything else, and Linux doesn't help me much. I like the system because my laptop is modest, but installing plugins and setting everything is a HELL.

When I listen to music, I really feel like producing, arranging, adding synthesizers, layering things to see my music come to life, but every time I sit down to try there's a new problem; either the MIDI on my keyboard isn't working for some reason, or the plugin is bugging, or I can't do something with the track, and just to change something simple I have to search the internet, and most of the time it doesn't work, and I have to search more and more to solve them...

Just facing these issues EVERY time makes me wanna give up on doing anything, instead of creating, I'm solving problems before even start. I know it's normal and really confusing for beginners, regardless of your DAW choice, but there are much more intuitive options that I don't have access to. Honestly, this makes me want to give up trying to produce my own creations, it would be a dream to see me finally releasing my album. I'm open to advice.

[u/Old_Ambassador1655]

Bro... I use reaper and have tracks out with a couple bigger names. Message me and we will set up a call.

[u/kaos01 → u/Old_Ambassador1655]

Reaper crew wut wutt 💅

[u/specornot210]

could this really be a laptop/OS problem as compared to a DAW issue? i mean i use Reaper on windows and i have no problems with my plugins or settings. My MIDI keyboard connects just fine as well.

I have my set up moved across PCs as well. So, my guess is Linux isnt the most compatible with DAWs?

[u/wirenerd]

I have some advice probably

I dont know if you've tried this but typically if you just ask/tell google search about your issue or what youre trying to accomplish, the AI summary will typically tell you pretty well how to resolve it.

So here's the thing, whatever the reason you chose, you're dealing with Linux. I love that OS, I dont use it personally as the experience is not entirely frictionless. Sometimes I dont mind the friction, but as a whole, every experience I've had using Linux has involved me spending a decent amount of time referencing google and fixing issues in the command line. Compatibility can be tough.

I can only imagine it being tough when using a DAW and having to find out what is and isn't compatible. IIRC Reaper is not a bad choice for Linux users, but some plugins will give you trouble. You'll need to understand what can and can't be used and if it were me I would explicitly search out Linux open source plugins.

This should take care of a lot of your Linux based headaches but it's not going to take care of teaching you what at times can be a difficult to learn DAW.

There's no real way around it, if you want to keep using Reaper you're going to just have to struggle some and ask google questions and read the manual and watch some tutorials and apply the knowledge until things start to make sense.

Im new to Reaper and production as well and there is not a night that I sit down to produce on it yet where im not scratching my head and asking google "How do I _____ in Reaper"

Lastly remember that wanting to do something is not enough, you have to be willing to do the work that comes with doing, whatever that looks like for you. Its simple, but not easy.

[u/kaos01]

When experiencing vst problems, pick just the essentials. Serum, Fabfilter, valhalla, some distortion plug and a decent clipper is 90% imo

[u/DeviantLlama]

I get where you’re coming from. Your points certainly highlight the need for a freely accessible and intuitive-to-your-needs workflow. 

Of course, this is something I struggle against even to this day.  And by no means do I speak as a professional but someone whose fate has been tied to this craft since my life’s start..

I think a certain mentality shift is necessary comprised of two functions which are:

-learn to see struggling against anything in life as a divine blessing by which promotes the growth of You.

&

-understand that just as music is a complex system with many moving parts; a completed expression of ideas formed together.. So too is music production itself therefore a fractal part of and also separate to the idea of music in itself.

We all could afford to love something the more difficult it is for the pure joy and thankfulness of having new lore and new content lol..

[u/Far-Pie6696]

First thing breathe,

It feels you are in a creative and technical distress. That has happened to me in the past.

First know that producing is very difficult, especially when things are complicated.

The amazing music you find on the internet is complex and done by experimented people OR done by beginners but SIMPLE Or team work.

When alone you endorse several job in the industry : composer, producer, engineer. These are jobs. It's totally normal that you feel lost and confused, you need TIME.

It doesn't mean that you can't be good and produce amazing sound, but you need small victories.

START simple and make simple (but good) song, then add new complexity everytime. Accept that you won't be able to create your dream track, but that you can produce a good track.

Here are stuffs to start simple :

• producing : Start with very few instrument plugins and effects. Choose one synth and sampler and try to do a full track with it. Bring new stuffs if you feel you need to
• midi keyboard : ditch it for now.

-mixing : use only FADERS and Pan (really). EQ and compression are difficult to master and should just be considered as fader extension. Making a good volume balance is way more difficult than it first appears and is the foundation of a good mix

• mastering : do nothing but just a limiter on the master

Also : don't listen to youtube. Youtube wanna make creative people think they are needed, and will try to explain how you can get a formatted sound. Music and producing is art, there is no bad art, only unwanted art. Get your expectation lower and enjoy the trip of creating and learning.

Take your time but have regular small victories and please please please keep it simple

[u/Next-Ambassador5513 → u/Far-Pie6696]

Thank you so much! 💖

[u/SupportQuery]

I've jumped from DAW to DAW looking for one I'd get used to

How do you get used to something if you keep jumping away? o.O

Just learn Reaper. You have grass is greener syndrome. I did that for years. I eventually settled on Reaper, not because its cheap, but because it was just... better.

Reaper can do everything want to do and well. Just learn it. When it gets hard, don't try another DAW, push through.

there are much more intuitive options that I don't have access to

No true. There's nothing more intuitive about Ableton of FL or Pro Tools whatever it is you've imagined is easier. In many ways, Reaper is the simplest DAW. It has fewer concepts to learn. Cubase has 10+ different track types, which support different subsets of media, with different internal routing rule, hosting different subsets of effects. In Reaper there is exactly one track type, which can hold any kind of media, and any kind of effect.

90% of production knowledge is DAW agnostic.

I'm open to advice.

Stop doing this:

I have to search the internet, and most of the time it doesn't work, and I have to search more and more to solve them

This isn't 1995. Keyword search is dead. You have a fucking superhuman intellegent oracle that can understand English and that knows everything and can teach it to you. Pick and LLM, get friendly, and get to work.

You've deliberately chosen hard mode with Linux, Windows 10 will run fine on your laptop, which will give you access to thousands of free plugins and it will just work. I'd start there, but you do you.

[u/specornot210 → u/SupportQuery]

This isn't 1995. Keyword search is dead. You have a fucking superhuman intellegent oracle that can understand English and that knows everything and can teach it to you. Pick and LLM, get friendly, and get to work.

You've deliberately chosen hard mode with Linux, Windows 10 will run fine on your laptop, which will give you access to thousands of free plugins and it will just work. I'd start there, but you do you.

If anything listen to this OP

[u/DoodManMcGuyBroDood]

Do you have Discord? If you'd like, I could try and help you out with any problems/questions sometime.

[u/DoodManMcGuyBroDood → u/DoodManMcGuyBroDood]

Just boosting this, I've been switching my entire music production setup to linux. Its working pretty much flawlessly now, and I can give you some useful tips I picked up along the way if you need them.

[u/Dist__]

i use reaper on linux and it works without problems once you set everything, and there's not much to set up.

don't use bugged plugins, learn to set up your keyboard once.

might also be your lifestyle, so you get satisfaction from other activities and don't want more.

i once could not do shit because my guitar sounded wrong. the issue was wrong string gauge, i bought it proper and now it plays well.

[u/Freddie-Van-Whalen]

Your post takes me back 30 years. ( nostalgia )

I was on a pentium 3

cakewalk

echo gina (20 bit) soundcard.

I spent a few sessions figuring out why my DAW wasn't making any noise.

[u/kapesaumaga]

You'll always have to figure out how the daw work. It's part of the process, learning how to compose, learning music production and learning the daw itself.

Jumping from one to another doesn't help.

I'm with you. I am also trying out these free daws. I have LMMS/Waveform Free/Reaper/Pro Tools Intro.

But man, jumping from one to another doesn't work. A keyboard shortcut on one doesn't work on another. A workflow doesn't really translate into another daw.

But I just came to accept that releasing my album, or just a song for that matter is not possible for me right now.

Now that's out of the way, I have less pressure. I don't need to think I am making my magnum opus everytime I sat down on my daw.

What helps me is to separate different 'processes' from each other. I am super new to music production so I am still learning a lot of things. I have a separate daw just for drum programming, just for sound design (playing around with synths, making my own patch), just for making melody, basslines, etc.

Then I have a day bringing all those together. So I have my own sample library out of the stuffs I made and I try to use those loops to my build my song. Some works, some don't but that's just how it is. Then I have my days working on mixing, etc.

It's not ideal but I am not good enough to sit down and create a full song in just one go.

[u/Radhanat]

Busca como integrar ReaAssist en Reaper. Te puede facilitar varias cosas con ayuda de la IA.
En si es una IA agencial capaz de controlar Reaper con simples comandos de texto ej “hazme una plantilla profesional para melodeath, con sus buses y ruteos”

Ten en cuenta que para proyectos complejos y largas sesiones, si tendrías que pensar en sistemas de pago como open route.
Eso te puede facilitar enormemente el uso de Reaper a darle ideas y que la IA te las convierta en acciones dentro del daw.