Where do you start recording an EP?

[MiltyG565]

So i've decided to record an EP. 5 tracks i'm thinking. I have a couple of song ideas floating around my head, but i was just interested to know how people normally start recording something like this? I don't think it will have vocals, so scratch vocals isn't really an option. Do you guys start with creating a drum track, them bass, then guitar and everything else after that, or create scratch tracks of bass or something else first? I was thinking a drum track to start, then i can play bass and guitar to that. But what do you, more experienced recording people think i should do?

[MiltyG565]

no?

[Master blaster]

Experiment

[xgsjx]

Yes.

When I'm writing a song it starts with whatever is in my head. Sometimes I'll start with a drum track & jam some bass along, then when I come up with something I like, I record it.
Other times I'll have a melody or a chord sequence.
My entry for this month's composition comp started with the bassline for the chorus, then drums, then the other basslines, then the guitar & finally added some lyrics. All recorded in GarageBand.

[Rimskidog]

Yup. What ever feels most right to you and gets your creative juices flowing best, is right.

[MiltyG565]

Cheers guys. So i mainly have the bass parts in my head and not much else right now, so i should just go on ahead and record that first and let drums and guitar fall in around it? Actually having the bass track to listen might actually help me come up with a solid guitar part and drum part, so it makes sense really. Cheers!

[Jayben]

It's moments like this that a solid knowledge of theory can come into its' own - if you know what the bassline is doing, you can interpret and extrapolate a chord sequence from that, and everything else will follow.

Like ha been said, experiment, that's what I do

[lettsguitars]

You can only start with what you've got. Always best to get a basic drum loop going which basically fits the idea first.

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='lettsguitars' timestamp='1356910580' post='1915152']
You can only start with what you've got. Always best to get a basic drum loop going which basically fits the idea first.
[/quote]

That's what i was thinking, but i also would have no idea where to start creating a drum loop. I'll maybe just record the bass track first and see how that goes. Cheers.

[RockfordStone]

for me it varies, normally i start with a melody in my head, then i work out a drum beat around it

[xgsjx]

If you've got a rock/pop bassline & want to lay drums down next, pop a snare on the 2 & 4 and a kick just on the 1. Then mess about with the kick between the snares to suit your bassline. Then work on your cymbals (then toms & any other percussion if wanted).

Once you get the other instruments in, you can always rip out the drums or change them.

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1356914359' post='1915202']
If you've got a rock/pop bassline & want to lay drums down next, pop a snare on the 2 & 4 and a kick just on the 1. Then mess about with the kick between the snares to suit your bassline. Then work on your cymbals (then toms & any other percussion if wanted).

Once you get the other instruments in, you can always rip out the drums or change them.
[/quote]

It's not particularly poppy or rocky. I'm not sure a straight 2&4 snare would do it.

[xgsjx]

Use the same theory, but play about with the snares as well.
Find a song that is similar in style & listen to the drums in it to generate ideas.

[lurksalot]

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1356910930' post='1915158']
That's what i was thinking, but i also would have no idea where to start creating a drum loop. I'll maybe just record the bass track first and see how that goes. Cheers.
[/quote]


you should have a click track you can use that will help .

Also If you write down a rough structure of the intended song..... intro 4bars / verse 1- 4bars / chorus/ V2 .....it will give you something to refer to when your head gets stewed. The lenght of each dependant on lyrics/ grooves etc

I struggled with drums until I loaded drumcore3 free , it was the only intuitive thing I have found with this recording malarkey .
Its a big download but is reeeeealllyy easy to use .

Anyway , Hark at me offering advice on this topic .

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='lurksalot' timestamp='1356959471' post='1915575']
you should have a click track you can use that will help .

Also If you write down a rough structure of the intended song..... intro 4bars / verse 1- 4bars / chorus/ V2 .....it will give you something to refer to when your head gets stewed. The lenght of each dependant on lyrics/ grooves etc

I struggled with drums until I loaded drumcore3 free , it was the only intuitive thing I have found with this recording malarkey .
Its a big download but is reeeeealllyy easy to use .

Anyway , Hark at me offering advice on this topic .
[/quote]

Cheers, i'm not sure if i'll write lyrics, because i'm not really singer, but i might do some background vocals for texture. Maybe one song with lyrics and a guest singer maybe. I'm downloading Logic Pro 9 soon, which i think has a drum created thingy on it (it bloody better at £140!).

[lettsguitars]

You might be better to get an external soundcard with multiple inputs which usually include a free daw. If you dont have one already. Dont get tied down to which daw is best either. Familiarity with the software is key and most of the home studio daws all do the same thing.

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='lettsguitars' timestamp='1356964368' post='1915699']
You might be better to get an external soundcard with multiple inputs which usually include a free daw. If you dont have one already. Dont get tied down to which daw is best either. Familiarity with the software is key and most of the home studio daws all do the same thing.
[/quote]

I already have an external soundcard and garageband.

[Lord Sausage]

i got sequel2 and a Line6 UX1 and it's a piece of piss to use. And if anyone has heard any of my composition competition entries, you will know you can produce to quite a high standard with them. i think they cost £100 a piece. Bargain!

[Master blaster]

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1356962549' post='1915649']


Cheers, i'm not sure if i'll write lyrics, because i'm not really singer, but i might do some background vocals for texture. Maybe one song with lyrics and a guest singer maybe. I'm downloading Logic Pro 9 soon, which i think has a drum created thingy on it (it bloody better at £140!).
[/quote]

I use Logic Pro. Ultrabeat is brilliant for creating loops as it allows you to easily play around with dynamics to make loops sound anti more human. There's a pretty good loop library too. Make sure u have a decent interface without latency, saves so much time when you don't have to sync timing.

[Rimskidog]

Just put down what's in your head and build from there. there is no wrong way. I've started with lyrics and worked backwards, started with drums and worked forwrd and every way in between. Trying to make your muisc fit a pre-determined pattern will stifle your creativity.. My find of 2012 for getting writing ideas was garageband for ipad (it has different features than the standard garageband). so my tip to you is pay the £3, download garageband to your iphone/ipad, open smart drums, set the tempo and keep rolling the dice until it throws up a drum track you like.

Edited January 1, 2013 by Rimskidog

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='Rimskidog' timestamp='1357042950' post='1916610']
Just put down what's in your head and build from there. there is no wrong way. I've started with lyrics and worked backwards, started with drums and worked forwrd and every way in between. Trying to make your muisc fit a pre-determined pattern will stifle your creativity.. My find of 2012 for getting writing ideas was garageband for ipad (it has different features than the standard garageband). so my tip to you is pay the £3, download garageband to your iphone/ipad, open smart drums, set the tempo and keep rolling the dice until it throws up a drum track you like.
[/quote]

Cheers for that. Unfortunately, i don't have an iPhone or iPad, and it doesn't look like i'll have one any time soon.

[RockfordStone]

get yourself a cheapish midi controller/keyboard.

i acquired one last week and being able to play the beats that come to your head rather than have to think about programming them makes life a bit creative.

also check out a programme called riffworks t4, its a free programme which gives you drum loops to record guitar parts over and you can move each section around to define the structure of your song... great song writing tool, i tend to use that first then build from there by copying the drum loops in my main DAW

im currently writing an ep so i feel your pain

[charic]

It comes down to how you write songs. I wouldn't focus on writing an EP to begin with, write the first track that suits the "theme" or "sound" that you want. After that you essentially just have to stick to that theme or sound.

As for how you write, that's down to you. Personally I'm a keyboard player originally and very "riff" based (probably because of my background in rock and metal).

I struggle with drum beats but I'll start of with something dead basic that works as an advanced metronome and holds the structure for the song for me. Next up is recording bass or melody, then the other. Adjust the drums at this point to suit. Then fill it out with synths/pads/more guitar stuff.. whatever really.

[RockfordStone]

i think the first thing you have to do is get a plan.

if you are doing the ep yourself, you need to know what you can and can't do, and then learn how to do the stuff you can't.

i can do guitars, vocals and bass... but im no drummer or keyboard player, and as a result i am teaching myself how to be them, and this process of learning is also opening up new ideas and approaches.

you also have to get in the mindset that no idea is a bad idea, record everything, be it on tape, your phone or in a DAW, have everything there to pick and chose ideas from, the more you got through the better at putting it all together you get

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='RockfordStone' timestamp='1357129230' post='1917747']
get yourself a cheapish midi controller/keyboard.

i acquired one last week and being able to play the beats that come to your head rather than have to think about programming them makes life a bit creative.

[/quote]

Already got one, although i can't use it to track drums, because i'm useless.


[quote name='charic' timestamp='1357130206' post='1917773']
It comes down to how you write songs. I wouldn't focus on writing an EP to begin with, write the first track that suits the "theme" or "sound" that you want. After that you essentially just have to stick to that theme or sound.

[/quote]

Yeah, i already have a solid idea for the EP. The main track will be quite a melodic slap bass kinda track (kinda like moving between chords rather than moving a shape). The second song is in a similar vein, only not slapped, so it's safe to say the theme for it is pretty solid, there's 2 good ideas for songs (in my opinion). I just need to expand them out a bit, then write a couple more, and stick guitar, drums and maybe some other stuff to it.