What's harder - Ideas or Mastering Software

[DJ Tazy]

So for the longest time I've wanted to start learning how to manipulate and master FL so that I could start producing my own music instead of mixing other artist work. For me the hardest part was finding the time to sit down and learn the different software programs and plugins. I've decide it time to stop fucking around and forget mixing and focus on production. I've got tons and tons of ideas for tracks, I make music in my sleep and for the longest time I never cared to record the sounds. I started doing it recently to keep a record for when I am able to take it from my mind to reality I had material to start working with.

My question is for anyone who dabbles in production what is hardest part for you, song ideas or mastering how to work the media you are using to produce sounds?

I know a generalizing "mastering" part as there are probably so many little things I am clueless about but I was sitting her thinking and wanted to share.

[Shrapnel]

i'd say the hardest thing is the fact you'll never stop learning, you could know how to do 1 million things with your choice of production software, but someone will always teach you something new.

[Echidna]

Agreed, you'll never fully 'master' your daw. Personally, I am always learning new tricks and I've been playing with music production software, in particular Cubase, for almost 10 years.

However, ideas are either feast or famine. Sometimes I have amazing days in the studio, other days have nightmare days.

[Soundphase]

I believe that ideas should never be hard. If it's hard it means that you're a bit confused about what you're trying to do so I think you should put that in the trash right away. If you stumble on good sounds and everything seems to be going in the right direction then keep it, otherwise just trash it. Simple!
I learned from this mistake myself, I made some ideas and a few weeks later it just sounded too random.. I also learned that you need to be motivated and inspired or else the outcome won't be decent

mastering software was not difficult for me since I did it over time (started in 2003) But yea there millions of tutorials out there, looking at tutorials can make you think that something is very confusing but that's just an illusion. What you're seeing in tutorials is peoples own efforts to create something.. It doesn't mean that it needs to be done exactly like how it was done in that tutorial. It's easier when you create your own methods to do something and even if you're still learning new tricks, it doesn't mean that you can't make music yet because making a song is all about going with something ad-lib and growing it into something bigger

[DJ Tazy]

I guess mastering was the wrong term to use since the truly innovative artist are always bringing something new to their sound which means they've figured out how to do something different.