I'm a producer but I am shit at it and I need some help

[EyezerHardstyle]

Hello, I'm trying to become a "good" producer, but I feel stuck and I don't think I make much progress anymore.
You might think that the main issue may be the kickdrum, but I've worked hard on improving my kicks and I think they are quite decent (eyezerhardstyle at soundcloud if you want to take a listen on some of them), they'll work for a track at least

My main issue is the intro/outro. I totally suck at making intros and I suck at making sounds for intros. I am terrible at leads as well but I've improved on that though (but still shit imo). I have a really bad knowledge about sound design and software. I only use Sylenth1 because I can't understand Massive, z3ta+ or Dune. I've tried experimenting with them but the outcome is really bad. Sylenth1 is easy to use and works the best but I doubt I can come somewhere with just one VST. I use presets to be honest because they work the best (and I've actually learnt something from them).

I feel completely lost on the intro area, how to build it up, what sounds to use, how to make these sounds or where to get samples/presets to practise with, what plugins to use to make an atmosphere, how to use these plugins etc.
The main issue with my attempts at intros are that they always sound so empty. How do I make an intro more "filled up" or how to say it? I've tried taking inspirations from other tracks but it doesn't really help because I don't know how to make the sounds.

My goal is not to make the type of hardstyle we can hear today on the main labels. I want to make stuff like we heard in 2009-2010 (like Bioweapon/Frontliner/Krusaders/Wasted Penguinz/Headhunterz), but with a twist of modern Hardstyle (mainly kicks). Do you have any suggestions what I should do to be able to create something like the producers back then made?

I hope this is the right forum selection. I'd really appreciate any tips/feedback etc.
Thanks in advance

[NRx Hardstyle]

Practice. Try. Fail. Try again and never give up.


Take inspiration of tracks you like, dont copy them but be inspired and practice. My MMA teacher told us "If you want to learn something, you have to do it 1000 times. If you want to be good at it do it 10000 times and if you want to master it you have to do it a million times".


I only use sylenth and can create good sound with it. Its not the VST its how you use it. Its better to be able to be more versitile with one VST than can do just a little with 10.

To create good Intros is to just take inspiration from other tracks and listen to what techniques they used and recreate it. Just playing around with sylenth, creating different sounds, playing with distortion and stuff like that, you can really find cool sounds. Also there are a huge amount of great tutorials here and on youtube, everything from musical theory to creating that one sound that plays in that one song once.

For your sound right now its not that bad, you got some talent, all you need is some mastering and mixdown in your tracks. Also just looking up a few good tutorials on leads and sounddesign wouldnt hurt

I hope this answers a few question and motivates you to keep on going and never quit no matter what!

[Valadia]

Everyone started out once, didn't they?
Sometimes taking a break from producing helps too.
I stopped producing for 3~ish months and now that I started again
I feel l have a much more patient and clearer point of view/hearing.

[silus]

Just start fucking around and learning your plugins really well! Learn how to make different sounds. A lot of producing is just messing around until you get something that sounds good. Nobody goes into their studio having every little thing planned out.

That said, try not to go in without at least an idea, melody, or some kind of inspiration in mind. If you're just fucking about without some kind of direction, it's really easy to get impatient or discouraged when nothing really happens.

[nerz]

1. most important tip: trial and error
2. watch youtube tutorials (even the sucky ones. if you learn at least one thing, it was worth watching it.)
3. mess around with sylenth and if you happen to make a good sounding lead/fx/whatever, try improving it with additional effects, like eq, distortion, reverb, delay, etc - don't overdo the effects though!
4. analyze sounds. what i mean by that is take a track you like, export it into your DAW and try to figure out how that particular sound is made that you're fond of by looking at the waveform and listening to it over and over
5. if you want to make a good intro, i think you should just open up your piano roll and try to make a catchy pattern. experiment with notes. having a midi keyboard helps a lot
6. taking a break could also help. if you're upset because you're unable to create something good, it'll stress you out even more
7. do look up articles about mixdown

[Valadia]

Also, don't make yourself create something.
That won't work.

[EyezerHardstyle]

@Nerz, Silius & Valadia That's what I am doing pretty much, but I feel like I've hit a plateau.
I think I'll try taking a break then and maybe focus more on something else production wise than making actual tracks. I do enjoy messing around in FL studio but it's pretty obvious after your feedback that I am stressing myself out and that might be why I am not moving forward with my productions.

I'm gonna try checking some tutorials out, I haven't done that in a while and maybe there's something new worth watching. I am gonna try that export-tracks-to-daw thing, never tried that actually.
Thanks for you input, very helpful

[Valadia]

If you want, you could also try to produce other genres.

[Echidna]

We all plateau, we all feel like we are shit ... welcome to music production. Just keep at it and enjoy learning and creating

[JoMaZ]

If you want, you could also try to produce other genres.

+1 this. producing other genres will help you with your sound design and mixdown, because you learn new things and stuff you could use for hardstyle. It helped me alot, but I started to loose interest in hardstyle after it haha^^