I´m becoming worse instead of better

[Dj Reaper]

First a bit of my story;
I started producing about 2 years ago. After listening to a lot of Hardstyle, Trance, Jumpstyle and so on I knew that my biggest wish was to become music producer, tweak sounds, use keyboards and make some cool things.
I did some really catchy Trance-songs first, which are not as well produced as my last Trance songs but have a lot more creativity behind them.
Anyway, about a year ago, I suceeded in making my first Hardcore-song (I was trying and trying to make Hardcore because this is my favourite style but nothing came out until than). Some other songs followed this and I felt great after making them, tough they were not that well-produced either, Last autumn I did my most complex Hardcoresong but that was it.
I don´t know why, I try and make and think and already had several melodies in mind but everything I try sounds shit. I try to make my sounds more complex and so on and while I´m making them I think "finally, this one will sound as good as Angerfist´s" (you may have noticed that he is my biggest idol) but later I see that it just has nothing. I did many loops but nothing sounded good and I always saved them somewhere and never looked back at them.
I don´t understand why, every day I think about Hardcore, I dream of beeing big in the scene (like we may all do) and fully motivated start doing things, but just nothing comes out.
I remember when doing my old stuff I didn´t care I just did what came to my mind and now I am always trying to get the professional sound quality of the big Artists but nothing comes out. The quality may be a bit better than my old songs but still it sounds weaker. I´m desperate...

Here my favourite song of mine, old but gold:


And here my try to remake the middle part in a more professional way with better sounds:


You can notice that the first one has a lot more drive in it, it doesn´t sound very elevate but it somehow makes the feeling to come from heart, whereas the second one just lacks something.

And here is the last song I made and am happy with, this was the most complex and after this everything started to sound shit:


Does anybody know that feeling? What can I do to go over this period, to make things like my old ones, just with a better sound but yet that driving. At the moment I feel like everything I learnt was for nothing, I just hear some great songs inside my head but than I destroy my inspiration by trying to make them. My basses for example were not that complex but they perfectly fit in a song and madfe it sound like a (beginner)SONG. Now in everything I try I hear a lack of something but I don´t know what and it doesn´t sound like a song anymore, just sounds playing at the same time.
I hope you understand me, would love to have some kind of motivating conversation with you and exchange some stories about ups and downs in producing and how to solve this problems, to get right back to the f*cking CORE!

[Detektor]

Stop making music for a while, explore different genres, listen to things you never would normally listen to. Try to expand your imagination by letting some influences of other genres intersect with your current knowledge. I know when I get stuck or not have it in me to do anything productive, this usually helps.

[Dj Reaper]

I always listen to a variety of things, from classical music over EDM to Volk. And this is lasting for some time now already (I´m sure about 4 months). And I realized already some times that I´m addicted to producing, I just can´t not do it. It´s the only thing I do in that few free time I have and almost everyday a new melody jumps to my head.

But maybe you´re right, the first song I posted was made after a month without my computer and it is my favourite Hardcore-song I did up to now. How long would you pause?

[BartusiekS]

Maan, your latest track sounds (at least to me, hardstyle listener) very good. I can see big progression, compared to your first tracks And as Detektor said - take a little break from producing, it can really help

[KFKiller]

For some inspiration listen to: Trinity and Beyond OST, It has to be one of the best scores I have ever listened to.

[Aftershoq]

Your newer stuff doesn't sound that bad. Imo better then that first one you posted.

I feel the same way sometimes when i'm making kicks. I did some very great ones and sometimes i just can't figure out what i did to make them sound that way. I want to make them more complex and finetuned but most of the time it just sounds empty and bad.

Maybe simplicity could be the answer, i don't know, but just try and see what you come up to. Angerfist is a great producer, no doubt about that, but he's in this scene for a long time now. Don't think you can be like him in 2 years and don't let the road to fame guide you. Do it for the love of the music and eventually, if you really want to and work hard for it, you can play at big parties and let your music be heard all over the world.

[EJMU]

Hey DJ Reaper!

I had the same problem when i first started producing, i had all the idea's how i wanted it to sound but the harder i tried the more shitty the outcome was.

This was basicly because i was clueless(i thought i knew..) about how to apply effects and mixing the diffrent layers togeather the right way.
I just sat in front of my computer clicking randomly and thinking like; "yeah that sounded a little better" etc.
But i quickly realized everything i made sounded like shit.

Then i started to plow thru youtube tutorias about diffrent techniques thinking i was gonna learn from them.. wrong again.
Most of the people that post tutorials about producing on youtube don't know more than you or anyone else.

First of all make sure you really understand what ALL the buttons on your effects and plugs do.
I advice you to read up on all the basics and keep reading and testing till you truly understand them.
Learn about Compressors, Reverbs, Delays etc.

What softwares are you using? what plugs etc?

Im going to post a few links to some sites that really helped me in the begining.

8 Easy steps to better EQ:
http://audio.tutsplus.com/tutorials/mix ... better-eq/

Breakdown on a reverb:
http://musicianself.com/reverb/#

Breakdown on a compressor
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep09/a ... deeasy.htm

[Dj Reaper]

yeah i think this also very often. Maybe I should mention that I'm 16 years old and Angerfist produces music just for as many years as I live. Anyway with 30 years I won't go anywhere and If I want to make sucess I need to learn what he and his concurrence learnt in much less time (I need to mention that today producing is lot easier than it was earlier with all the programs we have though). And I know that making music is the only thing I could do for a whole day in a concentrated and efficient way and that's why I do everything to turn pro. I go to a scientific lyceum or how that is called in english and meanwhile I study electronic music at the conservatory (whole monday, tuesday and thursday afternoon). than I did music for a film contest too and now for a ballet of a german dancer on professional level. I played in a band too and of course the weekends I want to see my friends too and have some time for producing.
You see I have a very stressful youth and all just to ensure myself a future as musician and preferably Hardcore producer.
And than at times I think what if that's all for nothing and I life forces me to become an office worker?
And than people tell me wow your music sounds really pro, why don't you send it to a record lable and that pisses me as hell. Everybody thinks I'm good but when I come here I see just 1000 others being better. I would understand if somebody told this Adrenalize, but not me, becuase that shows they don't understand.
And the next problem: if everything went perfect and let's say MOH asked me to work for them, I don't know to DJ. I bought a Traktor-controller and didn't have time to try it up to now.
And learning something really well with 16 is already a bit too late today.

Long post, I hope you understand me and don't get me just as a kid wanting to be famous. Producing is just the only thing I want to di day and night, and turning my hobby into work would be amazing. But perhaps I am just another Fl-Kiddie like 1000000 others exist on this world, from which many are more talented. Sometimes i just feel like a noob twisting knobs and not knowing what I do.

[Dj Reaper]

Thanks EJMU, as I wrote above I use Fl Studio and for almost every sound Sylenth 1. Recently I downloaded the demo of Microtonic (The kich from the remake is microtonic). I use VEngeance ess. clubsounds for percussion. Reverb, Distortions and Compressors are Fl native plugs and Eq by Fabfilter. I don't want to buy new distortions or effects before I don't know exactely how they work and how to set them right. But perhaps your links will help me a bit. Hope I didn't forget anything.

[il tonny]

I think I know how do you feel I have have a lot of projects that I starts and I think mmm this is good tomorow I will finish this and then at the other day I open the project and said WFT is this shit :S and I start another new project, some times i show my project to my friends and they say dude you must finish this but i really dont like it any more and I will never finish the project and my friends ask when you will finish it it have a great potential but maybe it will never happen because I think Im getting worse maybe because the hst/hrc are getting more and more advanced genres...