I have a very similar process with production of my own songs. I tend to write down ideas with an acoustic guitar, my iPad and GarageBand.
Then I drag the ideas I think will work into a new session in my production DAW (Sonar). I work on these at my leisure - sometimes only 10 to 20 minutes at a time, depending on how inspiration strikes. These usually consist of “placeholder” parts, just used to rough out the song - intended to be replaced later.
Once I have a cohesive song and arrangement I’m happy with, then I start overdubbing the final performances. I usually start with the drums and progress through bass, guitars, keys and finally vocals. This takes the longest time, as I tend to work on it very sparodically - I only have very limited spare time, so this tends to stretch out over weeks and often months. Again, it’s half an hour here, 15 minutes there, a couple of hours if I’m lucky.
At this stage, I tend to commit to my final sounds - very few plugins used to this point, like Chris @SoundCandy . I also edit and comp as I go.
Once I have all the parts finished, I import the consolidated audio files into a new session in Reaper and start mixing.
Yes placeholder scratch tracks, i do the same… lately i have found that for some reason some of them sound better or a better energy then the re recorded version and i keep them. Because i have always played guitar yet got pushed into singing also from the start…i find it really hard to sing without the guitar and really lock in to the song , so i have started to record vocals while playing the guitar (sure a bit of spill but the vocal energy has been so much better and have managed to limit the spill from guitar) Cant notice it in track… so be it. Hell Andrew maybe we can write a song together!
Why do you send your audio files into a new session? Is it simply to get rid of the clutter of all the unwanted ghost tracks that you won’t be using, or is there some other benefit that you’re reaping?
Huh! Interesting - I’ve heard about this sort of thing before, but never experienced it myself. I always find I have to concentrate 100% to get a decent vocal take. - Live, it’s no problem, but on a recording, if I sing & play at the same time, both tend to suffer.
Aww mate - I’m flat out finishing my own songs, let alone someone else’s!
Because I record and produce in Sonar, but mix in Reaper. The benefits I’m…er… Reaper-ing ( if you’ll pardon the pun) are that it helps me to view my own music more dispassionately and objectively, as I do a lot of mixing of other people’s music in Reaper too. It put’s me in that same mindset…
…plus, Reaper just RULES for mixing IMO, but I haven’t done enough recording & production in it be super fast and confident with it’s workflow for recording and production, as I am with mixing. Sonar is an old friend that I know like the back of my hand for recording.
Yes it weird, but really noticeable its like i lock into the feel of the guitar not just the sound in headphones… and it feels natural when adding vocal ad libs too…much more energy to the vocal (haven’t read much on other people like this) yeah i know the feeling i have number of ideas stacked up! . It was more a collaboration idea then a “my” song. all good.
I was wondering what happened to you! Hahaha! Well, if it helps better, maybe I can make you a screen capture video of how I use my stuff. It would at least allow you to see what we have going on in Sonar. But a few quick answers…
Bus channels are pre loaded for the basic stuff. Drums, guitars, guitar room, synths, back up vocals etc. All have processing already on with my favorite plugs. During a project, I at times create additional buses to handle what that project may need.
My buses are to the right of my project. In Sonar, we have a tab that separates them. OR, we can actually put the buses right with the tracks as well. The up side of the tab is the separation. The down side of the tab, some midi controllers will not access the buses due to the tab. So it’s nice we have both options available.
I don’t have my desk set up for returns because I’m strictly ITB. I do use my desk as a controller though and can route anything I want. I do control bus sends from my console faders though. They come through just like a track. But the actual returns in my desk, are used for processing pre-disc. Meaning, they process anything that goes through my desk but none of the effects present will print to disc.
For my plugins…I right click on a track insert or bus insert, and my plugs are there. OR, we have browser view which has all the plugs there on a side bar where I can just drag and drop them in…or drag and drop full custom configurations of the plugs of my choice. I have quite a few of my own combinations that I use. For example, I may have an impulse for a guitar room and have an LA2A on it as well. In one drag, both plugs in the order I created them appear on the track. Combo set-ups are really cool once you save them. They appear as one plug using the name you gave it and you drag it in, and they all appear. Example…my mastering chain is about 9 plugs. I save them as Danny Mastering as a multi, and all 9 drop in one shot.
From there, I can create “windows” that have plugs in them that I need to get to. I can line up as many as my screen will allow and just see them all on one screen set page. Plugin menu’s…I do all custom stuff so I know where it all is. Like I say, I can make a small video showing you how things look and how I work if it will help any. It may not help you if your DAW doesn’t have the same options, but at least you can see how things work on my side.
. It was more a collaboration idea then a “my” song. all good.