Mastering for Electronic Music

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Author: Ilpo Karkkainen

  • A Superpower for Creative Work

    Let me share with you one of the most potent superpowers I know for creative work.

    It’s what enabled me to produce hundreds of tracks within just five years when I started with music production in the 90s.

    I was finishing so much music! Churning out track after track, releasing them on my label and many others. It propelled me on the path I am still on now, 25 years later.

    We all have access to this superpower.

    And it won’t cost you a single penny.

    It’s called “Limitations”.

    My productivity was all thanks to the simple, straightforward and very limited toolset that making music with trackers provided me. 

    At the time, I didn’t realize the power in having limitations.

    I was simply using what I had. I didn’t have any other options.

    But as I look back now, it’s evident.

    When I moved to more advanced software, my output slowed down despite spending the same amount of time making music.

    It’s simple math, folks!

    Having more resources and options inevitably leads to losing focus more often and spending more of your time on irrelevant things.

    Even worse, it easily leads to indecisiveness and overwhelm.

    The lesson was true back then but it’s even more relevant in the abundance we live in today.

    Limitations provide a structured framework for your creativity.

    They help you make quick decisions, work more efficiently, and move projects forward.

    But it doesn’t end there. Consider this.

    Limitations allow you to focus and dig deeper on a specific set of tools or techniques.

    Your skills get better.

    And there’s more.

    By exploring the full range of possibilities within your limitations, you’ll develop a unique signature sound.

    You’ll get noticed.

    Limitations help you funnel your creativity into a productive practice and tangible results.

    How about that for a superpower?

  • Discipline

    The last two weeks I’ve spoken to you about the benefits of doing the work even when it sucks.

    It all boils down to discipline. 

    So how do you practice discipline?

    By doing things just because they’re not easy. 

    Yesterday marked the last day of my seven week fast.

    No meat, fish, dairy, eggs, nothing with added oils or sugars, nothing artificial, no alcohol or other kinds of drugs (except the gym)…

    I do it every year now.

    I’m not religious and it’s not about the health aspect or anything like that for me.

    I do it to practice self control.

    Temperance.

    One of the four great virtues of the ancients!

    Now more than ever, we are conditioned to prioritize instant gratification and comfort over discipline and hard work. 

    We are encouraged to let our emotions dictate our actions. 

    Here’s the thing.

    Our emotions are terrible at guiding us.

    Think about the example I mentioned a couple of weeks back:

    I didn’t feel like making music. I started anyway. 15 minutes later, I felt the opposite. And something great came out of it.

    How reliable would you say my emotions were in guiding me towards something I really want?

    Yeah, not very.

    Happens to me all the time.

    In music and art especially, we face barriers and excuses at every corner.

    So we must cultivate self-control.

    Do something difficult simply because it isn’t easy. 

    So we can learn the discipline to face things calmly. 

    The better we get at it, the less we care about our petty emotions. 

    Ideally you don’t even make it a thing. You simply do what you know is right and that’s that.

    Most of us are soft (myself included). There’s ways to go and it’s not always fun.

    But we reap what we sow.

  • Every effort Counts

    Last week, I shared some thoughts on how the process of making music can inspire us even when we lack the motivation to start. 

    But let’s be real. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out like that. 

    Sometimes we sit down to make music and we feel stuck, or we don’t like what we’re coming up with. And nothing good comes out of it no matter how hard we try. 

    It’s discouraging.

    However, it’s important to understand that every effort counts. 

    Every time we sit down to make music, we’re practicing our craft and moving the needle forward. Even if the end result isn’t what we were hoping for, we’re still developing our skills and expanding our musical abilities.

    Consistently putting in the hours, regardless of the result, is essential to developing our skills. 

    It’s through this consistent effort that we begin to develop a workflow that gives us better results and improves our ability to get into the creative flow.

    A lot of it is subconscious. Even when we’re not aware of it, our brain is constantly processing and storing information. 

    Every time we engage in making music, we’re building new connections and improving our understanding of music production.

    So, even if a particular session doesn’t result in a masterpiece, we can take comfort in the fact that we’re always making progress – whether we realise it or not.

    Just don’t give up.

  • Don’t Wait for Inspiration

    When I started working on one of my latest tracks, I wasn’t feeling particularly inspired. 

    I had spent 2 long days rebuilding my outboard setup from scratch, I was tired, and really I just wanted to test that everything worked before I would call it a day.

    I started testing, and before I knew it I was in the flow, feeling great, creating something meaningful to me. 

    (At that point I decided to record a video of the process. Click these links to access the videos

    Making of “True Reverie” – Part 1

    Making of “True Reverie” – Part 2)

    It was a perfect example of inspiration rising out of the process of just doing something.

    So I wanted to share with you some thoughts about that.

    How frequently have you found yourself waiting for inspiration to strike before beginning working on a music project?

    For me, a lot changed the day I realised that inspiration actually often truly starts to flow as a result of taking action, and not the other way around. 

    It’s pointless to wait for feeling inspired so that you can start something.

    Now, don’t get me wrong. It’s amazing when you do feel inspired to begin with. I hold those times sacred. When it happens I do everything I can to arrange and protect time for making music, so that I can make the most of those moments.

    However, relying solely on feeling inspired to get started on something important is not a good strategy. Because there are always days, weeks or even months we run dry – guaranteed. 

    Life happens, it’s hectic, we get tired, everyone has their issues.

    However… Push yourself to start in any case… And sometimes, magic happens.

    All it takes is a little bit of discipline to kick-start that process.

  • Simplifying Studio Setup

    This week I decided to take on a project that I had been putting off for some time. I completely rearranged the analog side of my production setup. In the process I ended up downsizing the setup and making changes to my workflows.

    I already produced the first track with this new setup. I documented that process in two videos for the Patreon crew. 

    They are available to watch via these links: 

    Making of “True Reverie” – Part 1

    Making of “True Reverie” – Part 2

    Very happy with how it’s sounding!

    I thought I’d share a few words about how my outboard setup is looking like now and what benefits I’m seeing from this change.

    I removed my 32 channel Midas Venice 320 console from the setup and went for a smaller, 16 channel Soundcraft 200SR which I had not been using for a while due to its smaller channel count and lack of direct outs.

    While not as versatile, the Soundcraft offers me a more focused workflow. There’s a lot to be said about that in the world of endless possibilities that we live & work in now.

    The SR200 is about 40 years old (late 70’s/early 80’s). It sounds smooth and open. It has a wonderful broad 4 band tone shaping EQ and 4 AUX sends on each channel. It’s in great condition. It feels like new and is a joy to use. It’s obviously been well cared for, but it’s clearly also built to last. 

    I removed more than 10 pieces of gear from my setup, streamlining everything and making it much easier to keep track of things.

    The Soundcraft hosts all my remaining equipment. It also has 3 stereo pairs dedicated for DAW summing (corresponding to the 3 mix groups I normally use in my projects).

    Besides the Prism Sound Titan audio interface, my outboard music production setup now consists of only three instruments and four effects.

    • AKAI Force, which works as a sampler & MIDI sequencer as well as the MIDI hub between the DAW and the outboard. Via a group in the mixing console I can easily send anything into the inputs of the Force for sampling.
    • Elektron Analog Rytm, which I love using for drums but also as a bass synth and for experimenting with samples.
    • Korg Opsix, which has nice hands on controls for playing live with FM and other types of synthesis. I can use the Force or Analog Rytm to sequence it, or sequence from the DAW. The Opsix also doubles as the MIDI keyboard in my setup (update July 2023 – since buying the OPx-4 synth for my Akai Force, I am now selling the Opsix as well).

    Additionally I have four vintage digital effects hooked up on the AUX channels of the  mixer:

    • Two Alesis Midiverb 3’s chained in series. These can create a variety of interesting time based effects and it often produces some very unpredictable but awesome results. These can also be driven into distortion and I do it a lot.
    • An Alesis Microverb 3 which I mainly use for delay and gated reverbs. Due to its single function knob interface it’s super quick to work with and find a sound that works without looking.
    • A Yamaha R1000 reverb from 1983. I actually use this more as a distortion box, just running signal through it dry very hot – sometimes spicing that with a little bit of that grungy reverb. Sounds great.

    That is everything.

    I now have less things to maintain and much fewer cables to deal with making it easy to keep things clean. The ergonomics are also a lot better as everything is within easy reach.

    Additionally, the acoustics have improved because I can stay in the sweet spot more when working and there’s less surface area near the listening position causing reflections.

    Of course, making these changes also meant that I had to make some tough choices about what workflows to exclude. But I’ve learned that pushing myself into the corner and setting some limits is usually a good thing for creativity.

    Overall it’s a much better music making and recording experience for me now. It’s a good feeling to have less to maintain and more space to work in. Plus I have thousands of EUR worth of unused gear to sell now! 

    What could you do to simplify your setup?

  • The Art of Finishing Projects

    How do I know when a project is finished?

    It’s not a property of the project.

    If it was, I would keep working on it forever.

    Instead, it’s a decision.

    At some point I simply make up my mind to let go of it. To either put it out there or not – in any case to move on to something new.

    Things that help me with deciding when a project is finished:

    • Trusting my instincts: By relying on my intuition and experience, I can gauge when a project is complete.
    • Cultivating a tolerance for imperfection: Accepting that a project will never be perfect and being willing to let go of it despite its imperfections.
    • Setting clear goals and deadlines.
    • Taking breaks and coming back with fresh ears.
    • Recognizing the impact of overworking: Understanding the consequences and knowing when it’s time to step away.
    • Understanding that no matter what I do, people’s perception of my music will differ greatly from my own.

    Finishing is a skill that is honed over time and through practice. 

    Like many things in music, it’s not something that can be quickly learned by reading something like this.

    You have to undertake a high volume of projects, follow through with them until the end, and experience the process of deciding when it’s time to move on.

    If you always abandon projects too soon, you will never develop the skills and knowledge related to finishing them.

    Remember, every finished project is an accomplishment. 

    Through these small wins, repeated constantly over time, you’ll gain confidence and momentum.

    So keep creating, keep practicing and have the trust to let go when it’s time to move on.