Tips for the Un-inspired Producer - Break Musician's Block

[pascalosti11]

Enjoyed your video, thank you!

[breaksjunkie100]

another really informative vid dude thanks

[Thetoolmantaylor95]

This is honestly made for me I'm never happy with anything. I've used this program for 5 days and made nothing, spent hours watching tutorials. This video helped me the most.

[leessantana]

please show me how to make my beats sound remarkable in a car sterio system

[TimayProductions]

@mikehh9 you sound like someone who has never even used FL... FL is a great program to work with ,especially if you know how to use it right. I love FL, even though I now use Cubase, and I tell you, FL is like none other. It just gets a bad rep because it is so easy to use, and A LOT of people who shouldn't be making music, use it.

[LiNaK37]

@mikehh9 Lol. Idiot.

[Lagos08]

They way you talk disturbs me. Because you sound insecure sometimes..

[88res]

do you buy most of these instruments? they dont sound like any stock fl ones

[Kardinalloffi]

damn that melody at the start is nice actually

[gumenski]

IMO all truly creative things are found by accident, so it's always easier to find good ideas by screwing off just like in this video until you find something good. Then start rolling with it. It's 10x harder to have something already going in your head and then transcribe it correctly.

[AppleMacApp4U]

thanx! listen to infected mushroom-pletzurra when you have a chance. it demonstrates exactly the techniques.

[BruBoyz]

Goood One ACE

[jssnl2009]

you just inspired me at 0:51 when u played the track

[atelus]

Well a lot of the time I just want to make something but can't. And what I do then is just play with some stuff. Throw some notes down in a melody, even if the rhythm isnt coming to me I just get some stuff down with a few instruments that I like and start playing around. Some of my favorite things I've built have come from sitting down and just feeling no real inspiration and just basically dicking around. And even if I dont create something I love, I always learn a lot about the program.

[corndogers564]

Why not just take off time from producing music and do another activity? There really is not such thing as musician's block (or writer's block). Its a myth. Writers block only happens when you try forcing something that isn't there. And when you find nothing is coming, just back off.

Walk away and come back later. Or a few days, even a few weeks. You will come across fresh new inspiration ;)

[Lionmonkey4real]

Or you will keep postponing it until you forget everything you know.

[corndogers564]

Not really, your skills may decrease for a bit, then you pick up from where you left off.

My point is that you can't just expect to always sit down at FL studio anytime, anywhere and expect to create something every time you show up. That's not how it works.

[Lionmonkey4real]

That is correct, you do have to take a break once in a while.

My point is that this break may be taken longer and longer because of one's lazyness, after which it's very hard to meke yourself start making something again.

[UnstableFailureX]

Well, maybe some people don't have anything else to do, or just love it so much.

[palmettoplaya]

agreed. To me the best inspiration might not be in your head yet. I generally produce around my lyrics, not vice versa, therefore I might do something that inspires me to write a song, which in turn inspires me to produce.

@AcePincter

Great suggestions for sure man! The time is something that might slip the mind, as I know it does for me. Keep up the great tutorials.

[corndogers564]

@palmettoplaya

That's because music happens through us, not from us. We like to think we're in control of the music, but that's the illusion. ;)

A lot of musician's don't realize is that hearing the music in your head is just as real as if you were to sit down on the keyboard (or mpc, etc.) and start playing. So even if you don't think you have an idea, you get get on FL studio, start improvising and let the ideas flow through you. But it's not happening because you're "creating" it.! ;)

[djphilmore]

@corndogers564 very well said, its people who think like that who define the definition of music

[WARSUG]

weeeh! loud voice =)

[thespursareadynasty]

Feeling un-inspired? smoke some weed. lol thats what i do

[sinisterben1262]

lol

[immasuperninja]

me 2 lol

[TiTToBeatz]

@thespursareadynasty haha I tired that often, and it inspires me too, but mostly im so high that I cant make them anymore xD

[DubbesMusic]

@thespursareadynasty Cliché's are always based on true facts ^^

[KristophM]

@thespursareadynasty I agree, it helps wonders!

[DodgyVideoz]

how do u run the 'chopper' and 'flip' tools??

directions please.

[Jizzerfashizzer]

" it get's a bit funky" hahhha!! awsome dooode , thats sooooo perfect how u covered alot of aspects .......

[IEatHarlots]

EXACTLY what I needed lol

[kois0369]

thank you

[illeos]

You arethe man.

[droptop101]

hey man i gotta ask you. do you make some or most of your samples? im trying to find a real sounding piano but im still using the free samples fl comes with... can you let us know how to cut samples out of songs? or where u get your samples? thanks a lot. Your tutorials are very helpful. if you can message me through the youtube channel. =] thanks alot!

[noooodl]

Right-click a sampler, click Generators, then FL Keys - that's a pretty real piano if you want one.

[huxhzutabhi]

4front vsts...

[poser077]

chop or slice in edison or slicex if u want samples use google :)

[dadedboytrilla]

thanks man

[MetalDrake]

Where did you find you "scale-based" folder in you "arpegiattor" folder ? I don't have it :(

[MetalDrake]

How do you make a vibrato/tremolo effect at 1:50 ? thx

[XQslayer]

go to piano roll and use the channel pitch feature.

[tankster13000]

I always wanted to know where I can check out some of your work...and whats that background in your fl?

[coolguy132]

what changes did you make to the BooBass? mine doesn't sound at all like yours

[AcePincter]

Drop the mid to about 30% and add Fruity Flangus!

[graffie]

i like ur video's, ass pincher! xD

[NathanLee0921]

does sonar 8 producer have this? Anyone who use Sonar please help.

[Sockheadrps]

xD Ace, you're awesome.

[buttafrumdastuy]

if ur really have no ideas smoke sum grass even if u forget it ur remeber it wen u cum down trust me my beats fire

[Garzoyle]

cool vid, all ur vids help alot

[GHOSTBLOCK16]

ghost channel can be activated with alt + v function being pressed in piano roll

[seankeevermusic]

the part at 1:48 sounds so sick it would be a great hip hop instrumental

[eldiagrama]

The image on the backround.// Whats the name of it???

*Music theorie{

[Garfler]

how do u limit that melody in the end of the tut?

[noneofyoucanspell]

ace sphincter?

[rustyfender]

could you please do a vid on a rock song?

i love your vids man

[JSpraya]

u probly doubled my FL knowledge . and ive watched all the vidz on the FL site .

i wish i could sing you my FL tracks when i think there done . so u can really finish them . but thanks any way for all the vids

[chichi1619]

One thing I noticed was you said there's not really good drum beats in 3/4 or 5/4...if I have to deal with something 3/4 time I try to give the drums a kind of 6/8 feel which will give the song a totally different face but I like it. And being a drummer I automatically hate anything dealing with 5/4 unless it's for just a one measure transition.

[DanualMusic]

why do u have silver notes and green notes? :P

[GIProductionz]

ghost channel

helpers - ghost channel

[Biscotti198]

you really seem to know what u r doing i understand ur timed pressed and all but i think it would be cool if u did a more in depth version of this for each music genre just a cool idea ya know

[khalyd123]

i totally agree, just give a few 10 minute tutorials on like dance, rock, techno, hardstyle, i dunno whatever.

btw, this is the like the best tutorials on youtube. some people might say it's NFX (warbeats) but he spends like 30 minutes explaining the simplest of things, as if we are dumb...and there is the lisp...haha lol. thanks for all these inforative videos.

[infamousjeff]

Good tip about not starting the tune on the first beat. One thing that gets me going is creating a full groove then regressing or working recursively. Starting in the middle so to speak.

[exileJesus]

ace, how do you change your piano roll to 3/4 time and 5/4 time?

i heard you say you have to remake the whole song when you change the times - that's understandable, but how do you set your piano roll to show 5 vertical sections per bar?

[AcePincter]

Tools Menu > Project General Settings!

Good question - Sorry I forgot to include this.

If you prefer to move between time signatures, the easy way to do this is to set the PATTERN LENGTH for values other than 4.

The PATTERN LENGTH is that little greyish box in the top left corner of the CHANNELS menu. Drag the mouse on it while holding the button to set a desired length.

[Chamaican666]

what an amazing vid, you know the ins and outs of fl :)

you think you could help me out? just quickly take a peek at my new song and give me some pointers? i would greatly appreciate it! (True Trance is the name)

thanks! please keep doing these tutorials they help so much

[oldcharon]

Good video, mate. I too work a full time job, and this video gave me some good ideas. Its hard to be creative on tight a schedule, and i really hate it when i finally do have time to sit down and nothing comes to mind. Keep em comin.

[AcePincter]

In the playlist, select your pattern, and right click the left-hand list, where it lists (pattern 1, pattern 2). From the menu that appears when you right-click, choose "Split by Channel".

[eenad]

where do u get those midi files?

[AcePincter]

Just search google for heaps of them. I just did a search for "nothing else matters midi" and found some 5 matches right away. I scored a ton of quality midi files from a piano teacher friend of mine, but you can easily find any song that people somewhere might karaoke to.

[YoungFlMusician]

I love your videos!

[draztik314]

Where do u get ur sounds i like that trumpet hit me up plz

[AcePincter]

It's the last preset in Sytrus.  Works well with a little bit of pitch bend.

[icebabeVJ]

Very inspiring! Makes me wanna go straight into my FL Studio 7, grab some midi of old songs and play some audio games!

[evolvi]

very inspiring H.P.! if you realize it or not you are forming a legion of future producers. I'm mos def giving a shout out to ya on my work. Awesome stuff dude!

[AcePincter]

I thought you meant "I'm Mos Def" and nearly pissed myself! lol! Thanks for the props bro.  I haven't had any new videos but I'm planning a few neat ones for this weekend.

[kalsikum]

I second that evolvi, way to go a.p.!

[nomadflbh]

true that

[jezuslou]

How can I play with sytrus sounds, all of my Sytrus instrument can't be used.

[AcePincter]

Can you be more specific, please? I don't know what you can't do, or what you want to do.

[jezuslou]

Never mind, I've fixed it. Thanks again for this tutorial, it helped me out a lot.

[lildice1337]

Another innovative tutorial, kicks ass.

[salcidorob]

I'm fairly new at using FL Studio so a friend of mine introduced me to your vidz...they have been an eye-opener/huge help; thank you.

I usually throw sounds together that overpower each other. How do I keep some of the samples from carrying their sound during songplay, even after the pattern has stopped? For instance, some Sytrus samples.

[AcePincter]

Are you referring to the echoes/reverb that usually accompany a sytrus sound? These are changed on the FX page of the Sytrus. However, the Sytrus' sound is being generated by a formula in real-time, so it's not technically a "sample". There are many different problems you can have if you have your "sampler" channels set up improperly. So I might be giving you the wrong advice. I have to ask you to be specific - which instrument or "channel" is causing problems, and what does it sound like?

[salcidorob]

For instance...Packs/Sytrus/Sequen­ce. Pretty much any of those sequence "samples" carry from an ambient to thick overtone throughout a song.

[AcePincter]

For an instrument like this, you'll have to be using a piano roll. Otherwise your note will have infinite sustain! 

Right click on your sytrus channel and choose "Send to Piano Roll".

This should take your individual step and transform it into a long piano note. Shorten it if you need to. You can apply this to any channel to control note length and pitch.

[salcidorob]

Thanks A.P.

[Gameboygenius]

This one was useful for me. I often feel ike I lack inspiration. Especially reminding me about the adviceabout leaving out the beat. I "want" to do it but usually end up just forgetting it somehow. :D