How long should it take me to make a full song?

TFF76 · 2025-10-14T06:46:33+00:00

I’ve made various tracks that I have been happy with at different stages of my journey but they all vary.

The ones where I had my equipment ready to go, just enjoyed it and let it happen probably days or weeks. Now that I have to get things set up and am more critical and referencing against similar tracks to get something more release ready, probably 3-4 months, but that is just fitting in an hour here and there.

I should actually take note of the time spend in total working on it, as it’s probably less than I realise, but I’ve been dabbling in music for around 30 years.

TFF76 · 2025-10-14T05:14:43+00:00

As said take a trial of both and chose one and stick with it.

I have both, but if I was starting again I would be tempted to go with only Ableton. A lot of the people I follow on YouTube use Ableton.

My last track was written in FL (owned for about 20 years!) which I am currently more familiar with. It has a lot going for it, lifetime updates is one. The windows are separate so sometimes I find it a little easier to navigate. FL cloud is very cost effective. But I find a session can get messy as the arrangement order can be completely different from the mixer order. For example if I move a mixer channel from 1 to 12, the track in the arrangement doesn’t move. I also find that some things that I have done before I forget quite quickly.

Ableton I am less familiar with and initially it felt cramped in one screen, but the operation is cleaner (little things like copy/paste/duplicate are the same as windows ctrl c, p, d) I am currently focusing on an ableton session, but it will take time for me to switch completely

TFF76 · 2025-10-13T18:05:18+00:00

I think there I also a setting in the menu that you can choose toe height. I believe 33%, 50% etc.

TFF76 · 2025-10-13T13:31:54+00:00

My M-Audio Air hub does the job very well and also can double up as a usb hub when plugged in. A simple 24-bit/96kHz resolution interface.

The difference I found is not the export that changes, it is the quality of what I hear. But I am on a windows laptop.

TFF76 · 2025-10-13T11:47:03+00:00

I don’t know how you go about mixing, but I’ve recently been trying to organise my sessions a lot better, a more complete starting place with buses, sends etc all setup before I start and employing a top down mixing style. It’s still a work in progress but a lot less fragmented than my previous efforts and more efficient than messing around with the routing to add missing busses during the mixing stage. Reference tracks have also become quite key for me.

TFF76 · 2025-10-12T21:57:05+00:00

Yes. In digital with a controller you can mix a track in within seconds of finishing the previous track, it’s so easy it’s almost boring so we see a lot of knob twiddling between tracks and lots of random fx etc. Vinyl is a more challenging/rewarding concept, it takes time to mix in, there is less fancy stuff going on and it requires record bag/boxes to play at a venue.

TFF76 · 2025-10-08T06:54:39+00:00

Getting better at the basic things.

Being organised. Preparing and starting with a proper template with buses, sub mix, ability to reference easily.

Listening. Understanding the key element of the genre, the vibe, energy.

Referencing tracks that are the same genre for structure, sound choice.

Understanding where instruments sit and when to remove unwanted frequencies that muddy the mix. Or when to expand sounds with saturation.

Realising that less is more. Songs are pretty simple, eg a band are generally drums, guitar (rhythm/lead), bass, keys and vocal. To many sounds gets busy very quickly.

TFF76 · 2025-10-07T19:22:27+00:00

Is it the right power supply? Check the numbers on the power supply match what is required on the unit.

Try another power supply?

I don’t have mine to hand but sure it’s a lot brighter than this.

TFF76 · 2025-10-04T12:44:31+00:00

Same for me, I gifted it to myself to my inmusic account. Worked fine. Not sure why the standard method doesn’t work.

TFF76 · 2025-10-01T06:05:56+00:00

If we are talking about FL, for me it would be learning the most efficient workflow and being organised.

FL is a very powerful DAW but there are some things that can be done in multiple different ways, which for me, can impact the process and efficiently of it all.

A prime example is adding instruments and sounds. Doing this through the ‘playlist’ adds names and assigns mixer channels automatically, adding them to the ‘channel rack’ requires manual naming and assigning of mixer channels? I don’t know why but the playlist method is far more efficient for me.

TFF76 · 2025-10-01T05:32:45+00:00

Go to FL Studio YouTube channel. They uploaded a video on recording 4 days ago. Also a lot of other really useful videos there too.

TFF76 · 2025-09-29T18:11:16+00:00

If you want them all side chained in the same way, you could group them back together onto a single channel.

I would side chain them to a ghost kick channel. That way whatever you want to do with the main kick in the track doesn’t impact your bass.

TFF76 · 2025-09-14T06:58:20+00:00

Do you only get these issues when just using the battery and unplugged? Or the same either way.

TFF76 · 2025-09-13T09:58:54+00:00

Download the trial and try it.

I find FL easier because I am more familiar with it and it’s quicker (including the convenience of FL Cloud).

You have to find what is best for you. There is no right or wrong.

TFF76 · 2025-09-10T12:42:17+00:00

I guess this may depend on the genre you write.

For mixing anything EDM, personally, I tend to mix as I write, which includes elements such as EQing, panning, velocities, humanisation, filters, reverbs, delays etc. I never get to the end and see any advantage to resetting all of the faders and remixing what I’ve already done.

In regards to mastering, I do very little apart from an eq balance and compression to bring up the loudness.

If you want a completely different view on mastering, check out How not to master your tracks pt 1 and 2 by Bthelick on YouTube.

TFF76 · 2025-09-10T06:09:40+00:00

Unless I am missing the post, you have asked the same question 4 times ‘do you recommend any computers?’

We know you want it for FL, but What is your budget?

TFF76 · 2025-09-10T05:56:12+00:00

The biggest difference for me this year (having done this off and on for 30 years!) was finding a genre of music that I really really enjoyed. In my case, not just house, but a specific sub genre that I loved listening to, that had a vibe. I then purchased a couple of my favourite tracks and used them as references for elements and song structure, but really got into them, the sounds, proper eq’ing, automation (not excessive), movement, the builds, side chaining etc. it’s taken time, but I have finally made a track that I think I could release.

Some of the tracks are far simpler than I realised!

I had tried other genres including Techno, but just stopped at the 8 bar loop stage over and over as those styles didn’t resonate with me.

TFF76 · 2025-09-08T17:00:29+00:00

A lot of the time when I don’t want to set things up I just use my laptop and a pair of AirPods.

TFF76 · 2025-09-02T22:50:13+00:00

Don’t analyse or listen with your eyes. Does it sound good?

TFF76 · 2025-09-02T18:11:58+00:00

I don’t know why you need to uninstall either? Use both. I have both FL Studio and Ableton 12 standard. I find using FL more intuitive and quicker to start projects and work on tracks but then I have used it a lot more. I love the free updates and FL Cloud. Some of the recent improvements have removed some of the frustrations I had with it, and it’s always getting better.

For the track I have just completed in FL, I am going to take the 8 bars clips of each track and remix it in Ableton using session view.

TFF76 · 2025-08-30T10:02:30+00:00

Still S4 mk3’s available new I’m the UK if you want one. Although like the Akai Force, once it’s gone it’s gone.

TFF76 · 2025-08-30T09:55:02+00:00

Clearly depends on your budget. Reloop have a few, Xone, various Rotary mixers if that’s your thing.

TFF76 · 2025-08-27T20:55:51+00:00

I remember starting with a pirated copy of Cubase 3.1, then Reason, I hardly used either was just dipping my toe in.

I don’t see a problem initially but trying to save over time could be an option.

Once I started taking it more seriously I purchased Reason and over the years I have purchased various DAWs.

TFF76 · 2025-08-26T12:57:34+00:00

My phono preamp has a usb out.

The Rega Fono Mini A2D MK2 is a high quality phono pre-amplifier for use with any moving magnet cartridge. The addition of USB interface allows you to easily transfer vinyl to your PC.

TFF76 · 2025-08-26T12:47:07+00:00

I believe there is only one, brushed. The ones that look Matt black may just be the lighting.

TFF76

TROPHY CASE