ignore this music production advice

makethatlouder.com/planner
www.youtube.com/@jessesenko for the inspo on this one! also this video was edited by Nikhil Johns while I was out of town so shoutout to that absolute champion

[@MantasticHams]

If we can convince the monkey to ditch the unicycle, do you think he might accel at beats?

[@Squidaniel]

The thing I’ve learned about this industry is the only thing consistent about it is that it is always changing

[@AdamSliger]

Facts

[@harrydarling4180]

The pacing of this video is so unusually slow and relaxing

[@AdamSliger]

I’m sorry/you’re welcome! Lol

[@21broadway]

Man, the computer thing is essential!!! I kept going to my buddy to ask if my laptop could handle this or do that for months. He ended up surprising me with a gift, custom PC! He builds gaming PCs and doesn't work with music at all, but he could forsee what my needs were and just helped a friend out. Now I run and download a vast number of plugins, and experiment with a huge number of tracks worry free! No lag, no crash, no worries! Absolute game changer.

[@SyoDraws]

Thats very sweet 😊

[@AdamSliger]

Very dope

[@lowpack8792]

How's the gaming pc working? I have a super beefy pc, but I haven't done any music production on it. I heard windows crashes when running multiple plugins. How is it for you?

[@josuastangl7140]

@@lowpack8792if you have a good CPU, this shouldn’t be a problem at all. Just try it, I’m sure it’ll be just fine, this is not a common issue, unless you’re a pro trying to open monster projects on a laptop

[@BrofUJu]

The computer point was great. I have a good computer, great headphones, great midi keyboard and interface and I really don't need anything else. Haven't bought a new plugin in over a year, too.

[@AdamSliger]

Very nice! Seems like a tidy setup

[@MrNEWDY]

In a way i like the fact more people are putting less emphasis on gear because we have to remember, it is entirely possible if you're skilled to pull off an album today with a $200 interface and a $200 set of headphones and stock plugins and a $500 laptop and have it sound better than an 80s album recorded at a studio with $1 million dollars invested in gear. But you are right that there is a lot of limited and bad gear still and it can tank the results. When i was in college my band recorded at a local college with a program for production and the studio had an ssl 9000j with avid hd converters and a great room and mics. It sounded pretty terrible when he was done because he was a student only about a year into the program. Fast forward 15 years and I'm recording a drum session in what once was a a bank vault and my control room comprised of a hallway with 7ft ceilings, a Mackie 32.8, and a presonus quantum interface into a mac mini with a less fancy assortment of mics and i managed to get better sounds than when i was recorded on thet ssl in a purpose built studio. We need to focus on skill and also not all sounding completely homogeneous, records will sound so much more interesting if we focused less on copying each other.

[@AdamSliger]

Yeah I agree with ya there. It’s obviously ear before gear but if you can get the gear, might as well have both lol

[@jonathantaylor8553]

love this so much. there are no hard and fast rules, just people giving their 2 cents about what they know. which can be so helpful! or silly and prohibitive.

[@AdamSliger]

Thank you!

[@Septeemberpain]

Well said!

[@magicmark3309]

I feel like the Plastic Surgery rule could also be comparable to the CGI rule. Ignoring obviously fake things like spaceships and aliens etc…the only CGI that is really noticed in movies, is when it’s bad. 9 out of 10 times most people aren’t going to notice the fact that the entire background has been replaced in post, or what looks like a simple practical effect is actually entirely done in post with cgi. This is something that I also notice when people, even musicians, say that they hate autotune and that it’s so bad that they can hear it…and they prefer this singer that doesn’t use the effect or the live version without autotune. When in reality, pitch correction and autotune have been used live for decades now. And also, if you hear autotune, you’re supposed to be hearing it as it is an obvious FX not a “crutch”. Because Melodyne has been the go to for actual pitch correction for years, and the only way anyone would know is if they were actually in the studio with that singer.

[@LP-123]

Apple makes Logic and sells it for so little because it’s a strong vehicle to sell their computers. They have a stupidly good ad in place already!

[@XDJTXPDX]

The OG Design (Darker) is my vote. Pulls me in better with the contrast and color scheme

[@jloiben12]

Remember, the only thing that matters when recording music is the sound that comes out of the speakers. If it sounds the way you want it to then it is correct

[@Squidaniel]

4:41 this is definitely true on the major label/commercial side of things I was signed to a major label and this happened to our bassist and drummer. Time is money for these commercial producers and they don’t want to waste time so “your” bassist who might not be the best can nail his parts A big producer I worked with also told me that most bands you listen to are RARELY playing on their records. It’s a business mayne 😊

[@BrofUJu]

From what I've heard this was super true in the 80s and stuff. At least now you can edit things, lol.

[@AdamSliger]

Not gonna say I’ve never done it but at this point it’s quicker to just get the bones down and edit it to what it’s meant to be

[@miksteduzeltiriz]

Editing will be cheaper than getting a good player to play the parts. So its the band members but they're heavily doctored. If its really terrible, they get replaced with midi.

[@magicmark3309]

So most of the time from what I noticed among all the bands I’ve worked with, it’s not that the drummers and bassists are getting replaced in the studio just cause they can’t play their parts…usually, with most groups, the band actually consists of one main song writer who usually writes and ends up recording 90% of the instruments in the studio, and then either have session players to do drums/instruments they don’t main, or the drummer comes in after everything is written with sampled drums first and then lays down over it. So many “bands” are usually 1-2 guys, and then everyone else is more or less touring musicians, except to the audience.

[@Squidaniel]

@@magicmark3309 man I feel like it’s one of those situations where if it’s good enough to “put to tape” you do what you can to make it happen.

[@PsychedelicSerenade]

I love your takes, really solid advice for people starting out. I remember when I got my desktop and 3 soft synths didn't ruin my session anymore 😂

[@ChrisHallSaysHi]

After upgrading to the M1 Max 64gb and not having to deal with buffer issues is an incredible feeling. Now I don't want to quit every time I start recording and have more than a few instances of plugins! Also, I'd go with the 2nd cover.

[@TheCryptoCB]

Very high quality my friend. You deserve way more than 7K subs. Keep going. You will get there.

[@AdamSliger]

Appreciate ya!

[@adammariucci]

GREAT video man. Spot on.

[@stripedelicstudios]

Love your shirt! Great video

[@CreativeMindsAudio]

I freaking love that this channel exists! It bothers me how some channels come off along with how certain people receive those channels as like the word of god. I try to frame things less like that when i talk about music production. We are in a creative industry there are no rules! I think it's so important to experiment and know how your actions change the sound. aka moving a mic, changing attack/release settings, boosting eq, what different amps/cabs sound like, etc. Also I can't stand the 'gear doesn't matter' camp. it DOES matter. i've seen so many people be like don't waste your money on gear or plugins, just mix in headphones and use stock plugins 😂. like sure i guess i can get to my destination with that, i've done it in the past, but i can get there a whole lot faster using higher quality things. I also totally agree with the editing/tuning stuff. I usually do a lot of takes then comp the best ones, then do some doubles/harmonies if necessary and tune those to the good take. it's not about being 100% perfectly in tune, but just getting them to all sit well together. if you aren't rich you can't afford to be in the studio for a month to get the perfect takes. and that's more than just paying for the studio time, it's also paying your bills because an album needs to be released or you got a day job.

[@AdamSliger]

Thank you so much!!! Totally agree

[@carldubcats3385]

the second one is my favorite. As for gear, I love random internet banter, if the gear turns up at the right time and I have a good feeling about it then it is probably giving me the confidence to make it wok with my skill of making stuff work when I am confident. If everything is going bad then I am very confident that I can make expensive gear soon terrible but in reality it was just me having a bad day.

[@ZackSussmanMusic]

the thing about the computer is so true!! Absolute game changer, when I got a new computer I was able to increase the complexity of my live sets and songs so much, including way more tracks and effects and even mastering in the same project file, allowing me to push my mastering chain further while cleaning up the dirty spots.

[@EricJohnson-fh8zj]

I think the main point being made against GAS is mostly just pushback against the misguided assumption that having great gear will automatically make your records better (partly because the maketing departments of high end gear makers love when people believe that lol. Thats SALE$ baby!). It's just a healthy perspective to realize you can make really great recordings with just some affordable basics. A majority of the affordable gear that we have now is still better and more advanced than what was used to make countless hit records of the past. The truth is, if you can't get a good recording with a NT1a, you won't get one with a U87 either. Learn to use what you have well and grow your gear as you feel it's nessecary. Once you know more and really know what you are doing, you'll probably have already realized on your own that investing in expensive gear will only get you small incremental improvements compared to experience and knowledge...and you'll already have a more realistic expectation of the improvements those thousands of dollars you are spending will bring to your records. In short...its a good idea to wait untill you have the skills and mindset of a professional before investing many thousands$$ into the top professional grade gear.

[@kzustang]

The black book looks better IMO. Thanks for this video. Some great advice on this one!

[@dale116dot7]

I went a different way, went to a two inch and console, that got rid of all of my crashing, there is no latency, and I only bought maybe a couple of pieces of new gear in about eight or ten years, but it is pretty decent gear. The downside is that obviously editing is a bit of a pain in the backside. I like how you look at this in an unconventional way.

[@pauliusmscichauskas558]

The design on the left seems to fit your brand better. The design on the right reminds me of Noctua.

[@Projacked1]

Your book, as a designer-> I would pick the left version. It's more easy to read, and has more pop in the colors. It contrasts nicely. If not sure , pick another contrasting color with the same light intensity. (neon like) .The right version is 'bland' in comparison?

[@happyshadow]

From my experience the best thing to provide the mastering engineer with is the mix as you have it without your limiter + with your limiter.

[@StuartMealor]

Thanks Adam. Nice relaxed style, talking common sense, and thoughtful and balanced.

[@AdamSliger]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@raf5.132]

Really nice, easy-going video. Great insights.

[@AdamSliger]

Glad you liked it!

[@extremotionaltrouffas]

The first one is way better. I'm watching your videos. I find cosiderable wisdom and thought put behing all of them. I'd like to thank you. Just an amateur singer / songwriter / producer from Greece.

[@AdamSliger]

Appreciate it!!!

[@tomprowling1032]

white color scheme appeals to more pro users

[@AdamSliger]

Noted!

[@saphronsquares]

earth tone planner looks the best imo

[@HowiSpangler]

Yeah man, a good computer (spec’d out if you can afford it) is a wonderful thing. I’ve saved many hours and reduced stress by having a computer that can process quickly and not freak out with a lot of plugins and tracks

[@compucorder64]

A nice series that gives an insight into the mindset of busy productive producers is Music Tech's 'My Forever Studio' podcast. Where they bring in guest artists, producers and engineers, and ask them to specify their dream forever studio. It's location, a computer, a DAW an audio interface and 6 other items. As you describe in your first point, the guests on the whole are pretty adamant about a top of the line DAW. After that, it's usually instruments and mics they are fussy about. Interfaces, preamps, comps, EQs, tape, even effects aren't given as much importance.

[@safa1one]

I can't afford a U87 yet but I know it would make a big difference and probably maybe better acoustic treatment to my home studio :D

[@officialWWM]

That computer issue is absolutely huge! This is a great video. It’s my first time here and it won’t be my last! Also, if someone has a Neumann they don’t like, I’ll literally buy you a brand new NT1a to swap 😂

[@AdamSliger]

Haha I won’t be taking that deal, but thanks for watching!!

[@officialWWM]

@@AdamSliger worth a try 😂😂

[@tinyshadowmusic]

Yo, that Jimmy from Quiznos jamz! The second book cover looks OFC. Respect ⚡⚡

[@AdamSliger]

Thank you!

[@hristomintchev]

Both designs are cool not that it matters at all just my opinion but id remove the comas to make it smoother looking

[@HowiSpangler]

And yeah, on number 7. Use the tools at your disposal to get the result you want. I don’t have any reservations about doing whatever it takes to get the best sounds I can.

[@tommorton7211]

Really good video. First things first, I prefer the blue and orange book cover. Gray and burgundy looks like an academic journal. Spinlight Studio just posted a studio gear / home gear vocal comparison with the exact same conclusion, worse gear means more work and specifically more skilled work.

[@AdamSliger]

I’ll have to check that out

[@HarrowingShadows]

The dark cover looks friendly. The white looks more austere

[@IntrigueJunkie]

The last band I was 'in' (played bass with them for 4+ years) , turned round one day and said, "We've decided on the album tracks, we'd like you to record and produce it, plus we've written the basslines for you to play, so don't be creative, stick to the script. I promptly quit.

[@AdamSliger]

Yeahhhh I’d be out too lol

[@Pardeboy]

The white on red is my favorite I like the contrast between the dark red and off white tone of white of it great video as well

[@AdamSliger]

Thank you!

[@BeesWaxMinder]

I hear what you say but it's so difficult to find recommendations for what you should be looking for in a music computer these days… Well it is for me anyway!

[@AdamSliger]

I’ve been on the M2 Mac for a while and it hasn’t had a single hiccup

[@BeesWaxMinder]

@@AdamSliger thanks for your swift and knowledgeable reply but I'm kind of wedded to Windows to be honest Great videos by the way👍

[@gumbilicious1]

Computer recommendations rely heavily on what music you wanna make. How many inputs? How many virtual instruments and plug-ins? For most people a current Mac will do fine and last you a while. Get 16gb ram and an external drive and you are ready for most projects. For a windows machine, something within the last couple years is fine. No huge need for ddr5 ram, but it’s readily available so go for it. 16gb ram, but I’d go 32gb if I used a windows machine forever recording. Don’t really need a hype graphics card, could probably even use embedded graphics Unless you are recording orchestras (real or synthetic) or you’re making heavily layered tracks with lots of plug-ins and virtual instruments then these computers would serve you very well for about 5 years, then you’d reevaluate. My m1 Mac mini is slated for 7 years, I’d be surprised if I didn’t use it for 10 years

[@BeesWaxMinder]

@@gumbilicious1 thanks!

[@ADRIANO-MUSIC]

Hello Adam, the dark theme is great for me ! Thanks for the great video ! Best Regards!

[@AdamSliger]

Appreciate it!

[@tribbybueno]

saying gear doesnt matter has clearly never felt the magic of writing the lickiest of licks after getting a new amp or reverb. so much of music is inspiration, and so much of our inspiration is loving the sound as we're using it imo. good gear is crucial to consistently great songwriting imo

[@flakebelly]

I'm picking the pro studio and a tape machine, screw the computer! 😁

[@bradyszuhaj]

LETS GO SLIGER

[@VelvetSorrowmusic]

I totally agree, specially this days that everyone think they are experts.

[@nicktshredz]

I just built a PC, it's so badass. I can get so much work done now because it just goes so quick.

[@AdamSliger]

Heck yeah

[@legacyShredder1]

I saw this video's headline a couple days ago before it was published, and I had at least 20 different things in mind I was hoping you would touch on. There are loads of bad music, studio, mixing, and engineering advice being thrown around in videos. Anyhow, I'm going to watch the video and see what you spoke on.

[@AdamSliger]

Hope you enjoyed it!

[@legacyShredder1]

@@AdamSliger I did enjoy it. Well done. I loved your "get over it" attitude towards people being against certain tools and techniques.

[@AdamSliger]

Thank ya!

[@brandontadday6288]

I still use my iMac from late 2012 to produce music. I REALLY need to upgrade sometime in the next year or so.

[@AdamSliger]

Those iMacs were pretty slick though

[@DJDAVIDXJOVAN]

the first color is kinda like kursgezagt, the other is an old AKAI sampler

[@vadimmartynyuk]

Finally a new trend of KZbin tutorials

[@wearashirt]

Amateurs miss on the U87 until compression comes up and sibilance and brittleness torture their mixes 👻

[@Turtlpwr]

You and Meta Mind Music are both awesome

[@AdamSliger]

Thank you!!!

[@crazymonarch5795]

PSA steer away from laptops. Even MacBook Pros. The battery will be the weakest link in the end. Laptops can only power through the battery even when plugged in. Once your battery cycle count gets high enough (700+) your computer will be affected. Any computer without a battery will last 10x longer

[@judsonsnell]

You'd take a racehorse machine and headphones over a decked out, treated studio? Uhm, okay... I'll take the studio. (props for being a fellow Cubase user, tho)

[@AdamSliger]

If the computer won’t stop crashing then yeah lol

[@lemonpulpmusic]

Id pick the studio 100%

[@rishikbhardwaj.]

Everything you said is the truth of the truth....!!!!

[@DeformedDevices]

Blue cover. Looks more modern. The tan cover makes me feel like a dork made it

[@tasenova2717]

Learning more about science, I wonder if anything should be approached as "true" unless you can apply it to theory. that it could be proven to be true again later down the line, but the theory can be added on later. How it measures to everyone else's "chances" is not a theory and more so you hope something is certain but nothing is.

[@lowpack8792]

I mainly use my macbook Pro, still but run into cpu limits. I have a solid gaming pc, but I heard bad things about windows crashing sessions. Anybody use pcs for music production?

[@AdamSliger]

I have friends who do, I’ve been on Mac since the George Bush days so I don’t have much advice there

[@dannyv6655]

Omg the way you talk 🥱

[@AdamSliger]

1.5 is your friend

[@MrTomservo85]

I love this video because I feel like I already implement a lot of what was advised here, but I just don't tell clients what I'm doing. Because if they watched some bullshit video about what a 'real' mixing engineer is 'supposed' to do, I'm gonna get push back. Your snare sounds like ass, I layered in midi. That's why you sound amazing: because I made you sound the way you thought you sounded in your head. I captured your idea and materialized it. That's fkn witchcraft, and you should be grateful 😂 All seriousness though, we don't all have access to sound-treated, professionally designed rooms, or professionally trained musicians, but, if for $800 bucks I get a daw that makes it sound like I do, why wouldn't I use it??

[@andrewbetinsky5596]

In the middle of the video an add came on for Waves BB tubes Plugin. The first thing he says, is that it's a Game changer. I laughed

[@cbyrne2466]

You can make good music (not just beats) on a laptop with Ableton Live Lite (available for free) and PC speakers

[@jergervasi3331]

Great advice. And you have great taste in amps. LOL

[@AdamSliger]

Thanks!

[@jergervasi3331]

@@AdamSliger Are you the one with Delta & Dawn and James Pippin tracks posted on Sound Cloud?

[@AdamSliger]

Yup!

[@IntrigueJunkie]

Never judge a book by it's cover.

[@Fenilee]

Do the colorful cover

[@GdpJapan]

Honestly, I’m tired of all the “game-changing” advice and audio tips in those videos. I know what I’m doing, and I approach each song differently. The way I do things changes on a big-picture scale every now and then. That’s why I advise people not to watch too many KZbin videos. I might change the position of a condenser mic based on something as simple as how much booze the guy had the night before or if it’s too cold outside. I just watch music production videos on KZbin where people are talking, like yours. And I’m just tired. I won’t be able to tell you the “great” difference because my ears are tired. I’d rather go outside if it’s not raining too much. For Christ’s sake, I live in Japan! Going out for a walk never gets boring, and it’s safe 24/7. I don’t know what I’m talking about, but you get the idea. Oh, and about the book… I have protanopia, and I definitely think the one on the left looks better. Remember, around 1 out of 15 males are colorblind, and 1 out of 100 females. From my point of view, the one on the right is almost as good. There are no “buts” here. Just a gut feeling.

[@AndreSjoberg]

realistically very few monkeys own unicycles, and even the ones that do very seldom wants to be music producers since they are already unicyclists … ;) It’s kind of funny how the «gear doesn’t matter»-mantra lives in the same world as the 3:1 compressor setting example and replacement drummer example. Once information has been «passed on» several times and iterations all context is lost as to what the information relates to or what the larger picture was. It’s the same in the youtube space and camera space - context driven information that is whittled down into chewable chunks of useless info without context and a top down bøview of things by people chasing views and kudos.

[@constantinranis]

The thing is, to be able to record real drums and amps and make them sound good is quite the science, if you don't know what you are doing and you don't have the proper place to do it, amp sims and drum software will get you much better results especially if they will get mixed by a professional.

[@Durkhead]

Nobody records real drums anymore and if they do ther layered with samples

[@AdamSliger]

So true!

[@AdamSliger]

Depends on who “nobody” is, I still record live drums pretty often

[@Durkhead]

@@AdamSliger and you dont layer in samples?

[@AdamSliger]

Depends on the project, I’d say it’s about 50/50. But I do lots of singer songwriter stuff and I’m pretty serious about drum tuning

[@jerrywemhoff]

It's not about the price of the mic, it depends on what you're doing. BUT.... the more mics you have in your arsenal, the easier it will be to find the right mic for your sound source. If you can afford it, you should have a U87, C414, MD421, etc. Along with those expensive mics, you gotta have some SM57's or clones, grab some of the cheaper Audio Technicas, Lewitts, and MXLs (a used AT3525 should be a priority, they don't make them anymore and you can get them for about 90 bucks from some sellers). You can't go wrong with having a broad selection of microphones.

[@AdamSliger]

Oh for sure. I’ve just seen so many people say their $100 mic is just as good as any other mic and then their music doesn’t sound good at all lol. Then people who don’t know better buy mediocre gear and wonder why they can’t get a good sound

[@jerrywemhoff]

@@AdamSliger well, "good" or "better" are bullshit words the manufacturers use devoid of any context. Any time I hear folks say a piece of gear is "good" or "better" my instant response is "for what?"

[@AdamSliger]

I get what you mean but I think there’s a certain bar for gear being “good enough” to get a professional recording, with regards to being low self noise, having a decent frequency response, having a generally pleasant sound on most sources. I love using weird gear for fun sounds and experimenting with new sounds but at the same time there are certain mics that are going to be generally “better” for standard uses like a pop vocal or an acoustic guitar, at least in day to day studio use. The thing I don’t love is when folks say stuff like “all you need is *insert piece of gear* and that’s it to get a totally pro sound if you know what you’re doing” but they’re talking to people who obviously don’t know what they’re doing yet

[@jerrywemhoff]

@@AdamSliger yeah, that's pretty deceptive. There's no piece of gear that's gonna be a "one size fits all" and IF it did exist in this magical fantasy bizarro reality it wouldn't cost 100 bucks.

[@jerrywemhoff]

@@AdamSliger I will add to this with: the best solution to figure out how to do this is to LEARN how to do it, and KZbin is a terrible place for it. There are plenty of community colleges with highly reputable audio programs that'll teach you more than just how to use gear, but WHY you should use specific gear, how to keep your overhead low, how the science works from the physics of sound to acoustic design and how to work within your budget to get the work done. If you really love this shit, you'll know after one semester.

[@TraxtasyMedia]

To your first point: Look at deadmau5 for example he composed music on a laptop with speakers and managed to know his stuff, because he learned much stuff in a music studio he used to work in.

[@den-dudin-rock]

Speaking about computers. What if you already have one of the fastests setups possible, but your system still crashes and you have to freeze literally everything just to be able to hear. what you're working with?

[@AdamSliger]

Might be a setup issue or some ribbon cable somewhere is loose?

[@den-dudin-rock]

@@AdamSliger i don't think any cable can affect system load. In my case CPU load is almost 100 percent in such projects

[@AdamSliger]

I had a hard drive cable that went bad and that happened to me (don’t remember all the details since it was in like 2014), what DAW and computer are you using?

[@den-dudin-rock]

@@AdamSliger I'm using cubase and even my intel i9 14900k is struggling with my projects

[@AdamSliger]

Hard to say without giving it a look myself but I’d start in some cubase forums. I’m a pro tools guy day to day (despite what the background looks like lol, not my main studio)

[@peppepop]

#2 - Rick Beato interviews the best in the world, his mentioning of getting session musicians has to be put into perspective, you did that perfectly.

[@AdamSliger]

Thank you!

[@b.hornetiii.6771]

That's why I don't use computer to produce music (yes it's more than possible nowdays ...) , it's uninspiring, kills creativity, it's slow, boring and pain in the ... with 100001 options that paralyze you more than give you something that would be like a step forward in production ... I can do a half hour work outside comp. that would take days on a computer with inferior results regarding beat, excitement, so called X factor, combinations etc. ... But it's O.K. less competition for me. Use the computer, it's good, lots of options ... 😄😄I use it just for mastering and some "clean up work" ... So use it to the extend that helps you not paralyzes you. Not to mention selling solutions as a step forward when the program from 2002 has more features and it's better than stuff from 2024 etc. etc. It's a mess of disinformation and selling gimmicks.

[@AdamSliger]

I’d love to experiment with a DAW-less setup but that’s just become a rabbit hole for me lol

[@b.hornetiii.6771]

@@AdamSliger Yes, it takes years to be good at one "DAW-less" setup. I use Korg Kronos 2 as a core station than I plug in via optical and analog audio in external synths, mics etc. But when you master the core engine sequencer that has all 1001 things (effects, automation of 10 000 parameters at once if you want, everything is automated even the compressor settings you can change while the mix plays etc. it's crazy good) integrated into one unitary system with external options - it's game over speed of light faster system than any DAW. It takes at least a year for the muscle memmory and brain to master everything, but it's touch screeen combined with sliders and buttons and top notch operating sofware. This is just one example. You have other systems too like AKAI etc. It's limiting in a way, but not really because you have everything you need and more for making top notch mixes. If you need some external polishing of the vocals for example you can do it digitaly on computer and send it back if you want some others sounds you can sample it, record it in a seconds ... The speed is 90% of a creative work done great. When the brainstorming starts happening, you produce sounds and rhythm is seconds, the groove is there in 45 seconds or less fully armed with compressors. EQ si happening while you put sliders down, up. Try this with computer, mouse and DAW. It would take so much time, you're idea is out of the window: at least for me. I go nutts when I see those slow moves on comp. It's over before you start, not to mention that you do 99& of your work and fun on computer, so you don't even change positions doing other tasks which is another downner, because you brain is looking at the same screen when doing music, watching porn, playing video game or watching news. It's a creative suicide if you want to create really something special and out of this world. Maybe I'm wrong, this is just how it effects me.

[@brinepacer]

I'm more of a rise and relax kind of guy myself. Maybe rise and nap.

[@AdamSliger]

Rise and unrise

[@peppepop]

I'm keeping old gear so I can use old librarians and old interfaces 😅

[@AdamSliger]

Smart

[@MrTomservo85]

Oh okay, so on the one hand, gear does make a difference, but on the other hand, if you're a fkn warlock at mixing, no it doesn't?

[@AdamSliger]

That’s a fun way to put it haha but yeah in a way

[@gumbilicious1]

This is the contradicting advice you hear a lot My advice, start recording as early as you can with whatever you have available. As you learn more you’ll understand what extra tools can do for you so you will use them more effectively as you get them. At some point you’ll end up being a wizard that uses stuff mere mortals don’t understand, you’ll apply compression in subtle ways that satisfy you and confuse everyone else, and you’ll be able to jump on other people’s equipment and make it sound better than they ever could So equipment matters… and it doesn’t

[@poelogan]

This is just photography all over again smh.

[@AdamSliger]

To put it in photography terms The best photographers know a lot about composition, finding a great moment, snapping at the right time, getting the best angle etc and so on, and it’s a lot easier to practice that if you aren’t fighting with a camera that doesn’t have a good focus motor. But if that’s what you’ve got, don’t stop making images either.

[@MrTomservo85]

@@AdamSliger Right, but my point was that when someone does a mic review, like you gave in your example, they might get an incredible sound purely because of their skills and experience. You say this could be misleading because it could give the impression that anyone could achieve a great sound with the same low-grade gear. If a producer is good enough to mislead people by actually getting a really great sound out of cheap gear, that necessarily means that at some point, knowledge and experience will more than overcome any quality issues. So all things being equal, the gear didn't actually make a difference. It's not "if that's what you've got, you don't stop taking pictures", it's "keep taking award winning photos with a cheap camera". Ultimately I think it comes down to time. If I can make a $200 mic sound like a $4000 mic, but it takes me twenty times as long to fix it and mix it, any money I might be saving, I'm losing in time. And time is money.

[@DonnDeVoreMusic]

Singer: I don’t like the way this mic sounds on my voice Studio Engineer: I don’t like the way your voice sounds on my mic. That’s a C800 G. Never say that. 😂

[@AdamSliger]

😂😂

[@BenedictRoffMarsh]

The 10 Top Tipz n Trix vids by YooBoobers is probably the single worst thing that has happened to music (by making it non-music). DAWville is now more driven by fear (and all the gear obsession that goes with it) than actual music. Your drummer situation is a symptom of this credulousness. Yes, replacing drummers with a dude with a stronger groove is not uncommon. BUT to assume it will always happen, esp at Level 1 is fear. As for drum samples, if well handled the simplest samples can be made pretty vibrant. The fake sound is always a result of a poor composer and mix engineer. All of this is handleable, exactly as you say, by having a conversation with your Professional. YET the more the YooBoober phenomenon has grown, the less people have a real conversation. Go figure. Fearful people want to be lazy and become B&W so it is all this or all that. 100% Gear vs 100% Brain. It is hard to make a nice record with a USB Snowball vs an SM58 but if that is all there is, and it is well used, a workable result can be made so long as everyone adjusts and understands. I have done a whole record with one SM57 in a rough room and while it is a bit raw, for anyone who wants the songs, it is a great record of that songwriter over that week of his life. :-) and p.s. yes, it is more fun to compute ;-)

[@Durkhead]

Apparently andrew schepps has been layering the same drum samples on all his records for years

[@AdamSliger]

Many folks have been! Myself included

[@yurikalashnikov2460]

I don’t know why you wouldn’t

[@AdamSliger]

Sometimes you nail it in the session

[@Durkhead]

He made the samples with plugins its actually kind of neat and he used the exact same ones on almost all the records he mixed

[@Moshington]

Naw potato forever

[@jj4l]

Seems to me that everyone is finally sick of these types of videos within any sphere, let alone the music space. Loads of these response videos against these types of videos are popping up to protect people engaged in creative arts, especially beginners.

[@Kevhuman]

More likely you will get your drumming quantised and replaced by a software instrument

[@AdamSliger]

Quantized probably, fully replaced not typically? Otherwise why go through the hassle of setting up in the first place

[@Kevhuman]

@@AdamSliger not talking every sound but sometimes they will replace, for example the snare if it sounds terrible

[@AdamSliger]

Yeah true haha but I’d rather not record a terrible snare

[@shanehen]

Yes, gear matters. But does BRAND of gear matter? There is a such thing as gear snobbery. And do songs matter? Listen to Robert Johnson's King of the Delta Blues Singers to prove that songs and performances matter WAY more than production.

[@AdamSliger]

Brand doesn’t matter but there’s a difference in the effort and knowledge it takes to get a top quality sound out of “subpar” gear, wherever you draw the line for that

[@TRVladdy]

The plastic surgery one could be called the "Autotune Paradox" since it's in a fitting context. These days, everyone uses some kind of pitch correction. If you can tell that someone has been using autotune, the artist 100% used it as a stylistic choice with no intentions of hiding it. Yet those artists usually get critiqued while others with much more editing done to their voice won't get hate at all. While teaching a lesson on autotune, I got asked how common autotune is these days and if the band BTS uses it as well. She had a small crisis after, haha. (Btw, I'm using the word "autotune" as an overall term for pitch correction as a whole here. Most of the time, vocals will actually be manually pitchcorrected)

[@AdamSliger]

I do like this

[@GingerDrums]

Neither colour design is optimal. The first is a little bit of a school-book look, and the second looks a bit sterile. Keep hunting imo!

[@Harrysound]

This is a strange video for me. On one hand you have a tache and the worst t shirt I’ve ever seen but on the other you’re using the correct DAW (Cubase) and you have an amazing taste in Amps. Particularly the MT15. 5153 and a 1959SLP would be my picks though

[@AdamSliger]

Plot twist not my desk

[@Harrysound]

@@AdamSligerstolen valour!

[@AdamSliger]

😂😂

[@JoeyXcv]

computer point was great but you care wayy too much about gear

[@AdamSliger]

In my day to day life I don’t really lol but it’s like 90% of production discourse on youtube

[@GneissVibe]

Plastic surgery = 80/20 rule

[@ThisGuyDude]

This video is so not representative of reality. It seems to represent just KZbin land and influencers and also especially only represent those that are heavily in the box. In fact there are several forums that are exclusively dedicated do building and reviewing and guiding folks on music computers. Also, if you're not in the box using computer intensive digital plugins then your requirements for a computer are very different then they are for somebody who is nearly exclusively plugins. This video would have been much better if you've given it the proper context, scope and focus rather than painting all production with the same brush. Choosing a good computer and a pair of headphones over a world-class studio that has a computer which consistently crashes? What a ludicrous binary choice that exists nowhere in the known universe. Those world-class studios, and even much lesser studios have computers that suit their need. In many cases that need is not to run a lot of compute intensive digital in the box plugins. Your advice here is not relevant except for at home studio music producers dependent on plugins.

[@AdamSliger]

That’s why I called it “de-influencing” it’s specifically a video about KZbin land and influencers friend

[@AdamSliger]

And this is a video aimed at beginners and intermediate producers who are mostly learning from people on KZbin, of which 99.% of them are going to be working ITB. Obviously if you have an entire analogue setup in a world class studio already then you probably know all of this stuff already haha

[@ThisGuyDude]

@@AdamSliger thanks for the clarification. I would have been able to appreciate the video better if it had been stated as such at the outset.