Plugin Music School: What made you decide on signing up for lessons at Plugin Music? Did you have any goals in mind?

Vel C.: Once I started out, I was very unsure if I was on the right path, like every other beginner. I was looking for feedback and stumbled upon a Reddit post recommending Plugin Music School as a good place to seek feedback from. So I reached out and met Michal, the founder. I had absolutely no goals in mind, it was more in the lines of “Am I on the right track and should I continue doing this?”. Obviously, I continued.

PMS: Could you share a few tips for beginning producers?

Vel C.: Number #1: Don’t skip steps

There’s an old Serbian saying in the lines of Taking the short path seems faster, but taking the longer path somewhat turns out shorter. Skipping foundation will severely debilitate your progress and become an obstacle for your creativity to break through. Considering I have been into science all my life, I have literally started with physics – what is a wave, amplitude, oscillator, etc. Then what is the signal, where it travels, how it’s processed, and what the outcomes are. I highly recommend learning the purpose of processing, rather than just blindly process because someone on YouTube said so.

Number #2: Filter out and show scepticism

In a world where we are bombarded by information, it’s really important to filter out and be skeptical. Do not trust every source of information. A lot of information out there is faulty. I don’t consider myself an expert, but if I need to add 10 processing plugins on a sample to make it sound good, it feels like polishing… mud. Drop that. In life, I like the less is more approach, or as we would say in business fit-for-purpose. Every time you do something in music production ask yourself Why am I doing this? If you can’t answer that, don’t do it. Explore. This is where we go back to the first step, as it is extremely important to understand the purpose of every step you do. Otherwise, you are prone to unintentional errors.

For beginners, I would recommend learning the concepts of spectrum, dynamic range, and stereo image before trying to do EQ, compression, etc. Again – understand the purpose, then deploy. Do not deploy solutions you don’t understand. Start with basic concepts, then expand. Can’t expand something that is not yet materialised. Critical thinking is your biggest asset that you should keep on developing.

Number #3: Find your formula

The sooner you figure out your formula, the better. As you deconstruct your favourite tracks, you learn about elements you like. Take notes of those. Think about what is the sound you want and try to think of what you need to learn to achieve it. Once you establish a formula, learn to cover most aspects of your musical style. For example, from the beginning I knew I wanted clean production like Alignment, with the Reese bass and harmonics and melodies of Klangkuenstler. Therefore, I have focused on learning the elements I need to create a track combining all those elements. Formula will keep your learning focused. For example, I have no clue how to create hardcore kicks myself, but I never used them so far anyway. Doesn’t mean I won’t learn though. That gets us to Number #4.

Number #4: Prioritise

While I recommend the thorough learning approach above, in order to keep yourself motivated, it’s okay to prioritise. Creating gives satisfaction. I have dedicated most of my attention to aspects I need the most in my genre. For example, I currently struggle with textures because I haven’t used them much or I relied on samples. So it is fine if you don’t know how to do something, as long as you can create a track without that element. You need to create to stay motivated. So it’s about a fine balance of learning and creating. Optimise your learning process to learn what you need the most first, and what creates the most impact. For example, I would always recommend a beginner to start learning how to manage low ends and leads, then drums, then everything else. Of course, this can vary genre by genre.

Number #5: Start a black book

When I used to train street dance, we used to have these black books. That’s where you would take notes of your power moves, so as you freestyle you always have a move in your back pocket during your performance. So essentially, I transferred the same approach to my learning. As I have learned, I have created numerous copies until I figured out how I want my knowledge to be organised. This comes along together as you are figuring out your formula. As I have limited my sources of information to 3 YouTube channels I found credible, I have created my black book into 3 major sections 1) songwriting 2) DAW plugins and their purpose, what each knob does etc. 3) sections for each element in my formula (i.e. kick, rumble, Reese bass, rolling bass, reverse bass, acid lead, trance lead, drum tops); each section started with sound design, then mixing.  The black book serves as a process checklist. How many times have I forgotten to turn off phase randomisation on my rolling bass, which is essential to make it sound good… but opening the black book ensures I am not missing anything or that I have considered everything.

Number #6: Don’t skip music theory

This comes as essential in allowing you to express your creativity. Music is supposed to invoke emotions, and as an aspiring producer and songwriter, you should know which notes and chords lead to certain emotions. Is the phrase a question or a response? You can be the best sound designer, create stunning leads, but if your melody is not good enough, it won’t stick to the ear of the listener. I am not telling you to become a classic music composer, but do learn about range, contour, and different scales. For example, when I wrote Boo I started it out in A minor. Standard key for techno. When I transposed the melody to A minor harmonic, it became 10x spookier. Pink Glasses sounded sad in B minor. Once it was written in B minor dorian, it became hopeful, and I wanted it to be hopeful because that’s the key message of the song. When I wrote Gymbro, I wrote it in G minor and used G minor Phrygian to make it darker. Theory is powerful if you understand it. Not to mention it speeds up the process of idea materialisation because you know where your melody should go, which notes it should reach to raise a question, and where it should resolve.

PMS: How do you find a good balance between music and career/studies/family/friends?

Vel C.: I work in clinical research strategy. Music is a creative outburst I have sincerely missed since my college life, when I had to prioritise my pharmacy studies and give up on street dance due to a tough college schedule. Sacrifices were made to ensure stability and security. I don’t want to neglect the fact that my career has been instrumental in allowing me to afford to learn. This can be a limiting factor to many producers out there. While that was a good decision in general, it leads to the response to finding balance. It’s tough, but it is possible if you want to do so. I am generally well organised and don’t dwell over things I can’t solve. It’s all about time management. And you can always find time. Don’t watch Netflix, watch tutorials. Pick out things you can live without and choose things that keep you motivated instead. 

True friends will always be there, even if you don’t see them over the weekend because you are stuck at home making music. They will understand. I have received tremendous support from my closest friends in following my passion for music, they even tag along during travels and have provided tremendous support during my first release a few days ago. My cover art was designed by one of my best rave friends. My socials are supported by a friend too. So essentially, some of them have decided to be part of this journey, which makes it much easier to create a balance. Family has always been supportive too. I have recently recorded a set in a factory, and my father has been the MVP in securing the venue, organising the transport etc. And he is 65. So essentially, it is all about energy and motivation. If he can do all this with arthritis and spondylosis, so can you at 21. 

All in all, it is possible. Those who say it’s not didn’t try hard enough.

PMS: What keeps you motivated?

Vel C.: Telling stories. Making an impact. Driving change.

PMS: What is next for Vel C.?

Vel C.: I know what the plans are. But does anyone truly know? Anyhow, my plan is to further optimise my production process, close the gaps I need to close, improve the unpredictability of my tracks, and make them even more catchy. Technically, I was fairly limited in the way I built my arrangements. So I want to change that for sure. 

Through satire, I have explored and voiced so many of my personal struggles – like the body image struggles in Gymbro. Interestingly enough, all topics on Satire are topics I have discussed with my therapist. So probably you will hear more therapy through my tracks – who knows. I already have a sequel to Corporate. The lyrics are there, the melody is there, the album art concept is there. So potentially that will come to fruition first. Another track is also waiting in Ableton which will describe what I think is the feature that should be more prominent in people, that I see less and less in my environment and that makes me sad. Related to a body part. Again, lyrics are there, melody is there, album art concept is there… 

But the overall goal is – consistent releasing and promotion. So hoping you get to see one of these tracks in January/February. On the other hand, I’d like to start performing. So Vel C. will most likely get more engaged with the community so he can be heard by the audience!

Conclusion

Vel C. story highlights the importance of a strong foundation and understanding of all the principles commonly used in your genre, as well as a purposeful approach to both the technical and creative aspects of music production. The balance between music and life may be challenging, but as Vel C. shows, with time management, support from loved ones, and an unwavering commitment to one’s passion, it is absolutely achievable. With an open vision and a drive to keep improving, Vel C.’s future in music looks bright, and his message resonates: success in music, as in life, is about constant growth, resilience, and sharing stories that matter. Thanks to individual and tailored lessons with Plugin Music as well as hours of feedback from Michal, Vel C. has grown confident about his music and is on a mission to share it with the world.

We hope these tips inspire you to create better music and avoid getting stuck along the way. If you do hit a roadblock, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’re here to help you finish professional-sounding tracks and achieve your music production goals!

In one power-packed session, you’ll learn everything you need to know about crafting electronic music. We’re talking basics, genre exploration, studio tricks, making money from your passion, and even live performance tips. It’s a crash course that’ll level you up in your music career.

Our way of work is question and answer oriented. Be sure to come with a bunch of questions related to your music needs.
What if we do not cover it all? Stay in touch, we will guide you towards your goals. Also after the workshop.

Details

🌟 Date: 19-10-2023

🏢 Venue: Londam Studio, Ottho Heldringstraat 25, 1066 XT Amsterdam, Netherlands

📍 Google maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/fmLjTamQM7onxdLNA

🕖 Start: 15:00

📆 Event during Amsterdam Dance Event

Program

15:00 – 17:00 (THE Workshop)

17:00 – 22:00 (Party & Tacos)