#productiondiary — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #productiondiary, aggregated by home.social.
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Livestream today at 12:30 pm PDT (Pacific/California/LA time) via YouTube! I'll be covering the "how it's made" for "A Journey With the Plant Spirits" from my recent album:
https://etherdiver.bandcamp.com/album/the-mechanics-of-mysticism
See you at my YouTube channel!
https://www.youtube.com/@etherdiverThe video will be available after as VOD on my YouTube channel. Here's the link to the previous one, which covered "A Hidden Room in My Mind Palace," the first track off of the album: https://www.youtube.com/live/vKGpSEXprS0
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This coming Wednesday, September 3 at 12:30 PDT I'll be streaming a "how it's made" for this track from my recent album:
https://etherdiver.bandcamp.com/track/a-journey-with-the-plant-spirits
You can follow me over there so you won't miss it: https://www.youtube.com/@etherdiver
It'll also be available as a VOD
#musodon #LiveStream #TheMechanicsOfMysticism #ProductionDiary
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Did you miss my stream yesterday? Well, it lives on as VOD, which I have embedded on my website (because why drive traffic to YouTube when I can drive it to myself?). Catch up on the making of "A Hidden Room in My Mind Palace" from my recent album:
https://www.etherdiver.com/2025/08/28/production-diary-mom-a-hidden-room-video-breakdown/
#ProductionDiary #HowItsMade #MusicProduction #TheMechanicsOfMysticism #music
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@ashnoodle Interesting. I am not sure there are notes on there regarding PGS. I *did* do a series of extensive threads here on Mastodon that I intend to make into a page over there, but I haven't gotten to it.
The best way to find it is to search the #PsychedelicGhostStories hashtag here and then scroll down until you find the posts also tagged with #ProductionDiary -- sadly, afaik, there's no way to limit the search to posts that have both.
I will make a page at some point, just haven't yet.
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Just published a new production diary for The Mechanics of Mysticism! Go read it:
https://www.etherdiver.com/2024/07/22/production-diary-mom-progress-in-3-oblique-strategies/
(Or TL;DR is I will complete production on July 31 and move on to mixing, but there's a lot more to it for the curious.)
#ProductionDiary #TheMechanicsOfMysticism #ProgressReport #Music #MusicProduction
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If you're up in the middle of the night (or it's early where you are) and looking for something to read, here's a brand new production diary on my latest completed phase of production for The Mechanics of Mysticism: instrument days!
https://www.etherdiver.com/2024/06/16/production-diary-instrument-days-for-mechanics-of-mysticism/
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Well, my *incredibly* long-winded production diary covering the completion of writing on my next album is done. If you want way too much info on why it took me so damn long to finish writing this batch of tracks, it's here:
https://www.etherdiver.com/2024/06/06/production-diary-mom-writing-is-done/
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Here's an update on my upcoming album The Mechanics of Mysticism, wherein I discuss why it's taken me more than a year, where I'm at and some of what's left before it's finished.
https://www.etherdiver.com/2024/05/22/production-diary-mechanics-of-mysticism-progress-report/
#ProductionDiary #TheMechanicsOfMysticism #music #MusicProduction
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Last night I loaded up a track, and instead of playing it a few times, making a few notes and then staring into the abyss waiting for inspiration, I just got cracking on it. In the course of three or four hours I added a new section, implemented a new harmonic idea I've wanted to explore in that section, added a couple layers of percussion to the whole track, and did a bunch of cleanup/organizing on it to get it ready to do the final production push.
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Haven't had a #production update for the Mechanics of Mysticism in a while... because I haven't had much to report. It's been a period of mostly laying fallow, thinking about the tracks and occasionally poking at them with a stick while saying "c'mon, do something" and doing nothing...
But NOW! Now we're cooking again! A couple of months of mostly being distant and working on other stuff musically had broken something loose at last, and we're once again cooking with gas!
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I've considered posting some of the early jams on SoundCloud or something... The final tracks won't sound*too* much like the early versions, but maybe folks are interested? I don't know, LMK what y'all think.
I'm also thinking I might do another EP release, or even a longer album length release, of some droney improvisations based around Strega + Terra ... So if *that* sounds appealing, LMK.
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Right now, it has a weirdly jam-band vibe-- at least to me-- as I'm exploring some concepts of thru composition and layering performances inside the arrangements. But I've also been removing stuff almost as fast as I add it, so who knows where we'll end up?
The important thing, to me, is that I still feel like I'm making progress even tho my original plan completely fell apart.
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Progress has been slow, but I am chipping away at it, bit by bit. It's definitely going to be recognizable as a follow-up to #PsychedelicGhostStories but it's going to be a pretty significant departure at the same time -- more exploration and emphasis on harmonic structures, and I'm attempting to use space a little more effectively on my arrangements -- it doesn't have to be so *dense* all the time!
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New album update!
First off, the "bad" news: it's not going to be out in October/in time for Halloween. For the few of you who were hoping to hear it by then, sorry!
Second, it has an official name (though if it takes long enough to come out, even that could change LOL). It will be called The Mechanics of Mysticism.
Currently working on 13 tracks, but it could always shrink, or could even expand a tiny bit.
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New video! This time, it's a studio tour covering the core elements of my studio that I'm using in my writing/recording phase for the new album! I talk a little about the gear and a little about the process. Enjoy!
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Time for a quick #ProductionDiary Update! I'm basically back in #PreProduction, or more accurately in a hybrid preproduction/writing phase. Set up another jam last night and it was really flowing, sounded great. Going to do another performance of it tonight, then start another new one ... Finally feels like progress instead of treading water.
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New album #ProductionDiary! After an untoward amount of time spent futzing with the second track, I finally set it aside earlier this week, then spent a couple days or so working out a way to move forward.
I landed on setting up and recording some jams, with the intention of slicing them up and building tracks out of/on top of them. After a day's worth of setup and troubleshooting, I came up with this:
#NewMusic #WorkInProgress #modular #Strega #NewAlbum #Jam #Synth
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First track is finished with phase one (basically written/"demoed" but it's not a demo, because I'll use most/all of what I've recorded so far in the final track, building on what's there).
Now it feels real. Vibe will start to reveal itself soon.
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@LukeAymon Firstly, thanks for checking it out and the kind words!
On PGS, it's something like 60% modular sounds overall, with some tracks being as high as 100% (minus a bit of compression/EQ and other mixing/mastering tricks). I actually did an extensive production diary here, including track-by-track breakdowns. You can find those by searching #PsychedelicGhostStories and #ProductionDiary.
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Otherwise, I think that is it. As always I could have used a few more days/weeks/months in any phase to do just a bit more, but I am happy with it as a document of where I am at as a creator at this point in time. I'm still happy to promote it as representative of my best efforts for the moment...and ready to start on something new. This time I think I might try to do some #ProductionDiary stuff as it happens. Until then!
https://etherdiver.bandcamp.com/album/psychedelic-ghost-stories
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My favorite song? Well, like picking a favorite child but unlike that situation, no one's feelings are gonna be hurt so... I'd say "Psychedelic Ghost Story" overall but it's close! "The Mystic Swims..." is very close for me and there's nothing I don't like.
But I guess "Dream Vessels on the River of Time" works the least well for me in hindsight.
#PsychedelicGhostStories #ProductionDiary #PostMortem
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And the #MPC of course... 85% of the effects on the album are from the MPC. I used a bunch of its plugin synths. Its #workflow and capabilities shaped the album from beginning to end. And unlike #Ableton, which is an incredible program, I am able to get into true #flowstates with the MPC.
#PsychedelicGhostStories #ProductionDiary #PostMortem #Songwriting #MakingMusic #Production #MusicProduction #HomeRecording #HowItsMade
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The #MicroFreak was both a driver of the album's sound ("New Machine Gods" wouldn't be remotely the same without it) and a shockingly flexible chameleon when needed (it's everywhere -- bass, drums, leads, pads, fx, frigging VOCALS!). Wouldn't trade it for the world. Love that thing.
#PsychedelicGhostStories #ProductionDiary #PostMortem
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So, in the way of TV crews who want to push their narrative of a star quarterback leading the team to victory while acknowledging the boring old defense kept the other team from scoring *probably* had something to do with it, I am naming the #MicroFreak and #MPC co-MVPs.
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Real quick, here's a couple last things and I am done. I was thinking of what the #MVP of the process was and my first instinct was to say the #MicroFreak since that little synth is on nearly every track but then it occurred to me that the #MPCOne that the whole thing was created within was probably the real answer. ...
#PsychedelicGhostStories #ProductionDiary #PostMortem
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Real quick, here's a couple last things and I am done. I was thinking of what the #MVP of the process was and my first instinct was to say the #MicroFreak since that little synth is on nearly every track but then it occurred to me that the #MPCOne that the whole thing was created within was probably the real answer. ...
#PsychedelicGhostStories #ProductionDiary #PostMortem
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Real quick, here's a couple last things and I am done. I was thinking of what the #MVP of the process was and my first instinct was to say the #MicroFreak since that little synth is on nearly every track but then it occurred to me that the #MPCOne that the whole thing was created within was probably the real answer. ...
#PsychedelicGhostStories #ProductionDiary #PostMortem
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Real quick, here's a couple last things and I am done. I was thinking of what the #MVP of the process was and my first instinct was to say the #MicroFreak since that little synth is on nearly every track but then it occurred to me that the #MPCOne that the whole thing was created within was probably the real answer. ...
#PsychedelicGhostStories #ProductionDiary #PostMortem
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In terms of #production process, I really feel like I made a breakthrough with the #MPC platform as a whole, and I am looking to building on that with my next release. On the other hand, there were a LOT of things I didn't get to try that I had on my wishlist this time around -- using more of my external effects, reamping, more use of guitar/bass, deeper layering/more nuanced productions... the list goes on, but that is why we keep making albums.
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My explicit goals of integrating my weird stuff (an ongoing goal, always LMAO) and improving my rhythm programming skills both went well... but maybe at the expense of some of the progress I had made melodically and harmonically on the last one. (It's a thing several people have mentioned.) I'm good with that, but it's definitely something I will look to address in the next one.
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I think the #songwriting on the album is overall good, but a mixed bag in terms of "progress" (such an elusive thing to pin down). I achieved a lot of my goals -- improving and formalizing my production process, continued effort and progress toward mastering the #MPC platform, making it sound better than the last one, learning to mix at least a bit, etc.
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It's just as important that people like it and find it progress since the last and that's harder to measure... but I'll just say that a few friends and people who matter have basically told me what I need to hear, so I feel good about that too. The #Bandcamp reviews have been great, and overall people say things I like to hear, so that's great. Haven't got any blog/print/podcast coverage yet, but maybe soon.
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By both those measure, #PsychedelicGhostStories has been a rousing success. IN the two months since its release, it has equalled the number of streams and listeners of my previous album, and slightly outpaced it in terms of sales. To make it explicit: the album beat a year of its predecessor in every regard in just two months. So, yeah, mission accomplished there.
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Here it is, my final #PsychedelicGhostStories #ProductionDiary! Time for the post mortem, where I look back over the whole thing. This should be quick, I think? Guess we will see.
I spent five months on the album, more or less, including all the pre and post production. That was about a month or so longer than planned but it was worth the extra time.
LINK: https://etherdiver.bandcamp.com/album/psychedelic-ghost-stories
#MusicProduction #Workflow #HomeRecording #HowItsMade
#EtherDiver #MyAlbum #PostMortem -
And that is it, the tale of making the album! One more thread incoming, a post mortem looking back at everything two months (ish) after release... then it's time to start on the next album!
#PsychedelicGhostStories #ProductionDiary
#MusicProduction #Workflow #HomeRecording #HowItsMade
#EtherDiver #MyAlbum -
And I actually kept my first mastering pas! It wasn't perfect but I was frankly exhausted and more than ready to be done. I was concerned I was going to start making things worse if I kept at it, so I released it! (Art is never finished, merely abandoned.)
#PsychedelicGhostStories #ProductionDiary
#MusicProduction #Workflow #HomeRecording #HowItsMade
#EtherDiver #MyAlbum #Mastering -
Once I had some mixes I was more or less comfortable with (and I definitely have things on every track I would go back and tweak... but it was time to let them go) I transitioned to #mastering. And if #mixing felt like occult science, mastering was the purest of dark arts, just complete black magic.
#PsychedelicGhostStories #ProductionDiary
#MusicProduction #Workflow #HomeRecording #HowItsMade
#EtherDiver #MyAlbum #Mastering -
Side note: Jesus did I realize what I mess I am when composing while trying to mix! I am going to try to be more organized in the future (like, for example, not putting a bunch of foley into a drum track just because I have some open pads on the drum program) to save myself some trouble...
#PsychedelicGhostStories #ProductionDiary
#MusicProduction #Workflow #HomeRecording #HowItsMade
#EtherDiver #MyAlbum #Mixing -
I finished up my mixes around Jan 23-24, somewhere in there. It was basically two full drafts. Did a mix of everything, did some test listens, then a round of edits and revisions, then more test listens. Then I was ready to master!
#PsychedelicGhostStories #ProductionDiary
#MusicProduction #Workflow #HomeRecording #HowItsMade
#EtherDiver #MyAlbum #Mixing -
Point 2 was a reminder not to get distracted trying to figure out a bunch of whizbang shiny bullshit that may or may not actually help. On the #MPC platform (all mixed and #mastered inside the #MPCOne) there's less of this than on a proper DAW, but there's still a bunch of different stuff -- exciters, limiters, different EQs, etc -- that ostensibly *could* help...if you knew WTF it was.
#PsychedelicGhostStories #ProductionDiary
#MakingMusic #MusicProduction #Workflow #HomeRecording #mixing
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Point 2 was a reminder not to get distracted trying to figure out a bunch of whizbang shiny bullshit that may or may not actually help. On the #MPC platform (all mixed and #mastered inside the #MPCOne) there's less of this than on a proper DAW, but there's still a bunch of different stuff -- exciters, limiters, different EQs, etc -- that ostensibly *could* help...if you knew WTF it was.
#PsychedelicGhostStories #ProductionDiary
#MakingMusic #MusicProduction #Workflow #HomeRecording #mixing
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Point 2 was a reminder not to get distracted trying to figure out a bunch of whizbang shiny bullshit that may or may not actually help. On the #MPC platform (all mixed and #mastered inside the #MPCOne) there's less of this than on a proper DAW, but there's still a bunch of different stuff -- exciters, limiters, different EQs, etc -- that ostensibly *could* help...if you knew WTF it was.
#PsychedelicGhostStories #ProductionDiary
#MakingMusic #MusicProduction #Workflow #HomeRecording #mixing
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Point 2 was a reminder not to get distracted trying to figure out a bunch of whizbang shiny bullshit that may or may not actually help. On the #MPC platform (all mixed and #mastered inside the #MPCOne) there's less of this than on a proper DAW, but there's still a bunch of different stuff -- exciters, limiters, different EQs, etc -- that ostensibly *could* help...if you knew WTF it was.
#PsychedelicGhostStories #ProductionDiary
#MakingMusic #MusicProduction #Workflow #HomeRecording #mixing
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Point 2 was a reminder not to get distracted trying to figure out a bunch of whizbang shiny bullshit that may or may not actually help. On the #MPC platform (all mixed and #mastered inside the #MPCOne) there's less of this than on a proper DAW, but there's still a bunch of different stuff -- exciters, limiters, different EQs, etc -- that ostensibly *could* help...if you knew WTF it was.
#PsychedelicGhostStories #ProductionDiary
#MakingMusic #MusicProduction #Workflow #HomeRecording #mixing
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Seems obvious... hell, it *is* obvious, but it hadn't occurred to me until I heard it in one of my half ignored mixing tutorials and then it was like OH DUH. Anyway, that was the main key to me getting this done. Just knowing where to start and a rough plan to follow was like, 90% of the battle.
#PsychedelicGhostStories #ProductionDiary
#MusicProduction #Workflow #HomeRecording #HowItsMade
#EtherDiver #MyAlbum #Mixing -
1) determine the most important element(s) of the song; mix to those. 2) Stick to tools and processes you understand* 3) always trust what your ears are telling you, even if it contradicts what you've heard as the "right way" to do something.
#PsychedelicGhostStories #ProductionDiary
#MusicProduction #Workflow #HomeRecording #HowItsMade
#EtherDiver #MyAlbum -
I almost forgot I have to do a #PsychedelicGhostStories #ProductionDiary entry for...#mixing and #mastering! Not the sexiest or most exciting part of putting out an album, but a pretty gods damned important one.
Here's the link, judge my mix and master: https://etherdiver.bandcamp.com/album/psychedelic-ghost-stories
#MusicProduction #Workflow #HomeRecording #HowItsMade
#EtherDiver #MyAlbum -
Soundwise it's just #Benjolin and #reverb (possibly some delay but I honestly do not recall for sure; would have been #Morphagene). Reverb was #DesmodusVersio from #NoiseEngineering. I don't think I even did much self patching of the Benjolin, I was just playing the knobs and having fun. I love that thing.
#PsychedelicGhostStories #ProductionDiary
#improv #modular #music
#MusicProduction #Workflow #HomeRecording #HowItsMade -
Soundwise it's just #Benjolin and #reverb (possibly some delay but I honestly do not recall for sure; would have been #Morphagene). Reverb was #DesmodusVersio from #NoiseEngineering. I don't think I even did much self patching of the Benjolin, I was just playing the knobs and having fun. I love that thing.
#PsychedelicGhostStories #ProductionDiary
#improv #modular #music
#MusicProduction #Workflow #HomeRecording #HowItsMade -
Soundwise it's just #Benjolin and #reverb (possibly some delay but I honestly do not recall for sure; would have been #Morphagene). Reverb was #DesmodusVersio from #NoiseEngineering. I don't think I even did much self patching of the Benjolin, I was just playing the knobs and having fun. I love that thing.
#PsychedelicGhostStories #ProductionDiary
#improv #modular #music
#MusicProduction #Workflow #HomeRecording #HowItsMade