10 Principles Every Producer Must Know To Achieve The Pro Sound

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This Manifesto is actually a list of things I’ve been dwelling on and thinking about in various ways for the best part of a year. It began with asking the question, “What Is That Pro Sound, Really?”

What Is That “Pro Sound”?

“Hell, there are no rules here – we’re trying to accomplish something.”

–Thomas A. Edison

What do you think of when you think of the “Pro Sound”? I’m fairly sure we each have different ideas about it – but this is the point. My impression is there are no definitive rules to music and audio production. Sure, certain practices and techniques have become standard over the years, and there are some aspects of the recording and producing processes that are almost always done the same way by everybody, regardless of style or genre, because they really work.

But here, I want to go deeper than techniques or particular equipment for a second. I want to know on what criteria we can compare the pristine recording of a symphony orchestra in a state-of-the-art studio, with dozens of microphones, a huge mixing desk and an entire team of technicians, with a gritty electronic hit record produced by a teenager, alone in her bedroom, on her home PC. They are both examples of the “Pro Sound”. So what are the underlying similarities?

“Rules are not necessarily sacred, principles are.”

— Franklin D.Roosevelt

No Rules… But Principles Are Useful

Let’s look beneath the surface differences of these, or any other musical styles, and see how an understanding of the fundamental principles of music recording and production are surprisingly universal. After a lot of thought, here I’ve brought you a distilled dose of that universal, “secret” Pro Sound elixir. Guaranteed to make you live longer!

If you’re a beginner to intermediate-level producer, armed with these principles, a few key technical skills (more on this further down) and some decent “flying time” under your belt, you should notice a significant improvement in the quality and focus of your own productions, and be well on your way to getting that coveted but elusive Pro Sound.

And if you’re a seasoned Pro already, I hope this list will still give you some inspiration and food for thought. I feel you can never hear or read these principles too many times.

1. Less Is More

bruce lee

“The height of cultivation runs to simplicity.”

— Bruce Lee

Often, when we talk about optimizing, we’re not talking about adding more to make something better. We’re actually referring to removing stuff: streamlining and simplifying. The Pro Sound is not about building up huge numbers of competing sounds within a track to make it sound “full”. Use fewer, better elements.

Nor is it about using workflows and methods so complex you spend more time maintaining, updating and unpicking problems in your system than you do actually using it for it’s primary purpose.

The Pro Sound, and the processes used to achieve it, are about using combinations of relatively simple tools and techniques to optimum effect. In terms of training, it’s also about breaking things down into systematic bite-size pieces so you suffer less from overwhelm trying to learn everything at once, and develop a rock-solid understanding of the key fundamentals.

This applies equally to setting up your studio environment, your software, plugin folder, writing, arranging and mixing: always look to strip things away, and make what remains even better instead.

2. Go Beyond Mere Technical Skill

Become as proficient as possible with the standard tools and techniques; then misuse, experiment, play with and test to breaking point those tools and techniques, until you work out which conventions exist because they work, and which conventions can be adapted, disregarded or broken to meet your own unique requirements.

3. Challenge All Assumptions – Question All Accepted Wisdom

Tibetan Buddhist monks regularly engage in heated debate about ideas that have been around for hundreds of years.

A mentality shared by all successful Pros (and indeed, monks) in any field. The trick is not to lean on stock answers, solutions, processes and methods for everything, which you can get in the habit of repeating forever without really wondering why.

Learn how to ask better questions: “What’s really going on here? What does this track need? Why? Which tool will help me achieve this the most effectively?” Start a logical chain of questioning like this when you hit a mixing problem, say, and you may well find the best solution was not the obvious one. Thought that muddy low end was purely because you hadn’t high-passed everything but the bass and drums? This will certainly help, but maybe if you trace it back a bit further you’ll find that the problem started with the arrangement – there’s simply too much going on down there; or with the selection of your bass and kick drum sounds that aren’t gelling properly.

Also, once you’ve found techniques and solutions that work for you to achieve the results that you want – that possibly work better for you than the accepted way – by all means go with it!

Don’t take my word for it, or anyone else’s for that matter. The best way to get good, and get confident – probably the most important aspect of the elusive Pro Sound – is to keep doing it and doing it yourself until you intuitively know how to get the sounds you want without wondering whether it’s “correct” or not . Ultimately the quality of the final production is the only thing that matters.

4. Balancing The Left And Right Brains – Being Creative & Technical

left right brain

Getting the Pro Sound doesn’t mean having to put on a white coat and becoming obsessed with technical perfection to the detriment of your original creative ambitions – nor does it mean abandoning all conventional wisdom under the guise of unfettered creative freedom. It’s about combining your creative and technical abilities, mixed with experience and the testing of accepted wisdom, to optimum effect.

The trick to balancing your two “modes” of thought is to set up a systematised approach to your productions, where you can minimise unnecessary switching back and forth between creative and technical tasks. Set up your system first and your creativity will be much freer as you go on.

The additional advantage to this approach is that so much time and energy is wasted in the switching – less switching means significantly faster and more efficient workflow, which means more finished tracks in less time.

5. Micro To Macro

It’s often helpful to be able to switch backwards and forwards between the wood and the trees…

Develop the ability to switch focus back and forth between individual sounds and the overall mix; also, the ability to switch your listening perspective between that of your intended audience and your own, more critical producer’s ears. Again, your system will be a great help here: by setting up your workflow efficiently, breaking down the production process into clearly defined stages, you give yourself built-in opportunities to step out of the chaos of smaller tasks and adjustments on individual sounds, and objectively analyse the big picture.

The more efficiently you can do this context-switching, and the fewer times you need to do so, the faster and more productive you will be.

6. Great Focus

Qui-Gon Lightsaber

Focus your concentration like a lightsaber, and you’ll burn through production tasks with great efficiency. And maybe bulkhead doors too.

The Pro’s don’t do it just for the money, but they also understand that they’re in the music industry and they’re creating a commodity. The knock-on effect of having demanding clients, budgets and tight deadlines is great focus. They know exactly what they must achieve, and in how much time they must achieve it.

Be as clear as you can about who and what your music is for. This focuses your mind like a Pro producer, and limits your options in a positive way (see how it goes hand-in-hand with Principle No. 1: Less Is More…).

Rather than floundering between the limitless options presented by your DAW and ever-expanding plugin folder, making your music for a particular application, market, or to evoke a pre-determined feeling in the listener, gives you a framework. Your track might not end up exactly as you expected – I’m not necessarily advocating music-by-numbers (although being able to produce ‘music to order’ is a major skill of the best Pros) – but having a definite plan at the beginning of a project does wonders for your productivity, continued motivation and completion rate. As the saying goes, any plan is infinitely better than no plan at all.

Staying focused on your ultimate objectives also helps you stop compulsive context-switching: when you know what the bigger picture needs to look like, the function of each individual part suddenly becomes a lot more clear too, and you’re not wasting time repeatedly shifting your own goalposts, searching for the pieces that could make up an ill-defined whole.

7. Effective Use Of Reference Tracks

By careful selection and analysis of your favourite tracks by other bands, artists and producers, you have at your disposal the ultimate production and mixing guides. You can refer to these tracks throughout your own production process, whenever you get stuck, or simply to pick out a particular production technique that you want to learn more about.

The only thing better than practicing production and mixing yourself, is to listen to some of the worlds best producers and engineers doing their thing on your favourite records. The key thing here is to listen critically: know what it is you’re listening out for, and learn to dissect a mix in your head, being able to focus on any individual part, or to the whole thing as a cohesive whole.

Critical listening is probably the No. 1 Pro Sound trait – choose some decent reference tracks for your critical listening training material. “One can create only to the extent that one can perceive”. Train in heightening your perception.

For more on this, see this series of posts: How To Select & Use Reference Tracks Like A Pro.

8. Highlight Your Signature Touches

Think of your favourite artist or producer, from any genre. My guess is they are your favourite partly because they took elements of what had gone before them, and then added their own unique touches, the parts that are original and different – and often rule-breaking. If they had worked completely within the constraints of what had gone before, they would have been scene followers, not scene- or genre-leaders.

US Presidential Signatures

The signatures of all the President of the US: each a powerful leader, each in his own unique style.

Don’t try and bury the elements of your tracks or production style that don’t match the tracks that inspire you (or that you’re using for reference). Try the opposite: turn them up, make them a feature. They’re the beginning of your own unique sound. The interesting thing about systematizing your production workflow, as suggested above, is that is frees up your mind to think about and develop these signature touches.

It may at first seem counter-intuitive, but developing a system will naturally help bring out your unique musical voice.

9. Drama And Anticipation – Create Musical Journeys

The Fountain - Dramatic Journey

Learn to tell stories with your tracks – use drama, anticipation, tension and release in your arrangements and track structures to take your listeners on a musical journey they won’t forget. All the greatest songs and tracks do this: there is a sense that somehow, because of the track, you’re not in the same place emotionally as you were at the beginning – it’s a cathartic experience.

10. Use Available Tools To Their Full Potential

Logic ES2

Don’t overlook the synths and effects that came with your DAW… like Logic’s ES2.

I’m sure you’re already fully aware that incredible records have been made on the most basic equipment, in bedrooms and other makeshift studios. Clearly, then, the Pro Sound is not about having the most expensive “Pro Gear” or the hugest plugin folder in existence. It’s about making the very best of the equipment that you have now.

A knock-on effect of this approach is that you realise that you don’t need lots of equipment – with fewer tools, you spend less time deciding between them, and more time learning the most useful ones inside out. This is Less Is More in action. Incidentally, you will start to flip your whole perspective on your equipment collection when you realise that cooler looking plugins do not necessarily equal better sound, and that it’s more than acceptable to use free stuff if it does the job. When you really understand what the job is, then you’re suddenly a lot more comfortable about using that plain-looking compressor or that ropey-sounding free reverb plugin, because it provides exactly the sound you are looking for.

Combine Principles For Maximum Effect

I find that all of these principles are interrelated – the more of them you can apply, the more you’ll notice that the benefits are not just added together but can multiply your effectiveness – and therefore, the quality of your productions.

Maybe it can all be summed up like this:

System + Inspiration = Pro Sound

  • Establish a systematic workflow;
  • Get to know (and master) the tools at your disposal and how they work best within your system;
  • Then let your system take the technical strain, so you can concentrate on ways to develop how your tracks can be imbued with your own unique voice.

I really do hope this manifesto is of some use to you in your own productions.

I’ll be expanding on each of the points made in a lot more detail over the next few days and weeks with additional new posts, so come back soon to check that out.

And of course, please comment below if I’ve left anything out, or you disagree with any of the points made!

44 Comments

  1. Great Manifesto.
    I’ll analyse it and apply it.
    I must first understand every thing (i’m not english speaker, so some terms are not in my vocabulary…)

    many thanks.

    • Thanks Gaetan
      Don’t worry if it’s not all completely clear yet (or at least the way I’ve explained it!), I’ll be taking each of the points I made here and addressing them in a lot more detail over the next few posts. Stay tuned for that – I’ll also be updating this post with links to the new articles as they go up (for starters, see the new series on reference tracks).
      Glad you like it, and the main thing: you’re applying it!
      Cheers
      GeorgeGTPS

  2. W. James . . . on

    I’ve only just discovered your site but I can’t get enough. This is exactly what I’ve been looking for. I wasn’t expecting to find it all in one place.

    Keep it up . . . I’ll be back often.

    Cheers,
    James

    P.S. The layout and design of the site looks great too!

    • Thanks James, I’m really pleased you’re getting inspiration from the posts, and the site in general.
      Yeah do keep checking back – I’m writing some articles right now that expand on these 10 principles, giving some more tips and details on how you can apply them practically in your productions and work processes.
      And of course feel free to spread the word about the site :) Facebook page on the way…
      Cheers,
      GeorgeGTPS

  3. W. James . . . on

    In my honest ignorance of site policy I tried spreading the GTPS word on Gearslutz this morning. They didn’t take kindly to that. :P

    There’s a topic I’d love for you to cover, and as I can’t seem to find a dedicated “suggestions” section I’m just going to put it here:

    I know that a lot of producers mixing InTheBox use a myriad of plugins to emulate certain aspects of an analog recording and production chain – like vintage tape saturation plugins first thing on channel strips, etc.

    I found a great thread on this topic some time ago but haven’t been able to find it again to save me life. Also, even though there was a lot of great info in that thread, it wasn’t written to explain what each thing did or comprehensively go through one’s options, but rather a bunch of producers who already know far more than me arguing about the best plugins to get that “analog sound”, and the best way to use them, etc. And on top of that it seemed that every plugin they mentioned was a very expensive one. Perhaps there are some cheaper options down this avenue I’m not aware of?

    In some ways I think it’s crazy that recording technology has come so far and yet we’re often trying to emulate the sound of the past instead of pushing forward and breaking boundaries. That said, if I find a plugin that makes something sound better to my ear I’m not going to care if it’s born of an entirely new concept in sound manipulation or an emulation of an esoteric piece of gear that’s no one’s touched in 50 years.

    So I’d love to get your take on both the philosophical debate inherent in this conversation, and also if possible some suggestions of where a cash-challenged, fledgling producer like myself might find affordable tools to start experimenting in this digital-as-analog arena.

    Cheers,
    James

    • W James: …I appreciate your attempts to plug GTPS on other sites – I guess on some boards they’ll be (rightfully) wary, so you just have to say why you’re mentioning a particular site, and in a place that is relevant and will be useful for others, and it should be cool :) Thanks anyway mate!

      Yes, it’s interesting that you raise the issue of saturation and analogue-style processing now, as I’ve been putting together a feature post on just this subject over the last week or so. I’ll discuss all this in more detail in that post, but some thoughts right now:

      It has become a definite trend topic amongst plugin/software designers and users over the last couple of years particularly, with every manufacturer making sure to have at least one ‘tube’, ‘tape’ or general analogue-style processor in their range 9this has made researching the best plugins for the job harder than usual!)

      I guess the move towards analogue-emulating software started with very high-end plugins catering to those producers who were used to working with real analogue desks and outboard gear, and who it was difficult to tempt towards ITB solutions. But gradually the algorithms have become a lot better and it seems it’s become easier/cheaper for designers to create more authentic sounds: the result is cheaper software and plugins, and so many more have appeared recently that cater for more modest price ranges.

      One result of this, though, is that there are those of us who haven’t grown up with Neve and SSL consoles etc. and don’t know / don’t care what all the fuss is about concerning what genuine analogue warmth ‘should’ sound like, or what saturation is even for – we just want our tracks to sound rich and full of character, and perhaps less coldly ‘digital’.

      In this situation, trying to strictly recreate an analogue sound is kind of beside the point: what we’re actually trying to do, the ultimate goal, is create the most engaging mixes we can.
      So I feel the best way to approach the subject is first to understand, in basic terms, why those particular pieces of analogue gear are/were held in such esteem; from this you can extrapolate a few key principles – “analogue distortion seems to add character and help glue parts together… how does that work?” etc. – and then you’re more ready to ask: OK, what can saturation do for MY tracks?
      I’ll cover all of that in my post. In the meantime, to answer the second part of your question, have a look at the Variety Of Sound site: there you’ll find plenty of the best free plugins full-stop, but also including many saturation-specific ones.

      Hope that (sort of) helps for the moment – that post is coming soon! Cheers
      GeorgeGTPS

  4. W. James . . . on

    Thanks George!

    Of course I am one of those who hasn’t cut his teeth on an old analog console, so in some ways I don’t know what I’m missing (beside of course the fact that I’ve been listening to albums produced on those boards for decades) . . . but I’m having trouble with a certain harshness in my mixes that is proving difficult to remove without also losing some other quality of the sound I don’t want to lose. It’s entirely possible (probable) that this is due to my inexperience and that there might be an easy fix a more experienced mixer/producer would employ. To be honest I’m still a bit foggy on exactly what “saturation” means. I think I know and then I realize that what I’m thinking about is really just compression . . . but compression doesn’t really add “warmth” (subjective word of the day!), or harmonics/distortion, etc., as an overdriven tube or tape head would.

    There are a lot of vintage, analog synths in my mixes and I like to keep (or even boost) their upper frequencies because I like the sparkle and buzz they produce. So I’ve been looking for a way to remove the harshness while still keeping this particular quality intact. It’s a balance I’ve yet to achieve and what led me to the topic of vintage gear saturation plugins. I’m hoping they might help but I’ve yet to take one for a spin.

    Can’t wait to read that post you’re prepping!

    Cheers,
    James

  5. Very helpful. and it was wonderful reading it. It really opened my eyes to somethings i was ignoring while mixing and producing. Thank you for taking the time to write this wonderful tutorial.
    :)

    • You’re very welcome, I’m so pleased you’ve got into this post. It’s often very difficult to initially figure out how to address those aspects of music production that cannot be explained in terms of concrete/technical steps, and of course even once we acknowledge their importance, all these principles are quite easy to forget or ignore when we get too focused on the technology and technique in the heat of a busy mix session. So yes, this is my attempt to keep the principles front and centre! I feel with these in mind, the technology naturally fills it’s role without taking over.
      Cheers
      GeorgeGTPS

  6. WOW. I have trouble with the whole less is more thing. I really…really….really do in my productions. I am ALWAYS maxing out on protools LE tracks at 48 stereo tracks and I crave more. I do not like clutter, but delicate placement of a billion instruments make up for a more power and more options to mix something cool by turning down the so so ideas and setting them aside for the bridge part etc…what are your thoughts on this… I like skrillex and he seems to add lots of tracks…

    • That’s an interesting question, thinking of how the ‘Less is More’ philosophy applies to someone like Skrillex, and other artists who use a lot of fast/fine edits and whose music seems complex. There are a few things to consider:

      The first point here is that however complex the music sounds, break it down into those bitesize chunks I mention in the post, and you find the same musical principles still apply as they do to any style. In the case of Skrillex, the dubstep melodies and structures are actually quite simple (as for most super-catchy club-oriented tracks), it’s just that rather than playing all the notes or phrases on a single instrument, the complete melody is built out of a patchwork of single notes and snippets from completely different sounds. This is an aspect of what’s known as musical counterpoint – it’s working with the relationships between the different timbres and pitches of the sounds that makes the overall effect seem rich and complex. Remember, anything complex – from musical compositions to DNA – can ultimately be reduced to simple component parts.
      There are also lots of tricks for making simple structures sound more intricate – try this: write a simple MIDI piano melody, then break up the MIDI part into the individual notes, and reassign a different sound or hit to each one. The result is not exactly instant Skrillex – his combinations are well-considered and far from random – but you’ll get a much more intricate-sounding result, which is still in musical terms very simple and pure. (In practice, there’s often no better approach than this sort of trial-and-error experimentation for coming up with inspiring combinations of sounds.)

      The other thing to bear in mind when making music that incorporates a lot of different sounds is that it’s much easier if you have some idea of what you’re eventually aiming for (even if you don’t know at first exactly which sounds are going to get you there), and what you want each sound or element to contribute to the whole i.e. to make complex-sounding music hang together you have to be very focused in your execution. Here, ‘Less is More’ also applies to your organisation and thinking about the project! I know that’s much easier said than done, but with practice you’re able to ‘see’ your mixes and your approach more and more objectively. It will come :)
      Have a read of this series of posts on analysing reference tracks – try deconstructing a Skrillex track and let me know what you discover!

    • I would add some lines over GeorgeGTPS comment ;)

      Skrillex, BT, Squarepusher, Aphex Twin, Venetian Snares and all those micro/macro producers work completely differently, but at the end of the process…you get a stereo track.

      A simple example : i do psytrance.
      You can get a bunch of tracks for percussions (2 open hihats, 2 closed hihats, crash, percs loops, 2 snares…), but when you group/freeze them, you get only a single group of “highs” :D
      Same for FX, Synths, Kick/bass and more.

      You can take the final mix as a single four tracks, even if each group is more than 4 tracks each.
      “Less is more” can be considered as a question of level (like the micro/macro paragraph).

      You create your transition, you concentrate on it (even if it is 20 tracks) and when it is finished…it is only ONE transition.
      No human can concentrate on 48/more tracks AT ONCE. But when grouped/freezed/rendered in a logical way, you end up with a lot less decisions.
      The only difficult point is to CONCENTRATE on a certain task at once, finish it and do another thing after ;)
      Don’t be afraid with more than 48 tracks projects at first, but you should never finish with such a monster project at the end to mix.Because you will tweak one track and mess all the others…and need to re-tweak all :D
      Take decisions, freeze, bounce, group to make your decisions more effective.
      It is the same thing with composing, arranging, mixing, mastering.
      You take decisions, and when it is finished, decisions are final.
      Don’t look back or wait/tweak forever. It is NOW and there is another task waiting for you ;)

    • Yeah, with a well thought out structure to a mix (however different producers choose to do it), there is a natural and logical progression from each of the many individual tracks up to groups, busses and the master buss.
      I like to imagine groups and busses as ‘nodes’ along the many branches of signals flowing towards the master output; they allow you to grab ‘handfuls’ of tracks at a time, and using them does help you to begin to hear (and then process) grouped sounds as one cohesive element.

      Having this structure in place also gives you a sense that the quality and characteristics of each sound can be further ‘developed’ (to fit the emerging requirements of the whole track) as it moves up through the different stages towards the master output: this definitely encourages you to make decisions with confidence as you go along, as gLOW says, because you’ve built in these additional stages for control and adjustment, so you don’t get paralyzed or disheartened by trying to make each individual track sound ‘finished’ on it’s own right from the start (which is also a sure way of ending up with a very crowded mix).

  7. George, dont know how to thank you for all these info and details you give, you are the best teacher we could have!! wish you the best :)

    • Thanks Gesso, always great to hear you’re finding GTPS helpful and inspiring.
      All the best!

  8. This is an awesome post. I’m a fulltime professional dance producer and found this helpful still. Awesome site overall, really had to post here to give you props for your references. The Fountain is one of my favourite movies and Light Through The Veins from Insides is literally my favourite track of all time.

  9. Sebastian Osorio on

    Amazing
    Im a young starter producer and this inspired me so much, knowing that im not the only one whit this blocking issues, ill to apply every one of this in my productions i know that with a little time, patience and dedication ill be were i want to be.

    Had to post it

  10. One of the best articles I have read regarding production, thank you for sharing this, you have inspired me to be a much more unique and disciplined producer.

  11. I’ve been producing for years but never got the chance to really get into the finer arts such as mixing and mastering. I’ve been really looking to really polish my sound to make it top quality since it tends not to be typical and I really wanted the tools to make it stand out in a pristine manner. After finding this site today I must say it speaks to me in a way that feels natural and specific to my goals. I think thanks to this site I will finally get the focus I need to find my own way which is the only way for me, one love guys this site is dope indeed!

  12. GeorgeGTPS on

    Thanks for your feedback! Great to know you’re finding inspiration and practical help from the site – always a big boost for us, and makes it all worthwhile :) Cheers!

  13. George,

    I love your site and this manifesto. I don’t know if this was your intention but your site feels like the ultimate community for ppl who possessed by music. lol

    In all seriousness these are rock solid advices, some of which I’ve heard echoed from several other sources, that shows you truly understand the process …including the pitfalls. Your knowledge and insight are invaluable!

    THANK YOU A MILLION TIMES GEORGE!

    Have a blessed day

    -Randolph

  14. Excellent article and exactly along the lines of what I’ve been finding myself doing the past couple of weeks. I only stumbled on this by accident (I wasn’t searching for help) but read out of interest and I agree with so much of what you say. We all know less is often more but how it’s written here with point after point really rams it home. Every mixer/producer/song writer eventually has it hit them like the sun being uncovered. After all that YEARS LONG trek through the technical, the research, the worrying about how/when/why it finally dawns that you needed that journey but now it’s time to let it go and be free in your thinking. Use a streamlined system, studio, bedroom, tools and mindset to go with it and reach beyond the constraints you’d previously placed on yourself with backwards thinking (which was kinda needed to see it was backwards – hard to know when you start out).

    thumbs up!

  15. I normally don’t comment much, but this is an outstanding “Pro” article. A work of Art. It flows through the Soul. Beautiful. Thank you, Friend.

  16. This is awesome.

    Right now I’m in a rut where literally everything I produce sounds like a rip-off of someone else… Any tips for getting out of that?

    • Hi Gabe, yeah this point comes up quite often for a lot of people I think. I’d say take a look at 14 Ways For Musicians To Beat Creative Block, particularly point 3 about mixing things up and the suggested actions there; also, 50 Pro Tips For Breathing Life Into Your Electronic Music has loads of tips for sending your productions off in slightly different directions that you might not have tried before.

      Apart from that, I don’t what your listening habits are, but if you usually only listen to a lot of the same style of music that you’re producing, it’s inevitable that you’ll find yourself repeating what you’ve heard to some extent. Originality is not necessarily as difficult as coming up with something completely unique, but simply making new combinations of existing styles and sounds – so you could also try broadening your listening diet to include some of the best-regarded albums in genres and styles you’re not so familiar with. Guaranteed to give you some new ideas and break out of that stylistic rut!

  17. Thanks for the excellent article! I find it so amazing that you’re able to put these principles down in words so accurately and effectively.

  18. okunola Blessing on

    I really love your expansions, they are really adorable and real.. More to you.. Will love to get hooked with you

  19. Fantastic post. I am in your debt.

    I’m just taking my learner wheels off now and the information on this post is the support I need to go full throttle. I was particular impressed by your compartmentalisation of left+right brain, logical+emotional, micro+macro.

    A book that has helped guide my workflow (and possible a useful new tool for you) is: Creativity – Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention, by Mihaily Csikszentmihalyi.

    Cheers!

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