Producers at this stage are learning the ropes of production. This may involve employing various audio effects, editing samples in creative ways, bouncing tracks to audio files and creating stems for mixing purposes – among others.
This period also saw the Theremin gain wider prominence through its use in science-fiction film soundtracks, and through work of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop (established in 1958), including an electronic realisation of the Doctor Who theme from 1963.
Stage 1: Exploration
Since the dawn of electronic music, musicians have explored numerous genres and styles. In past decades, this included EDM, dubstep, drum n bass, ambient music, techno, synth pop new wave etc. Since 2000 these styles have become even more widespread thanks to computer technologies and softwares being more accessible and expanding allowing further evolutions based upon computer access.
John Cage first utilized electronic means to produce his composition Imaginary Landscape No.1 in 1939. It consisted of two variable-speed turntables, frequency recordings, muted piano, and cymbals – an early instance of electronic art music production.
By the 1960s, composers had started to experiment with tape and electronic instruments in order to develop new compositional techniques. Luening’s Gargoyles for violin and tape and Stockhausen’s Kontakte for 4-channel sound with piano and percussion are notable examples of such works; both feature recorded fragments from nature or industry to produce music similar to cinematic montage while dispensing with linear development and dramatic climax as traditional structures for musical composition.
Composers were delighted by the advent of digital synthesizers, as it allowed them to build their own instruments using computer-controlled oscillators and filters in combination with various sound sources. Composers quickly adopted these instruments for creating distinctive sounds. Nowadays, great electronic music combines an inborn sense for sound with masterful use of digital tools.
Stage 2: Experimentation
Experimental electronic music genre aims to push the limits of sound manipulation. Composers use various techniques and technologies to craft unique sounds, including using non-musical objects for making noise or granular synthesis to break sounds into smaller particles. Furthermore, this genre explores various timbres and textures creating unique and unpredictable music pieces.
Experimental electronic musicians frequently employ improvisation as a method for exploring their creative instincts and uncovering subconscious biases. Improvisation can be used both live or studio recordings to generate dynamic compositions while developing ideas further and expanding on previous ones.
Experimentation includes playing around with various sounds, from found ones like found sounds and noise to distortion and distortion effects. Doing this can add texture and create an ethereal, dreamlike quality in your music while helping you discover your unique voice as a producer.
Experimental electronic music emphasizes creativity over technical proficiency. Focus on learning new software and hardware and don’t be afraid of making mistakes!
Stage 3: Songwriting
Songwriters are responsible for crafting songs with rhythm, harmony, melody and lyrics as the core components. Music composition requires an intimate knowledge of musical structure as well as an ear for melody – composers may do the writing themselves or collaborate with another songwriter to compose songs.
Once the overall concept for a track is clear, writing can begin. This step involves creating the basic elements of the song such as its bass line and rhythm groove, auditioning thousands of sounds until they find one with “spark”, such as an interesting loop or full song arrangement; services like Splice make this process faster by quickly auditioning and adjusting thousands of different options until they find one they like.
At this stage, a producer can utilize several key tools of music production to expand their creative ideas. For instance, vocal samples can add variety and emotion to songs; delay, reverb, and chorus effects are great ways to expand vocal sample sounds.
Produces can use bridge or breakdown sections in their track to add a moment of contrast between its high energy and listener relaxation, providing a moment for them to pause before building to its conclusion. This also serves to build tension for its final climax of the song.
Stage 4: Sound Design
Sound design is a critical stage in electronic music production that involves creating the overall sonic identity for a song, using synth presets, samplers and effects as well as production techniques to develop original sounds for use within it.
Example 1: Layer a guitar and drum machine together to form the basic rhythm for your track, before applying various audio effects that add depth and space. Also add harmonic layers and melodies that support chord progressions and bassline, laying out an exciting foundation for more complex textures to be introduced later.
Sound design should usually come after you have assembled all the musical parts, as it can be challenging to hear everything at once when working exclusively with MIDI. Once in sound design mode, more advanced production techniques such as parallel processing and saturation/distortion may become useful tools in developing your production.
Electronic music has an expansive and colorful history. Pioneering artists like Karlheinz Stockhausen and Pierre Schaeffer used experimental compositions that defied conventional musical norms to set its foundation. Following its mainstream popularity in the 70s and 80s – particularly through genres like krautrock, disco and new wave – its mainstream appeal expanded during this era with genres like krautrock disco new wave becoming widely enjoyed; then with digital revolution came further opportunities for experimentation and creativity using Buchla and Moog synthesizers giving rise to modern electronic dance music (EDM). Electronic music’s versatility means it now found everywhere from dance clubs to movie soundtracks!
Stage 5: Mixing
In the mixing stage, all of the raw tracks you’ve recorded or programmed become one, cohesive song record. Here, audio editing techniques such as reversed samples, pitched samples, chopping and stretching techniques as well as effects can help achieve your desired sound and level.
Once complete, all instruments should be balanced to create an immersive sonic experience for listeners. By employing volume, panning and frequency balance to ensure no single element dominates or gets lost within the mix, all instruments will come together as one cohesive whole.
Dependent upon the genre you’re working in, your music may require additional processing to give it a sense of depth and space. Reverb can help achieve this effect but beware that overdoing it can quickly turn muddy and lose its effectiveness.
Applying delay as another effective means of creating 3D space is another excellent way of adding some depth and dimension. Delay provides more accurate placement of instruments in space. With modulation and automation you can add movement and life to the track – helping create tension or energy at buildups or drops which keeps listeners engaged enough for repeat listenings.
Stage 6: Mastering
Mastering involves adding the final touches to a track to prepare it for distribution, including adjusting levels, applying stereo enhancement, and making sure all tracks have an equal level. Furthermore, this stage involves optimizing audio for various formats like vinyl records, MP3, streaming media services or broadcasting media.
Mastering differs from mixing in that during mixing you balance individual instruments to sound harmonious, while mastering requires you to balance entire songs and spectral content – this makes mastering much more complex than mixing. Furthermore, it requires you to have an intimate knowledge of how sound works.
Mastering engineers possess an in-depth knowledge of adding width to a song by panning certain elements left and right while simultaneously using time-based effects such as reverb to create depth. Furthermore, they possess expertise in adjusting EQ and dynamics so that tracks sound powerful when played back over various playback systems and speakers.
At this point, it’s time to distribute and promote your track across various online platforms. A distributor such as iMusician can assist with this step by getting it onto music streaming and download services so people can listen. Genre or artist playlists could also help the release gain traction within the music industry.