Advice for a newbie

[Schud017]

Hi all,

I've only been recording noise seriously for about a year now. Haven't played any shows with this project (covid, obviously). Still finding my footing and focus. Anybody have any general advice for a novice?

Thanks in advance.

[Capers]

Don’t buy a ton of expensive gear at once, but try to learn your few first devices in and out and advance from there. That’s what I wish I wouldve done at least. And record stuff you really want to hear yourself, and listen to it until you start to feel stupid.

[AlexVirtues]

record stuff you really want to hear yourself, and listen to it until you start to feel stupid.

Great advice. There always seems to be a pressure to release 20 fucking tapes a year. We don't need that. Learn your gear, find your sound first. Then focus on one release at a time, make sure you're proud of it and that you would like to listen to it yourself.
As RRRon told me when I was a fledgling, "Always leave 'em wanting more!"

[Schud017]

Don’t buy a ton of expensive gear at once, but try to learn your few first devices in and out and advance from there. That’s what I wish I wouldve done at least. And record stuff you really want to hear yourself, and listen to it until you start to feel stupid.

Already made the gear mistake, just now starting to cool it with buying shit. I have a lot to learn with recording and mastering. Thanks!

[adult human]

A broader comment related less to the actual craft of noise making but don't be afraid to get in touch with people whose work you enjoy and tell them you enjoy it. Most noise artists/labels are not wading in fan mail and over time these small attempts to contact people can form into long term connections in which advice, ideas and influence get shared. Certainly the best insights into my own work over the years have come from direct conversation. Besides all the above stuff about not buying too much equipment and relying on your ears/tastes more than devices, this would be the approach I wish I'd taken in my earlier days of making stuff.

[December Man]

Echoing the sentiment about avoiding gear madness, one thing that has always helped me is to always try to work with the least amount of gear possible. For me, self-imposed rules are the only way I can deal with option paralysis.

[viimeinen]

Blast your set out in a rehearsal space before performing live, especially if you've only been using headphones/small amps with contact mics etc as they will behave very differently through a PA.

[Remi]

Less is more for sure.

[Schud017]

A broader comment related less to the actual craft of noise making but don't be afraid to get in touch with people whose work you enjoy and tell them you enjoy it. Most noise artists/labels are not wading in fan mail and over time these small attempts to contact people can form into long term connections in which advice, ideas and influence get shared. Certainly the best insights into my own work over the years have come from direct conversation. Besides all the above stuff about not buying too much equipment and relying on your ears/tastes more than devices, this would be the approach I wish I'd taken in my earlier days of making stuff.

This is something I'm working on, trying to improve. I'm from Minneapolis and luckily there's a pretty poppin noise community

[MiseryEngine]

Don’t be afraid to reach out to people who make noise you like. The noise community took me in and helped me out in a huge way right off the bat. It’s much closer than other music communities I’ve been a part of and people are always willing to support one another.

[Haare]

And there's no rush in getting your first release out. The world will wait. John Wiese once said "don't release your first recordings", I think that's very good advice.

[Schud017]

And there's no rush in getting your first release out. The world will wait. John Wiese once said "don't release your first recordings", I think that's very good advice.

That's something I've heard a lot. I had a cd done and raring to go, but held off on releasing it. Listening to it now, I'm glad I did.

[scumwalski]

[_] Make a schedule.
Use a digital or a paper calendar and pencil in the exact days and hours you dedicate solely to recording. Phone/internet/people off during that time.
Rigor breeds creativity, not the other way around.

[_] Do not fall into the trap of buying the latest and greatest gear.
I've been there myself. It's not a good place to be. Figure out what you want to do first, then seek out the right tools. Sometimes the tools dictate what you do which is fine, but it's best to have a general idea first.

[_] Strive not to copy.
You will be copying others at first and that is fine. Try to move beyond that as quickly as possible. Small changes over time to carve out your own, unique style.

[_] Be curious and always learn.
There's plenty of information on sound design, composition, recording, mixing, mastering, duplication etc. out there. Don't be lazy, dive in, make learning new shit a habit.

[_] Remember that it is supposed to be fun.
This is not a competition (some people will disagree), you record mostly for yourself (plenty of people will disagree). It is about you, your time, your effort, your skills, your satisfaction and your fun. Everything else is background noise/side effect.

[Schud017]

[_] Make a schedule.
Use a digital or a paper calendar and pencil in the exact days and hours you dedicate solely to recording. Phone/internet/people off during that time.
Rigor breeds creativity, not the other way around.

[_] Do not fall into the trap of buying the latest and greatest gear.
I've been there myself. It's not a good place to be. Figure out what you want to do first, then seek out the right tools. Sometimes the tools dictate what you do which is fine, but it's best to have a general idea first.

[_] Strive not to copy.
You will be copying others at first and that is fine. Try to move beyond that as quickly as possible. Small changes over time to carve out your own, unique style.

[_] Be curious and always learn.
There's plenty of information on sound design, composition, recording, mixing, mastering, duplication etc. out there. Don't be lazy, dive in, make learning new shit a habit.

[_] Remember that it is supposed to be fun.
This is not a competition (some people will disagree), you record mostly for yourself (plenty of people will disagree). It is about you, your time, your effort, your skills, your satisfaction and your fun. Everything else is background noise/side effect.

This is all great advice, thank you. I'll take it to heart.

[Scream & Writhe]

you record mostly for yourself (plenty of people will disagree). It is about you, your time, your effort, your skills, your satisfaction and your fun. Everything else is background noise/side effect.

This is an important one. It's easy to second guess yourself and what you've created (depending on how much of a perfectionist you are), but if you aren't satisfied with how everything sounds as whole then chances are other people won't be satisfied with it, either. That's not to say a release has to be perfect- clinical sterility can also be harmful to the end result. I'm trying to be a little looser when it comes to the editing process, and letting some "mistakes" slide in order to retain a more natural feel as long as it remains cohesive with the rest of the material.

[Roger Kemper]

This is not a competition (some people will disagree), you record mostly for yourself (plenty of people will disagree). It is about you, your time, your effort, your skills, your satisfaction and your fun. Everything else is background noise/side effect.

I totally agree. My motto is Noise is Onaism. You record your noise mostly for your personal purpose. And if you reach exactly the sound you're searching... you did it.
No need to hundred of albums in a year, or make that limited edition tape. Just do what you like.

Do what you wanna do
Say what you wanna say
Be what you wanna be
It don't matter what they say

[Helvitis]

Yeah I would say keep it simple. I spent years playing around with all kinds of equipment without much results. A few years ago I bought a super cheap digital dictaphone that I carry around and has become my main sound source. I run it through a few pedals and I´ve been having a lot of fun with that/getting good results (imo of course).

[thedemonfeedback666]

Learn your gear.

Less is more, but more is okay too.

Learn how to record well. The worst thing is having an amazing sesh, then you listen back to the recording and it’s ass. Unless you want it to be ass. Then you’re fine.

Ask artists you admire about their process. This was very taboo back when I started. It’s less so now. If someone kindly tells you no, that’s okay. If someone is rude, then fuck them.

Do this for you. Go for the sounds you love. Don’t try to imitate one of the big names in the scene just because you think it will make you scene famous. Scene famous is stupid. Take that energy and put it into something that will actually make you money, if you’re about that clout chasing life.

Most of all, have fun. Life is short. Welcome to the shit show :)

[JuntaCadre]

A lot of good advice in this thread. A lot of stuff I'm sure some of us heard when staring off. I don't want to just echo everyone, but I'll repeat a couple of things that have stood out over the years-

Take your time and work to be proud at your releases, don't work to drop 6 tapes in a year. Things will be remembered for effort, creativity, and originality.
Like others have said, reach out to people whose work you enjoy, it's usually pretty easy to strike up a conversation and build connections. Noise doesn't do itself a lot of favors by staying stuck to small insular scenes. I've formed many strong bonds over the years with people when conversations started off with a simple email.

You mentioned gathering a good bit of gear together, what sort of stuff did you get? Taking the time and learning how to make more and more weird noises with a single piece of gear can be surprisingly way more fruitful than picking up a new piece. Plug it into something you've already got, plug it into itself, get a splitter and plug it into two different things, plug the output into the input... etc.. there's always a new way to experiment

[Schud017]

Thank you all for the words of advice. I'm at work on my phone, so I can't type out as much as I'd like to.

I'm taking screenshots of a lot of these responses so I can keep them in mind going forward. I hope to play shows with you all in the future (sooner than later).

[Schud017]

A lot of good advice in this thread. A lot of stuff I'm sure some of us heard when staring off. I don't want to just echo everyone, but I'll repeat a couple of things that have stood out over the years-

Take your time and work to be proud at your releases, don't work to drop 6 tapes in a year. Things will be remembered for effort, creativity, and originality.
Like others have said, reach out to people whose work you enjoy, it's usually pretty easy to strike up a conversation and build connections. Noise doesn't do itself a lot of favors by staying stuck to small insular scenes. I've formed many strong bonds over the years with people when conversations started off with a simple email.

You mentioned gathering a good bit of gear together, what sort of stuff did you get? Taking the time and learning how to make more and more weird noises with a single piece of gear can be surprisingly way more fruitful than picking up a new piece. Plug it into something you've already got, plug it into itself, get a splitter and plug it into two different things, plug the output into the input... etc.. there's always a new way to experiment

I've stuck with stuff I've had recommended that I know I'll get what I want out of. MS20 mini, Behringer Wasp clone, SH01A, reel to reel, and a slew of pedals. After a year with the MS20 I'm finally getting the hang of it. Perfect for plugging it into itself, plugging things into it, etc.

[housepig]

good advice abounds, especially the encouragement to have fun. some notes specifically about playing live:

- Know how you want your gear set up, and if you can bring some of it to the gig already hooked up, do so.
- Have some extra cables in case something goes bad - you can always be a hero by lending them to another artist in need!
- Same goes for power supplies - if you have a spare, bring it.
- Having your own extension cord and power strip is never a bad idea. Power Squid adapters can handle multiple wall-warts.
- If you're playing in a club, the sound person is likely to be set up for XLR inputs (microphone-cable-style connections). If your mixer or gear doesn't have those outputs, a set of adapters is handy to have.
- In fact, adapters from your gear to 1/4" plugs, RCA plugs & XLR plugs will cost a lot less than the frustration factor of "oh, I don't have a way to hook you into the system".
- having a couple of longer cables (10 to 20 feet) can be really handy.
- Pack a flashlight, earplugs, small notebook & pen. They take up no space and are invaluable when you need them.
- Mark your cables - get some thin, colored electrical tape and wrap at the plug ends. If you're playing a house show where everything gets jumbled together, it will make it quicker to sort your stuff back out.
- If you can set up before folks start playing, instead of right after the person before you, do so.
- Play a shorter set. As Alex quoted RRRon, "Leave them wanting more". I've seen a lot of sets that I loved at 15 minutes and hated by minute 45.
- Once your set is over, applause dies out and you've taken your bows, move your stuff out of the way before you start to break down. It's courteous to the other folks playing. If someone is coming up to chat right after your set, ask them to hang out for a minute while you move out of the way.
- If there is anything weird about your set, make sure you talk to the person setting up the show and/or the sound person and/or the club! They will probably be much cooler with your performing atop a rickety ladder surrounded by armed rat traps if you tell them beforehand.
- Along those lines - don't assume anything. If you need a projector, a screen, a table, a chair, a live chicken - check on it ahead of time or plan to bring your own.

ok, off the soapbox now. have fun. see you around town!

[housepig]

one last thing about live performance: nobody but you knows what it's supposed to sound like. So if something goes wrong, we as the audience won't know unless you tell us... and you aren't REQUIRED to tell us!
If your set isn't up to your standards, and someone comes up and says "I really liked your set!" you can just say "Thanks!" instead of "Oh man, it sucked, my delay wasn't working right and I was getting the wrong feedback and blah blah blah blah..."

[LIFE]

These genres have been established for decades now and the internet has intensified people's perception of what's "cool" or "on brand" -- experimental music now has its own orthodoxy and traditions.

Don't worry about fitting in with the aesthetic, gear, etc. of other artists. Your own taste is all you need to do what you want.

[Exclusionzonedayton]

Blast your set out in a rehearsal space before performing live, especially if you've only been using headphones/small amps with contact mics etc as they will behave very differently through a PA.

Haha, I fell victim to this. Fortunately it wasn’t my first live set, just first for that project and equipment. I was able to adapt quickly but had I not already had experience playing live and was familiar with the equipment otherwise it would have been a train wreck.