Mike Monday

Inspiration On Demand

  • Not About Me
  • Get In Touch

100 Things Every Music Producer Should Know: #2/ Trust Your Ears Not Your Speakers

If you’ve not spent a small fortune on the best studio monitors and acoustically treating your room (or even if you have), the best way to make sure your final mix is right is by checking it on a wide variety of systems, speakers and headphones.

Check it in your mates studio, on the crappy ghetto blaster in the kitchen, on your car stereo, on your computer speakers (especially on these – most people will first hear your music on something like them), if you DJ try it out in a club, on your iPod through those terrible white in-ear headphones – listen to it everywhere.

I used to have just two sets of speakers in my studio. But when I checked my music elsewhere I was always shocked at how different it sounded. I’d got too used to hearing it in the best possible studio environment. But most of the time most people (including me) won’t hear my music in my studio on my speakers. So now I have three extra sets in here, all of them crappy, and I still check stuff in my kitchen, car and shower.

While it might not be the best idea to completely mess with your mix because it sounds weird on your grandad’s old Walkman, if there’s anything blatantly not working make a note and adjust accordingly. Apart from the useful perspective you’ll only get from listening in different environments, if your music sounds great on everything (especially the most awful speakers) you’ll know you’ve nailed it.

Filed Under: Featured Post Tagged With: building a home recording studio, Computer Music Production, electronic music production, speakers, studio monitors

100 Things Every Music Producer Should Know: #1/ Less Is More

Less musical parts have more sonic impact. It might seem counter-intuitive but if you want your music to sound big, add less. With fewer parts, each have more space in the mix and sound more powerful.

When you think you’ve finished a track, play a section and mute each part in turn. Is it there for a reason? Does it make any difference? Or is it just pointless fluff? You might find that muting it does make a difference: the music’s better without it.

If it’s better without, get rid of it (obviously). If it doesn’t make much difference, get rid of it. If you’re not sure about it, get rid of it. Be ruthless.

Don’t fudge it and add stuff to a section that’s not working just to cover it up. If it’s not working, you’ve either got the wrong part(s) or sound. You don’t need more, you need different.

Filed Under: Featured Post Tagged With: Computer Music Production, electronic music production, less is more

How To Discover What You Were Born To Do

Cast your mind back to when you were a child.

What did you dream of doing? Think long and hard and write down every ambition you ever had as a kid.

Which still resonate with you? Cross out those that don’t.

Of what’s left on your list, which scares you the most?

This is what you were born to do. Now go and do it.

Filed Under: Featured Post Tagged With: Ambition, Dreams, inspiration

You’ll Just Know

In one way, finishing your art is like being in love.

When it’s right “you’ll just know”.

But if you don’t, finish it anyway.

(The art, not the love)

Filed Under: Featured Post Tagged With: Art, inspiration, Love

The 7 Deadly Sins Against Creativity

It’s hard to get your creative juices flowing at the best of times. But if you avoid these The Muse will have little excuse not to come and breath in your right ear.

1/ Tiredness

The average person needs between 7 and 8 hours sleep a night. Go to bed early and get up early when you can. This is my number one piece of advice for anyone who wants to get anything done.

2/ Choice

Too many ideas, too many tools, too many distractions. Decide on one idea and focus on limiting your options before you start. You’ll do better work quicker.

3/ Email

Including Twitter, Facebook and internet surfing. If at all possible don’t check your emails more than twice a day and set aside a specific chunk of time each day when you’re not working on your art for your social networks and RSS feeds.

4/ Clutter

Physical – start by removing anything unnecessary for you to do your work in your immediate vicinity. Each day move outwards until your whole workspace is free of distracting clutter.

Mental – begin every day with a little quiet time and try to empty your head of all thoughts completely. I’ve recently got back to meditating for 20 minutes every morning before I do anything.

5/ Envy

Ignore what anyone else is doing. You might covet their success; in your eyes it might be undeserved, but don’t waste time thinking about it. Anything that’s external to your work is irrelevant.

6/ Critics

Ignore them at all costs. Chris Guillebeau summed it up when he said that no one’s ever erected a statue of a critic. I don’t think there are any statues of electronic musicians either, but I’m trying to change that. 🙂

7/ Perfectionism

Just finish it! Its good enough already.

Filed Under: Featured Post Tagged With: Chris Guillebeau, Facebook, Motivation, RSS, The Muse, Twitter

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 23
  • 24
  • 25
  • 26
  • 27
  • …
  • 29
  • Next Page »
  • About
  • Contact

Terms of Service · Refund Policy

Copyright © 2026 Mike Monday · Log in ·

Privacy Policy