Welcome to the age of laptop symphonies, where music composition is a copy-paste affair, orchestration is a Google search away, and a pirated plugin counts more than knowing the difference between a cello and a double bass. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we now live in a glorious era where being a “music producer” requires no more than a cracked DAW, a YouTube shortcut, and the sacred belief that throwing 120 tracks together automatically makes you the next A.R. Rahman (or at least his Reels-level reincarnation).
Let’s take a minute – just one – to look back at the humble beginnings. Back when men were men, synths had souls, and composers like John Williams and Vangelis roamed the Earth. These folks knew a thing or two about actual music. They didn’t just drag and drop MIDI clips—they wrote music in their heads, with terrifying accuracy. They understood the capabilities, limits, and nuances of each instrument. Imagine that! Knowing what a bassoon can do! Madness.
Oh, and they actually played instruments. Not just “hit a few chords on a MIDI controller,” but mastered at least one. Why? Because they foolishly believed in this outdated concept called musicianship. Sigh. So naïve.
The New Age Composer’s Toolkit:
• a MIDI keyboard (never used fully)
• a DAW cracked from a shady Russian website
• a pirated version of Kontakt stuffed with more stolen libraries than the British Museum
• Headphones bought on EMI, and last but not the least…
• The unwavering confidence that they are geniuses because a plug-in says “Epic Cinematic Impact.”
Gone are the days of studying counterpoint, voicing, or instrument registers. Who cares if you write a flute part that starts from the B two octaves below middle C? The software will still play it, right? Must be right.
Track Bloat: Because More is More, Right?
Why have 12 well-written parts when you can have 128 tracks of ambient whooshes and random reversed snares? Who needs orchestration when you have layering? Stack three violins, four pianos, two “emotional pads,” a “mystic hits” loop, and bam—you’ve got yourself a score worthy of the next pan-India OTT crime thriller. Never mind that your brass section sounds like it’s wheezing through a straw. If it’s loud and has reverb, it must be good.
Piracy: The Secret Sauce of the Lazy Genius
Of course, the holy grail of the modern producer is pirated plug-ins. Why pay for software when you can download 80GB of cinematic scoring tools overnight? Who needs ethics when there’s a cracked version of Omnisphere? Piracy not only damages developers who pour years of R&D into tools—but also breeds an attitude of entitlement.
If you won’t invest in your tools, you certainly won’t invest in learning your craft. After all, it’s easier to click through presets than learn how a nadaswaram produces its haunting tone. And God forbid you pay actual money to the people who made your career (and your Spotify stats) possible.
A World Without Fundamentals
Here’s a fun fact: there’s an actual difference between a violin, viola, cello, and double bass. Shocking, I know.
• A violin is small, bright, and sits high up in the frequency spectrum.
• A viola is its deeper-voiced cousin—richer, slightly melancholic.
• The cello sings in the tenor and baritone range—human, emotive, warm.
• The double bass? That’s the thunder down under—low, powerful, and majestic.
But try telling that to a DAW champion who thinks they’re all interchangeable and adds “Epic Strings v12” from some torrent as a single layer. Want realistic orchestration? Try learning the range and function of your instruments. Revolutionary, I know.
Learn Your Instruments, Not Just Your Plug-ins
Let’s talk about actual instrument classification systems—because believe it or not, understanding this helps you write better, tighter, more emotionally resonant music. And gasp—you might not even need 80 tracks to do it.
| 1. European Orchestral Classification This familiar system sorts instruments into: • Strings (violin, cello, etc.) • Woodwinds (flute, oboe, clarinet, etc.) • Brasswinds (trumpet, tuba, etc.) • Percussions • Keyboards |
And now for the plot twist: this classification system is a dream—just as long as you’re dealing with a traditional Western orchestra. But the moment you try to shoehorn in something like a ghatam, tabla, or modular synth? The whole framework crumbles faster than a house of cards in a wind tunnel. Go ahead, try putting those into neat little boxes—I’ll wait. The European system is more obsessed with who plays what in an orchestra and what the instrument’s made of than with how it actually makes sound. Electronic instruments? Cultural instruments? Hybrids? Nope, doesn’t ring a bell. Which brings us, inevitably, to the need for other classification systems.
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2. Indian Classical Classification
3. Ethnographic Classification (Hornbostel-Sachs) |
What’s beautiful is how similar the Indian and Hornbostel-Sachs systems are. These systems stem from a deep understanding of acoustics and cultural function—not just sonic wallpaper for lo-fi beats.
Why This Actually Matters
Understanding instrument classification means you know what role an instrument plays. If you grasp these basics, you’ll write better music, use fewer tracks, and create with intent—not impulse.
The Path Forward
If you’re serious about music production—and not just social media clout—then it’s time to stop pretending and start practicing:
1. Learn one instrument well.
2. Understand orchestration.
3. Respect instruments.
4. Pay for your tools.
5. Use fewer tracks.
A.R. Rahman didn’t become a global icon by dragging loops onto a grid. He studied, practiced, and immersed himself in musical cultures. He learned the craft behind the art—and so should you.
Final Note to the “Producers” Out There:
Just because your CPU is melting doesn’t mean your music is fire. Learn your instruments. Know their history. Respect their sound. And for the love of Carnatic Hindustani, Arabic and Western music, uninstall that cracked AU/VST/AAX file.
SAund Check out.
The post DAW Masters of Mediocrity appeared first on SAundCheck – a blog by Sudeep Audio for the Indian music industry.
Source:https://www.sudeepaudio.com/saundcheck/daw-masters-of-mediocrity/