Music Production Guide

01 - Start Here

Purpose

This guide helps me make faster, better music-production decisions.

It is not just a plugin inventory. It is a studio decision system for choosing tools based on musical role, sound goal, and creative momentum.

The goal is to make music that is:

  • Interesting
  • Tasteful
  • Polished
  • Atmospheric
  • Emotionally clear
  • Frictionless to create

Main Rule

Choose the musical job before choosing the plugin.

Before opening a plugin, decide what the part needs to do:

  • Lead the song
  • Support the vocal
  • Add movement
  • Add atmosphere
  • Create tension
  • Create release
  • Add contrast
  • Add dirt
  • Add space
  • Fix a problem
  • Finish the mix

Do not start by browsing plugins.

Basic Order of Decisions

  1. What is the emotional target?
  2. What part am I working on?
  3. What role does the part play?
  4. What source sound fits that role?
  5. What processing is actually needed?
  6. What should stay simple?
  7. What should be made special?

Core Workflow

1. Capture the idea

Get the part down before perfecting the sound.

2. Pick the role

Decide whether the part is a hook, support, rhythm, atmosphere, texture, or transition. For the default source, level/routing, max count, and cut rule per role, see 19 - Arrangement Role to Routing Map.

3. Choose the source

Use the right voice, guitar, synth, amp, drum sound, or sample before relying on plugins.

4. Shape only what needs shaping

Use EQ, compression, saturation, reverb, delay, or effects because the song needs them.

5. Add character intentionally

Use strong effects for identity, not out of habit.

6. Check the whole track

A sound only matters in context. Solo mode can mislead.

7. Polish late

Do not master, over-EQ, or over-compress before the song has a clear shape.

Reach For First

Need First Choice Second Choice Avoid
Surgical EQ FabFilter Pro-Q 4 UAD Pultec / Neve / API for color Browsing random EQs
Multiband control FabFilter Pro-MB Ozone Dynamic EQ if needed Over-processing
Vocal cleanup RX 12 Advanced Re-record if needed Trying to mix out bad audio
Dark analog synth u-he Diva GForce OB-E/SEM, Roland JUPITER-8/JUNO Preset scrolling with no role
Modern hybrid synth Arturia Pigments KORG modwave / Omnisphere Endless sound-design rabbit holes
Evolving atmosphere KORG wavestate Omnisphere, KORG Milpitas (Wavestation) Static pads with no motion
Lush / expensive reverb Lexicon PCM (480L/224 via UAD too) Valhalla VintageVerb / Eventide UltraReverb / SP2016 Trying every reverb
Otherworldly reverb Eventide Blackhole / ShimmerVerb Strymon BigSky / NightSky / Cloudburst Drowning everything
Delay throws / movement Eventide H3000 / UltraTap Strymon El Capistan / DIG, Cascadia Constant delay clutter
Tape echo color Strymon El Capistan UAD Galaxy Tape Echo / EP-34 / RE-201 Lo-fi on everything
Vintage analog warmth UAD Studer A800 / Oxide Tape UAD Culture Vulture, RC-20 Smearing the whole mix
Distortion / destruction iZotope Trash UAD Thermionic Culture Vulture Distorting everything
Glitch / transition Stutter Edit 2 ShaperBox 3 Making the whole song gimmicky
Rhythmic movement Cableguys ShaperBox 3 Devious Machines Infiltrator Pumping on everything
Lo-fi texture iZotope Vinyl RC-20 Retro Color, Unfiltered lo-fi-af Permanent degradation too early
Vocal compression UAD 1176 / LA-2A Antares Vocal Compressor Over-squashing
Vocal character / channel UAD Manley VOXBOX / Avalon VT-737 UAD Century / LA-6176 strip Stacking redundant strips
Mastering sketch Ozone 12 Advanced UAD SSL G Bus + Manley Massive Passive Overusing AI mastering
Tonal check Tonal Balance Control 3 Insight 2 Mixing only by meters
Loudness check Insight 2 Ozone meters Chasing loudness too early

Quick Decision Questions

Ask these before adding plugins:

  • What is this part supposed to make the listener feel?
  • Is this part the focus or support?
  • Does it need to be close, distant, wide, narrow, dry, wet, clean, dirty, human, synthetic, vintage, or modern?
  • Is the source sound already good?
  • Would this be better solved by changing the part instead of adding a plugin?
  • Is this effect adding identity or just clutter?
  • If I mute this part, does the song get worse or better?

Track vs Send vs Parallel

Use inserts for:

  • EQ
  • Compression
  • De-essing
  • Saturation
  • Amp sims
  • Cleanup
  • Corrective processing

Use sends for:

  • Reverb
  • Delay
  • Shared space
  • Ambience
  • Parallel effects

Use the named standing returns in 17 - Default Send Rack (S1–S5) instead of building reverb/delay/width fresh each session.

Use duplicate tracks or parallel auxes for:

  • Distortion layers
  • VocalSynth layers
  • Doubled vocals
  • Ghost vocals
  • Heavy compression
  • Extreme effects

Do not put every effect directly on the main track.

Taste Rules

  • One strong character decision is better than five confused subtle ones.
  • If everything is wide, nothing feels wide.
  • If everything is wet, nothing feels atmospheric.
  • If everything is distorted, nothing feels aggressive.
  • If every part is interesting, the arrangement may become unfocused.
  • Effects should create depth, contrast, movement, identity, or emotion.
  • The best plugin choice is often the one that keeps the song moving.

When Stuck

Use this order:

  1. Mute unnecessary parts.
  2. Decide the emotional target.
  3. Fix the source or performance.
  4. Choose the simplest plugin path.
  5. Add one character move.
  6. Check the full mix.
  7. Stop tweaking when the part works — see 05 - Locked vs Taste Commit Gate for the rule on when a part is done.