Jacob Colon Shares Some Music Production Tips
Jacob Colon is a DJ and music production virtuoso with an impressive number of releases under his name. His music, that not only displays his talent, expertise as a producer and his signature sound and style; it also proves its worth reaching top charts all over the world and throughout main streaming platforms. While he shares his time between producing new hits, he also creates powerful mixes for his radio show ‘Made to Move’ that has quickly swept the airwaves reaching over 30 radio stations worldwide, making the show one of the hottest ones at the moment.
While he continues with his busy schedule of releases and new productions, we invited Jacob to share some of his tips and tricks regarding music production; his DAW of choice and favorite plugins and VSTs, this is what he said.
Hello Jacob Colon, how are you?
I’ve been pretty good. Keeping busy with music and radio work.
What kind of gear would you say is necessary to set up a home studio?
Obviously, you need a computer to start, but in regards to programs or DAW, I personally use Logic. The layout for me is very simple and quite frankly I’m just really used to it. There are a couple of good programs people use to record and mix, so it’s really about preference. Plugins are also about preference. There’s a ton of options to choose from but my go to plugins are from Waves, FabFilter, and iZotope.
Do you use any plugins? Which ones are your current favorites?
My favorite VSTs are from Native Instruments and Roland.
Which DAW do you use and why?
Logic. When I first started producing way back, I messed around with the GarageBand program that came stock with my Macbook and eventually moved into Logic. They are both Apple based softwares so the transition was smooth. Besides it’s just the program I decided to stick with.
How do you make the most out of a sample?
Easy, figure out how to play the melody or chords on the keyboard and switch up the sounds. Maybe adjust a few notes and recreate it from a 4-bar loop to an 8-bar loop.
Which part of the track is the best one to start with?
Vocals and chords. This will bring the song to life after laying down a solid drum loop.
How do you know when a track is ready?
After I feel a track is finished, I usually take a few days to work on something else and listen back when my ears aren’t fatigued. If I feel the flow is smooth throughout the track and moves well, then I’ll send it off to get mastered and finalized for release.
What’s the most important thing to keep in mind when making new music?
Stay creative never competitive.
What’s the latest thing you’ve learned about music production? Any new tricks?
The best thing to do while producing is walking away from the song for a bit. Fatigued ears can take away your creative process. I would say that in itself is a trick. I’ve had to learn this the hard way, LOL.
What would you like to say to anyone starting their music production journey?
Keep striving for something new.
Jacob Colon Online
https://www.instagram.com/jacobcolon/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/55ecViEDERrBDj9vdolClh
