Bobby Shann is an artist who is known for his outstanding productions that feature infectious grooves and steady beats that are perfect for the dancefloor. His discography includes releases such as ‘Call Me Papi’, ‘Break It Down’, and more recently a stunning collab with Blas Cordero titled ‘Double Vision’. We caught up with Bobby to find out his methods behind the music.
1 — Talk us through how you started your journey to learning how to produce?
It all began back in the days when I first got in touch with the hip-hop culture, through breakdancing. I wanted to start making my own beats and my producing career started. I just spent my time playing about with the software, I’m still learning. I think I will keep on learning; everything is a lesson.
2 — Were there any books or videos you used to help you?
Not really, I just got on with it! Nowadays there is also a lot of tutorials which can really help you out.
3 — What software do you use, and would you recommend it to beginners?
I use Ableton. As I started with more complex daw’s I would recommend Ableton even for beginners. It’s the best way to learn efficiently.
4 — Do you have any tips for finding a creative spark?
Well, I think the best way to get creative is to be yourself and not being afraid of creating what you have in your mind. Don’t ever let others’ opinions affect you. Just do your thing. That’s all I can say.
5 — Which top 3 plugins would you suggest?
To be honest the only thing I can suggest is to find out by yourself which plugins your sound fits and if this sounds good for you, then amazing! I don’t think there are any rules.
6 — What are your opinions on mixing and mastering your own tracks?
It could be good but also bad. It depends on the technical knowhow you have and especially having the ear for that. I love to see the technical aspects behind it all and learn about it. It can be fun, and you have the possibility to make the songs really sound like you want it to be. But sometimes there is also complicated parts I would wish an engineer would take all the effort. It really takes a lot of time. Sometimes it can also become annoying listening to your own track the whole time which could have a different impact on the song.
7 — How do you approach remixes?
It’s a good thing, I guess. Doing remixes is a good way to show how it would sound like working with other artists from different genres as well.
8 — What are the essential skills that a producer should work on first?
Just be yourself and do what you love don’t follow any rules you’ve heard about producing or whatever. It should sound like you. Music is the art to express yourself so do it.
9 — What piece of advice do you wish you had received in the beginning?
Oh wow, lemme think about. I guess you can always take advice from people It doesn’t matter when and how. What’s important is that you do what you want to do and have in your mind. The best process to learn is making mistakes and your own experiences.
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Hi, I’m Erick Ycaza — a music blogger with a BA in Advertising & Graphic Design. I created this blog to keep you updated with daily music news. Surprisingly, I’ve been writing about music since 2007. If you’re an artist and would like to be featured, feel free to reach out: info@electrowow.net
