Following their collaborative EP ‘CANT U HEAR ME / TRUST’ on HABITAT with Mind Against, CAY shares valuable production insights ranging from workflow fundamentals to creative philosophy.
Photo credit: CAY – Official
Known for powerful vocals and raw emotion, the artist presents five essential tips on arrangement strategies, sound management, dynamic processing, atmospheric design, and maintaining creative momentum.
These battle-tested techniques provide practical solutions for producers at all levels, whether you’re working on arrangements or looking to expand your sonic palette.
1. Tip – arrangement: vertical vs. horizontal workflow
Many producers, in my opinion, make the mistake of working mainly with clips or loops. What significantly improved my progress was shifting to a horizontal workflow—working forward through the song rather than getting stuck in loops. This approach allows you to build a rough song structure within 1-2 hours, giving you a better overview of the bigger picture. It also creates more space for unique moments in your track.
2. VU meter & gain staging
A VU meter is a device that displays relative loudness in decibels. Use it to check the actual loudness of an element, as processed signals are often louder than they appear. I use Klanghelm’s VU meter on every track to manage gain staging. This helps maintain headroom and makes your sounds and elements feel more controlled.
3. Creating dynamic drums with effects
Many producers wonder how to make their drums sound more dynamic. My approach often involves delays and other effects. For example, I group my percussion elements and automate different delays within that group. This way, a rim shot might get a unique delay every fourth hit, adding variation and groove. The same technique can be applied to all drum elements or even synths to create a more diverse and rhythmic sound.
4. Creating atmosphere in a track
Many producers overthink the beginning of a track and often start with kicks or drums. I prefer starting with pads or atmospheric sounds. This can be easily created with a single note or chord processed through a shimmer reverb plugin—like Valhalla Shimmer in my case. Play a note with shimmer reverb, extend the decay time, record it, clean up the recording, and loop the part you like. This method helps create instant atmospheres or moods for your track.
5. How to stay creative
This last tip is more about creativity itself. Most people need to understand that creativity is like a muscle—you must train it; it’s not just sudden inspiration. Even on days when nothing seems to flow, you’re still learning how to deal with creative blocks. Over time, these blocks happen less frequently because, through consistent work, you develop alternative approaches when your usual process isn’t working. Keep experimenting and stay consistent!
CAY (DE)’s ‘CANT U HEAR ME / TRUST’ is out now on HABITAT Records. Stream and download here.
