Working Outside My Comfort Zone

Working outside of my comfort zone is not something I’m particularly known for. I don’t like change much. Change inside my studio—new gear, new toys, new ideas—I love. Change elsewhere? Not so much.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, my background in composing and programming comes primarily from orchestral music. Linear timelines, notation, structured forms—those are familiar territory for me. It was that very familiarity, however, that eventually pushed me toward something completely different. That curiosity is what led me to the AKAI Force and Maschine+—two instruments built around clip-based creation and performance, a workflow I had essentially no experience with.

On paper, they looked like a lot of fun. In reality, they still do. I’ve had these machines for a while now… and I still haven’t really used them.

The Setup Is Ready — The Leap Is Not (Yet)

To be fair to myself, there’s a practical reason for this delay. Fully integrating these instruments requires finishing a few remaining areas of my studio, something I’ve planned to tackle in 2026. The hardware itself is ready to go:

• AKAI Force paired with the AKAI Advance49 keyboard controller (now discontinued, but a fantastic companion)
  
• Maschine Jam
  
• Maschine+
  
• Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol S61
  

Everything is connected, powered, and waiting. The question isn’t if I’ll use them—it’s where do I start?

When “New” Feels Like a Different Language

There are times when something genuinely interests you, but it’s so unfamiliar that it’s hard to know how to approach it. For me, that’s clip-based production.

I’ve never worked with clips before. It’s not just a different workflow—it feels like stepping into a different musical mindset altogether. Clip launching, looping, non-linear arrangement—it leans strongly toward electronic music, or at least electronic-adjacent genres.

The funny thing is, I act as though this realization surprised me. It didn’t. I knew exactly what these instruments were when I bought them.

What I really committed to—whether I fully realized it at the time or not—was learning a new way of thinking about music. Possibly even learning a new musical language.

Hesitation vs. Curiosity

It might sound like I’m hesitant, or even a little intimidated by this step, but that’s not quite accurate. I’m genuinely excited by the idea of learning something new. The hesitation comes more from wanting a solid starting point rather than jumping in blindly.

To that end, I’ve picked up a few courses on electronic music—not because I expect to become an expert overnight, but because I want some grounding. A framework. Something to lean on as I begin exploring these tools properly.

I don’t expect this to happen quickly. I’m not trying to master everything in a few weeks or even a few months. For me, this is about curiosity, exploration, and enjoying the process of learning something unfamiliar.

Will This Replace My Current Workflow?

Probably not.

That said, I won’t rule it out entirely either.

I can easily imagine this clip-based approach coexisting alongside my more traditional, linear timeline workflow. Different tools for different moods, ideas, or creative goals. One doesn’t have to replace the other for it to be worthwhile.

A Small Encouragement

If you’re in the middle of updating or redesigning your studio, maybe this is a good time to look at something new—not because you need it, but because it challenges the way you normally think about creating.

Try a different workflow. Explore an unfamiliar tool. Learn something that doesn’t immediately make sense.

You never really know where it might lead—and that’s kind of the point.