What's your (usual) workflow?

[Gastly]

So I was chatting with DAST and he mentioned that he puts his drums in last, I thought that was crazy as I always start with drums and see if any melodies pop into my head while I'm making drums, what does everyone do?

Drums > Melody > SFX (not effects on the instruments, actual sfx (like explosions)) > Bassline > Master

[Hurricos]

It seems like everyone starts with drums. I tend to put down a melody or bassline, and then find a drum pattern that works well with it. For the track I'm working on now, I just happened to make a little bassline. Then a progression just came to me, and then I added in drums.

[Ohmicid]

Meh, I start with a simple kick/snare then get into bassline, melody, sfx then edit the drums to match the song...

[Mazza]

Reason: Opening melody/melodies > Drums > Some basses. Resample basses into FL: add fx to basses. Resample back into Reason: Eq, etc. on the basses > Make and add transition fx + add more filter envelopes. If i'm using vocals, Acid Pro 7: timestretch vocals, chop them a bit, add fx, and while i'm there chop up old drumloops to make new ones, render everything separately. Sample the stuff into Reason: Arrange that stuff, listen to it at least 10 times, mix anything that I haven't already mixed, little or sometimes even no mastering.

Usually..

[DAST]

Open up reason
Dick around with synths
Make drop
Add drums

[runemopar]

I'm really confused as to how you can make the drop without the drums 0_o. Drums usually dictate the rhythm in my drops, so...

[Rmonik]

The reason why EDM is so boring nowadays is because of set workflows.

[runemopar]

You have a million reasons why EDM is so boring nowadays, don't you

I don't have a set workflow. Maybe because I haven't done music long enough, or I don't do enough of it.

Everything changes, because it all depends on my current inspiration. Like I'm just working on a track that I built the intro for using a neurobass I made, then I made a beat, and then made the bass do something I wanted it to along with the beat.

[Rmonik]

Nope. Just that one. Don't force the music out of you, ofcourse it's gonna be mediocre then. Let it come to you.

That said, i usually have a few drum patches ready to go for when originality strikes.

[MnilinM]

Rhythm guitar, bassline, drums, lead guitar.
Granted this is a different genre, but you can probably convert this idea pretty easily.