Digitally controlled analog gear appreciation edition
>Production Resources:
>Pastebin - Links, books, videos, articles, tutorials and stuff
http://pastebin.com/pYGCLu6q
>/prod/ wiki - still looking for contributors
http://mu-sic-production.wikia.com
There's a severe lack of DAW descriptions in the wiki. If you're good with your tool of choice, consider writing a paragraph about it.
/prod/ IRC is up!
To join, you can go tohttp://www.rizon.net/chat
Choose a nick, put #/prod/ as channel. Enter!
Or you can get a lightweight desktop client herehttps://hexchat.github.io/downloads.html
Remember to use clyp.it to post your tracks/WIP: posting a clyp.it is just providing sound for a question, posting a Soundcloudlink is making self-advertisement and the thread doesn't need that.
Remember to check other peoples' clyp.it links to keep the thread healthy.
ok so I am a bit rusty when it comes to sequencing gear
>got pic related
>has no internal sequencer
>thinking on getting a Novation Launchpad to sequence it
what else would /prod/ suggest? I'm fairly n00b when it comes to sequencing gear. Would a launchpad be enough to just input some notes/velocities, and the synth would trigger from it? I have an Analog Four that sadly does not do external sequencing. Other than elektron gear, I'm not too familiar with the market of external sequencers
I don't want to go the workstation way b/c its expensive. I want to be able to do the sequencing without a DAW too.
>>65592554
>rounded knobs
why
>>65592554
I thought the launchpad was just a controller, not a sequencer?
Just brought a Volca Sample and Minilogue. Wanted an ES but was too poor after buying the minilogue, but very excited for them both to be delivered
rip this general
https://clyp.it/enlqgjj1
can I get some feedback, lads?
>>65592554
Pretty sure as other anon stated a launchpad is just a midi controller with pads, you could use it to record sequences into your DAW but it's not a standalone sequencer.
What you need is a standalone sequencer something like the artuia beatstep pro or the korg SQ-1
>>65593998
>>65592865
I'm confus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za4Nr7s3XH4
isn't he controlling/sequencing all that gear just through the midi?
that's the launchpad PRO btw, guess I forgot to mention that in my post
>>65594522
yeah it used to just be a midi controller, all that functionality got added on the pro version... forgot how much i wanted a launchpad pro lol
I'm making an Oldschool Jungle track that I just started on a couple hours ago.
https://clyp.it/mious425
I know I need to work on the piano part.
>>65593329
Clyp not found?
>Digitally controlled analog gear appreciation edition
guess this digitally controlled synth (there is reverb + echo on it)
https://clyp.it/03ct5yfy
>>65598154
Sounds like a Curtis filter so it could be an Oberheim, but having said that it could be a gazillion other syanths as well.
https://clyp.it/zhlzof4h
This is something i made today
how do you feel about it
>>65598154
Ensoniq ESQ-1?
>>65592341
Fix the fucking mega links
>>65598244
Good ear. It was a P08.
>>65598604
I don't blame you because I did name the file DCA
>>65598675
Don't be a jack ass, jack ass. but yes, a lot of the links are down. can someone re-up?
>>65598803
>jack ass, jack ass
are you trying to say jackass?
>>65599018
>jackass detected
truly a fantastic /prod/
bimp
Hey fellers i wanna get an outboard Preamp to pair with my Focusrite Saffire Pro just as another tonal colouring option. What should i get? Priced under $500 plz
rip thread
>>65601923
save your money. i mean it depends on what you're recording, but if it's just synths and such then their usefulness is incredibly exaggerated. listen for yourself to the examples in this thread:
https://www.gearslutz.com/board/electronic-music-instruments-electronic-music-production/1085446-preamp-shootout-tb303-chandler-great-river-heritage-audio.html
I'm starting with a low mono drone sound that I want to widen but doing so adds another 6db in volume.
Does this matter? Do the balances need to be the same in mono and stereo?
bump
please save this from dying
>>65598515
this is really bad dude, nothing redeeming about it. dont post something publicly for feedback until youve had a few more months of practice
>>65604580
>publicly
>posted anonymously
post your music
>>65601923
wtf
if you're just desperate to buy something or want more sound options just cop a mic man
>>65604478
Are you just duplicating it and panning them left and right? try putting it into a stereo sampler.
Any late night lurkers, i'll be answering questions for a little while I guess. .. .. .. ..
>>65604974
A good preamp adds a completely different tone to a mic, for example Neve 1073s. He might want to add the tone to a synth, doesn't necessarily mean micing it.
>>65605018
>. .. .. .. ..
REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
>>65605048
lol i know how pres work
running a <500 pre through a saffire pro just sounds like wasted money really.
>>65605093
you too
what the fuck even happened to this thread though
it used to be really active and now its basically dead
>>65605174
too much honest feedback and squabbling
>>65605203
maybe its because the soundcloud kid and the /pol/ guy left
>>65605104
Why are you suggesting a mic then? I just figured you didn't know.
How in the flying colored of a fuck do I make those bubble sounds that I heard at the Infected Mushroom show by their opening DJs in Columbus, Ohio?
I fucking hate this fucking city so god damned much I want to shove barbed wire up my asshole.
I beg your pardon, but I recently heard an effect that quite peaked my interest at the Infected Mushroom show in Columbus, Ohio. I described it as the sound of bubbles! Please suggest me as to a direction in which I could reproduce these results!
How the fuck do i make the bubble sound
>>65605630
>another tonal colouring option
+i think there's too much talk about pres among people who use budget gear but i'm sure there are more informed rants from others if anybody cares to look into that
>>65605666
>>65605650
>>65605636
>saw down pitch and or bp/lp filter with resonance maybe some phasing for waternessnesssss
>>65605715
>>saw down pitch and or bp/lp filter with resonance maybe some phasing for waternessnesssss
Can you ELI5? I'm a newbie at FL Studio right now but I'm trying other sofftware like Ableton live
Also drunk but can you please help me with this? It blew my mind out and I'm trying to make music and I'm still new at this and need all the help I can get.
>>65605754
>Can you ELI5?
fucking faggot
>>65605807
I'm fucking serious. Explain in layman's terms I need to understand you stupid fucking faggot why are you such an autistic cunt! I wish you died of brain cancer.
>>65605807
Fuck off
>>65605754
daw doesn't matter.
on 99% of synthesizers there's a filter that cuts out frequency in some way. Low Pass filters only keep frequency below a certain point, and Band Pass keeps within a certain area (cuts everything above and below except in that area)
Resonance just accentuates the cutoff point, (you could see that visually on a frequency analyzer) so when you change the cutoff point turning the know it's more obvious.
LFO's just change something over time, you can route it to the filter so it's like your twisting the knob over and over.
you can change how the lfo changes over time. sin just goes up and down smoothly. square sounds like you're turning it off and on. saw would look like this \_l\_l\_l\_l\_l\_l\
you've heard a phaser before most likely. not going to explain how it works, but you should learn eventually. i'm sure there's a stock phaser plugin on fl... may or may not help
>>65605931
>>65605924
fucking reddit faggots you need to go back
>>65605950
everybody knows what eli5 means now lol
maybe in a few years when you graduate high school you'll grow out of needing to take every opportunity to spew shit out at people who use a particular website you don't like
>>65606012
This
why not make a discord for /prod/ instead of IRC
>>65606484
there is a discord, it wasn't in this threads OP though, and I don't know it by heart to tell you it unfortunately :(
Look through the /mu/ archives for past /prod/ threads and you'll find it though!
>>65605174
I think all the active people in the old threads (myself included) have moved on. I occasionally check in (like I am now) and usually end up with a deep sense of disappointment. These threads used to be good for the most part, but fuck me they are pretty bad now.
So got this old .cpr file (made in cubase sx 2.1 or 3) i sketched a song long ago.
i'd like to avoid reinstalling any of that so i ask you guys if you know about a way to extrat that sequencer data from that file into midi or convert it to a reaper/ableton project or something.
>>65606012
>>65606110
>it's a soundcloud kid samefags to ruin the thread episode
>want to post track for some feedback
>thread has already turned to shit
I'll try again next week guys.
>>65606484
The invite expired, someone has to make a new one:
> https://discord.gg/0wV1D4bx3283zPPS
>>65607656
I'm happy to provide some decent feedback, just disregard the shitposters. Clyp us.
>>65608565
https://clyp.it/vezw4nvs
>>65608617
make the brass synth simpler and have it deviate from the lead a touch and this would be fire
7/10 would spit on for muh mixtape
>>65608565
pls senpai listen to my new release it's good i swear i only used hardware
https://superlust.bandcamp.com/album/trainingsbuch-zum-commodore-64
>>65608617
Not a big fan of the first half (feels lika a long winded intro). The last string synthesizer felt a bit off and didn't fit well - my guess is that its melodic line is not a counterpoint? Or is it supposed to be pad-like?
Also, the drums felt like they didn't gel together with the track, with the one snare having a long reverb tail. Maybe compression can fix it, but it feels like there isn't a whole rythmic background to it, the percussion is more like it works as an FX layer. But FX only work well when used sparingly to signal things (risers/downers/rolls before a drop etc), not throughout the track.
All in all there isn't much bass.
>>65609309
kek appreciate that my man.
>>65609334
Thanks for the detailed feedback.
>my guess is that its melodic line is not a counterpoint?
I have to admit that I don't know what that means. I'm basically just trying to build the track the way I have it in my head.
That might be why some of the ideas are maybe a bit stupid or don't seem to fit.
My knowledge of what makes music work is really limited and I'm really bad at teaching myself things.
>drums felt like they didn't gel together with the track
I am super bad at figuring out percussion, it's the only step that I just can't build in my mind.
I think I went through 20+ different snares and just settled on that generic one.
I was thinking of maybe finding a metallic hit or a woodblock instead of a snare.
>bass
Still trying to think of a bass line that would fit.
So far I'm really enjoying making music.
Also, sorry for sounding like I'm blogging.
>>65609600
Claps are also a good alternative to snares, have a look into those.
https://clyp.it/exdji3zl
I think I'm gonna call it on this one pretty soon
I Just have a few questions
Does the vocal stutter in the intro sound awkward and forced?
Also I'm mixing on earbuds so if someone with some monitors could let me know how the mix sounds (especially the vocals) that'd be great
and lastly did I limit it too hard? It sounds like it might be a little brickwalled but I can't really tell
>>65607215
neither of those posts was me, maybe it's just that nobody else shares your weirdly intense reddit hateboner?
>>65609600
>Counterpoint
Counterpoint is basically the art of making two or more different melodic lines fit together, so they weave and sound pleasing. The reason I asked is because your string synth later has a quite discernable pitch.
In your case you'd best use chords (string/pad), or at least chord-based arpeggios (keys) at least an octave apart to support your main melody. A second musical line fights with the first over the attention of the listener, especially if they are equally loud and in the same frequency range.
To learn counterpoint you need at least a bit understanding of music theory, but if you can pull it off the results are amazing. Check out the /comp/ thread here, the Wikipedia article for counterpoint, or for an example this Youtube video:
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4O6lc_ym12U
>Drums
Creating a drum pattern/groove is an art in itself. Its almost as complex as creating a complex synth sound. Nobody was born a pro, so don't be discouraged. A few hints for beginners:
> pick a kick and a snare/clap
> don't go digging for more than a minute for the samples: in the end you can change them if you really feel like it, or better: process them - they don't matter
> the drum samples work for you, not the other way around: process them (eq, compression, saturation, frequency shifter, gate etc.)
> the snare/clap goes on the 2/4, or in 16ths
> OOOO XOOO OOOO XOOO
> in 4 to the floor (house, trance etc) the kick goes on 1/2/3/4
> XOOO XOOO XOOO XOOO
> in hip-hop/dnb the kick is in 1+3, the second kick moves a bit back
> XOOO OOOO OOXO OOOO
> add ride elements (hihat, cymbal, crash, etc), start with a closed hihat on the inbetweens:
> OOXO OOXO OOXO OOXO
You now have a basic pattern and can add to it, shuffle things around and add variation. But always watch that not that many transients stack together. For more information/inspiration read here:
> https://www.attackmagazine.com/technique/beat-dissected/
>some guy follows me on soundcloud
>don't follow back because his music sucks
>unfollows me a few days later
>>65610951
what a unique scenario that has surely only happened to you and not like... everyone in this thread
Decided to start producing today
downloaded Cubase 5 and Native Instruments Komplete 9 ultimate
what else do I need?
I plan on making hip hop and retro wave stuff
>>65609600
>Bass
The bass does not have to be super melodic, but it has to have a rhythmic element to it: Bass is supposed to make melody and drums fit together and give a foundation for the melody to sound good.
The more you learn about music theory, the more you realize you can approach this almost mathematically/geometrically. There are standard solutions:
> Harmonize your melody
> Play bass notes in any of the chord notes, especially the first
The thing with music theory is: If you do everything "by the book" your music will almost always sound boring, because the results are what the listener expected. You have to make your music special by throwing unexpected stuff in there (aka the curveball).
>>65610776
While I have no hateboner for Reddit, I find the people there most of the time to be on the wrong side of mount stupid, and also karma-whoring. Which makes people with real knowledge flee, or worse: doubt their own knowledge.
That is also the reason I only come on weekends to this thread: to see if it is salvageable and didn't degenerate into a "FL Studio is the worst DAW" kind of shitflinging.
>>65611022
Good taste, and dedication to keep at it until you are good.
>>65611109
>Good taste, and dedication
aww shit I've got plenty of those mah man
>>65610757
>https://clyp.it/exdji3zl
With that old school vibe it would sound more awesome if you'd emulate a turntable scratching style: Reverse part of vocal and pitch it up (add pitch slopes if needed) and put it in between the stutters. At least thats my idea.
From the mix it feels like there's a bit too much bass for the kick to come out. Maybe it's something else, I can't really put my finger on it, but sometimes it feels like the kick thump has just gone missing somewhere in the mix.
The vocals don't really pop out in the mix. If they are the focus you should bring them out a bit more, and take the groove a bit back, especially in the vocal frequency range.
You can bring in a bit more elements where the vocals are not playing (as if they are responding to the elements).
Also, you didn't limit very hard. I've seen far worse. You can always tell by the resulting waveform: if it looks like a sausage, it's shit. (Hence the name "Sausage Fattener" for the plugin).
>>65611219
Well, the only really helpful advice I can give you:
1. At the beginning to intermediate level don't compare your own music to other music, especially not in your own genre. And especially not with commercially released tracks.
> They have years and years of experience.
> They have "helpers" that bring creative ideas. (Which is a nice way to say "ghostwriter")
> They have dedicated engineers for mixing and mastering that also have years of experience.
You will never sound like that in the beginning. And you don't have to. Make your music, not theirs.
2. Make a habit out of making music.
> Even if its 15 minutes a day, make something every day.
Even if its shit by your own standards. Maybe tomorrow you'll have a brilliant idea to make the shit from yesterday (or last week) into something amazing.
>>65611318
thanks for the feedback man
it's probably because i used 2 different kick samples
one sample for all of the 1s and 3s and then another with less thud for all the offbeat syncopated hits. I brought out the bottom in it a bit more tho.
does this sound better in terms of the vocals popping and the kick punching through?
https://clyp.it/xw0525nf
>>65611918
That's much better, but I feel like the vocal still mingles with the melodic parts: they are basically in the same frequency range.
Try creating a group for those melodic channels and use sidechain-compression to dampen them when the vocal is playing. If those are stem parts you can use a multiband-compressor for that.
>>65612130
thanks, that's a great tip
I feel like I can only get it working subtly though
If I push it too hard the melodic elements start sounding a bit distorted
this is what I got tho
https://clyp.it/olqdg5ow
>>65612395
>https://clyp.it/olqdg5ow
Here's the thing: Any of these mixing/mastering tricks can't be used prominently or they stick out and sound awkward.
Rule of thumb is: If you can hear how it was done without listening for it, you have fucked up.
It'd be already amazing if you can get 3 dB headroom out of that single trick. But if you push the vocals into another gentle compressor with a bit of EQ, then end result is a tighter mix.
But that is essentially what mixing and mastering is: A series of small tricks, like EQ 1.5 dB here, 3 dB there, gentle compression here, a bit harsher compression to gel that together, subtle modulation and reverb.
In the end the small steps add up and make for a better mix.
