Help me make music: Part 3

[ZipperCream]

Hey Everybody,

So I'm making nice beats now, well I think they're nice. I'm using Ableton 8, Battery 3, and Stylus RMX to lay down the drum patterns.

So now I'm trying to add lots of sound effects to make my music interesting. I'm learning to program the synthesizer at the moment, which has been the most challenging for me in the music making process thus far.

So here are my questions. What are you guys using to add effects to your sound creation? I've been using all the plug-ins within Ableton and getting bored of them. Any suggestions for stuttering effects? How about compression to fatten up the kicks and bass lines?

What about DSP cards such as the UAD-2? What about the Waves plug-ins? I'm running PC by the way.

[Gaylord Focker]

Originally Posted by ZipperCream

Hey Everybody,

So I'm making nice beats now, well I think they're nice. I'm using Ableton 8, Battery 3, and Stylus RMX to lay down the drum patterns.

So now I'm trying to add lots of sound effects to make my music interesting.

First rule to making music... dont add sound effects to make music... make music. Learn the art of chording and inversions... its really simple... play a bunch of notes together till you hear a chord that sounds good if you dont know how to make chords.


Waves plug ins are great but they should be the last thing you use when not knowing how to make music. Learn how to create melodies first.

Most people make electronic music cause they dont know how to make music... you have what seems to be a decent setup so use it to the maximus.

Dont be the ten-millionth producer who makes blase shit because they dont know how to use their gear. You have loads of great tools at your disposal, use them in a great way!!!!! Good luck to you man, I know you can do it if you work hard enough =)

[BLAZEN]

i use camel audio's camelphat and camespace....or at least i bought them...i dont get to use them that much....waves bundle is not worth the money.....TRUST ME i bought a few plugins....you can do the same thing with abletons plugins

http://www.camelaudio.com/

[Gaylord Focker]

dont use compression to fatten basses and kicks, when you dont know what compressors really do (which I dont think you really grasp yet) it just makes your track mud....

Keep it spaced and simple, that will help. Thats all I will say.

[BLAZEN]

Originally Posted by Gaylord Focker

First rule to making music... dont add sound effects to make music... make music. Learn the art of chording and inversions... its really simple... play a bunch of notes together till you hear a chord that sounds good if you dont know how to make chords.


Waves plug ins are great but they should be the last thing you use when not knowing how to make music. Learn how to create melodies first.

Most people make electronic music cause they dont know how to make music... you have what seems to be a decent setup so use it to the maximus.

Dont be the ten-millionth producer who makes blase shit because they dont know how to use their gear. You have loads of great tools at your disposal, use them in a great way!!!!! Good luck to you man, I know you can do it if you work hard enough =)

hammer meat nail

[Gaylord Focker]

Originally Posted by BLAZEN

iwaves bundle is not worth the money.....TRUST ME i bought a few plugins....you can do the same thing with abletons plugins

http://www.camelaudio.com/

False. You just dont know how to use the combo of plugs, maybe? Or to an inexperienced ear, they sound transparent. Every major studio in the world cant be wrong. they are very worth the money.

EDIT: my tone of voice was meant to be super nice and I hope that didnt come off dickly..if so, sorry man!!!!!!

[ZipperCream]

Originally Posted by Gaylord Focker

First rule to making music... dont add sound effects to make music... make music. Learn the art of chording and inversions... its really simple... play a bunch of notes together till you hear a chord that sounds good if you dont know how to make chords.

Yup, I agree. Every time I start a new project I'll create a beat, chord progression, basslines and melodies. Now I'm just trying to sprinkle candy on top by filling in with sound effects, which will greatly smooth out the transitions between instruments. I’ll build up the layers and then start the composition. I’ll add layers to build intensity and energy. I’ll also drop layers for the break down. I’m just trying to make my buildups, breakdowns, and transitions more interesting.

My wife is actually a very talented piano player, so she helps me lay down melodies and chords.

[ZipperCream]

Originally Posted by Gaylord Focker

dont use compression to fatten basses and kicks, when you dont know what compressors really do (which I dont think you really grasp yet) it just makes your track mud....

Keep it spaced and simple, that will help. Thats all I will say.

That's interesting. Everything that I've read says differently. What about side chaining your kicks with the compressor. Everybody that I know is using compressors with kicks. I also know that compression is used as one of the steps for the final mix down as well.

So how do you liven up your kicks to give a solid and warm punch?

[BLAZEN]

Originally Posted by Gaylord Focker

False. You just dont know how to use the combo of plugs, maybe? Or to an inexperienced ear, they sound transparent. Every major studio in the world cant be wrong. they are very worth the money.

EDIT: my tone of voice was meant to be super nice and I hope that didnt come off dickly..if so, sorry man!!!!!!

no problem

[ZipperCream]

Originally Posted by BLAZEN

i use camel audio's camelphat and camespace....or at least i bought them...i dont get to use them that much....waves bundle is not worth the money.....TRUST ME i bought a few plugins....you can do the same thing with abletons plugins

http://www.camelaudio.com/

Haven't heard of these. I'll check them out, thanks.

[Tyler Durden]

Originally Posted by ZipperCream

That's interesting. Everything that I've read says differently. What about side chaining your kicks with the compressor. Everybody that I know is using compressors with kicks. I also know that compression is used as one of the steps for the final mix down as well.

So how do you liven up your kicks to give a solid and warm punch?

I don't think they were talking about compressing the kick as much as compressing everything else so the kick punches through. And you can layer different sidechains compressing different things at different points for effect.

But I guess everyone has a different approach. The most important thing is how the end product sounds.

[Rod Cramwell]

The Camel stuff is awesome!

Go buy a chord book, chop some loops in stylus (which is very powerful), and brew a large pot of coffee.

I have a UAD and love it! I'm not big waves fan myself. There seems to be tons of options these days in plug in land.

[Tyler Durden]

Originally Posted by Gaylord Focker

...
Most people make electronic music cause they dont know how to make music... you have what seems to be a decent setup so use it to the maximus.
..

With all due respect, I don't think I agree with this assumption. It's like assuming that there aren't any rock and roll musicians who are classically trained.

[ZipperCream]

Originally Posted by Tyler Durden

I don't think they were talking about compressing the kick as much as compressing everything else so the kick punches through. And you can layer different sidechains compressing different things at different points for effect.

But I guess everyone has a different approach. The most important thing is how the end product sounds.

Well the techniques I've seen are to compress the kick, eq and finally increase the volume. By compessing the kick it sounds tighter and fuller.

[Tyler Durden]

Originally Posted by ZipperCream

Well the techniques I've seen are to compress the kick, eq and finally increase the volume. By compessing the kick it sounds tighter and fuller.

Right on. I wonder, was that genre specific?