Reso Producer Q&A

[reso]

Gotta ask a question

Do you think its possible to get big without DJing? or is that pretty important for one's presence?

And how did you get signed to your label? did they approach you? etc...

I think you can be well known without djing/playing live but whether you'll be able to live just off releases is another matter.

Burial is a rare exception

My label approached me although i had known the guys who run it for a while before they set it up.

[nilone]

Yes Reso,

Massive thanks for taking the time to answer these questions - it's great to see a producer who's not scared to share the tricks which contribute to their style.

Two questions for you if you'd be so kind:

1. The sub bass in Hemisphere; how the hell do you get it to sound so damn wide and prominent, yet smooth at the same time? I'm guessing heavy limiting covers the prominence, do you use a 'Spreader' of sorts, plain old Chorus effect, or simply two instances of the bass with one panned left/one right and sample delay?

2. You mentioned previously that tunes like Hemisphere are a bit more 'you' - are there any plans for an EP made up of purely your more mellower ideas? I think Namida was the first track I'd heard by you, and for someone who's always had a soft spot for melodic electronic music that tune ticked all the boxes!

Keep up the excellent work anyway man, all the best.

Ed.

1. That bass is pretty simple really, it's just pure sine wave run through a triangle down filter on the esx24 with the drive up a touch so it gives it quite a punchy attack. Then i layered some really highpassed detuned squares with a sample delay slapped on top. I find with things like this your brain sort of fills the gaps and makes it seem like a super fat wide bass when it's rather basic in actuality.

2. My album has A LOT of much more musical stuff on there, it's probably bias towards the musical side by about 60-40 atm.
I'm sure this'll dissapoint a few people but i really didn't want to make an album of 12 four minutes bangers, that's just crap in my eyes.
You'll have to wait and see what you think

Nice one for gettin back to me man, it amazes me how such a simple process can have such an effect on the ears.

Is the album going to see a vinyl release? I hope it's coming out through Civil again.

I'm gona be a fucker and ask the inevitable question though - when are we to expect the album release?

Ed.

[reso]

how many songs did you make before you decided one was good enough to put out?

ce

lots & lots & lots & lots & lots & lots & lots & lots & lots & lots lol

I never decided to put one out, i was offered a release and nearly shit myself. Who wouldn't?

[therapist]

Coke or Pepsi?

[reso]

First off, Hi Reso . Pretty sick your doing this.

How did you get your name?
How do you get thru writers block?
What advise would you have for one who absolutely loves dubstep but can't seem to write a decent dubstep tune?

1.I used to try and do shitty graff with posca pens on our old disposable kitchen table cloth, i could write RESO without it looking totally crap so when i set u a myspace i just used reso and it's stuck.

2.Have a sounds day, just make sounds and textures until you feel like making a tune again. And don't listen to dubstep, go and listen to some wierd chamber music or something.

3.Don't make dubstep then, just make whatever crazy music is in your head regardless of style, genrefication of music is just a way for marketing people to sell it. Just make what you feel is right at that time and learn while you go. You'll get to a point where you'll be good enough to make whatever you want, whether you choose to call it dubstep is up to you.

[Korea]

Ok already asked a lot about drums hehe but i keep goin :
You said you're programming drums using midi, how do you do to make those drum rolls (snare + toms rolls for example) sound so real ? i tried it but it sounds like .. nothing ? haha.

[reso]

I'd love to hear some of your first beats if you were being serious about that, when I was just into bands I'd love to hear where they came from (early demos and stuff) compared to what they are doing now, nice to hear a progression.

- sooo with the computer games, did you ever get into final fantasy? and if so which was your favourite?

I'm a bit thick, what's the easiest way to do it? Probably soundcloud right? i'll embed them in this thread for you all to have a chuckle at.


Nah, i never got into final fantasy, not a massive RPG fan, espcially turnbased RPG's.
Best game i've played recently is batman arkham asylum, soooooooooo sick. Just got lost planet 2 today so will probably be rinsing that all night

[lowpass]

I'd love to hear some of your first beats if you were being serious about that, when I was just into bands I'd love to hear where they came from (early demos and stuff) compared to what they are doing now, nice to hear a progression.

- sooo with the computer games, did you ever get into final fantasy? and if so which was your favourite?

I'm a bit thick, what's the easiest way to do it? Probably soundcloud right? i'll embed them in this thread for you all to have a chuckle at.


Nah, i never got into final fantasy, not a massive RPG fan, espcially turnbased RPG's.
Best game i've played recently is batman arkham asylum, soooooooooo sick. Just got lost planet 2 today so will probably be rinsing that all night

Ha they're a great way to waste 100+ hours of your life without actually needing any amount of skill

Yeah man you could embed them in soundcloud if you don't want people downloading them otherwise mediafire/rapidshare are the ones to go for.

[reso]

Ok already asked a lot about drums hehe but i keep goin :
You said you're programming drums using midi, how do you do to make those drum rolls (snare + toms rolls for example) sound so real ? i tried it but it sounds like .. nothing ? haha.

Good sample sets and velocities. Other than that i can only reccomend learning to play the drums. i just know what velocity and what hit should go where pureley because i've played drums for 16+ years.
This is no help whatsoever but it's the way i do it. sorry

[Steve_French]

Ok already asked a lot about drums hehe but i keep goin :
You said you're programming drums using midi, how do you do to make those drum rolls (snare + toms rolls for example) sound so real ? i tried it but it sounds like .. nothing ? haha.

Good sample sets and velocities. Other than that i can only reccomend learning to play the drums. i just know what velocity and what hit should go where pureley because i've played drums for 16+ years.
This is no help whatsoever but it's the way i do it. sorry

where do you find your drum samples? do you record them ? or get packs or both?? if you know of any good sets with some decent snare please tell

[reso]

I'd love to hear some of your first beats if you were being serious about that, when I was just into bands I'd love to hear where they came from (early demos and stuff) compared to what they are doing now, nice to hear a progression.

- sooo with the computer games, did you ever get into final fantasy? and if so which was your favourite?

I'm a bit thick, what's the easiest way to do it? Probably soundcloud right? i'll embed them in this thread for you all to have a chuckle at.


Nah, i never got into final fantasy, not a massive RPG fan, espcially turnbased RPG's.
Best game i've played recently is batman arkham asylum, soooooooooo sick. Just got lost planet 2 today so will probably be rinsing that all night

Ha they're a great way to waste 100+ hours of your life without actually needing any amount of skill

Yeah man you could embed them in soundcloud if you don't want people downloading them otherwise mediafire/rapidshare are the ones to go for.

On an RPG flex i fucking love fable and i love RTS games like command and conquer & Supreme Commander.

I'll upload those wack tunes after i eat my dinner, curry time!

[theedman]

genrefication of music is just a way for marketing people to sell it.

I like it!

[Korea]

Ok already asked a lot about drums hehe but i keep goin :
You said you're programming drums using midi, how do you do to make those drum rolls (snare + toms rolls for example) sound so real ? i tried it but it sounds like .. nothing ? haha.

Good sample sets and velocities. Other than that i can only reccomend learning to play the drums. i just know what velocity and what hit should go where pureley because i've played drums for 16+ years.
This is no help whatsoever but it's the way i do it. sorry

Yeah i see what you mean, well playing drum in my flat would not make my neighbours really happy haha
The thing is it sounds weird when i use my main snare, but i can never find a second snare that goes well with the other. Do you have any website that shows roll pattern ?

About videogames : nothing better than arcade games haha

[JJAMUS]

hey reso, nothin' but appreciation for this... getting tips from the man himself is truly a privilege for all of us.

anyway, i remember reading awhile back when i first started listening to your tunes that you were a drummer. this is evident in all your tunes, as the drums are consistently a banging aspect of each. since you must be pretty accustomed to the set, do you ever get frustrated programming out midi drums? i'm a drummer myself, and i sometimes think i'd rather play the drums out and record them rather than programming it all.

[darigan]

Hey Reso, appreciate ya doing this.

My question is about how you work out the music in your track. I read what some people like to do is to lay down a chord progression and then write there bass lines and lead lines to that and when it comes to the end remove the chords, do you work like that? or would you start with a bassline and then build the chord progression around that? or something else completely different

[rekstep]

no question but i am rinsing out technetium atm sitting in school , defiantly going to be dropping this at my next up coming gig

[inkognito]

First of all, Im really looking forward for ur album! I always been a fan of ur tunes, both the mellow onces and the filthy ones Now my question for now is just.. How did u make the bassline in Channel Pressure? It makes me feel so robotic!!

And hey, nice to see a mecha lover in here aswell

[reso]

I'd love to hear some of your first beats if you were being serious about that, when I was just into bands I'd love to hear where they came from (early demos and stuff) compared to what they are doing now, nice to hear a progression.

- sooo with the computer games, did you ever get into final fantasy? and if so which was your favourite?

I'm a bit thick, what's the easiest way to do it? Probably soundcloud right? i'll embed them in this thread for you all to have a chuckle at.


Nah, i never got into final fantasy, not a massive RPG fan, espcially turnbased RPG's.
Best game i've played recently is batman arkham asylum, soooooooooo sick. Just got lost planet 2 today so will probably be rinsing that all night

Ha they're a great way to waste 100+ hours of your life without actually needing any amount of skill

Yeah man you could embed them in soundcloud if you don't want people downloading them otherwise mediafire/rapidshare are the ones to go for.

Ok here's some oooooold stuff, made these about 4 years ago before i'd even heard of dubstep. Have at you!
Soundcloud
Soundcloud
Soundcloud

I haven't got any of the very first tunes i made as they got lost when my old pc died a horrible death.
Still sounds like me, just a bit more cack lol

[triggy]

Ok here's some oooooold stuff, made these about 4 years ago before i'd even heard of dubstep. Have at you!
Soundcloud
Soundcloud
Soundcloud

I haven't got any of the very first tunes i made as they got lost when my old pc died a horrible death.
Still sounds like me, just a bit more cack lol

Still better than all the shit im doing at the moment =p

[Ameniphus]

Hello Reso. Absolutely massive ups for doing this. I have a few questions, maybe a few one-on-one questions, and I also want to big up you for being probably the most experienced, top of the line dubstep producer that has ever reached my delicate ears. Your smashing industrial bass sounds, crispy as funk drums, and driving pads are more than enough to keep me coming back. I thank you for being one of my biggest inspirations... Ever. You are one of the main reasons why I keep going and why I'm (now) signed and looking to release more!

ON TO THE QUESTIONS...

1. How in the hell did you make Otacon and Rumble basslines (especially Otacon)? Those are two bass line sounds I can definitely mention because they sound so unreal and so unlike anything anyone has ever made! Otacon was your first tune I ever heard and I (literally) almost cried because it was just so pure epic!

2. Who was your biggest inspiration to switch over to dubstep and how long were you on breaks and other random genres of EDM after you switched out of metal?

3. Can I ask your permission to remix any tunes of yours, as I am always looking around to remix and collaborate with anyone out there. Specifically Rumble, Transformer, and maybe Otacon one day (best tune in my opinion!)

4. Will we be seeing any VIPs of any tunes you've already released?

If there are anymore questions I remember to ask, I shall post another response. Cheers, big ups, and keep up the killer dubstep!

Andy/Ameniphus