Ableton Live Operator

[Noisestorm]

I've been using it for the first time today, and I played around with it, along with some different distortions, and got some cool growl sounds.

I made a little sample to show you, skrillexy I know but hey, I've always been interested in his synthesis. This is just to show people that you can get awesome results from lots of different synths just by experimenting.

Soundcloud

I've realized that posting tutorials and files actually isn't useful in the long run, yes you can tweak the patch, yes you can see what I've done but really, the best sounds are found by actually learning a synth, and experimenting. You are far more likely to create a new unique patch this way, than tweaking someone elses, because you will actually know what you did to make it, and be able to create lots of other cool sounds with that knowledge of what plugin combos etc you used.

If you really want to recreate this sound, I used operator, tweaking very little actually, I just played around until I had a wet growly starter, then added an EQ, automating spikes, a compressor, Izotope Ozone 4, boosting the harmonics, Sausage Fattener, to give it some extra thickness, Izotope Trash, which actually gives it it's main character, it is a very useful plugin, and finally Fabfilter Saturn, which gives some extra saturation!

[SKIN E]

You realize that a lot of sounds gain their sweet characteristics because of the fxchain, that's why I don't really mind which synth I use, but some people swear by Massive which I think is just wrong Well done for experimenting and getting to this!!

[e-motion]

Yeah, that's why I love operator It's so easy to get out a sound.

The FIRST patch I made in operator is one of my favorite sounds. My technique was to put it in an instrument rack, have a Macro controlling operator volumes (more than one at the same time) and then automate that macro control.

[Noisestorm]

Yeah, that's why I love operator It's so easy to get out a sound.

The FIRST patch I made in operator is one of my favorite sounds. My technique was to put it in an instrument rack, have a Macro controlling operator volumes (more than one at the same time) and then automate that macro control.

Instrument Racks are so handy, makes creating complex chains of plugins so easy!

[mthrfnk]

I have to agree about the whole FX chain - I've never really used Operator but I have had similar success using Sytrus in FL using just a stock preset with the right FX on it. I think the reason people go to Massive is that it can produce Yois and stuff straight out the plugin, with decent effects. However by creating just a source sound and using a wide variety of effects in a chain I think you can get much better sounds. Also, you mentioned Trash - whenever I use it I always seem to fuck up my sounds, so I go to Ohmicide instead, any tips on using Trash with basses?

Oh btw Noisestorm I was checking your stuff out on YouTube the other day, really good stuff man!

[Noisestorm]

I have to agree about the whole FX chain - I've never really used Operator but I have had similar success using Sytrus in FL using just a stock preset with the right FX on it. I think the reason people go to Massive is that it can produce Yois and stuff straight out the plugin, with decent effects. However by creating just a source sound and using a wide variety of effects in a chain I think you can get much better sounds. Also, you mentioned Trash - whenever I use it I always seem to fuck up my sounds, so I go to Ohmicide instead, any tips on using Trash with basses?

Oh btw Noisestorm I was checking your stuff out on YouTube the other day, really good stuff man!

Yes, very true. I use Ohmicide, it is great for distortion, but I find it really annoying to navigate, there are so many modulation options, I spend way to much time tweaking them, and it crashes quite a bit if I have a lot of tracks open at a time.

Same thing with me with Trash when I first tried it, but I gave it a second chance today, and if you start adding subtle effects one by one as opposed to a preset, the results are awesome, you can get a really crunchy tone. I'd definitely recommend it, it is much cleaner and easier to use than Ohmicide. The amp settings give that grit and even add to the growl, so try only turning the amp section on, pick out one that sounds decent, then add in the other effects one, that way the bass won't end up sounding muddy and messy.

[blinx]

After i saw the how to make operator growl in less than 10seconds video lol i fell in love with it. Its got tons of potential, as do most other synths, but dont overlook the operator its pretty cool.

Now i love massive not because its so Br00tal but i love it because its one of the frist synths i actually learned HOW to use and create my own patches.

[Attila]

Am I the only one that uses Guitar Rig on my sounds? You can make some genuinely CRAZY shit with it.

[zeta]

I've been using it for the first time today, and I played around with it, along with some different distortions, and got some cool growl sounds.

I made a little sample to show you, skrillexy I know but hey, I've always been interested in his synthesis. This is just to show people that you can get awesome results from lots of different synths just by experimenting.

Soundcloud

I've realized that posting tutorials and files actually isn't useful in the long run, yes you can tweak the patch, yes you can see what I've done but really, the best sounds are found by actually learning a synth, and experimenting. You are far more likely to create a new unique patch this way, than tweaking someone elses, because you will actually know what you did to make it, and be able to create lots of other cool sounds with that knowledge of what plugin combos etc you used.

If you really want to recreate this sound, I used operator, tweaking very little actually, I just played around until I had a wet growly starter, then added an EQ, automating spikes, a compressor, Izotope Ozone 4, boosting the harmonics, Sausage Fattener, to give it some extra thickness, Izotope Trash, which actually gives it it's main character, it is a very useful plugin, and finally Fabfilter Saturn, which gives some extra saturation!

What's interesting is the fact that your process is nearly word for word what Skrills himself says he uses in interviews. He's said that most of his growl sounds actually come from operator, as well as automating spikes in the EQ - even the plugins since he's a huge fan of ozone 4 and izotope trash and presumably sausage fattener.

[dubesteppe]

im more interested in the eqing you did rather then the synthesis. did u just make sweeping motions between formants?

[drake89]

Am I the only one that uses Guitar Rig on my sounds? You can make some genuinely CRAZY shit with it.

this. some of their presets are nuts

[narcissus]

i like operator. essentially a very simple synth that can generate very complex and musical waveforms easily. i like how the coarse tuning scale follows the harmonic series, and how it's a very precise device.

all the sounds in my sig tune were made w/ it

http://soundcloud.com/3-tricks/i-wonder-if

[Noisestorm]

im more interested in the eqing you did rather then the synthesis. did u just make sweeping motions between formants?

I actually did very minimal EQ sweeps, just a spike moving up through the low freqs, it sounded nearly identical before, it's all in the processing!

[Almighty Alias]

Yes, very true. I use Ohmicide, it is great for distortion, but I find it really annoying to navigate, there are so many modulation options, I spend way to much time tweaking them, and it crashes quite a bit if I have a lot of tracks open at a time.

Same thing with me with Trash when I first tried it, but I gave it a second chance today, and if you start adding subtle effects one by one as opposed to a preset, the results are awesome, you can get a really crunchy tone. I'd definitely recommend it, it is much cleaner and easier to use than Ohmicide. The amp settings give that grit and even add to the growl, so try only turning the amp section on, pick out one that sounds decent, then add in the other effects one, that way the bass won't end up sounding muddy and messy.

I hear you on that.. I also have Ohmicide, but there's so much about it I don’t know. I like Ohmicide's sound better than izotope trash, but I seem to be able to get around Trash better than Ohm. I'd love to see a really good tutorial on Ohmicide.

I need to get into Operator more as well. I use it, but not very in depth at the moment. I use it for all my Sub basslines, and to thicken up kicks, snares, and other acoustic sounds (strings, ext.). Basically just sub and to layer with sounds... I haven’t made any leads or main basslines out of it yet. I use VST’s more for that kind of stuff.

[davidtriana]

Its the best ableton live instrument!

[mthrfnk]

Man I spent an hour today playing with Trash, using a simple shitty preset from Massive as the source - and all I can say is holy fucking shit, the results that you can get from Trash by going through each parameter manually (instead of working with the presets) are amazing.

[SKIN E]

Am I the only one that uses Guitar Rig on my sounds? You can make some genuinely CRAZY shit with it.

It is very high used on growly sounds etc! It is not just used on guitars haha, it has great distortion in general.

I much prefer trash to ohmicide, but definitely don't just use the presets.. with trash you could do some amazing things just using a single saw wave without any other filters/fx, just make sure you explore the plugin!! which you should anyway because you paid for it.