Here to become an ARTIST, not a copycat. PLEASE HELP!!!

[BrainSick]

Yeah but I honestly did it for my little sister. Haha. Never even heard that song before she asked me to do a remix of it. Basically did it to show her I could do any song she wanted me to. Sorry, guys......

[hutyluty]

its ok as long as you repent and promise to never do it again you can still be accepted.

i really dont get kesha, her voice is so annoying and she's not even particularly good looking. Strikes me as the kind of artist where there's some moguls sitting in a room of hopefuls and one says to the other "I bet i can pick any of these shitheads and sell a million albums of them" and the other one points at kesha and asks, "1000 dollars says you cant do it with her.

[BrainSick]

Lmao!!!!!

[Triphosphate]

its ok as long as you repent and promise to never do it again you can still be accepted.

i really dont get kesha, her voice is so annoying and she's not even particularly good looking. Strikes me as the kind of artist where there's some moguls sitting in a room of hopefuls and one says to the other "I bet i can pick any of these shitheads and sell a million albums of them" and the other one points at kesha and asks, "1000 dollars says you cant do it with her.

So many reference-able tropes, I can't resist... please forgive me

My fair lady.


Trading Places


She's all that


Cruel Intentions

[titchbit]

Don't get too caught up in the sound design circle jerk. Spend some time with composition, arrangement, music theory, using the right notes, making good drum loops, catchy melodies, etc.

Look at the pros - many people on this forum have comparable if not superior knowledge of sound design than many professional artists, but the reason they are pros is (generally) because they have the best creative skills (well, some of them just got lucky too, but....). They know how to write a good song.

Take home message - it's okay to use some presets along the way. You don't need to design every freakin sound. That's not to say you should ONLY use presets, because you shouldn't. I'd say my sounds are about 50/50 presets and original patches. I generally design the most important sounds (basses, leads, etc), and then use presets for supporting sounds (piano, pads, etc). Not to mention I never use a preset in its original form. I always alter something or other or add extra effects after the synth.


COMPRESSION:

I never truly understood compression until I used Ableton's Glue Compressor. This is because the glue compressor allows you to apply any amount of make-up gain you wish, while the other compressor does it automatically. So when I used the old compressor, I was just like "okay, everything just seems louder...." But now I understand what's actually going on.

This is how compression works. First, you've got the threshold. When the incoming signal (the sound) crosses that threshold (say -10 db), it then becomes compressed. The ratio (eg 2, 4, 10) of compression determines how much it is compressed. So if your ratio is 4, then for every 4 db the incoming signal goes over the threshold, the output will only increase by 1 db, ya feel me? Finally, you've got the make-up gain, which is just extra volume added to the signal after the compression occurs. This is why it seems like compression makes your shit louder. So if you don't have any make-up gain being applied, then a compressor can only decrease the volume of the signal.


EQ:

All sound has frequency. As producers, we are generally dealing with a frequency spectrum of 30 - 22,000 Hz. Approximately 0-100 Hz is generally considered sub bass. This is just my opinion here, because there isn't really an accepted definition (at least I've never heard of one), so about 100-500 Hz is lower midrange, 500-5000 Hz maybe is upper midrange, and 5000+ Hz is the treble (high) frequencies.

I suggest you use a parametric EQ if you want to learn what's going on with EQ. So use Ableton's EQ8, not EQ3. A typical instrument will create sound at many different frequencies across the spectrum. With a parametric EQ, you can modify the volume of any given frequency in a number of different ways. Ableton's EQ8 has 4 different kind of curves - bell, which is a standard positive or negative curve, notch, which only subtracts, filters (low pass or high pass), which only subtract (unless you apply high resonance of course), and shelves (high or low), which can add or subtract.

[BrainSick]

Don't get too caught up in the sound design circle jerk. Spend some time with composition, arrangement, music theory, using the right notes, making good drum loops, catchy melodies, etc.

Look at the pros - many people on this forum have comparable if not superior knowledge of sound design than many professional artists, but the reason they are pros is (generally) because they have the best creative skills (well, some of them just got lucky too, but....). They know how to write a good song.

Take home message - it's okay to use some presets along the way. You don't need to design every freakin sound. That's not to say you should ONLY use presets, because you shouldn't. I'd say my sounds are about 50/50 presets and original patches. I generally design the most important sounds (basses, leads, etc), and then use presets for supporting sounds (piano, pads, etc). Not to mention I never use a preset in its original form. I always alter something or other or add extra effects after the synth.


COMPRESSION:

I never truly understood compression until I used Ableton's Glue Compressor. This is because the glue compressor allows you to apply any amount of make-up gain you wish, while the other compressor does it automatically. So when I used the old compressor, I was just like "okay, everything just seems louder...." But now I understand what's actually going on.

This is how compression works. First, you've got the threshold. When the incoming signal (the sound) crosses that threshold (say -10 db), it then becomes compressed. The ratio (eg 2, 4, 10) of compression determines how much it is compressed. So if your ratio is 4, then for every 4 db the incoming signal goes over the threshold, the output will only increase by 1 db, ya feel me? Finally, you've got the make-up gain, which is just extra volume added to the signal after the compression occurs. This is why it seems like compression makes your shit louder. So if you don't have any make-up gain being applied, then a compressor can only decrease the volume of the signal.

Great advice! And makes sense, man! Finally some practical explanation!!

[LogiSpark]

Take home message - it's okay to use some presets along the way. You don't need to design every freakin sound. That's not to say you should ONLY use presets, because you shouldn't. I'd say my sounds are about 50/50 presets and original patches. I generally design the most important sounds (basses, leads, etc), and then use presets for supporting sounds (piano, pads, etc). Not to mention I never use a preset in its original form. I always alter something or other or add extra effects after the synth.

I agree with you, you can use presets but that much and you might have to modify them so they can get the sound you desire. In my opinion the plugin that I find to be a blessing and a curse is Nexus, there so many presets to go around and you sometimes might even make a whole song with nexus, I once did it and I wasn't very happy with it a couple of days after so I re-wrote it and made my own leads and basses, I made some MIDI files from other tracks to gain inspiration to create an even better one. I usually make my intro and set up my drums before going into making my basses.

[BrainSick]

I often do the same thing. I'll alter the effects, eq, maybe modulate cutoff or something simple that changes the dynamics without completely changing the "idea" of the sound. Or I'll hear a preset but its not what I want, so I turn performer on or turn it off and alter it. Maybe I don't like the glide, maybe I do and so on. But I do appreciate the advice not to worry about using presets. I downloaded a bunch of presets in various places so I've got some pretty cool ones I can alter. And I like using the "search" filter so not to go through every single sound and every single folder. One thing that sucks is some sounds sound terrible at certain octaves but if u find the right octave they sound kick ass!

[titchbit]

Building kicks (layering, eq, etc.)
Building snare (layering, eq, etc.)

I'll treat this as one. You don't have to "build" anything. If you have the perfect snare sample, then that's all you need. You just want whatever sounds "good" in your opinion. If a simple sample accomplishes that, then you're all done. But if it doesn't, then you can "build" a kick or a snare by EQ'ing or using saturation. Say you like the sub of one kick and the click of another, then low pass the sub kick, and high pass the click kick and then layer them together using some compression. I also like to use reverb and delay on snares mainly but sometimes reverb on the high end of kicks.

How Massive works (building basses, leads, synths, pads, risers etc.)

You'll have to be more specific.

Where to find good drum samples

Vengeance packs are pretty good and they have so many samples you'll never need to get another one again IME.

What is compression and how can I use it effictively

Already answered.

Is there any other software that is useful for use ion Ableton and creating music (Synths, plug-ins, etc.)?

You can use pretty much any VST (aka "synth" aka "plugin") in Ableton.

Tips on building risers (not ones that are trash)

Get a waveform or white noise and apply a filter to it. Then automate the cutoff filter so that it "rises" in frequency. Apply some resonance and effects to change the timbre.

What should I know about Spectrum and how it works?

You should pretty much understand this from my explanation of EQ.

What are some of the most useful "Devices" in ableton? And how can they be used for practical applications?

Uhhhh....?

[Ada]

Holy shit man.. I have one tip. STOP USING OVER DISTORTED LOUD MODERN TALKING

Could you record yourself saying that? I'd love to have that sample.

"STOP USING OVER DISTORTED LOUD MODERN TALKING".. it is so rhytmic..

[Ada]

Ada's quick tip numero uno: _Don't follow "the rules"_ if you don't know why you are doing it (if you can't hear it then it's not there until you can hear it).

Ada's quick tip numero duo: _Use your own ears and your own brain_ and then experiment the shit out of any instrument, synth, EQ, compressor, reverb, limiter, effect, autopanner, doubler or DAW you can get hold of. And don't get too much shit you don't need.

[BrainSick]

Okay so basically I use EQ8, compressor, reverb, spectrum, auto filter in most all of my productions. When I asked about devices, you seemed confused. Basically there's a TON of instrument effects and audio effects which I call "devices" that can be used. But which ones do I use often? And which ones should i utilize the most that are often "essential" and which ones are just kinda there for special occasion use? And how can I learn what each one does when it's applied? The simple answer is probably to just experiment, but if there are any more I need to know could you fill me in?

[Triphosphate]

Okay so basically I use EQ8, compressor, reverb, spectrum, auto filter in most all of my productions. When I asked about devices, you seemed confused. Basically there's a TON of instrument effects and audio effects which I call "devices" that can be used. But which ones do I use often? And which ones should i utilize the most that are often "essential" and which ones are just kinda there for special occasion use? And how can I learn what each one does when it's applied? The simple answer is probably to just experiment, but if there are any more I need to know could you fill me in?

Ok.

Understand that all plugins, or as you call them "devices", can change things in a sound in just a handful of ways: Dynamics, Frequency, Time, and Stereo if you really want to go there.
1) Dynamic processing pertains to anything that changes volume like compression/limiting, expansion/gating.
2) Frequency processes are filters or exciters. Eq's are just filters in a sense and exciters include anything like distortion, softclipping, cabinet emulation... anything that adds harmonics.
3) Temporal processes are anything that deals with things over time. Delay and reverb which is fundamentally just a whole lot of delays.

All plugins fall into one of these three categories. Some fall into more than one.

Nothing is essential. Experiment with all of your effects and then apply what you've learned deliberately. There is no right or wrong. The world is your oyster. yada yada...

PS... call them plugins or effects. Devices sound like hardware.

[titchbit]

There's no way I can really answer that for you in a meaningful way. I could tell you that no matter what I will use EQ, compression, limiter, saturation, reverb, simple delay, and auto filter in every song.

No reason for spectrum since EQ8 in live 9 now has spectrum built into it.

Other effects, like arpeggiator (MIDI effect), phaser, chorus, different types of distortion, etc, I use, but not Ableton's audio effects. I use them in the synths that I use (massive, sylenth, etc). I'm not really a fan of Ableton's versions of these effects, but maybe that's just because I haven't used them enough.

[titchbit]

Understand that all plugins, or as you call them "devices", can change things in a sound in just a handful of ways: Dynamics, Frequency, Time, and Stereo if you really want to go there.
1) Dynamic processing pertains to anything that changes volume like compression/limiting, expansion/gating.
2) Frequency processes are filters or exciters. Eq's are just filters in a sense and exciters include anything like distortion, softclipping, cabinet emulation... anything that adds harmonics.
3) Temporal processes are anything that deals with things over time. Delay and reverb which is fundamentally just a whole lot of delays.

All plugins fall into one of these three categories. Some fall into more than one.

Auto Panning?

I guess you could call that dynamic processing since it changes the volume on each side of the field....

[Triphosphate]

Understand that all plugins, or as you call them "devices", can change things in a sound in just a handful of ways: Dynamics, Frequency, Time, and Stereo if you really want to go there.
1) Dynamic processing pertains to anything that changes volume like compression/limiting, expansion/gating.
2) Frequency processes are filters or exciters. Eq's are just filters in a sense and exciters include anything like distortion, softclipping, cabinet emulation... anything that adds harmonics.
3) Temporal processes are anything that deals with things over time. Delay and reverb which is fundamentally just a whole lot of delays.

All plugins fall into one of these three categories. Some fall into more than one.

Auto Panning?

I guess you could call that dynamic processing since it changes the volume on each side of the field....

I mentioned stereo:

Understand that all plugins, or as you call them "devices", can change things in a sound in just a handful of ways: Dynamics, Frequency, Time, and Stereo if you really want to go there.

It's almost like I knew someone was going to come back with that

[titchbit]

Touche

[mromgwtf]

Another tip: Back in time when I was a shitty producer (I'm not good now but I have some experience now ), to make my track not clip, instead of gently compressing different busses and playing with their volumes... I just put a limiter on my master. That is the worst thing you can do.

[Ocelots Revolver]

A "Device" according to the Ableton manual is a MIDI effect, instrument, or audio effect. Plugins are considered to be 3rd party devices IIRC.


Anyway, if I can give any advice its to finish tracks and spend at least twice as much time in your DAW than on youtube or this forum.

Also, there are very few "rules" when it comes to producing music, for example, a pure sine wave will produce the hardest hitting sub bass, sounds that share the same frequency range will drown each other out, the human ear won't hear sounds beyond 20Hz-20kHz, etc. Most other things things people will say are "rules" can and should be thrown into the garbage whenever it suits your artistic needs. If someone says you should try X, try X, but don't forget to throw X out the window and try Y and Z instead, if only to later understand why X was so important.

Unless your specifically doing sound design practice, try to stick to only the most essential effects (delay, verb, filter, both eqs, compressor) and only to the most essential functions of them. Think about it, just a single on and off switch doubles the sonic possibilities before you, it can be overwhelming trying to learn 100 different ways to use 100 different devices. Start with using one device one way and move on from there. Think of it like unlocking new weapons and perks in Call of Duty or something.

[Ocelots Revolver]

Another tip: Back in time when I was a shitty producer (I'm not good now but I have some experience now ), to make my track not clip, instead of gently compressing different busses and playing with their volumes... I just put a limiter on my master. That is the worst thing you can do.

I actually keep my busses at low volume and put a gained up limiter on the master. If it clips I turn down the gain, but my ears and speakers are still protected.