DSF Q&A Sessions : The Widdler : Closed For Questions

[xthewiddler]

Wow Reason has an 8 band limiter? I'd never suspect something so ostentatious

Widdler what the hell you thinking using an 8 band limiter and a distortion unit on your master?!

I DO WHAT I WANT CUZ I'M GROWN BITCH!

Ahh good answer... good answer

LOL!!!

[xthewiddler]

Hi, what are you looking forward to most in Reason 5. Also how are you integrating the iPad into your work. You checked Nanostudio out yet? It's mega!

I am excited for everything reason 5 will have to be honest. Kinda curious though as to how well the instant sampling works for drums because any milliseconds of silence with change a groove completely.


I'm using the ipad for many things, the izotope idrum programs have great samples that i have grabbed, the ielectribe is good for rythmic fx and such, there is a theremin on it i have used , some 8 bit pianos, organs, and a bunch of other things. It isn't really that i can;t do these things without the ipad, but using it adds a new dimension of sound since it is recorded anologue. I recently got rebirth on it but have yet to learn how to use it. Morph wiz is cool synth app which i use for pads a lot actually since you can set it to certain scales and never hit a wrong note it also has some expressive parameters. Recently got amplitube for it as well but i need to get the hardware, the reviews looked legit though.

WOAH, Why didn't I know about nano studio before? WHY DIDN"T ANYONE TELL ME!!??! Grabbing it now. I didn;t really think to use it for production itself or sequencing but this looks promising, and at best just plain fun.

[AnalGangstaHo]

^Great stuff Morphwiz is wicked innit?! Check out Bebot if you like that. Mendelsynth's pretty mad for getting some crazy sounds out of too and i just picked up Mugician which is worth gettin cos it's free.
You'll love Nanostudio!

[waldorf2]

hi widdler, awesome answers. i have a few questions. what is you secret (thinking) about loud(er) mixes. everything i try make my mixes tend to sound quieter (not always) as the reference track. after mixing i use a simple mastering chain in wavelab like: eq, comp, stereo enh, limiter). btw. do you use any audio plugs (mixing) in the master track? normally what fx (send fx), mix routings, etc. do you use to make room, etc. in your productions. thnx for sharing your knowledge and sorry for my poor english.

[xthewiddler]

Hi, what are you looking forward to most in Reason 5. Also how are you integrating the iPad into your work. You checked Nanostudio out yet? It's mega!

just so you know, I should be asleep, but I'm not. I have been playing with nano studio for 3 hours. XD nice one man, it's literally like reason-mini on the go

[xthewiddler]

hi widdler, awesome answers. i have a few questions. what is you secret (thinking) about loud(er) mixes. everything i try make my mixes tend to sound quieter (not always) as the reference track. after mixing i use a simple mastering chain in wavelab like: eq, comp, stereo enh, limiter). btw. do you use any audio plugs (mixing) in the master track? normally what fx (send fx), mix routings, etc. do you use to make room, etc. in your productions. thnx for sharing your knowledge and sorry for my poor english.

The good way to get a loud mix is to first of all have a good mix to be able to make loud. Once you have a solid mix (turn up your speakers for mixing if it isnt loud enough, dont turn up the mixer volume in the program) you can then worry about making it louder. I usually would run it through a maximizer without limiting to normalize the volume, then into another maximizer with a limiter for the final loudness. In reason/record you can only achieve so much loudness before it gets clump distorted and brickedwalled.

The key to fx I think is automation. Don't leave a reverb running all track long, make it short and long or come in and out, same with delay and stuff. Keep it interesting and remember also, not everything needs a ton of reverb. Less reverb means when something with reverb comes in, it is more powerful and more noticable.

[AnalGangstaHo]

Hi, what are you looking forward to most in Reason 5. Also how are you integrating the iPad into your work. You checked Nanostudio out yet? It's mega!

just so you know, I should be asleep, but I'm not. I have been playing with nano studio for 3 hours. XD nice one man, it's literally like reason-mini on the go

Haha, mint! That was like me the other night after saying to myself I'd just have 5 minutes on it!
There's an interview with the dev on Palm Sounds (great site) where he says a native iPad version is planned, not that it needs it but should be interesting nonetheless

[nitz]

Ok here a few question for you, am going to try and be as specific as possible.

1. From the images i have seen of your rack's, it seem that you like to use the EQ on the 14.2 mixer, rather the using the Mclass one?
From my knowledge, the "boxed in" sound from Reason, is not due the any all of dynamic processors what so ever, the Mclass does a good job. The problem lies in the mixer, to be specific the 14.2 mixer, when channels being fed into this mixer is the heart of the problem. Not so much on the 6.2 line mixer though. Thus, why many people route their channel from Reason into another DAW, therefore not being fed into the 14.2 mixer. Hence, the result, more open and wider sound when rewired.

So my question is, why are you using the basic EQ in the mixer? It seems mind boggling to me?

2. Mastering question. A/B a fully polished mixdown from Reason, and compared that mixdown to another mixdown from a different DAW. There will be no distinct differences between the two, no significant differences. A/B the same song, but not the master versions... and there should be some distinct differences. I have tried it, it most... cases there will some differences. There will be more space and width and openness coming from the other DAW. However, this is not always the case. So how are you complementing this using reason? It can be done, evidence... you

From your sensi image, you have one mastering suite , one 8 band limiter, scream 4 unit, another imager, and 2 maximizer's
Seeing that, you seem do have alot of processing on the master. However, some things i just can not seem to justify. I understand the master suite of course, the scream unit ... hmm, the only use i see for it to fit as a mastering process is for abit saturation, that's about it. The imager's use, yes understandable. The maximizer now... i use two as well, but am assuming you actually have 3, because one may be found the the mastering suite? but the other two? I tend to have one in the mastering suite, and one just before the audio hits the hardware unit. This is because it lets me check the DB before anything hits the output, great for when producing and mixing. Also, i apply soft clip here, not in the mastering suite, because i don't want to kill all the transitions. So how are you using the maximizer's. Finally, the 8 band limiter? i cant see how this fitted in? why, how? What justification is there for a 8 band limiter ?

Although... the 8 band limiter has stereo imager's for each band...! ? Maybe multi band is the key...

Very long post, sorry i know.

1. First off, yes. The 14.2 mixer sucks. The screenshots I have posted are of reason 4 tracks and are dated persay. Now in record, I use the new mixer which has much better output sound and MANY MANY more features. That being said, the reason I used the eq on the 14.2 is laziness. =P. What I will be doing in the future is probably exporting the tracks and importing into logic and doing the mix from there. For those using reason 4 still, listen to nitz and take his advice. The 14.2 mixer although big, has it's flaws.

2. Hmm... I would have to disagree with the first part. As soon as I rewire something into logic, even through reasons 14.2 mixer, the sound quality is instantly improved, due to logics final audio output algorithm. Anyways, yes outher DAWS (esp logic) have a lot more space and width the mix, giving more clarity. The only way to combat this in reason alone, or how i get fuller wider sound is a few things. First off, you have to do everything with less subtlety. For example, if a normal amount of reverb for a certain track in logic is at 14% wetness, it would need maybe 16-17% wetness in reason to not get lost. Same with chorus, pan, eq, etc. Everything needs to be pushed a little harder and little more extreme (a little!) That being said though, when i rewired a tune that sounded good in reason into logic, i noticed harshness and the extremes that were masked by reasons output. Another thing I do is on the final output create a stereo imager. Anything below 100 is mono'd. Everything above gets a HAIR of widening (seriously only a hair). BUT a cool trick to give PERCEIVED wideness is this. Automate the everything above 100hz wideness knob so that anything before the drop is 5-10 values into mono and everything after the drop is back to the normal setting of 1-2 value widening.

The mastering on any of my tracks varies greatly one to another since each track needs different processing afterward to some extent. So all my answers here are about the mastering of sensi specifically. The scream is to add warmth and reduce harsh high frequencies via the tape setting. It also adds a wee bit of compression. I removed the one from the mastering sweet as I was still sending the signla into process. The reason I have 2 maximizers is one of them was to reach a normal state of volume so the limiter was off (I worked with very low levels for max headroom), the second one was for loudness and limiting. The 8 band limiter was almost completely bypassed within itself. I used it as sort of an eq/shaper for the overall final sound. I compressed and lowered the lower mids a bit, compressed the highs a bit and that is about it. I didn't use any stereo imaging within the 8band limiter for sensi BUT i have used it for that in another tune, cant remember which right now.

The best idea is to get a drum loop or anything looping and try out everything in the combi fx list, there are a lot of good tools in there just waiting to be discovered. For those of you using record already, inside records fx>dynamics>general purpose there is something called Mulitband Bass Shaper, and it is boss for shaping bass lol.

1. Indeed, it's shit to be honest. Yeah, i have seen the Record's mixer looks badboy, and probably sound tons beat. It was a emulation of a SSL mixer was it not? BTW, has the sound engine in Record been update, sounding better then Reason's? ( I just don't have the moniesss atm to buy it ... )

2. Channels running into the 14.2 mixer... then going into logic.. still sounds better...? Say if you st8 take each channel from Reason to Logic per say, instead of running the channels into the 14.2 mixer, will it not sound ever more better? Even more clarity. One because, its not going into Reason's mixer, two, Sound engine from Logic is far supreme compared to Reason's. About combating this problem in reason alone, i have found what you have said about the use of panning reverb ect to be a significant improvement. Out of many of different techniques i have tried in the pass to combat the problem, this seems to have allways been the most efficient one. Take notice Reason user...!

Sorry to cut this short, i have to run, i will be away for a day or so, but will continue this when i came back.

[Runna and Cricky]

I have a question :3
Would you marry me ?

[xthewiddler]

1. Indeed, it's shit to be honest. Yeah, i have seen the Record's mixer looks badboy, and probably sound tons beat. It was a emulation of a SSL mixer was it not? BTW, has the sound engine in Record been update, sounding better then Reason's? ( I just don't have the moniesss atm to buy it ... )

2. Channels running into the 14.2 mixer... then going into logic.. still sounds better...? Say if you st8 take each channel from Reason to Logic per say, instead of running the channels into the 14.2 mixer, will it not sound ever more better? Even more clarity. One because, its not going into Reason's mixer, two, Sound engine from Logic is far supreme compared to Reason's. About combating this problem in reason alone, i have found what you have said about the use of panning reverb ect to be a significant improvement. Out of many of different techniques i have tried in the pass to combat the problem, this seems to have allways been the most efficient one. Take notice Reason user...!

Sorry to cut this short, i have to run, i will be away for a day or so, but will continue this when i came back.

1. Records mixer is basically a mini SSL. With compression/sidechain/gate SSl style eq, 8 sends , low/high, insert fx pass all for each channel. I'm almost 100 percent sure the sound engine in Record has been updated, or maybe it was just not using the 14.2, but I could hear a jump in clarity and space. However it is still a few steps below the clarity of Logic. Tbh I have heard you tunes and they don't sound like they come from reason, nice wide warm sound, so I don't think you should worry too much for now Maybe look into "acquiring" Logic (sheesh I sound like a spokesperson now) since it doesn't need a dongle.

2. I'm pretty sure if you go direct to logic rather than through the 14.2 it will sound even better, logic somehow makes everything sound better regardless though. I remember exporting a drum loop from an old rreason 3 project. I exported through the 14.2 mixer and on it's own the export sounded just like you would expect reason 3-4 to sound like. Then however when i imported into logic it instanly sounded better. I don't know what it is but the actual algorithm for sound processing in Logic is miles ahead to the point it improves most anything you import into it.

Maybe macc or depone know more about that, I'm just a newbie at technology

[xthewiddler]

I have a question :3
Would you marry me ?

uuuuhhh.... Uh..... *runs*

[xthewiddler]

Random Dr. Rex tips: Looping the same percussive or musical part can be bland sometimes. Here are some tips to help loosen that up:

1. Use the randomize feature in the tool window. This is aimed more at percussion than anything else and helps give a more genuine feel as the same hits dont happen exactly the same ever bar.

2. Swap sequenced tracks. For example I have two rex loops for percussion, they each play their respective sequences (wether randomized or not) for 8/16/24 bars whatever. Then I swap them! THAT"S RIGHT FOLKS! SWAP EM. Take the sequenced portion of rex 1 and swap it with the portion from rex 2. Half of the time it comes out terrible but the other times it comes out as something new and cool.

3. For musical looped sequences such as an organ riff or a guitar lick (works best with single instruments playing a riff or groove) looping it can be obvious as once again, the same exact parts happen every time around. To battle this don't even track the musical loop. Instead tap one out! The dr rex is basically a multisampler so loading anything into it gives you a huge amount of tap out potential. Tapping something out with variety and a more sensible groove to the tune you are making will ultimately sound better than looping it.

4. If you find a rex with a nice groove right click it and go to get groove from clip. It will assign the groove to the first available groove template.


The rex is a multisampler, Tap out grooves with it

[legend4ry]

Whats your ritual before you start writing?

Any favourite drink you like to get ready or have a full/empty stomach, any studio snacks you like to keep by?

I personally always have a flask of coffee and a box of chewy sweets ahahha

[xthewiddler]

Whats your ritual before you start writing?

Any favourite drink you like to get ready or have a full/empty stomach, any studio snacks you like to keep by?

I personally always have a flask of coffee and a box of chewy sweets ahahha

Saltwater taffy?

Usually it's after I have eaten, I can't produce whilst thinking of food. I like to have gum around or finger food along with water and a coke. If it's winter the water is swapped for Earl Grey. So far my favorite finger foods for producing are either Nestle Flipz, sour patch kids, any sugary cereal (dry), or something like edemame. I like to have a semi sugar rush whilst producing to help match the tunes energy with mine. On the contrary a tune like cosmic funk was just a percocet (ATTENTION: I WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT PLEASE CHILDREN DO NOT ABUSE PILLS FOR THE BENEFIT OF SMOOTH CHUNES. - State rep.) and tea. SO I guess depending on my mood I will bring different things to the studio with me, but it is always something. I don't like producing sober because I get very judgemental of myself and instead of laying down tracks I delete them. Sometimes I smoke before starting , sometimes after. If I'm not feeling very creative and have no idea what I want to do I'll usually smoke a bit for some .. let's called it stony wisdom. Then I go back sober and clean up the rambled mess of midi I left behind whilst stoned. I don't over smoke in the studio though because then like many can probably agree with, you end up tweaking 1 thing for 3 hours AND IT STILL SUCKS!

[legend4ry]

I concur with the sugary cereal, I got through a box of sugar puffs in about 5 hours the other day during a sesh, I ended up walking 5-6 miles to T4X's house to do the radio show instead of getting the bus just to burn it all off haha!

And Cosmic Funk is great it really does have a 'hazy dazy' feel to it and i'm sure the tea and pill helped with that it is quite sophisticated sounding! and its another tune ive been battering haha!

[Disco Nutter]

Big ups for doing the Q&A, loads of quality answers!

I miss chatting to you on Aim though

[back2onett]

One more question, what's the longest you spent on a tune that you eventually gave up on or have yet to finish?

[Basic A]

and its another tune ive been battering haha!

One of the many reasons artists I support 1 is still in my car

[xthewiddler]

Big ups for doing the Q&A, loads of quality answers!

I miss chatting to you on Aim though

I don't go on aim at all anymore. Not sure why it just never really feel like logging in heh

[xthewiddler]

One more question, what's the longest you spent on a tune that you eventually gave up on or have yet to finish?

Hmm... there was a Hip hop tune I started almost 2 years ago that is still in the works, I just cant seem to find the best way to give it some life, variety, and transition. The beat itself it tight though, hopefully It will be ready for the next album


A lot of my tunes though are like that, maybe not two years but some start as loops and don't get advanced for weeks or months, Then I work on them little by little