Dubstepforum.com

Yeah I'm all for this idea, think the limitations side of thing makes for an interesting challenge in a non competitive format.

wub wrote:Yeah I'm all for this idea, think the limitations side of thing makes for an interesting challenge in a non competitive format.

Right on, sounds fantastic to me. I'll be in on this then. Are we putting any additional limitations on this challenge? I mean...I have like 15 software compressors...so saying I can only use on instance of each one doesn't really challenge me...like-wise I have like a dozen delay VSTs.

I'd say single choice of compressor/reverb etc

But thrash out some rough guidelines and ill review tomorrow

fragments wrote:

dublerium wrote:

fragments wrote:
@Dublerium: Sounds like an awesome production forum challenge/contest. : ) But wait until next week, leaving for a festival on Thursday!

Yeah I'd be up for something like that once I'm in my new place and got my studio set up. Took part in it over there and it was a lot of fun so something similar here would be cool. Enjoy your festival!

That's cool. It could even just be with a couple producers and be a feedback type thing. I'm not very competitive, lol. When will you be at your new place? I don't mind setting up the thread and looking after things. Maybe wub will come back and give us some advice on how to handle this?

Within the next three weeks providing I get my arse into gear, but then I've got a festival to. Well I reckon just a thread, with some clear limitations, and just let peeps join in.

Then people can share how they made sounds, how they made the most out of limited processing/sound sources. Could explain thought processes and post screen shots of efx chains so people can feedback and learn from it.

wub wrote:I'd say single choice of compressor/reverb etc

Could be really spartan and limit it to native plugs only

wub wrote:But thrash out some rough guidelines and ill review tomorrow

Right on. Sounds good. And yea, I think choice of one kind of each FX and only one "live" version of it at a time + plus what I described before.

What does anyone think about how to handle drums/instruments? A lot of people have a ton synths as well. Can drums be programmed on the piano roll? Are things like Machine legit (as I'll be using that unless we somehow rule out stuff like that)? Also, what about folks with actual hardware or are we keeping this all software?

Just spitballing here...

EDIT: If I had to decide I'd say choice of one synth for sure. Drums seem trickier to handle since a lot of folks just load them into the stock sampler in their daw and arrange on the piano roll.

Been getting out of that recently, and while I have changed the workstation I use, I think what's helped the most is just trying to separate yourself from a goal, temporarily. Like, just let yourself breathe for a few weeks. I did this by just changing the stuff I make. Haven't used much more than a piano and a few samples here and there for a few weeks, perhaps I'm not making the best tunes of my life, but I'm feeling good about what I'm making again. So that counts.

So any more thoughts on the "minimal setup challenge?" I had collected what was said so far and PMd it to wub. No rush wub! Just seeing if anyone wanted to get in any final thoughts...

I'm definitely interested in this. 8 tracks, 2 sends, one of each type of processing plugin, how many synths, 2? hardware or software? Resampling to get around the track limit, is it shunned or encouraged? I can see myself using all 8 busses to do the drums, then render it out through the master and place that back into one of the 8 tracks as a sort of drum bus. I'd imagine this is how it would be done in a real limited-by-hardware situation.

Yea. I'm all for resampling or bouncing to audio as long as you are only using 8 tracks total in the end. I do stuff like that in the analog world all the time. Like I might mix down my percussion track to one track.

What I sent wub said 2 synths, only one live instance of each allowed, but you can bounce as many patches as you want to audio as along as you abide all the other rules.

The only we've not really sorted is how to let people do drums. I think a lot of people are used to loading drum sounds into a basic sampler and arranging on the piano roll.

I also think the 8 tracks should be mono, if you want stereo you have to sacrifice two of your mono tracks.

fragments wrote:The only we've not really sorted is how to let people do drums. I think a lot of people are used to loading drum sounds into a basic sampler and arranging on the piano roll.

That's how I would do it. Alternatively you can include a pack of drums zipped in the Competition OP, might be interesting to see how people treat the drums to set them apart from everyone else.

fragments wrote: I also think the 8 tracks should be mono, if you want stereo you have to sacrifice two of your mono tracks.

Oh, that's fiendish. I like.

Triphosphate wrote:

fragments wrote:The only we've not really sorted is how to let people do drums. I think a lot of people are used to loading drum sounds into a basic sampler and arranging on the piano roll.

That's how I would do it. Alternatively you can include a pack of drums zipped in the Competition OP, might be interesting to see how people treat the drums to set them apart from everyone else.

I have a pack I wouldn't mind zipping. It's all stuff I've recorded from vinyl recently. All kinds of shit. That might be a better way to handle drums, but there are also vocals, instruments, synths.

fragments wrote: I also think the 8 tracks should be mono, if you want stereo you have to sacrifice two of your mono tracks.

Oh, that's fiendish. I like.

Haha, when I mix in analog 8 mono tracks and 2 stereo send/returns is what I work with. If you think about it, and you combine and record tracks smartly, use panning well it's not a huge limitation, just takes more effort.


Something else worth bringing up. I thought we allow choice one EQ vst or one mulitmode filter VST and allow one live instance per track. As an analog mixer would typically give you some frequency control on each channel strip.

EDIT: I'd totally love to be able to use hardware to do this, TBH. But if others are against that I'm up for the challenge using all software as I've not done an all software track in a long time.

Also, where would things like Maschine or Push or MIDI Controllers stand?

Apologies for not getting back, been rushed at work today to write a proper answer!

In short, excellent idea and one we should look at seriously.

Re maschine, I'm going to be using Fpc which is pretty much a vst version of the same thing so reckon its good. Not sure re te Push as not that versed in Ableton.

Reckon can work on some official guidelines and take it from there...pretty pure back to the roots style stuff and got me really inspired.

Also the Dub Echo documentary I watched today had a similar vibe, recommend a watch on that, it's on YouTube.

wub wrote:Apologies for not getting back, been rushed at work today to write a proper answer!

In short, excellent idea and one we should look at seriously.

Re maschine, I'm going to be using Fpc which is pretty much a vst version of the same thing so reckon its good. Not sure re te Push as not that versed in Ableton.

Reckon can work on some official guidelines and take it from there...pretty pure back to the roots style stuff and got me really inspired.

Also the Dub Echo documentary I watched today had a similar vibe, recommend a watch on that, it's on YouTube.

If Dub Echo is the one with a lot of French speakers. Seen it, I'll check it later if I can. Leaving tomorrow for a festival. Take a look when you have time wub, I'm in no rush. Can't wait for this : )

Going to get me some field recordings of live tribal drumming, didgeridoo and some chanting if I can while I'm there. I'll be sharing what I find, so everyone can use that in this project as well.

fragments wrote:If Dub Echo is the one with a lot of French speakers. Seen it, I'll check it later if I can. Leaving tomorrow for a festival. Take a look when you have time wub, I'm in no rush. Can't wait for this : )

fragments wrote:Going to get me some field recordings of live tribal drumming, didgeridoo and some chanting if I can while I'm there. I'll be sharing what I find,
so everyone can use that in this project as well.

Nice...what field recorder do you use? (also, what festival?)

About to shower before wenhit the road...but...tascam dr7 mki and the festival is not one anyone will know...its called sirius risingits a hippje/pagan festival my woman has been going to for years. Now I go and drink a lot lol. Enjoy your summer dsf. Im turning off my cell phone until monday!!!!

Watched Dub Echoes and a few docs about old pirate stations in London today really got me inspired, nice one