DSF Q&A Sessions 5 : Numbernin6

roistermusic · Post by **roistermusic** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 5:11 pm

first of all....just wanna say big up your chest...your tunes are huuge

have you always used fruity? or have you dabbled in other software? ...if so what made you choose fruity over them?

cheers

numbernin6 · Post by **numbernin6** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 5:27 pm

Nitz: thank you!

ChrisH wrote:What got you out of trance & into dubstep?

I was always listening to dub and dnb back when I was producing trance but didn't fully understand dubstep until I heard it on a big system. It was at an event where Juju was playing in Philadeplhia that got me turned onto dub but it was DMZ in March of last year that really converted me. I was spending a term out in the UK for my studies and took the bus into London after hearing about the event the night before. The atmosphere, the people, the vibes were so positive. Everybody was friendly and there was no fakeness, no dresscode, no popped collars or glowsticks. Dub wasn't an image thing (as Skream has mentioned in an interview), and I liked that a lot. There's nothing to conform to in dub, I can make my intros as long or short as I want, my basslines don't have to follow rules, I can draw influences from reggae, hip hop, heavy metal or even some old hindi songs. Anything is fair game.

ChrisH wrote:How did you learn to produce? Trial & error, or did you have a mentor?

Do you produce tunes by recreating sounds in your head, or by playing around with your tools until you find an inspiring sound to build a song from?

Can't give you a clear answer for that one... I just sit down and try to write something that I'd enjoy listening to. I try not to listen to too many dubstep tunes before I try to think of a tune because I don't like getting influenced by other tunes. If anything, I'll put on a hip hop tune or a rock or jazz tune to clear my head. A lot of the time it's me doing something else (like walking, doing dishes, sitting in class) when I'll come up with an idea for a rhythm or a melody.

I didn't have a mentor as I learned to produce... the hardest part is not giving up and not being able to get proper technical advice on how to make my tunes sound cleaner or more professional... it can be quite frustrating. I remember doing a lottttt of forum reading when I was learning and taking everyone's advice with a grain of salt. If I had any advice to give it would be to read read and read. Learn your music theory and your intervals (plenty of online tools out there). Picking up an instrument doesn't hurt either. I played the guitar a few years before I started seriously producing.

numbernin6 · Post by **numbernin6** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 5:52 pm

£10 Bag wrote:can we see a shot of your sequencer with one of your tunes loaded up, please?

EDIT: posting this as a link because it makes the thread look far too messy
http://www.numbernin6.com/ribs.JPG

£10 Bag wrote:+ what you smoking?

I don't smoke but I love my beer tho!

__________ · Post by **__________** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 7:39 pm

cheers for the picture - that's interesting

i thought i was the only one that laid out fl projects messily with hundreds of patterns (no disrespect of course)

rob sparx · Post by **rob sparx** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 10:40 pm

numbernin6 wrote:I had passed it over to Joe Nice and he wasn't feeling it at all so I said "ahh whatever, I'll just put it up on the boards and see what happens." Guess I got lucky!

It always amazes me how 1 person can think a tune sounds so brilliant yet another just doesn't get it - I played the original version of the prayer to the Mad Professor @ Ariwa in 2000 and he wasn't really feeling it so I just thought it must be shit and it sat on a tape for the next 8 years gathering dust! Fuk what those ppl say (no matter who they are) - if u think your tunes good there's a good chance plenty of others do as well, get it out there!!

pdomino · Post by **pdomino** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 11:53 am

Rob Sparx wrote:
numbernin6 wrote:I had passed it over to Joe Nice and he wasn't feeling it at all so I said "ahh whatever, I'll just put it up on the boards and see what happens." Guess I got lucky!
It always amazes me how 1 person can think a tune sounds so brilliant yet another just doesn't get it - I played the original version of the prayer to the Mad Professor @ Ariwa in 2000 and he wasn't really feeling it so I just thought it must be shit and it sat on a tape for the next 8 years gathering dust! Fuk what those ppl say (no matter who they are) - if u think your tunes good there's a good chance plenty of others do as well, get it out there!!

I need to take a leaf, thanks.

legend4ry · Post by **legend4ry** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 1:14 pm

numbernin6 wrote:Nitz: thank you!

ChrisH wrote:What got you out of trance & into dubstep?

I was always listening to dub and dnb back when I was producing trance but didn't fully understand dubstep until I heard it on a big system. It was at an event where Juju was playing in Philadeplhia that got me turned onto dub but it was DMZ in March of last year that really converted me. I was spending a term out in the UK for my studies and took the bus into London after hearing about the event the night before. The atmosphere, the people, the vibes were so positive. Everybody was friendly and there was no fakeness, no dresscode, no popped collars or glowsticks. Dub wasn't an image thing (as Skream has mentioned in an interview), and I liked that a lot. There's nothing to conform to in dub, I can make my intros as long or short as I want, my basslines don't have to follow rules, I can draw influences from reggae, hip hop, heavy metal or even some old hindi songs. Anything is fair game.

Glad some people still realise this!

numbernin6 · Post by **numbernin6** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 12:54 am

The_Dza88 wrote:Out of the tunes you start, how many of them get finish?

when I first started producing it would be like 1/30 or 1/40... but since then I've had less and less available time to dedicate to the studio so I think about an idea for a while before I sit down and try to create it.... maybe 1/10 now get finished.

numbernin6 · Post by **numbernin6** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 1:03 am

Hurtdeer wrote:How satisfied do you get with tracks when you've finished them? Can you appreciate and old track for what it is or do you find yourself going 'aw, I wish I had/hadn't done that'?

I don't appreciate a lot of my old tunes because they lack production value but every now and then I'll listen to an old tune and try to appreciate the concept...

hard part of listening to an old tune is just letting it go... You can always redo an old tune to today's production value or style but you just gotta let it be at some point and I'm starting to get better at doing that.

Hurtdeer wrote:Do you feel like your tracks compare well to the musicians you where inspired by, or is it not really a consideration?

Tough Q. I try not to compare because a lot of my inspiration comes not from other dubstep artists but from genres outside of dub and even electronic... so the music becomes difficult to compare. One of the few ppl I really look up to for technical skill (as mentioned earlier) is BT and I could never compare to him... that's just setting me up for disappointment

thanks for the questions so far

numbernin6 · Post by **numbernin6** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 1:07 am

Rob Sparx wrote: Fuk what those ppl say (no matter who they are) - if u think your tunes good there's a good chance plenty of others do as well, get it out there!!

absolutely... I still respect the opinions of a lot of ppl out there. Joe's a great guy and him and I have very different tastes, I think... but that's just another testament to how awesome this genre/scene is. So many different styles, so many different opinions. I love it!

mumble · Post by **mumble** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 1:31 am

What do you make of Fruitys standard EQ, Compressor etc plugins ?

Do you use them ?

numbernin6 · Post by **numbernin6** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 5:42 am

Roistermusic wrote:have you always used fruity? or have you dabbled in other software? ...if so what made you choose fruity over them?

Yea I started in fruity and have dabbled around with cubase, ableton, reason... FL is just too damn intuitive for me to change to something else. I think it's is a great piece of software and I've found no reason to switch DAWs... I was interested in giving Logic a go but since it's Mac only, it's not gonna happen (not that I don't like Macs, I just can't be bothered to throw down 2g for one).

rob sparx · Post by **rob sparx** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 8:57 am

numbernin6 wrote:
Rob Sparx wrote: Fuk what those ppl say (no matter who they are) - if u think your tunes good there's a good chance plenty of others do as well, get it out there!!
absolutely... I still respect the opinions of a lot of ppl out there. Joe's a great guy and him and I have very different tastes, I think... but that's just another testament to how awesome this genre/scene is. So many different styles, so many different opinions. I love it!

Yea everyone has different tastes and opinions yet im still dumb enough to waste hours every week arguing about it trying to get them round to my point of view when its never going to happen!

chrish · Post by **chrish** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 4:13 pm

Do you have a favorite dance music track that really got you into the sounds,or inspired you in a way?

viralcode · Post by **viralcode** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 5:26 pm

yo,

how did it feel when Rusko used your remix in his essential mix? Must have been a total break through in the way you thought about your music...

good work!

numbernin6 · Post by **numbernin6** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 5:28 pm

Mumble wrote:What do you make of Fruitys standard EQ, Compressor etc plugins ?

Do you use them ?

I'll use fruity compressor only to compress my kicks... otherwise I stay away from it. FL EQ does the job fine and EQ2 is great to visualize some of the more difficult sounds.

It's also a juggle with CPU usage as well... sometimes it wouldn't make sense to use a VST EQ for every single little thing.

swamptang q("q) · Post by **swamptang q("q)** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 1:26 am

the sample of the beginning to ribs, is that from SAW or some shiz?

DARKNESS!

numbernin6 · Post by **numbernin6** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 2:36 pm

ChrisH wrote:Do you have a favorite dance music track that really got you into the sounds,or inspired you in a way?

hard to pick one track, honestly... but I remember the people that really made an impact on me for me back in 03-05 were trance producers like smith and pledger, matt hardwick, above and beyond, etc. I'd say if there was one tune I had to pick, it would be Sonorous - Protonic (Ronski Speed Mix) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiRqxRK9yfc&fmt=18 (hands in the air

)

numbernin6 · Post by **numbernin6** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 2:43 pm

viralcode wrote:yo,

how did it feel when Rusko used your remix in his essential mix? Must have been a total break through in the way you thought about your music...

good work!

I had heard rumor that he was going to put it in his EM before it actually came out so the surprise was a bit ruined! The reaction to the remix still surprises me... it hasn't changed the way I think about my music, though. It's definitely a motivator, I feel like I've got my foot in the door, now.

DSF Q&A Sessions 5 : Numbernin6

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