DSF Q&A Sessions 8 : Rob Sparx (open for questions)

osky · Post by **osky** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:02 pm

just a quick question.

when you got your first ever music creation software, how long did it take you to learn most the ins and outs and start bringing out tunes which started getting good recognition and feedback?

also, i know its a broad question but is there some piece of advice u wish you would of known earlier when u just started out producing?

cheers for taking the time to answer questions mate

rob sparx · Post by **rob sparx** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 8:53 am

Osky wrote:just a quick question.

when you got your first ever music creation software, how long did it take you to learn most the ins and outs and start bringing out tunes which started getting good recognition and feedback?

also, i know its a broad question but is there some piece of advice u wish you would of known earlier when u just started out producing?

cheers for taking the time to answer questions mate

Aside from the prayer it took me ages to write a decent tune because computers and software were pretty shite in the 90's and I couldn't afford much hardware. The first software I ever got was logic 3.5 and a really slow celleron PC it wasn't until my 2nd PC and getting a JP-8080 that I started producing any basses/leads that sounded remotely professional never mind mixdown a tune. Its so much easier to get started these days than back then computers are much faster and u can download everything u need from the inet.

If I had to learn from scratch again today I'd boost my basses around 60hz with 0.1Q from day1 as it was only when I started doing this for every tune that my productions got any weight to them especially when used with limiting. I'd say learn how to properly use compression (normal, dynamic and sidechaining), limiting and EQ from as well, dynamics make such a big difference to your sound. Using lots of different reverb plugins on as many channels as necessary helps the mix no end as well, that used to be a nightmare but with the speed of computers these days its not a problem.

For processing basses it took me years to learn what works - now i can use up 3 different distortion inserts on a bassline (mix controls on the plugins important), chorus/modulation often with the chorus rates frozen with a bit of feeback and a panned around a bit makes the bass come alive as well, Spinaudio 3D chorus good for this. I always use a reverb on the midrange part of the bass with a fair bit of time on it but EQ'd so it sounds smooth and doesn't mud things up. A great plugin for basslines but just about any other sound as well is rocksonics effervescence - it adds 'air' to the sound and really fills out the treble frequencies nicely. Good plugins that warm up the sound are important as well to get rid of digital harshness.

osky · Post by **osky** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 8:03 pm

thanks for answering ,was very helpfull

pdomino · Post by **pdomino** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 8:18 pm

Favourite piece of kit or software extra?

Favourite gadget?

Favourite pack of crisps?

rob sparx · Post by **rob sparx** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 8:54 am

pdomino wrote:Favourite piece of kit or software extra?

Don't use much hardware but i do have a Moog Prodigy and a battered old electric guitar which sound great for what I need right now. If I could get any synths I'd probably get a Moog Voyager and a Virus TI. Don't think I could choose any one piece of software as there so many good programs out there but for FX that ive not already mentioned i like: Sony Oxford Bundle, Kjaerhus/ohm force/audio damage/sonalksis/Waves plugs, Audioease Altiverb, PSP84/Nitro, Tritone Colortone Pro and Spinaudio Room Verb (great for modulated dubby reverbs). I also really like the sound of the Lexicon Pantheon and the logic host plugins are sick especially the tape delay. For VST instruments I'd say: Circle, Albino, Predator, Massive, Absynth, V-Station, Z3ta, Sylenth, Surge, Pro-53, Oddity, Proteus VX, East West Symphonic Orchestra and phoscyon for acid lines.

pdomino wrote:Favourite gadget?

My 1210s and CDJ-400s

pdomino wrote:Favourite pack of crisps?

lol Walkers of course its not about the real mcoy any more - 30% less fat but its not the same taste though is it?

fuzzington · Post by **fuzzington** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 3:19 pm

Sub bass

how did you make that badass sub sound under that vagabundo track, that track is tight!

peace also, hows it going x

rob sparx · Post by **rob sparx** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 4:51 pm

Fuzzington wrote:Sub bass

how did you make that badass sub sound under that vagabundo track, that track is tight!

peace also, hows it going x

Yea its going good I can't complain lol! Thats the same Z3ta bass I used in the dubby mix of Independent Life, hardly got any channel FX at all just a lowpass filter @ 150hz and 5db of sub boost like I described before (limiting sound a few db). I tend to often use this ancient plugin the blue filter from the blueline bundle (1998) - the 4 pole slope of the filter just seems to work better than anything else for isolating/removing subs.

sticky feet · Post by **sticky feet** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 5:02 pm

When remixing a tune , whats the first thing you attend to?

rob sparx · Post by **rob sparx** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 11:28 pm

Sticky Feet wrote:When remixing a tune , whats the first thing you attend to?

Its different every time but I usually get a 16bar loop (1st drop) of drums and music/FX sorted first then add the bass afterwards, pitch shifting the music around if the new bass works better at a different pitch from the original tune.

sticky feet · Post by **sticky feet** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 11:32 pm

Rob Sparx wrote:
Sticky Feet wrote:When remixing a tune , whats the first thing you attend to?
Its different every time but I usually get a 16bar loop (1st drop) of drums and music/FX sorted first then add the bass afterwards, pitch shifting the music around if the new bass works better at a different pitch from the original tune.

Well, for example..The Shaolin Style remix is one of my faves right now. care to explain a little how you did it?

rob sparx · Post by **rob sparx** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 8:20 am

Sticky Feet wrote:
Rob Sparx wrote:
Sticky Feet wrote:When remixing a tune , whats the first thing you attend to?
Its different every time but I usually get a 16bar loop (1st drop) of drums and music/FX sorted first then add the bass afterwards, pitch shifting the music around if the new bass works better at a different pitch from the original tune.
Well, for example..The Shaolin Style remix is one of my faves right now. care to explain a little how you did it?

Thats was a real bitch that rmx took me months lol! I started off making a beat with the original samples and did a subby b-line but the b-line wasn't that great, the beats weren't funky enough and the FX were a bit bare so I had to completely chop up the drums and redo the sub (with a wobble bass lowpassed and Mood Prodigy Sub for the longer notes) to make a new loop, then I added all the Kung-Fu samples I could find as well to keeps things more interesting. I started the bassline with just 1 or 2 midrange hits over the sub and lots of gaps - I could hear it was going to work before the rest of the basses/reeses were layed on top so I got the structure of the tune sorted then filled in the gaps. The reeses & distorted basses were all hipassed then boosted loads (Sonnox Inflator & Colortone Pro) albinos (FX like I've already mentioned with 2-3 distortions etc) did all the wuh-wuh throbs and theres a Mood Prodigy and Absynth lead in there as well. Also in this remix I bounced and chopped up the wobbly sub in audio then faded the volumes completely in and out every hit so it had more dynamics.

sticky feet · Post by **sticky feet** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 9:52 am

Now you are going to die

Thanks alot for the explanation!

rob sparx · Post by **rob sparx** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 2:28 pm

Sticky Feet wrote:Now you are going to die
Thanks alot for the explanation!

No probs!

deadly_habit · Post by **deadly_habit** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 3:17 pm

no real production questions, but is their law remix available at any digital retailers?

rob sparx · Post by **rob sparx** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 4:57 pm

Deadly Habit wrote:no real production questions, but is their law remix available at any digital retailers?

I don't think so - shops don't like selling unlicensed bootlegs for obvious reasons!

deadly_habit · Post by **deadly_habit** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 5:00 pm

Rob Sparx wrote:
Deadly Habit wrote:no real production questions, but is their law remix available at any digital retailers?
I don't think so - shops don't like selling unlicensed bootlegs for obvious reasons!

heh true already have the plate ordered just hoping it gets here before my next gig
was looking for a backup plan

legend4ry · Post by **legend4ry** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 1:16 pm

I'm ignorant and I don't have a clue who you're, apologies!

I am just going to ask some general questions.

Whats your favourite part of making music... (from initial ideas/ piecing ideas together/mixing/playing out)

What tunes have you made what you're most proud of (good place to start and get a idea what your sound is)

Have you always wanted to make music!?

r · Post by r » Wed Apr 22, 2009 3:59 pm

is it possible to do a remix for you ?

MARCHMELLOW · Post by **MARCHMELLOW** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 12:04 am

Ez Rob

Few Q's for ya -

1. Does sidechain compression play a big part in your productions? if so, whats your usual route for this? is it mainly on the sub and kick, or do you go crazy with it?

2. you mentioned earlier about the self-mastering you performed for one particular vinyl release, but what is your usual mastering work-around?, any strange process or technique that you can tell us about?

3. do you start a track with anything on the master fader, for example a compressor or limiter?

3. cheeky 4th

- are you responsible for that wikid burial refix on your latest mix posted in the mix section??

big urps!

rob sparx · Post by **rob sparx** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 12:41 am

Legendary wrote:Whats your favourite part of making music... (from initial ideas/piecing ideas together/mixing/playing out)

Playing out is a great buzz, getting mashed and starting new tunes is great as well but mixing down can very tedious it seems to go on forever sometimes thats all I've been doing the last week or two lol!

Legendary wrote:What tunes have you made what you're most proud of (good place to start and get a idea what your sound is)

For DNB its Treehugger, Furry Dice, Jazz Juice and all the collabs I've done with Tunnidge: Atomic Supermen/Daves Wives/Attack of the Wolfman and Big Top/Lee Perry (CAT.SPARX002 check it out!).

For dubstep its Independent Life, The Prayer, Attack of the Wobble, Look 2 the Future, Circus Freak, Vagabundo, Sludge, Shaolin style Rmx and everything I've written for the album which includes the Black Sheep EP. All these tunes I've mentioned will feature on CD2 of the album - check my biog for CAT numbers for vinyl http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuse ... =463996192

Legendary wrote:Have you always wanted to make music!?

Does a bear shit in the woods?

DSF Q&A Sessions 8 : Rob Sparx (open for questions)

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