Dubstepforum.com

Mason you forgot to take delay off your master buss. Sounds like it's set to 24 hours.

Yo, there is something f'ed up with m8son's track. Like when he switched it to public, it locked my browser up. Quit the browser, relaunched, and the browser was still fucked up. Had to restart. Now when I play the track... it takes for a minute before it starts.

Sound Cloud is so awesome for what they allow us to do, host our audio, share our audio, and the commenting, but damn, this 2.0 thing is a piece of dick. So so so so so so buggy now. I might actually upgrade now, but it seems like they are ready to fold this shit is like getting worse as we get deeper into 2.0.

Oh and Mason and Dr Psychs, trying to get to hear your tracks, am listening on laptop, but I hate to talk about tracks after laptop listens. Like mason has this one sub note that just comes into my laptops reproducible range, it is so weird, I expect other notes down there!

No it's supposed to be like that. LaptopStep.

Psychs420 wrote:tits man,tits

Thanks dude, everybody loves tits!

dfaultuzr wrote:@no way san jose: great work with the percussions. did you voluntarily avoid using the standard distorted 808's grime bassdrums ? because this track is practically begging for some, like i kept expecting one to drop at some point. like something that hits on the 1 and makes me go "oh shit". if anything i feel the track lacks the punctuating function that these serve in your "standard" grime beat. not sure i'm expressing myself clearly...doesn't have to be distorted 808's mind, could be horns sampled from a rockabilly stomper or anything

I got you. I don't know, I actually started with a really tight, like, metal kick. So weird. I kind of compromised on conventionality. And I love those rebirth distorted 808's, AND I've actually been upping my distortion chops. My whole life I've been on a quest for the right kind of distortion, like there is a distortion in my head, and I've never actually found any (vst) device that can make it... but I've been trying out Maul, with favorable results. Lost a couple of days last week really smooshing my TUNA! track with Maul. But, like distortion really fucking confuses me. Like I love it, but then the space makes less sense to me, dynamics make less sense... I don't know. I need to improve my distortion usage. I think you're very into distortion, I always hear you using it subtly. Will study your tracks further

Oh, but what I'm trying to say, yeah, maybe I'll just go for it, and try and slide those monster distro 808's in there. Because my TUNA! track that I was working on this week fell into the distortion abyss, I just whipped this beat out last night in one shot, which is really quick for me, but there are a lot of things that I might do differently listening back again. But then again, I'm kind of into that older grime mentality, that was kind of ruff, you know, like kind of just smashing stuff together, or ruff cuts. It is an interesting mentality to work under. There is a conflict in me you know, like chasing perfection, and that wabi-sabi love of imperfection, like there is such grace in imperfection. I'm kind of stuck on that cross right now. Hope to find some resolution to this issue this year!

dubunked wrote:NWJ: With that grime lead you've got, I would change the amp envelope, bring down the sustain, and add some reverb instead. So it is more of a decaying lead-style synth as opposed to a pad which is how it kinda sounds right now.

Yeah, I feel you. I initially started just with those string moves, and was like into it so decided to go in and do the track. In the full context of the beat, yeah, less impactful and defo more paddy. Not what I want. In the second half of the song, do you hear I changed up those string hits, so they hit with each kick? I was looking for a stronger impact string sound, and I liked it better, but I was stuck on this decision that always fucks me, like should I put ALL of the good shit up front, or save good stuff, changes, alterations, or even greater intensity for later in the track?? I'm a builder by nature, like I really like tracks that get better as they go, you know, that just keep growing, changing, so I tend to save the juicier bits for later. I really don't know about this. Like I think it might not be a good idea, but I'm constantly doing it. Thanks for your thoughts!

BudSpencertron wrote: @nowaysj
oha hard one its so edgy haha in a good way the cut of clap is mean like reverb i dont think so
like a 2000th version of the 80s snare
maybe let the sample play full at points?
is this your idea of trap haha than add some 808s man :3

Dude, I do let the claps play fully at times. But I've got 5 different claps! Haha, I feel you. I don't know, I was trying to create this ruff cut kind of clap, you know, chopped verb. Like the verb stretches to the next kick, and then is gone entirely.

Is this trap? Haha, no man, I don't make trap, and some of the conventions of trap, within trap, kind of... annoy me. You're talking about high hat rolls here? Like trap 808 hi hat rolls kind of annoy me, like 1/16, 1/8, 1/32... you know. But then I kind of find myself doing them. I feel like I'm doing them in a different context, like the different context is maybe painting them in a different light? Maybe? This is more like trap-grime? Haha, ridiculous. This track really is like a white suburbanite from halfway around the world, just vibing to dusty low kbps youtube grime. For better or worse.

SunkLo wrote: NWJuicy
Keeping with your theme I see. Too fast for me. Needs some reverse reverb to announce the oncoming of the main part after the intro. I really hate drum machine percussion so that's always a complaint of mine. I'd like to hear it slowed up to grind speed and using some more abstract percussion like foley samples. Although I think the tempo and in-your-face percussion both actually fit well with the theme of the track. I guess I'm just averse to the overt.

Haha, this is at 140, meant to push the tempo after rendered to 145, I thought it was a little slow. Just forgot to try it in the haze of the second sun. I'm also very skeptical, at this point, of foley percussion. I do it sometimes, I like it, I really do like concrete sounds, so much richer. But, I don't know, I'm starting to get allergic. See my comments on dfault's track. I don't totally understand my thoughts/feelings on this issue. Dynamic situation.

By continue theme, what do you mean, what is the theme I'm continuing?

And yeah, oversion is the aim of this track. You must realize I've got a tendency towards the black hole of microedit, or micro thought at least. I see it as a trap - no pun - uhm, I don't know. I like primaries, like I'm not buying any of that tertiary shit any more. Keep it real. I see like super detailed and crafted stuff as less honest. Flame me heads, cause we got some seriously crafty heads in the TUNA!, but I don't know man (the running theme) I, just, I don't know. I don't know. Just, trying to strike my balance between craft and control and the wabi-sabi, the profound grace in disorder, or unbalance.

You and I are so very similar in some regards, and SO dissimilar in others, it is kind of odd that dynamic range, of proximity and distance. Weird.

==

THANKS CH'ALL! Your thoughts really help, I'm so confused about what I'm doing.

nowaysj wrote:

dubunked wrote:NWJ: With that grime lead you've got, I would change the amp envelope, bring down the sustain, and add some reverb instead. So it is more of a decaying lead-style synth as opposed to a pad which is how it kinda sounds right now.

Yeah, I feel you. I initially started just with those string moves, and was like into it so decided to go in and do the track. In the full context of the beat, yeah, less impactful and defo more paddy. Not what I want. In the second half of the song, do you hear I changed up those string hits, so they hit with each kick? I was looking for a stronger impact string sound, and I liked it better, but I was stuck on this decision that always fucks me, like should I put ALL of the good shit up front, or save good stuff, changes, alterations, or even greater intensity for later in the track?? I'm a builder by nature, like I really like tracks that get better as they go, you know, that just keep growing, changing, so I tend to save the juicier bits for later. I really don't know about this. Like I think it might not be a good idea, but I'm constantly doing it. Thanks for your thoughts!

lol i struggle with that too. reason being, just look at any soundcloud track. ppl always listen to the first verse of a song, and then move on to whatever else and just judge the entire song on the 0:55-2:00 section (approximately). so there's a real argument to be made about why that should be the best part of the track, but on the other hand, i'm like you, and i like to save the better parts and special sounds until later in the track. i don't want one 16 bar section to sound the exact same as any other, so i like to add little alterations here and there that aren't in the first verse.

m8son wrote:loool how can you make it private but still work for people who have the link?

when your track is private, go on the track page (by clicking on the title from your profile for ex), then click the share button, it should open a pop-up where you can copy the "secret" url

You: really feeling the overall ambiance but feels it needs more work. nice touch with the vocal sample. i think having an additionnal layer of percussion to give it some extra swing wouldn't go amiss. also i would like a secondary melody complementing the main one that comes in at 1,28, like a second synth acting as the response in a call and response thing with the main one ?

dfaultuzr wrote: when your track is private, go on the track page (by clicking on the title from your profile for ex), then click the share button, it should open a pop-up where you can copy the "secret" url

ahh ok nice one!

dfaultuzr wrote:You: really feeling the overall ambiance but feels it needs more work. nice touch with the vocal sample. i think having an additionnal layer of percussion to give it some extra swing wouldn't go amiss. also i would like a secondary melody complementing the main one that comes in at 1,28, like a second synth acting as the response in a call and response thing with the main one ?

Cheers man, yeah very much a work in progress haa, some extra percussion is definitely needed.

Will have a listen to everyones when i get home from uni.

psych: damn son! loving this, very nice progression too. I'd say maybe get those triplet hats that come in halfway could be a bit more... looser? like not as quantised/rigid if y'know what i mean, it kinda makes that that stick from everything else that's so smooth and moulding into each other. Also maybe mess with the sixth sense sample more and make it sound genuinely scary hehe


bud: I like this man, its like Swamp put out something thats actually interesting huee. that sound that comes in for the second half could be used in a more groovy way, rather than playing it on the beat with the kicks, play em in a bit after and you'll get a nice groove between that sound and the beat

with the second tune, you could sidechain that mid a bit and get it jumping out more to get a groove going. it could do with a higher octave pad too i think. but you gotta keep the space in the mix though, dont just clutter it with the extra sound so yeh this could be tricky

ahh that third tune's really on to something i think. i'd say mess with the intro distortion and make it a bit more err... moving? hahah, fuck knows what im tryna say. mess with the vocal more too man, you heard the song Kid A by Radiohead? something like the vocals on that over an atmosphere like this could be great


dfault: loving the vibe of this. did you drop acid recently? cos that'd explain the pitch of that vocal chop hahah. I like it tbh, fekkin raww mayte. would agree with noways in saying that the snare needs work though, its a bit too non-existent atm. in fact that very end bit where its closing is actually a great section, i reckon you should play that a bit earlier and let the tune progress out of that bit, so yeah mess around with re-arranging the track a bit

second tune needs a better kick imo, this one sticks out a bit. other than though, i really dont have much to say man. also maybe like noways said mess with/replace the coin drop sample cos that is getting a bit bait nowadays (ie. ive used it already m8, its mine now)


LTUK: love it, you doing a Samiyam with this 40-second shit though dawg theres barely anything to feedback on in the first place! "fun, upbeat, white, financially secure" pretty much covers it hahahah


noways: you know how in London there's a grime scene. what they don't tell you on the news is theres a very similar thing going on in the Middle East too, where they spit about stabbing Americans all day long to some 'aard beats. your next step is to track down those MC's and send this beat to them


Mason: i think you should use more of the acapella rather than just that one word again and again. like its nice when you get a cool vocal chop but it could be made more interesting than that if you incorporate more. i really like the sound of the lead, liquid digital shit. not much else to say though, its got a solid vibe and it sounds dense so its not bad man, not bad

ah thanks mate for the feedback will try around for sure
and nowaysj you are def right but yeah try an 808 here or a dusty sub would love to hear it

thx for the feedback guys

bit of a mixed response on the weird pitched down sample i use in splib , tbh i didn't feel it at first then my lady said she liked it so i decided to go with it, but indeed it does sort of detract with the rest, so i expected you guys to take the decision for me , not sure what to do with it now

BudSpencertron wrote: Surimi
this one stab sounds a bit harsh at one point.

not sure which one you mean

regarding my comment on the vocals, hard to say what the original sample sounds like but i'd deffo recommended making it dryer

also, i hear y'all on the coin sample but it will stay because i'm lazy

NWJ I kind of feel you on the primary thing. That's what I was getting at when I said I wanted to take a while and just make beatport bangers. Just have super simple sounds that are completely confident. But at the same time I love sound with mystery. I like the road less traveled, and I think subtlety is more psychedelic and collaborative with the listener. They have to be involved for them to get it, it's not so obvious that everyone hears it right away. So those who seek the light find it, and those who don't, just see it as a dark room and move on down the hallway.

Your ongoing theme is carpenterstep. 140 really? I've always felt 140 is too fast anyway, even at cut time. 127 is a spot where groove can actually bloom without being constantly rushed by the pulse.

I think I've talked about it before, but I wanna do a sound design Tuna. Get a short clip of a motion graphics reel or something and design the sound to it. A one minute video wouldn't stretch you out too far and would let you really get deep in your sound. Plus the music agnosticism makes it a pure sound design exercise instead of constantly trying to frame things as a playable instrument. Having a visual component to anchor to means you shouldn't run out of inspiration, the structure's already filled out for you, just gotta color between the lines.

I had a dream about doing this last night since I was watching mograph reels before bed, and yesterday I was talking about going on a big sound design session. I'm getting into 3d modelling for GUI design so I might eventually get into making my own animation clips and doing the sound design.

keep it but change it as now and sunklo suggested i´d say just some minor pitch shifting and maybe imo a extra filter on top to make it move more

hm and its like the one at 1.29 i dunno its a feeling its not iek super sharp but maybe check for the ones you made louder or more present

i find it hard to see where sound design starts and where it ends like is 70´s porn background music sound design
or is a basic reaudio of sb walking sound design is the 20th version of a wow bass in brostep still sound design or is sound design just this one moment where sb sw found sth new and after that its like the igor dieter mister techno house stab bassdrum clap sound

maybe*

:3 i mean of corse there ar people known for sound design music
amon tobin noisia phace whoever billain psytrance but is it still sound design or is it like a jazz artist playing the instrument he learned inside out?

Sound design isn't necessarily inventing a new color, just picking the perfect color to paint with. If you use the exact same color scheme that everyone else uses, you're not really a designer anymore, just a copycat. Design implies a choice. Although you could argue that choosing what convention to copy is a form of design. Eventually, if every aspect is a duplicate of someone else's work verbatim, you're not really a sound designer or producer, you're a recipe follower.

But yeah, even picking the perfect synth preset that fits a mood or something onscreen and playing it the right way shows some creativity and design ability. As long as you're actually making the decision on what sounds to integrate into your production instead of just following the herd.

*I don't know what you are talking about.

can live with that explanation