I think I'm retarded.

[BYTEME]

No offense to anyone who may actually be offended from me using the word "retarded."

I feel like everything I do is wrong... The synths I make sound wrong, and my production style could be tons better. I get told a lot that I need to stop worrying about numbers, values, and shit. But really those numbers and values make the sound much better in my opinion. But the point is, I lack the knowledge of making my tracks better.
I tried experimenting with side-chaining, and peak controlling a lot of times. But almost every time I think I do it completely wrong and it messes up or I just don't know what the hell I'm doing at all. It's confusing me terribly to where I think I need it to be told to me as if I'm 5. I think I may even actually have a learning disability that messes with the way I process information in my brain.

My problems:

1. I put a high-shelf on the EQ to only boost everything about 18khz on all drums.
2. I low-shelf the mids and highs on kick-drums and basses, by 2 db or even 4 db.
3. I was once told that I shouldn't boost things in the EQ, only cut everything down around it.
4. I don't use certain/most wave-forms. I almost ALWAYS use squares as accustomed to my old Chiptune production habits.
5. I have an extreme obsession with my kick drums being super short, minimal, almost like a small click, and hit loudly around -6db.
6. I can never use reverb or delay effects properly or even understand how to use them without them sounding so shitty. So I never use them - resulting in a dry track with no pads or any ambiance.
7. I don't know how to side-chain or compress things. So I almost NEVER do that. Resulting in mucky/muddy sounding tracks that could sound so much cleaner and better on the drums.
8. I don't have Abletone.
9. I don't have a job now. (I can't afford fancy fucking plugins and shit everyone uses. Like those fancy equalizers and blah blah shit. )
10. FL Studio doesn't have much of a community.
11. I think DF is a pretty Ableton and Reason based community full of people who could be nicer. I think I prefer the Trance and Gearslutz forums over this one. IMHO.

Can someone just help me? I'll have the time to listen if you actually supply me with shit I can learn that doesn't require plugins I don't have, and REALLY SIMPLE tutorials. Just... Please help me. I've been stuck on this shit for a year now and I don't feel like I'm even progressing AT ALL. I think I could do better than I actually am right now, but quite frankly I'm just stuck in my bedroom experimenting and not actually progressing at all with these experiments.

Link to my crappy tracks if you'd like to hear what I sound like:

http://soundcloud.com/byte-me-music

QUICK NOTE: I don't use vengeance sample packs or any other packs. I do only have Vengeance House samples pack that I bought, but other than that I use free 808 samples which have been modified over hours of EQing, some small amount of bit-crush sometimes, and shortening of the samples. (As I said I prefer them very short. )

[outbound]

If you feel like what you're doing is wrong and you're constantly doing new things production wise then that sounds pretty spot on to me.

What was that thing about Thomas Edison creating over 1000 'wrong' lightbulbs before making one that worked eh? I say keep doing what you're doing, push things to the limits (musically wise and plugin wise) you'll eventually start to find out what things not to do and what things work.

Keep at it, immerse yourself and eventually you'll get there

[wub]

1. I put a high-shelf on the EQ to only boost everything about 18khz on all drums.
2. I low-shelf the mids and highs on kick-drums and basses, by 2 db or even 4 db.

These aren't problems, they're habits. If you don't like the way they are making your drums etc sound, then don't do them. Or don't do them and see what a difference to the sound it makes.

3. I was once told that I shouldn't boost things in the EQ, only cut everything down around it.

Subtractive EQing (taking things away to create space as opposed to boosting things) can be useful for creating space in a tune to let the frequencies breathe. It is a technique, and one that I used myself a lot of the time. Again, if you don't like the way it sounds then try boosting instead of cutting and listen to the difference.

There is no right or wrong way to EQ elements, or a song overall.

4. I don't use certain/most wave-forms. I almost ALWAYS use squares as accustomed to my old Chiptune production habits.

There is no right/wrong waveforms to use. If you like the square sound, use it. If you want something warmer, try a sine. If you want piercing, go for a sawtooth. Try mixing different waveforms with multiple osc instruments and see what works and what doesn't.

5. I have an extreme obsession with my kick drums being super short, minimal, almost like a small click, and hit loudly around -6db.

Again, this is a habit and not a problem. See above for comments re; habits.

6. I can never use reverb or delay effects properly or even understand how to use them without them sounding so shitty. So I never use them - resulting in a dry track with no pads or any ambiance.

Reverb - a fancy word for echo, like if you stood in a big room and yelled HELLO you'd hear it reverb on the walls.
Delay - I'm sorry, I'm a bit late...late...late...late.

Try using these two in conjunction with each other. A soft pad in the background with some Delay > Reverb on the effects chain will create a feeling of background ambience that you might be after. Experiment with different sounds. For example, a snare drum sample stretched over 16 bars with Delay/Reverb applied can give you ambience, as does (again, another example, sampling rain).

7. I don't know how to side-chain or compress things. So I almost NEVER do that. Resulting in mucky/muddy sounding tracks that could sound so much cleaner and better on the drums.

Sidechaining in FL10 is easy to do, these videos should help;




Any further questions re; Sidechaining use the Search function, we had a shit ton of threads

8. I don't have Abletone.

Not essential - different DAWs do different things, granted, but ultimately it's what you know and can use as opposed to what you've heard is better.

9. I don't have a job now. (I can't afford fancy fucking plugins and shit everyone uses. Like those fancy equalizers and blah blah shit. )

There is a load of great free plugins. Check the wonderful BedroomProducerBlog for a full list of all sorts + samples.

10. FL Studio doesn't have much of a community.

Disagree; FL is one of the most widespread DAWs, and the community online is huge. For example;

ImageLine Forum - http://forum.image-line.com/
FLStud10 - http://fl-studio.xooit.fr/index.php
Warbeats - http://warbeats.com/
Flipside - http://www.theflipsideforum.com/

11. I think DF is a pretty Ableton and Reason based community full of people who could be nicer. I think I prefer the Trance and Gearslutz forums over this one.

A look at the Collaboration Thread would suggest overwise in terms of DAW usage amongst the members here.

Can someone just help me? I'll have the time to listen if you actually supply me with shit I can learn that doesn't require plugins I don't have, and REALLY SIMPLE tutorials. Just... Please help me. I've been stuck on this shit for a year now and I don't feel like I'm even progressing AT ALL. I think I could do better than I actually am right now, but quite frankly I'm just stuck in my bedroom experimenting and not actually progressing at all with these experiments.

Other than the above, I'm a FL user myself so if you've got any specific question either;

1. use the search function to see if it's been asked before
2. Make a thread stating specifically what you want help on and giving an example if possible
3. PM me or anyone else with FLUser flashing in their signature

QUICK NOTE: I don't use vengeance sample packs or any other packs. I do only have Vengeance House samples pack that I bought, but other than that I use free 808 samples which have been modified over hours of EQing, some small amount of bit-crush sometimes, and shortening of the samples. (As I said I prefer them very short. )

Try the Goldbaby free samples page if you like your drums crunchy - http://www.goldbaby.co.nz/freestuff.html

[hasezwei]

this was made in FL studio


anything is possible with any DAW (well almost)

[mthrfnk]

Honestly... just keep at it.

I use FL, have been producing on and off for around a year (probably with breaks totalling 5 months), a year ago I was using drum and synth loops and Massive presets to make shit "dubstep" tracks. Now I have learnt to make the sounds I want in various synths. I've settled into a pattern - I know how to structure my tracks better, I know how to create the sounds and FX I want, I've improved my mixes and attempts at mastering (imo) and overall I've started producing tracks that other people think are okay (I've also started to split my production into two aliases - one for house-y stuff andone for chilled bass stuff - I feel more like a producer than some kid making beats in FL). I still use a lot of free software (check out these plugins man http://varietyofsound.wordpress.com/downloads/), although I do still use paid for synths - since I know them in and out (as for FL Stuff check out this guy http://www.youtube.com/user/howtomakeemusic/videos he uses native FL plugins to do awsm stuff). I've learnt nearly everything from this forum through posts, links and videos. I've also learnt a lot from the feedback in the WIP thread.

My advice: listen to a couple of hour long mixes in tune to the style of your music, open FL, create a new track with new samples and no presets (as for free samples all of http://www.primeloops.com/packs have a free demo download on each pack, also they have this http://www.primeloops.com/index.php?page=free-pack as do many other vendors) - spend time on every aspect that's important (e.g. nail your synths, mix as you go, nail the FX, attempt a full mixdown, bounce your track and attempt to master it etc.). Literally try and spend a good 4-6hr session just in FL, take a break (maybe a whole days worth), come back and try to improve all those aspects again in another session. Rinse, repeat.

There's tutorials for nearly every DAW, synth and plugin you could need so if you struggle at any point - just look for help

[BYTEME]

this was made in FL studio


anything is possible with any DAW (well almost)

This is absolutely beautiful...

[BYTEME]

.

Thank you very much, you've been the biggest help!!!

[NinjaEdit]

Start with a more positive attitude. To improve, you need realistic feedback. This means a) also physically writing down what you do well, and b) asking for specific feedback on you music so that you can use it to improve your sound.

re: re: Habits. A habit had an original goal, and has been rewarded so that it keeps being done. Now the original purpose is forgotten, you'll have to remind yourself what it was, and whether the goal is still relevent.

NINJA EDIT: I also noticed the Gearslutz community is friendlier. Never go full retard!

[ehbes]

Reason based community I wish

[ehbes]

And yeah there's a ton of fl users here bud

[Skrew]

I think your problem is you're trying to do what other people do. Just because people on here talk about side chaining and certain EQ techniques doesn't mean that's best for you. Try to make a synth that's unique and your sound, not a sound you're trying to copy.

[Skrew]

3. I was once told that I shouldn't boost things in the EQ, only cut everything down around it.

Whoever said that is full of shit.

[sunny_b_uk]

plenty of people on DSF use FL, even myself. FL has a massive community & you'll probably meet people in your own town that use it (well its happened a few times in my case).
for EQ boosting i normally boost (& cut) when sound designing and when im mixing down i usually cut more.. tbh what matters is the end result not the techniques used.

[Skrew]

I used FL for 3-4 years. I'm now using Maschine & Logic & Pro Tools. I hate the new version of FL for some reason.

[BYTEME]

I think your problem is you're trying to do what other people do. Just because people on here talk about side chaining and certain EQ techniques doesn't mean that's best for you. Try to make a synth that's unique and your sound, not a sound you're trying to copy.

I'm actually just wanting to learn how to make my drums sound clean as possible through different synths and sounds.

And I never copy tutorials or synths.

[BYTEME]

This is how I usually EQ my 808 kicks:

[wormcode]

3. I was once told that I shouldn't boost things in the EQ, only cut everything down around it.

Whoever said that is full of shit.

Not cut down around it, but remove unneeded frequencies to put emphasis on the frequency you do want and make room for it. In the digital realm it's pretty true boosting isn't the best habit, but there's no real rules just guidelines. If you're boosting more than a couple of dB something's wrong anyway and probably time to pick a new sound or start layering it, or find the problem in the mix.

[NinjaEdit]

Yeah, I guess boosting could cause clipping going into the output, which you then just turn down (and not see the clip). I cut first, then boost if nessecary. The correct answer to everything is "whatever sounds best."

Gost, see what happens if you boost that hotspot at 50-100Hz, which might be the fundemental.

[Attila]

And I never copy tutorials or synths.

You should

[Dystinkt]

Im an FL user too op, and i know how frustrating it is to be in your position, I've been producing 5 years now (still not long in real terms, but long enough to know how to worr fl fairly well) but I was a lot more clueless than most people starting out. Everythings wubs said is on point, but my own addition would be to just fuck about in your daw as often as possible, just to learn how everything works. I didnt look at a tutorial to learn anything i know now, I just accidentally stumbled across pretty much every production technique I use today. The best way of learning is by doing.