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Would you ever share a screenshot of your bassline pattern?
Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 9:14 am
by wub
Had a discussion yesterday with a mate who produces trance (though I don't hold that against him), and he was going on about downloading MIDI files of trance melodies for dropping into his DAW and replicating them wholesale. His argument was that it was a great way for him to learn certain tricks, and then he could put his own spin on things once he understood how they worked and were created.
Got me thinking......instead of doing the whole MIDI file thing, would anyone on here ever share a screenshot of their bassline pattern if they were asked? Like, if someone was just starting out on producing and didn't have a clue about where to place notes to make it sound like anything.
I know, a lot of people on here are of the thought that you should just play notes randomly until something good comes up, but suppose that whomever is doing the note playing literally does not have a clue, would a screenshot to guide them through what goes where (or potentially could go where) help them?
I've seen enough shots of people showing how a basic dubstep drum pattern is laid out in terms of where the kick/snare/clap/whatever goes, but it might make a good addition to the production bible, like an almost 'My First Track' kind of tutorial walkthru with screenshots of how to lay stuff out.
As I've already said, I know some people are going to kick back against this and say it is tantamount to diluting the scene with a load of identikit tracks. But whilst I agree that some of the most exciting tunes are from producers who break the rules (to use a cliche), is it not necessary to know the rules in the first place before you can break them?
Thoughts/abuse?
Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 9:20 am
by james fox
i'd have no problem posting up the MIDI file as most basslines are really quite simple, it's the sound design that makes it. i'd be more hesitant sharing patches that i had made for my synths, or plug in chains that i use.
Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 9:22 am
by wub
james fox wrote:i'd have no problem posting up the MIDI file as most basslines are really quite simple, it's the sound design that makes it. i'd be more hesitant sharing patches that i had made for my synths, or plug in chains that i use.
Fair enough, sound design that you've done yourself, particularly patches and things, would be off the list. It's the working of notes and sound that makes things unique.
But a screenshot of note placement in your DAW wouldn't be an issue?
Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 9:25 am
by matthew_
I'd be up for that, though my basslines are mostly 2 or three notes! haha
Where are these screenshots of dubstep drum patterns?
Love xx
Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 9:38 am
by wub
Matthew_ wrote:
Where are these screenshots of dubstep drum patterns?
Love xx
Something like this;

Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 10:58 am
by __________
feel free to rob the notes for this sure fire club banger
http://www.zshare.net/audio/15528343dd960356/

Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 11:02 am
by futures_untold
Using other peoples midi files can bring about inspiration
My friend brought around the midi file for Prodigy - Breath the other day, and we quickly had a remix going.
It really does boil down to sound design however, because you could play a pad in the place of a bassline and the dynamics of the whole song would change very quickly.
I only share my best patches with my top producer friends. After inspiration, patch making, recording & mixing techniques are the key to good tunes. My friends and I always share our ideas with one another.
Re: Would you ever share a screenshot of your bassline patte
Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 11:21 am
by elbe
Wub wrote:
I know, a lot of people on here are of the thought that you should just play notes randomly until something good comes up, but suppose that whomever is doing the note playing literally does not have a clue, would a screenshot to guide them through what goes where (or potentially could go where) help them?
don't think there is many like that here. I am def up for using ur own crativity. If you don't know where to start you need to listne to more tunes, that will accustom you ears to the right notes. Trouble is if someone can't do it themselves then if they use someone else arrangement they will not be able to change it sufficiently enough to make it there own.
having sed this it is a usefull tool, I have made much fun pluggin in notes from a piece of score music, then messing around with it.
but then again this could easily lead to a 'music by numbers' kinda production, where you have the arrangments layed out and then you add the right patches to the right midi parts, and hey presto it sound good but you can't call it music.
Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 12:26 pm
by matthew_
I think things like this can really help a new comer, like me.
I know it's helping me now.
How about taking it one step further and sharing the whole file? I'm not going to rip anyone off and steal basslines and drum patterns, i'm stuggling with arrangement and layering so it'd be interesting to take a look at a whole song.
Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 2:35 pm
by jokerkhk
oh my got this reminds mw i was in a big msn convo and no 1 belived that i made my synth every 1 was trying to say it was a preset so i screen shot it send it in the convo
then i was like
OOOOOOPS
i wa snot thinking at all lol
Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 3:14 pm
by drifterman_
lol
Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 12:38 pm
by spencertron
if i was to give you screen shots or midi files,it would be pointless as i know that most of the synths oscillators or detuned/retuned (and not by semi-tones or tones but by unknown measures 0.273, fine tuning etc) to create a certain sound, so if you played what you saw or had the midi file it would be completely different to what i have anyway unless you had the synth i'm using and the osc's set up the same.
How about taking it one step further and sharing the whole file?
visually? i know this won't help but here is a screen grab anyway of a current track, i thought i'd throw in some synth structure for good measure, like i say above; showing midi files is pointless because of detuned oscillators, just like showing this is pointless...and this is what it sounds like so far...
http://www.tindeck.com/audio/filestore/ ... hed192.mp3

Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 8:22 pm
by two oh one
I have no problems showing it. It's no big secret.
Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 9:14 pm
by FSTZ1
insert wobble here
Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 9:57 pm
by ali jamieson
spencerTron wrote:if i was to give you screen shots or midi files,it would be pointless as i know that most of the synths oscillators or detuned/retuned (and not by semi-tones or tones but by unknown measures 0.273, fine tuning etc) to create a certain sound, so if you played what you saw or had the midi file it would be completely different to what i have anyway unless you had the synth i'm using and the osc's set up the same.
How about taking it one step further and sharing the whole file?
visually? i know this won't help but here is a screen grab anyway of a current track, i thought i'd throw in some synth structure for good measure, like i say above; showing midi files is pointless because of detuned oscillators, just like showing this is pointless...and this is what it sounds like so far...
http://www.tindeck.com/audio/filestore/ ... hed192.mp3

this man knows
also re original topic... why not? i'm not scared of anyone stealing my shit. i wont however as i don't think there's much to be learnt from my programming
further still nothing that i couldn't explain without need for visual aid
meh
Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 8:04 pm
by little boh peep
There's a couple of friends I'm mentoring in production, and have sent partial project files of familiar tracks to so they can get a feel for how things are arranged in Renoise, but I absolutely would not share with strangers!
Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 8:07 pm
by two oh one
FSTZ wrote:insert wobble here
That's what she said.

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 8:17 pm
by greenseed
looks like some seksi vsts thur 2o1
Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 10:06 pm
by alexterry
i think the whole idea of midi files and walkthrough is quite good but dubstep has much broader horizons than most other genres of dance music.
i think basic sound design files would be more valuable to new comers. people are just less likely to share
basic wobble patches
big love
Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 11:52 pm
by spencertron
alexterry wrote:i think the whole idea of midi files and walkthrough is quite good but dubstep has much broader horizons than most other genres of dance music.
i think basic sound design files would be more valuable to new comers. people are just less likely to share
basic wobble patches
big love
hmmmm
if you're a reaktor owner i'm 'continually' updating new sounds for the carbon1 synth patch in the Reaktor user library for people to download...(basic wobbles/sub bass types/noisia style reeses...)...it's been a while since i've updated it...430 downloads no complaints...damn i should update that
in essence its sharing presets i make...(they are not a one stop solution users need to tweak em for preference etc.)
Edit updated:
http://www.native-instruments.com:80/in ... tchid=7311