Outdoor Miner
Member
This thread needs some serious love and bumpage. I know you all didn't just stop making music!
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NEOGAF's Official Music Production Thread: calling all producers
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LiveFromKyoto
Member
I listen to a lot of downtempo, and one of the things that has always jumped out at me is how consistently the producers nail A) a sense of warmth, and B) space, despite everything having reverb on it. The Dining Rooms are a great example of this (I wish somebody had uploaded Astro Black to youtube) :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FrBcwoTPOM
The warmth I can sort of fake using a tube amp, but it feels to me like a lot of it comes from using a lower register, maybe a really low pad to colour everything, and I can't really make that work without drowning out the bass. Sometimes it just seems to be inherent in the instrument sounds themselves, I really like the sound you get out of a good analogue synth or electric piano.
The space thing I can never figure, it's obviously more than just pan. Is it just a function of frequency? I get decent results with compression, but even though I understand the concept, I'm just not good enough at it in practice to really get the results I want.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FrBcwoTPOM
The warmth I can sort of fake using a tube amp, but it feels to me like a lot of it comes from using a lower register, maybe a really low pad to colour everything, and I can't really make that work without drowning out the bass. Sometimes it just seems to be inherent in the instrument sounds themselves, I really like the sound you get out of a good analogue synth or electric piano.
The space thing I can never figure, it's obviously more than just pan. Is it just a function of frequency? I get decent results with compression, but even though I understand the concept, I'm just not good enough at it in practice to really get the results I want.
Production GAF I am in need of your help! I want to start making some hip hop beats and I already have FL Studio 9, which I assume will be fine. My question is are there any websites you guys would recommend as far as hip hop production goes? Tutorials, samples, anything that can get me going? Thanks everyone, happy to be joining the community here!
LiveFromKyoto said:
Re-amping. Have any old practice amps laying around? Send a signal through them, put it in the shower, in the hall, you know the drill
Hell, you could even use your PC speakers/ old boombox and a cheap mic/pc mic. Long as the sound is traveling through 'air' you're good.You can get a LOT of space with re-amping. You might also try some amp modeling software that allows you to move the placement of the mic/cab.
This technique can add a lot of warmth, depth and 'soul' to ITB mixes.
Space is really hard to nail. I still can't figure out how The Chemical Brothers have a thousand and one things going on but you can ALWAYS pick out each individual instrument and where it sits in the mix. Astounding productions.
Acid08 said:
Try Warbeats. They have a ton of FL tutorials (also on Youtube) and are mostly aimed at hip-hop. Have fun, let us know what you create, and put it up on Soundcloud. <3 Soundcloud.
Outdoor Miner
Member
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LMUZAQ33z8
Been watching tutorial vids for the new drum sampler Geist. From the makers of Guru. It looks friggen' amazing. Really tempted to buy now but I'm waiting to see if they have some kind of holiday special as $249 is pretty steep.
Been watching tutorial vids for the new drum sampler Geist. From the makers of Guru. It looks friggen' amazing. Really tempted to buy now but I'm waiting to see if they have some kind of holiday special as $249 is pretty steep.
out0v0rder
Member
just picked up a NI MASCHINE, holy shit it's great. I set it up to run as a vst inside of fruityloops.
official page link thingy
Give me a few more days then you can all hear my hipster productions.
Quick Beat Creation Video
official page link thingy
Give me a few more days then you can all hear my hipster productions.
Quick Beat Creation Video
Sweedishrodeo
the smegma spreader
i had no idea this thread existed..
i'll upload what i have been doing with my mpc 4000 later this weekend
i'll upload what i have been doing with my mpc 4000 later this weekend
Teknopathetic
Member
"just picked up a NI MASCHINE, holy shit it's great. I set it up to run as a vst inside of fruityloops."
Maschine is the truth. I don't like running it inside a DAW as you lose some functions (transport), but it's a necessary evil because I use plugins frequently. That is until the next Maschine update that goes into beta in January/February that adds plug-in hosting, then it's bye bye DAW.
Maschine is the truth. I don't like running it inside a DAW as you lose some functions (transport), but it's a necessary evil because I use plugins frequently. That is until the next Maschine update that goes into beta in January/February that adds plug-in hosting, then it's bye bye DAW.
Scuba Steve
Member
Just got this Novation Launchpad
Using it with Ableton Live 8, it's my first MIDI controller, as I'm just now getting into producing.
In the future after I've learned Live 8 pretty well, I'll probably hack it and convert it into an 8x8 monome
Using it with Ableton Live 8, it's my first MIDI controller, as I'm just now getting into producing.
In the future after I've learned Live 8 pretty well, I'll probably hack it and convert it into an 8x8 monome
Sweedishrodeo
the smegma spreader
Teknopathetic said:
what does this thing do differently than ableton and a midi controller (apc40?)? i dont get it
i was going towards these soft packages for a while but i'm not convinced of the advantage programming-wise / sound-wise over the mpc or a groovebox (dr groove or electribe, etc). hardware adds the color, you know?
Teknopathetic
Member
"what does this thing do differently than ableton and a midi controller (apc40?)? i dont get it"
APC40 is designed for triggering clips/live performance with ableton. Maschine is for sampling, beat making, production, etc. You can make an entire song with Maschine alone, you can't really do the same with the APC. That's not really a knock against the APC or anything, that's just not what it was designed to do.
"i was going towards these soft packages for a while but i'm not convinced of the advantage programming-wise / sound-wise over the mpc or a groovebox (dr groove or electribe, etc). hardware adds the color, you know?"
The biggest advantage is having the flexibility and advantages of a computer (unlimited disk space for samples; super easy to get your track into your DAW for whatever reason you might want to use your daw for, further effects processing, mixing, etc.) while maintaining an entirely "hardware" based workflow. Everything is displayed clearly on the controller, all the functions are available on the controller, you can quite literally turn off the monitor and work on the controller itself and there's no hindrance to your production. The only things that you need to use a keyboard/mouse with are things that you'd obviously prefer to use a keyboard/mouse with (tagging your sample library).
As far as "color," that's too subjective for me to want to comment on. If you feel like an MPC/SP1200/Whatever gets you the sound you want then that's what you should use.
APC40 is designed for triggering clips/live performance with ableton. Maschine is for sampling, beat making, production, etc. You can make an entire song with Maschine alone, you can't really do the same with the APC. That's not really a knock against the APC or anything, that's just not what it was designed to do.
"i was going towards these soft packages for a while but i'm not convinced of the advantage programming-wise / sound-wise over the mpc or a groovebox (dr groove or electribe, etc). hardware adds the color, you know?"
The biggest advantage is having the flexibility and advantages of a computer (unlimited disk space for samples; super easy to get your track into your DAW for whatever reason you might want to use your daw for, further effects processing, mixing, etc.) while maintaining an entirely "hardware" based workflow. Everything is displayed clearly on the controller, all the functions are available on the controller, you can quite literally turn off the monitor and work on the controller itself and there's no hindrance to your production. The only things that you need to use a keyboard/mouse with are things that you'd obviously prefer to use a keyboard/mouse with (tagging your sample library).
As far as "color," that's too subjective for me to want to comment on. If you feel like an MPC/SP1200/Whatever gets you the sound you want then that's what you should use.
Scuba Steve
Member
What is a list of the best plug-ins for Ableton Live 8?
Anything and everything, no preference
Anything and everything, no preference
Teknopathetic
Member
"What is a list of the best plug-ins for Ableton Live 8?
Anything and everything, no preference"
There are really way way way too many plugins and a lot of them are quality. It'd be best to give at least a few specifications for what you're looking for. Synthesizers? Effects? etc.
Anything and everything, no preference"
There are really way way way too many plugins and a lot of them are quality. It'd be best to give at least a few specifications for what you're looking for. Synthesizers? Effects? etc.
Tokubetsu
Member
out0v0rder said:just picked up a NI MASCHINE, holy shit it's great. I set it up to run as a vst inside of fruityloops.
official page link thingy
Give me a few more days then you can all hear my hipster productions.
Quick Beat Creation Video
Wanted a Maschine but couldn't swing it at the moment. Went with an "Akai, MPD26" treating me well so far.
Scuba Steve
Member
Teknopathetic said:
I'm thinking VST instruments as well as VST effects. Plugins that would best complement electronic house or trip-hop production.
Outdoor Miner
Member
Scuba Steve said:
There are a billion. Still not specific enough!
Scuba Steve
Member
Outdoor Miner said:There are a billion. Still not specific enough!
Oh Jesus, I'm just scratching the surface of Live 8 so I'm still naive to the pool of content available. I thought I'd try a few plugins to understand the installation and whole process of it.
So to be fair I don't even know what I'm asking for, how embarrassing. But I'd atleast like to get a grasp of various plugins as I go along so I'm always building my knowledge on the many varieties and uses of them.
Sweedishrodeo
the smegma spreader
Teknopathetic said:
i dont think it is subjective, those machines are designed to have distinct sonic identities. use a 3k or 60 and feel the crunch and groove that can be produced with the swing they have. the punchyness of the XL or maybe the s3200 can be be a huge asset to the kit. and these things don't have much of processing power so your tunes compensate in unique ways.
that is why i was asking about the maschine before. what features of this thing are unique as a vst? or is it unique because of the interface it provides. not knocking it because it looks badass, but i want to know more. all the videos i see make it look like a digital mpc, but with unlimited processing power is there a difference between that and me using logic/soundforge as is?
a good friend of mine got one so i'm gonna need to hit him up to see this in action.
Soooo...here's a few tracks I've written. Just selected 4 at random, will upload more another time, but I'd like honest/constructive opinions from you guys.
Bit of an electic mix, and some soundtrack stuff. Have a listen.
http://soundcloud.com/richisawesome/sets/mixed-tracks
I play no instruments, other than the keyboard...badly. And very basic guitar. And I know no musical theory. :lol This was all done by me in FL Studio. Anyway yeah, opinions would be awesome.
Bit of an electic mix, and some soundtrack stuff. Have a listen.
http://soundcloud.com/richisawesome/sets/mixed-tracks
I play no instruments, other than the keyboard...badly. And very basic guitar. And I know no musical theory. :lol This was all done by me in FL Studio. Anyway yeah, opinions would be awesome.
Did some recordings for my band for use as demos. Any input on what I should look at?
http://simenruud.com/div/marathon.zip
http://simenruud.com/div/marathon.zip
Teknopathetic
Member
"i dont think it is subjective, those machines are designed to have distinct sonic identities. use a 3k or 60 and feel the crunch and groove that can be produced with the swing they have. the punchyness of the XL or maybe the s3200 can be be a huge asset to the kit. and these things don't have much of processing power so your tunes compensate in unique ways."
I mean subjective with regards to whether you actually desire the color given by those machines or not. Not everyone does.
"that is why i was asking about the maschine before. what features of this thing are unique as a vst? or is it unique because of the interface it provides. not knocking it because it looks badass, but i want to know more. all the videos i see make it look like a digital mpc, but with unlimited processing power is there a difference between that and me using logic/soundforge as is?"
It's mostly about the interface and workflow. It gets the same job done that an MPC + Logic/Soundforge does and for someone who has that setup, I would say Maschine is more of a sidegrade than an improvement, unless you feel like there are some hitches in your workflow when getting things into Logic/Soundforge. For MPC owners I think it's one of those things you need to get some good hands on time with to see if it's something you feel an improvement using.
I mean subjective with regards to whether you actually desire the color given by those machines or not. Not everyone does.
"that is why i was asking about the maschine before. what features of this thing are unique as a vst? or is it unique because of the interface it provides. not knocking it because it looks badass, but i want to know more. all the videos i see make it look like a digital mpc, but with unlimited processing power is there a difference between that and me using logic/soundforge as is?"
It's mostly about the interface and workflow. It gets the same job done that an MPC + Logic/Soundforge does and for someone who has that setup, I would say Maschine is more of a sidegrade than an improvement, unless you feel like there are some hitches in your workflow when getting things into Logic/Soundforge. For MPC owners I think it's one of those things you need to get some good hands on time with to see if it's something you feel an improvement using.
Scuba Steve
Member
richisawesome said:
Totally diggin them, Control Room is great, awesome job
LiveFromKyoto said:
Interesting post. I struggle with space in my mix as well, and space as a whole, but lately things are getting better. The obvious advantage with down tempo tracks like this is, that unlike Trance music for example, the tempo of the track is slower, so there's easily more room for FX.
For the warmth, I know what you mean. But this can come from different things. First of all, make sure to use 1 reverb, max 2 in your tracks. In Logic I have one main reverb for the track, and one smaller reverb for a few drum parts like claps etc etc. Also make sure you EQ the reverb properly. I kill everything below 200 HZ, whatever happens, because having reverb in that part of the frequency spectrum will only muddy up your mix. I also high cut @ about 5Khz. This will clean up the mix, and give more warmth as well. Why do I use only 1 main reverb? Because it helps sit every track instrument in the same space, that way it sounds like everything is played in the same room, the same coherent space.
Secondly about the lower pad. Pads are great, but they mostly serve merely as 'atmosphere bringer'. Ofcourse not when it's a bass pad, but the most pads are just there to bring in some atmosphere. This can give alot of warmth to a track. Just be careful to give every instrument it's own space in the mix. Bass sits mostly in the 60 - 180 Hz area (well mostly), so there's no need for your atmospherical pads to occupy that same space in the frequency spectrum. This will clean up your mix.
Anyway, again, the warmth comes mainly IMO, from the sounds that are chosen, and also the reverb you are using, and ofcourse the settings. Compression is a nice tool, but can be destructive as well, especially when you don't understand compression. It can add warmth as well, but compression should be used lightly, IMO. I'ts a very powerful effect.
out0v0rder
Member
i cant fucking waitttttTeknopathetic said:
Ok, so i've been thinking about picking up Logic Studio for ages now but i seem to see a lot of people going crazy for Ableton/Maschine and those type of tools for creating music. This is making me hesitant to some degree. What are the pro's and cons of Ableton vs Maschine vs a traditional DAW like Logic?
VariantX04
Loser slave of the system :(
Hey GAF! Posted this in the orchestra thread but I decided it would find a home here too.
I'd appreciate it if anyone could hear my work and tell me if I should keep at it or keep my day job. I wrote this on Garage Band so please excuse the cheapness of the sound. I'm planning on migrating to Logic Pro and Eastwest very soon. Any feedback is appreciated.
A Perennial Undertaking
I'd appreciate it if anyone could hear my work and tell me if I should keep at it or keep my day job. I wrote this on Garage Band so please excuse the cheapness of the sound. I'm planning on migrating to Logic Pro and Eastwest very soon. Any feedback is appreciated.
A Perennial Undertaking
hoverX said:
Every DAW has it's pro's and con's ofcourse. The question really is: which workflow do you like the best?
For me, it has to be Logic. I tried Reason, Cubase, Fruityloops, but Logic is just so good. It ships with great FX. Every DAW has good FX, but I just really love Logic's stuff. The EQ's, compressors, and other FX are a breeze to work with. Logic has SO many features, it's sick if you ask me. And Logic ships with great synths. The ES2 is a widely recognised fantastic synth, once you learn how to program with it. Working with Audio is also so nice.
But like I said, pick the one which has the best workflow for you.
VariantX04
Loser slave of the system :(
Outdoor Miner
Member
Nearly every DAW is capable of doing anything you want these days. Some are stronger than others in certain areas but it all really comes down to workflow and which one you feel most comfortable with.
I would say to try them all before buying. Almost all of them have demos, and if they don't it's their loss!
I would say to try them all before buying. Almost all of them have demos, and if they don't it's their loss!
Reaper is pretty popular. You can use it for as long as you want (technically, but not legally) for free (there's no limited functionality, it's all there, and the creators pretty much encourage you to use it), or pay the $60 license (cheapest DAW BY FAR!). I was reading about it today in Tape Op, same duder who made Winamp runs Reaper, 3 man crew, gotta respect that.
I really love Live though. I might try Reaper out some day though. I hear version 4 will have a huge overhaul, from what I read today.
I really love Live though. I might try Reaper out some day though. I hear version 4 will have a huge overhaul, from what I read today.
do you have any tips on how to make really good sounding strings? (that is, if you are using midi). i have a bunch of "apparently" great midi and synth strings but i kind of suck at using them without them sounding like the cheesiest shit ever.AgentWhiskersX said:
track is very well done btw!
Mr_Appleby
Member
AgentWhiskersX said:
nice one dude, good soundtrack material. Fine job working with those string sounds. You can always upgrade sounds before sequencer if you're comfortable working in garageband. I assume it takes audiounit plugins or whatever it is macs use?
suppose i'd better pimp my own recent shit:
King Crimson - Man with an Open Heart (Disco Edit)
New Clothes For Pastor (original tune)
hoverX said:
they produce sample libraries
VariantX04
Loser slave of the system :(
Yeah. All GB. Thanks!hoverX said:
To mask the cheesiness of the strings, I try to always use 2 or more string tracks at a time. Alone they sound fake and cheap but doubled they actually produce a sound worth hearing. And thanks!btkadams said:do you have any tips on how to make really good sounding strings? (that is, if you are using midi). i have a bunch of "apparently" great midi and synth strings but i kind of suck at using them without them sounding like the cheesiest shit ever.
track is very well done btw!
I feel like using GB was good practice for me to get used to how everything works. I don't really know much about music production, all I really know is how to make the music. And New Clothes For Pastor is fucking great dude. Good job. I found myself moving along with the music without knowing. :lolMr_Appleby said:
out0v0rder
Member
dont laugh but here is a quick demostyle beat i made live on the maschine, finally figuring out what the buttons do, didnt even look at the screen or touch the mouse once, stock sounds. enjoy?
http://soundcloud.com/ovodood/break-bots
http://soundcloud.com/ovodood/break-bots
Outdoor Miner
Member
hoverX said:
Lucky you. I would love to try Logic but unfortunately I don't have the desire nor means to get a Mac.
RustyO said:Just found this thread... hiya all
[hat tip] Mr_Appleby [/hat tip]
Wai hello thar
Outdoor Miner said:
(Not trying to start yet another PC/MAC war here)
i'm a .net developer by profession but after having 3 pc laptops last less than a year each i started to seriously consider the mac. I'm also interested in iOS developement which can only be done on the mac. The only other DAW i've tried is ableton but Logic is really nice so far.
JumpJeff84
Member
Anyone here tried the Acidlab M1am1?
I was looking to get a Roland TR-808 but I heard good stuff about the M1am1. Supposedly it sounds the same and is much more reliable, not to mention it being half the price....
I was looking to get a Roland TR-808 but I heard good stuff about the M1am1. Supposedly it sounds the same and is much more reliable, not to mention it being half the price....
Whoompthereitis said:
Heard it was a good emulation of the 808. Check out Jomox's lineup also, I've heard lots of good things about the Airbase too.
Personally, I would never purchase an 808/909/303 at the prices they're going for - they've reached collector's status and the emulations that are out there are far too close to original spec to warrant the prices of the originals.
JumpJeff84
Member
pirahna1 said:
Yeah, that's what I figured. Most of the 808 users I've talked to love the machine, but they all complain about how expensive they are to maintain. They compare them to vintage cars.
In another couple of weeks I'll grab a M1am1 and post impressions.
out0v0rder
Member
This looks kinda cool, i wonder what the pricing will be
http://www.gizmag.com/cyberstep-kdj-one-portable-daw-announced/17452/picture/127107/
http://www.gizmag.com/cyberstep-kdj-one-portable-daw-announced/17452/picture/127107/
Scuba Steve
Member
I'm having trouble with Ableton Live 8.1.1
I'm using the ASIO4all audio driver, but I can't hear any sound from Ableton if ANY other program is open that plays media (i.e. Winamp, Quicktime, Youtube). BUT, if I close all of these programs, sound will play in Ableton again, but will NOT play sound for anything else.
It's an either "one or the other" dilemma. I tried switching back to the MME driver but the same problem arises.
It's frustrating, very very frustrating. I can't watch tutorials along side having Ableton open
Any help?
I'm using the ASIO4all audio driver, but I can't hear any sound from Ableton if ANY other program is open that plays media (i.e. Winamp, Quicktime, Youtube). BUT, if I close all of these programs, sound will play in Ableton again, but will NOT play sound for anything else.
It's an either "one or the other" dilemma. I tried switching back to the MME driver but the same problem arises.
It's frustrating, very very frustrating. I can't watch tutorials along side having Ableton open
Any help?
Scuba Steve said:
This happened to me on my first install of Windows 7. This is not how it is suppose to work. I managed to fix the problem, but I have no recollection of how, or why the problem started. Just mess around with settings or maybe do a reinstall, try different audio drivers, etc.
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