Background: I've been making music for the last 6 years. I started out as a trance producer, and over the last few years, my musical journey has been leading me deeper and deeper into tech house and techno. However, most of my music buddies that I've met along the way are trance / progressive producers, which is why I joined here - to meet some knowledgeable techno producers.
Well, I feel like I have a very strong grasp of rhythm and groove. I can sit all day and write percussion - big, swingy, organic grooves; tight, unsyncopated, clicky minimal stuff; whatever it is, I can make it, and well. I love percussion.
So, I'll create a new project in Live, find a suitable kick, grab a bunch of samples, and get my percussion going. Then, I reach for Operator or Analog and make a really deep sub-bass... pretty standard-procedure stuff.
After that, I'm totally lost. I will open up a VST, set it to init, and... nothing. I feel like I really struggle with finding the right timbres and chords for minimal or tech house, and I hate it. It's really frustrating.
This brings me to my actual question - do I actually have to use synths in my work? Is it viable and accepted to do really percussive, stripped-back tracks with little more than a sub-bass, percussion, and maybe a vocal hit or two? I just haven't been immersed in tech / minimal for long enough to know whether or not this is acceptable... because if it is, that's really how I'd like to work.
Thanks in advance for feedback and advice. If my fundamental approach to this is somehow "wrong", please critique it by all means.
-K
Are synths necessary?
Re: Are synths necessary?
maaaaaaaaaaaaan there's no rules in this game, do what you are good at. Sample crazy ambiences, start collabing with a singer, distort the crap out of your productions, learn to play the flute, everything goes.
if you feel that your life depends on using a synth, then start with something easy, like a single sine wave on the offbeat or whatever with some pwm and go from there.
dont limit yourself
if you feel that your life depends on using a synth, then start with something easy, like a single sine wave on the offbeat or whatever with some pwm and go from there.
dont limit yourself
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NoAffiliation
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Re: Are synths necessary?
so how exactly were you doing trance music if you don't know chords and synths? are you saying you dont know chords used in tech house?
you dont need to use any synths but creating an atmosphere around the kick is usually a good thing, i imagine this stays true for trance music...
you can create wicked "chords" with a field recording of ambience sent through a resonator. maybe layer it with a synth also. i personally find synths too boring unless layered. using audio as a source usually gives more interesting and personal results
you dont need to use any synths but creating an atmosphere around the kick is usually a good thing, i imagine this stays true for trance music...
you can create wicked "chords" with a field recording of ambience sent through a resonator. maybe layer it with a synth also. i personally find synths too boring unless layered. using audio as a source usually gives more interesting and personal results
Re: Are synths necessary?
That is fantastic advice... thank you so much. I really appreciate it.Ingemar wrote:maaaaaaaaaaaaan there's no rules in this game, do what you are good at. Sample crazy ambiences, start collabing with a singer, distort the crap out of your productions, learn to play the flute, everything goes.
if you feel that your life depends on using a synth, then start with something easy, like a single sine wave on the offbeat or whatever with some pwm and go from there.
dont limit yourself
When I did trance (and mind you, I was never very good at it), I always tried to build progressions and melodies, and I always stuck with minor chords. I am trying to do the very opposite of that - I want to use synth sounds as rhythmic elements in the track, not as a focal point for melodic progression. Also, I've noticed that a lot of tech house tracks use a lot of chords that I've never messed with before - augmented, sustained, all that kinda stuff. (I need to learn more theory.)NoAffiliation wrote:so how exactly were you doing trance music if you don't know chords and synths? are you saying you dont know chords used in tech house?
you dont need to use any synths but creating an atmosphere around the kick is usually a good thing, i imagine this stays true for trance music...
you can create wicked "chords" with a field recording of ambience sent through a resonator. maybe layer it with a synth also. i personally find synths too boring unless layered. using audio as a source usually gives more interesting and personal results
What do you mean, a field recording of ambience sent through a resonator? I am a new Live user (switched from FL about a month ago) and I've noticed the Resonator plugin, but I have no idea what it's supposed to do.
Thanks for your input.
-K
Re: Are synths necessary?
I would get with somebody that has experience with piano. sit by a piano with them and have them show you a few basics of chords and how they work... you should get it within a couple sessions. and then build from there.
Last edited by hydrogen on Tue Feb 28, 2012 5:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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http://soundcloud.com/kirkwoodwest
http://soundcloud.com/kirkwoodwest
Re: Are synths necessary?
P.C.C.O.M.
PERSONAL CONTRACT FOR THE COMPOSITION OF MUSIC [INCORPORATING THE MANIFESTO OF MISTAKES]
This is a template for my own work and not intended to be a definitive formula for writing music, either by me or by other people.
The use of sounds that exist already is not allowed. Subject to article 2. In particular:
No drum machines.
No synthesizers.
No presets.
Only sounds that are generated at the start of the compositional process or taken from the artist's own previously unused archive are available for sampling.
The sampling of other people's music is strictly forbidden.
No replication of traditional acoustic instruments is allowed where the financial and physical possibility of using the real ones exists.
The inclusion, development, propagation, existence, replication, acknowledgement, rights, patterns and beauty of what are commonly known as accidents, is encouraged. Furthermore, they have equal rights within the composition as deliberate, conscious, or premeditated compositional actions or decisions.
The mixing desk is not to be reset before the start of a new track in order to apply a random eq and fx setting across the new sounds. Once the ordering and recording of new music has begun, the desk may be used as normal.
All fx settings must be edited: no factory preset or pre-programmed patches are allowed.
Samples themselves are not to be truncated from the rear. Revealing parts of the recording are invariably stored there.
A notation of sounds used to be taken and made public.
A list of technical equipment used to be made public.
Optional: Remixes should be completed using only the sounds provided by the original artist.
Matthew Herbert (2005)
revisited 2011
PERSONAL CONTRACT FOR THE COMPOSITION OF MUSIC [INCORPORATING THE MANIFESTO OF MISTAKES]
This is a template for my own work and not intended to be a definitive formula for writing music, either by me or by other people.
The use of sounds that exist already is not allowed. Subject to article 2. In particular:
No drum machines.
No synthesizers.
No presets.
Only sounds that are generated at the start of the compositional process or taken from the artist's own previously unused archive are available for sampling.
The sampling of other people's music is strictly forbidden.
No replication of traditional acoustic instruments is allowed where the financial and physical possibility of using the real ones exists.
The inclusion, development, propagation, existence, replication, acknowledgement, rights, patterns and beauty of what are commonly known as accidents, is encouraged. Furthermore, they have equal rights within the composition as deliberate, conscious, or premeditated compositional actions or decisions.
The mixing desk is not to be reset before the start of a new track in order to apply a random eq and fx setting across the new sounds. Once the ordering and recording of new music has begun, the desk may be used as normal.
All fx settings must be edited: no factory preset or pre-programmed patches are allowed.
Samples themselves are not to be truncated from the rear. Revealing parts of the recording are invariably stored there.
A notation of sounds used to be taken and made public.
A list of technical equipment used to be made public.
Optional: Remixes should be completed using only the sounds provided by the original artist.
Matthew Herbert (2005)
revisited 2011
-
oblioblioblio
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Re: Are synths necessary?
resonator is very fun tool. you put stuff into it, and it has several different banks that get excited by the sound going in and make a tone. You can turn any sound into a chord.
For me, synths are a very rewarding creative tool. I always enjoyed using them so maybe it's natural for me that way and maybe it's different for somebody else. You've got to learn something to make music, and to learn it very well and build a relationship but you can choose however you like.
Good luck.
For me, synths are a very rewarding creative tool. I always enjoyed using them so maybe it's natural for me that way and maybe it's different for somebody else. You've got to learn something to make music, and to learn it very well and build a relationship but you can choose however you like.
Good luck.