different artists same techniques to get a overall ''feel''

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shubelo
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different artists same techniques to get a overall ''feel''

Post by shubelo »

Hey guys Im working on a project and have a few tracks going. The biggest problem Im having is getting the exact ''feel'' over all the tracks and the tracks individually. I've used techniques like chopping the tails on any sample I use, vintage style EQ on the master. But I want them to gel more

The feel and sound Im going for is very similar to these tracks. You only need listen to the first few bars to get the vibe

Art department




Its there percussion technique and how it sounds over all?

Clockwork




Fur coats




Three artist have the same sort of overall feel/sound, what makes these individuals overall sound similar?? they must use similar techniques?

I know It might be a broad for some, Im sorry. But Im hoping some of you guys can hear some mixing ie EQ'ing, reverb technique the percussion sounds so tight but has swing and then all the sounds are so transparent.
Last edited by shubelo on Wed Jan 09, 2013 2:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
oblioblioblio
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Re: different artists same techniques to get a overall ''fee

Post by oblioblioblio »

it's probably not the reply that you're looking for, (maybe someone else has specific techniques for these tracks), but from my experience, those subtleties that define a particular sound, and make tracks sound whole, come from hard work and time.

There's no secret technique or gear, it all comes from developing your own method. The way you like things to sound, the way you like your levels to be at, where things come in, whether you like samples, or polyphonic sounds, monophonic ones.

Maybe it's dangerous to compare yourself so directly against someone else's work, you always see the faults in your stuff too much. It can be helpful just to ignore everything else and satisfy your own inquisitiveness.

Hope I don't come across like a hard ass, or know it all. We're all beginners!
shubelo
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Re: different artists same techniques to get a overall ''fee

Post by shubelo »

oblioblioblio wrote:it's probably not the reply that you're looking for, (maybe someone else has specific techniques for these tracks), but from my experience, those subtleties that define a particular sound, and make tracks sound whole, come from hard work and time.

There's no secret technique or gear, it all comes from developing your own method. The way you like things to sound, the way you like your levels to be at, where things come in, whether you like samples, or polyphonic sounds, monophonic ones.

Maybe it's dangerous to compare yourself so directly against someone else's work, you always see the faults in your stuff too much. It can be helpful just to ignore everything else and satisfy your own inquisitiveness.

Hope I don't come across like a hard azz, or know it all. We're all beginners!
Not at all, yeah Im feeling you mate.
Thats something Im working on as I've normally just sort of been in to sound design and just playing with synths. Also, agree with your second comment because I've found myself hitting walls when I try and compare to much. I have also done some research on these artist and find they use a few hardware techniques witch obviously with no hardware I cant do. I think if you were to look at these artist techniques as you said they would be different but some how I feel all the tracks could be from the same artist, if you know what I mean.

So im just wondering if some people can give a broad answer or know something in it that they all have.

Not just after a magic plug in or anything like that but a more organic detailed technique or progress.
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Re: different artists same techniques to get a overall ''fee

Post by oblioblioblio »

for me, this is really one area where I think it comes naturally with time as you develop a feel for it.

I think it's a collection of very very tiny differences that make all the elements fit and the track feel whole (and because of this it probably makes it even harder to get it right). The space between sounds. Tiny differences in levels, like 1 or 2 db makes quite a bit difference to the feel of a track. How you group effects, do you use a reverb per sound, or chuck a few things down the same reverb. When do sounds come in and out, do you have a few things coming in at once, or is the sound stage changing more subtly? Do you aim for climactic sounds or keep the feeling muted?

One other thing is to consider how the parts sound in relation to each other. One synth part on it's own might sound great, but it's relationship to the other sounds is equally important in defining it's role.

There's a pretty cool quote from Brian Eno where he says that he knows a track feels right because it feels like a place. (also another one that I heard from October where he said you can reach out an taste it). And for me, it's those really subtle things that make it right.
shubelo
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Re: different artists same techniques to get a overall ''fee

Post by shubelo »

oblioblioblio wrote:oblioblioblio

Do you have any idea on what sort of reverb/delay settings is on the clockwork track it you again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlCygIqmHSs

The sweepy sound at the start then on a few other EFX through out?
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Re: different artists same techniques to get a overall ''fee

Post by steevio »

only listened to the first few bars of each,
i kind of know what you mean, but i just think its because they are all generically similar thats all.

there's a lot of dominant 2/4 claps with short or transparent reverbs,

the percussion is quite in your face, with heavy shuffle / swing.

its all very clean and reverbs are very subtle.

you dont need hardware to get that sound.

a good way to get sublte reverb is to put reverb on the sound you want it on, then reduce it till you can only tell its got reverb on it when you mute and unmute the reverb.
shubelo
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Re: different artists same techniques to get a overall ''fee

Post by shubelo »

oblioblioblio wrote:for me, this is really one area where I think it comes naturally with time as you develop a feel for it.

I think it's a collection of very very tiny differences that make all the elements fit and the track feel whole (and because of this it probably makes it even harder to get it right). The space between sounds. Tiny differences in levels, like 1 or 2 db makes quite a bit difference to the feel of a track. How you group effects, do you use a reverb per sound, or chuck a few things down the same reverb. When do sounds come in and out, do you have a few things coming in at once, or is the sound stage changing more subtly? Do you aim for climactic sounds or keep the feeling muted?

One other thing is to consider how the parts sound in relation to each other. One synth part on it's own might sound great, but it's relationship to the other sounds is equally important in defining it's role.

There's a pretty cool quote from Brian Eno where he says that he knows a track feels right because it feels like a place. (also another one that I heard from October where he said you can reach out an taste it). And for me, it's those really subtle things that make it right.

Thats great advice mate.

I was watching a video yesterday and the guys talked briefly on using reverbs on two different returns. A short and long veb and then sending everything to that. Also save on CPU I guess. Im going to give that a go. Yeah those little changes in a hi hats. In the first fur coat track they sound like they seesaw. I've tried to work out how they do it, Its quit common I think. Its sometimes a volume change and then sometimes it sound like the same hat but different tone or texture. And technique tips there?


The feel is probably the real killer for me, I feel like Im pretty good at sounds and playing its just ''track feel'' thats killing me
shubelo
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Re: different artists same techniques to get a overall ''fee

Post by shubelo »

steevio wrote:there's a lot of dominant 2/4 claps with short or transparent reverbs.
Can you explain this a little more?

Yeah the percussion is kind of minimal and not really not full on like a classic house track but I feel it plays a big roll in swing and vibe
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