The Musician's Gig Room Chat V1 - Songwriting and Sound Design for all! - Creationism Corner

[QUOTE=Hakita;49116106]get some war horns in there too[/QUOTE] That's what they're called yeah thank you I couldn't remember what they're called, I'm gonna look for some horn samples and flute samples maybe a pack.

[QUOTE=MrJazzy;49116121]That's what they're called yeah thank you I couldn't remember what they're called, I'm gonna look for some horn samples and flute samples maybe a pack.[/QUOTE] i've found cow horn trumpet samples to be quite useful, so i'd suggest trying to find some, they're great that kind of atmosphere

Also get some deep goat skin hand drum sounds.

[QUOTE=Ms. Gyroscope;49105352]Thank you. I really needed that today.[/QUOTE] I meant to comment on your track but completely forgot, school has gotten absolutely insane so my srs music time has gone down to zero. But I really liked your track! Its not my style, but I can appreciate the effort that went into it and this style is always pretty technically impressive. The only stuff in that vein I've listened to has been Queenstons-type stuff (Carbonate, Spring Fever Strikes Early, all of Pukes Based Shark, Tracker's Draft, and The Road), keep it up! I've been on stuff much more upbeat (literally) lately, trying DnB and tempos 50-60bpm higher than anything I've made before. I've also been on a workflow-work kick lately. I restructured my desk to give me the ability to use all my synths at once, but now I want to get like a second monitor behind my ghetto synth rack so I can use that to arrange. -snip blurry af photo- [sp]my jd-xi is hotglued to my 1080 don't tell anyone[/sp] Additionally in progess of making a custom profile for controlling my JD-Xi from my main KB, getting the weird JV-1080 sysex shit working, and trying to make a shitty Max4live or whatever device to control both things. Also trying to learn to actually the JD-Xi is hurting my head. The digital and analog sections have tons of depth, yes, but they're pretty standard subtractive synths just with really in-depth modulation options (like any good synth). The drum part hurts my head though. Its stupendously complex, and while on the surface this entire machine is newbie-friendly diving any deeper into it means you hit a difficulty cliff like nothing else. The names of all the envelopes are sorta different, and there is a vague parameter known as FXM that supposedly either makes the sound grittier or more clean and metallic. I dunno if it even works. Additionally, each note can have up to 4 drum "sounds". But each of these drum sounds can be a mono sound, or two separate L/R stereo sounds. And each of those has a modulation envelope, amp envelope, and filter envelope. Along with 9 filter types. So each potential note on the drum part could be playing up to 8 different drum samples. Also, there are 400 PCM drum waveforms/samples. All quite good, but good lord with the tiny little screen editing and scrolling is a pain in the ass. The only way to scroll is with the +/- buttons on the front panel, and you can scroll at up to 10 at a time with the SHIFT key but then you could miss finding happy little accident-type sounds. my head hurts [editline]15th November 2015[/editline] I essentially tried to make my [URL="http://i.imgur.com/teWhpBM.jpg"]desk nook[/URL] [URL="http://i.imgur.com/prVnbj3.jpg"]cozier[/URL] c: behind me is my espresso machine, snacks, tea, coffee, etc. I can stay here FOREVER also help with my computer+2synths+mixing board+radiator right behind synths its really warm hlep. also sorry for blurry photos but I have a benign muscle thingy that causes my arms and calves to be really shaky constantly :/

[QUOTE=UnknownDude;49108416] Here's something short, sweet and familiar. [video]https://soundcloud.com/brotherworks/return-of-the-living-bossa[/video][/QUOTE] Well this is definitely something I haven't heard before. I love the string sounds, not sure if I really have that much to say about the rest of it. Supersaw sounds a little weak maybe, but that also sounds intentional. It sounds like it would go well as a cheesy late 90s video game soundtrack or something. Drum and bass woo [media]https://soundcloud.com/grandmamax/you-forgot-it-again[/media]

What would you guys recommend for a starter synth? No presets, MIDI.

[QUOTE=Ott;49121608]What would you guys recommend for a starter synth? No presets, MIDI.[/QUOTE] Access Virus maybe?

[QUOTE=Ott;49121608]What would you guys recommend for a starter synth? No presets, MIDI.[/QUOTE] Moog Prodigy all the way

MS20 Mini is good too, all knobs and it's got a wonderful sound. No way to save patches, so either savor what you make and use it or take photos of the knob settings.

The [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cagbBg0TmgM]MicroBrute[/url] also looks cool, but I don't know if I can live with just 2 octaves and 4 patches.

[QUOTE=Ott;49123996]The [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cagbBg0TmgM]MicroBrute[/url] also looks cool, but I don't know if I can live with just 2 octaves and 4 patches.[/QUOTE] You'd be surprised. For bass type keyboards, it works. Bass Station 2 is a better type of this thing, btw. Get the BS2 on eBay though, used. Way cheaper. The arturia stuff is known to have quality issues. They sound great, but their keybeds feel like mud and if they break good luck getting your machine back from support. If you can buy a used one, working, for really cheap its worth it. Otherwise I just don't see why the BS2 would win over it, unless its a matter of really loving its sound signature. I'm going to run through a bunch of the cheaper synths with knobs and fiddly bits, they may have presets but you are welcome to just avoid them. I'd consider all options, I went through a bunch of stuff. Could also just set yourself up with a really nice midi keyboard, 49 or 61 key, and either get modules (like boutique series) or use these mini guys like sound modules. I can help you more, if you like. I did tons and tons of research (3-4 weeks worth, usually on lunchbreak at work) while saving for synths. I started typing up a huge writeup by category but I don't have the time right now. Do you want keys onboard? Max budget? analog, digital? patchbay a must or not? Where do you see yourself going in the future, do you want a solid all-rounder or something to fill a niche for now (with other niches you'll fill later)? Presets aren't that bad tbh. I use presets on my synths all the time, but once I"m done tweaking the parameters its pretty distinct from original. And presets provide good learning material and good inspirational material for getting ideas down quickly. I know many producers use just a bunch of basic saw synths to get compositions down in drafts. I'm leaving the first bit of the writeup I started just for the sake of not wasting info. If you guys would like me to do a more complete writeup, I'm willing to do that when I have time. I'll have it done by next week and it may not be a bad idea to add to the OP- I'd cover hardware of all sorts. It seems we get a lot of hardware questions and while I'm plenty happy to answer them individually having the catalog, so to speak, may help better direct questions or inform newbies. And it'd give me a chance to write about my synth obsession :D [QUOTE]Analog monosynths - Roland System-1 or System-1M. Uses analog modelling, both known to have excellent sound characteristics. I played with one and found the keybed pretty meh, but the sound was nice and the thing felt solidly built. Nice amount of hardware to tweak too. The 1M is the rackmount and features a patchbay that lets you get freaky, and has a bit of expanded room. Also the most recent patch adds a bunch of new waveforms. $500 for regular Sys-1, $600 for 1M. Expect $50-75 cheaper on ebay. - Waldorf Pulse 2. Looks bad, and hard to program, but surprisingly intuitive and capable of very nice sounds. Three oscs, multi mode filter, built like a tank and from a company known for excellent support and high quality synths. Usually near $500 I think? Most prices advertised as about 400 GBP. - Pittsburgh Modular System-10. Haven't heard much of this, but PM is a good company and this thing features nice knobs and faders and a unique timbre to its sound. Plenty of tweakability, and modular patchbay here as well. Only one osc though, but has an excellent filter. A [URL="https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=61&v=CpGnlgY4OeQ"]pretty "brutal" sounding machine[/URL] like the Arturia stuff, but would make an excellent hub for a modular system. Or a standalone machine. About ~$650.[/QUOTE] [editline]15th November 2015[/editline] I got to play with a friends JX-3P and sub37 and I may have drooled a little bit on both of them the filter sweep on the JX-3P through decent monitor speakers and a fat sub. oh.my.god.becky.

[QUOTE=Ott;49121608]What would you guys recommend for a starter synth? No presets, MIDI.[/QUOTE] The Roland SH-201 was (and still is) my starter synth. It's cheap, so the construction is somewhat shoddy, but it sounds pretty decent and the layout is super logical and easy to figure out. It's out of production, but it's still fairly cheap second-hand. Don't go for the GAIA though, it's terrible.

[QUOTE=UnknownDude;49124169]The Roland SH-201 was (and still is) my starter synth. It's cheap, so the construction is somewhat shoddy, but it sounds pretty decent and the layout is super logical and easy to figure out. It's out of production, but it's still fairly cheap second-hand. Don't go for the GAIA though, it's terrible.[/QUOTE] that latter half times 1000. A sad implementation of PCM waveform usage. I forget what exactly they did, but something was fucked up in the design that destroys the sound and means you can hear the looping. SH-201's are a fair choice.

Going to be auditioning this cello/piano/viola mess of a piece for my school's winter concert auditions this thursday, so wish me luck I guess? I'll see if I can get hold of a recording if we do make it and perform at the winter concert.

[QUOTE=UnknownDude;49108416]Here's something short, sweet and familiar. [video]https://soundcloud.com/brotherworks/return-of-the-living-bossa[/video][/QUOTE] i actually really like this. you got the melodies and drums down for bossa. I don't know about the synths you chose but it's very stylistic and I can definitely get down with it. [QUOTE=halofreak472;49119637]Drum and bass woo [media]https://soundcloud.com/grandmamax/you-forgot-it-again[/media][/QUOTE] damn this reminds me of the kind of stuff i would hear on newgrounds audio portal. love the amen breaks. synths seem very reminscent of early 2000's techno [QUOTE=Ms. Gyroscope;49050297]Me and mah homeboi ambivalence made a fast paced Splatter of breakbeats, dubstep synths and Death Grips Lyrics if anybody is interested! I would really appreciate some feedback on this! [media]https://soundcloud.com/corn-mouth/trash-bunny-collab[/media] [/QUOTE] I love how fast-paced it is! I guess the only critique I have is the synth at around 1:07-1:23 is a bit repetitive. The transition at 1:46 can be a bit better, it's too weird. Just minor things, really. I really like it though, would definitely listen to the next time I'm gaming! It sounds really tight! i made a poo [media]https://soundcloud.com/kid64/cloudapitechhadoopedition[/media]

[QUOTE=Hentie;49124382] i made a poo [media]https://soundcloud.com/kid64/cloudapitechhadoopedition[/media][/QUOTE] I like the vocals. Did you record them yourself or were they sampled? I like overall dynamism of the track, it keeps a good flow without getting too repetitive but also has a good sense of build up and satisfaction. I can't critique too much on the mix because the stupid laptop I'm using has that god awful beats audio built into it which completely ruins the mix of any music I'm listening to. Luckily ASIO overrides beats audio whenever I open FL Studio so I don't have that problem when mixing my own music, but it's just a pain in the ass whenever I'm trying to appreciate the mix of another artist's music. But your track definitely has a good professional sound to it, it definitely sounds like you know what you're doing. Lots of well-placed pitch bends and sidechaining and whatnot. The only thing that bothers me is the pitch buildup around 2:00 and near the end, it just seems to strike too sour against the key. Other than that, it's a very solid track. Also I hate to bring this up yet again, but critique like "YO THIS IS SICK" is very disappointing and unsatisfactory to the artist. This board was designed to get feedback from other artists and receive pointers on their production to hopefully achieve an objectively better art style. Obviously compliments are warranted, but simply one compliment and nothing else doesn't really show a true appreciation of the amount of time, effort, and creativity that the artist put into their track. I'm not trying to be a nazi about this, but it just really bothers me whenever I see someone put minimal effort into a critique for someone else's track. p.s. its just my opinion do whatever the hell you want lulz I discovered how easy and happy and good-sounding the key of C is, so I made this track. Once again, my favorite genre, progressive house. I love long buildups that pay off with a sort of head-bobbing trance-y groove. Repetition is my thing. Also, decided to actually spend a couple weeks on a single project rather than jumping between projects or rushing one in a night, and I think it paid off well. [media]https://soundcloud.com/thehoyticus/reflection-in-the-water[/media]

[QUOTE=Hoyticus;49124688]Also I hate to bring this up yet again, but critique like "YO THIS IS SICK" is very disappointing and unsatisfactory to the artist.[/QUOTE] gotcha. I'd definitely be disappointed too if I didn't have any constructive comments on my music, so I get where you're coming from. just edited my post. I'm not at all good at giving critique at all but I tried my best. also, yeah i got a bit lazy at 2:00. i kept playing around with the pitches but i couldn't ever get it to sound right. don't know why i kept it, definitely contemplated on removing it. thanks, man edit: woops forgot to mention, I synthesized the vocals in UTAU which I pitch blended and warped. its saying "not another"

[QUOTE=Hentie;49124809]gotcha. I'd definitely be disappointed too if I didn't have any constructive comments on my music, so I get where you're coming from. just edited my post. I'm not at all good at giving critique at all but I tried my best. also, yeah i got a bit lazy at 2:00. i kept playing around with the pitches but i couldn't ever get it to sound right. don't know why i kept it, definitely contemplated on removing it. thanks, man[/QUOTE] Criticism can be a skill just like music! It is tough but that effort to try to and give more tips counts [I]so much[/I], I'm sure you appreciate in depth criticism immensely. I've referenced quite a few times on previous pages how to get more in-depth with that stuff. The more you analyze music, the better you get at that and the more you can apply those skills to your own music. Dedicated, in-depth listening is an excellent technique both for helping here and for using creative schemas like the "catalog of attributes" idea. Appreciate the thought, really. Everyone here has been doing a lot better at this lately and its wonderful to see.

A new drum video. A composition I made for a school-assignment. Turned into a very porno'ish 80's half-time shuffle in 5/8. [video=youtube_share;k-KlQ-P2Vok]http://youtu.be/k-KlQ-P2Vok[/video] [QUOTE=Hentie;49124382] [URL="https://facepunch.com/"]Listen to Soundcloud recording[/URL] [URL]https://soundcloud.com/kid64/cloudapitechhadoopedition[/URL] [/QUOTE] Digging this. Maybe its me, but I would love for something more to happen. Maybe some more chopped up vocals and cleaning up some frequencies(EQ) would do it good too. [QUOTE=Hoyticus;49124688] [URL="https://facepunch.com/"]Listen to Soundcloud recording[/URL] [URL]https://soundcloud.com/thehoyticus/reflection-in-the-water[/URL] [/QUOTE] Good all around production and vibe. Maybe a bit more happening would be nice, and the beeping noise is kinda annoying me sometimes.

fuckin seriously

[QUOTE=Hoyticus;49126938]fuckin seriously[/QUOTE] Chill, wrote some feedback now. Got a storm blowing and internet is going haywire.

When music loves you back with heart shapes in your vectorscope [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/2qRsCfN.gif[/IMG] I didn't even do it on purpose :v:

anyone have any melody-writing tips?

It's something you have to keep working at. It took me years of just fooling around to come up with melodies that sound pleasant and now I'm just able to hum it out. Those years consisted of a lot of trial and error and understanding how scales and stuff relate and work.

you don't really need the whole theory book memorised off by heart, i'd personally suggest just dicking around with your favourite physical instrument, learn to play songs you like, try come up with new melodies and over time you'll sort of realise the little connections between each note, octave etc etc [editline]17th November 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=Hoyticus;49124688]I like the vocals. Did you record them yourself or were they sampled? I like overall dynamism of the track, it keeps a good flow without getting too repetitive but also has a good sense of build up and satisfaction. I can't critique too much on the mix because the stupid laptop I'm using has that god awful beats audio built into it which completely ruins the mix of any music I'm listening to. Luckily ASIO overrides beats audio whenever I open FL Studio so I don't have that problem when mixing my own music, but it's just a pain in the ass whenever I'm trying to appreciate the mix of another artist's music. But your track definitely has a good professional sound to it, it definitely sounds like you know what you're doing. Lots of well-placed pitch bends and sidechaining and whatnot. The only thing that bothers me is the pitch buildup around 2:00 and near the end, it just seems to strike too sour against the key. Other than that, it's a very solid track. Also I hate to bring this up yet again, but critique like "YO THIS IS SICK" is very disappointing and unsatisfactory to the artist. This board was designed to get feedback from other artists and receive pointers on their production to hopefully achieve an objectively better art style. Obviously compliments are warranted, but simply one compliment and nothing else doesn't really show a true appreciation of the amount of time, effort, and creativity that the artist put into their track. I'm not trying to be a nazi about this, but it just really bothers me whenever I see someone put minimal effort into a critique for someone else's track. p.s. its just my opinion do whatever the hell you want lulz I discovered how easy and happy and good-sounding the key of C is, so I made this track. Once again, my favorite genre, progressive house. I love long buildups that pay off with a sort of head-bobbing trance-y groove. Repetition is my thing. Also, decided to actually spend a couple weeks on a single project rather than jumping between projects or rushing one in a night, and I think it paid off well. [media]https://soundcloud.com/thehoyticus/reflection-in-the-water[/media][/QUOTE] very vibey, makes me wanna dance even though it's 10am and i haven't slept there's some high end missing from the track in general, it almost sounds like it's been downsampled or something, boost somewhere between 13-20k on your drum samples and instruments to give it a little extra clarity, although that's just me having a fetish for the crackle of high-end noise i suppose everything else is pretty fucking on point though, lots of interesting textures and some amazing soundscaping, veeeeerrrry big sound, the transition from a big, reverby room to a small kind of, condensed sound from the drums around 2:40-2:50ish is lovely can't tell if it's the sub-par speakers i'm on right now but there could be some clipping here and there too, just relaying what i'm perceiving from this end from the point of view of your average joe :v: [editline]17th November 2015[/editline] [media]http://soundcloud.com/geogzm/camp-and-clan[/media] i started composing this at like 2am, had a lengthy break to do some sidequests in fo4 and went back to work on it. more dubby bubby whateveryacallit

[QUOTE=Hentie;49124382] [media]https://soundcloud.com/kid64/cloudapitechhadoopedition[/media][/QUOTE] When 1:07 this goes from "meh" to "mmmm" This is really smooth I like your style. Lot's of variation seems like you are really experimenting here which (if you are) is neat. this shit, keep it up. [QUOTE=Hoyticus;49124688] [media]https://soundcloud.com/thehoyticus/reflection-in-the-water[/media][/QUOTE] Progressive house isn't really the style of music I listen to anymore. The audio in the background in the beginning feels kind of out of place, but it still sounds good with it. I really like your sound choice, the main pluck sound is just so good. Definitely gives it that "vibe" kind of that tropical feel but different in a way. Overall the mix is pretty solid, nothing sounds particularly muddy. ----------------------------------------------------------- I feel like such an ass for dropping in here randomly and listening to other peoples stuff for feedback only when I have a track to show. I don't really frequent here much but I should because there is some solid fucking stuff being posted by you guys. Pretty short track, just kind of liked the way it sounded. really having a tough time with percussion. [media]https://soundcloud.com/adius89/mercury[/media]

[QUOTE=Wingz;49130650]anyone have any melody-writing tips?[/QUOTE] I'm mostly going to agree with Wauterboi here, yes you're just going to have to keep working at it with trial and error, scales and etc. I suggest you listen to the style of melody you're trying to write. Then assemble a big list with songs you know, songs you don't know. Then just start listening to the list but don't pay any attention to them. To me, it helps because later on I can just start something and my head will pick out shapes from all of that, but I don't know if it'll work for you. Another possible way is to write out the 12 different tones on a page as a reminder of where you can go, because it's easy to get lost in the middle of a melody and you're looking for a note but you don't know which. Lastly, my last tip is to [B][I]write fast.[/I][/B] The faster you write, the less you need to repeat a segment of music in your head. The less you need to repeat a segment of music in your head, the less cemented it is in your head. The less cemented it is in your head, the more mental freedom you have to go elsewhere from the end of that segment. Which means more creativity.

[QUOTE=brooklynlord;49137082]I'm mostly going to agree with Wauterboi here, yes you're just going to have to keep working at it with trial and error, scales and etc. I suggest you listen to the style of melody you're trying to write. Then assemble a big list with songs you know, songs you don't know. Then just start listening to the list but don't pay any attention to them. To me, it helps because later on I can just start something and my head will pick out shapes from all of that, but I don't know if it'll work for you. Another possible way is to write out the 12 different tones on a page as a reminder of where you can go, because it's easy to get lost in the middle of a melody and you're looking for a note but you don't know which. Lastly, my last tip is to [B][I]write fast.[/I][/B] The faster you write, the less you need to repeat a segment of music in your head. The less you need to repeat a segment of music in your head, the less cemented it is in your head. The less cemented it is in your head, the more mental freedom you have to go elsewhere from the end of that segment. Which means more creativity.[/QUOTE] damn, the last part resonates. Wrote a really little pleasant chord progression earlier (cna't think of key, just going notes) that was melancholy and exactly what I wanted for a song I was making. Went like: (A3-D#3-Ab4)-(Ab3-F4-Ab4)-(Ab3-D#4-F#4) or something (D melodic minor I feel) But then I slowed down, got focused finding the right patch/sound, and lost my direction and couldn't get it back damnit

[QUOTE=brooklynlord;49137082] Lastly, my last tip is to [B][I]write fast.[/I][/B] The faster you write, the less you need to repeat a segment of music in your head. The less you need to repeat a segment of music in your head, the less cemented it is in your head. The less cemented it is in your head, the more mental freedom you have to go elsewhere from the end of that segment. Which means more creativity.[/QUOTE] [b][u][i]THIS[/b][/u][/i] this is how you escape loopitis and you improve more this way [editline]18th November 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=Adius Shadow;49135200]When 1:07 this goes from "meh" to "mmmm" This is really smooth I like your style. Lot's of variation seems like you are really experimenting here which (if you are) is neat. this shit, keep it up. Progressive house isn't really the style of music I listen to anymore. The audio in the background in the beginning feels kind of out of place, but it still sounds good with it. I really like your sound choice, the main pluck sound is just so good. Definitely gives it that "vibe" kind of that tropical feel but different in a way. Overall the mix is pretty solid, nothing sounds particularly muddy. ----------------------------------------------------------- I feel like such an ass for dropping in here randomly and listening to other peoples stuff for feedback only when I have a track to show. I don't really frequent here much but I should because there is some solid fucking stuff being posted by you guys. Pretty short track, just kind of liked the way it sounded. really having a tough time with percussion. [media]https://soundcloud.com/adius89/mercury[/media][/QUOTE] distortion on that kick sounds a bit overdone, the sidechain itself is kinda strange, like the compressor's release is really long or something look in to gain staging and how to avoid your mix clipping, shoot for around -3 to -6db on your master channel/fader/track as for the non-mixing more-composing side of things, this is bloody lovely, nice reverbs on your piano, and the 'drop' comes in hard, just needs a bit of smoothening to avoid your FX processing taking a dump on your kickdrum

I was tired as fuck last night and had a bass melody pop in my head when I was about to go to bed and instead of doing the reasonable thing and sleeping, I stayed up and made this. [media]https://soundcloud.com/admiralhippie/weird-boss-battle-music[/media] I feel like this kinda turned into the background music of some type of boss battle. [editline]18th November 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=Wingz;49130650]anyone have any melody-writing tips?[/QUOTE] Most of the time for me it's just either Trial and error or I have something pop into my head.