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Post by sunnyta on Apr 4, 2015 18:00:48 GMT
i've been on the lookout for the trancey synths used in songs like hey qt, most gfoty songs, and stuff like henrik the artist's remix of heaven ( soundcloud.com/henrik-the-artist/heven-henrik-the-artists-remix ). it appears that they layer the synths, with bass, leads and kicks on top of each other any ideas on what VSTS to get? |
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Post by conor on Apr 4, 2015 20:09:30 GMT
Look in to FM synths, same way that SOPHIE gets his bubbly sounding sounds and such. It's a bit (a lot) more abstract than additive synths so if you are new then maybe learn first by playing with sine waves in additive synths and then move on to FM, but if you are dedicated you can learn FM synthesis as a first time thing. I like FM8 by Native Instruments.
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Post by Ryin on Apr 4, 2015 20:22:49 GMT
I'd recommend the KORG M1 Legacy VST as a good place to start for sample based production. It's an emulation of the old KORG M1 workstation which, from a music production standpoint, is kind of iconic towards late-80's/early-90's culture. You can hear this particular VST, or at least sample sets very reminiscent of it, being used in a lot of PC Music works. For instances of M1 usage, listen to some of the earlier A.G. Cook stuff. Danny L Harle might also be a fond user, 'Aquarius', for example, screams M1.
If you're feeling brave, for a more clinical and refined approach to the PC Music sound you might want to try FM Synthesis. FM8 is probably going to be your best friend here. FM Synthesis, or at least the use FM based samples, are pretty prevalent throughout the PC Music catalogue. The sounds resulting of this kind of synthesis tend to be considered somewhat 'artificial' and 'digital', which is why I guess it ties in so well to the whole PC Music aesthetic. Beginners, though, might want to steer clear of FM Synthesis until they have a better grasp of fundamental acoustic principles, picking up a complex piece of software like FM8 can be a pretty daunting task for unfamiliar users. However, if you can wrap your head around it, it's infinitely rewarding. For examples of FM Synthesis I'd suggest listening to pretty much any of SOPHIE's work. I'd be pretty confident to gamble that at least 80% of his sound design work is done through FM synthesis alone, with the other 20% left to something I can't quite put my finger on (maybe granular synthesis?).
For the sounds you're referring to in particular, just look for supersaw based sounds. Most synths are capable of these sounds. Just stack a few saw waves, turn up the unison and detune, and play some big chords.
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Post by sunnyta on Apr 5, 2015 16:42:59 GMT
thanks guys. i'm not too good at this stuff and appreciate the feedback
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Post by loukessler on Apr 20, 2015 16:56:15 GMT
Okay, holy cow that track is nuts. I also would love to know how they get that massive trace breakdown?? Thanks for the feedback ryin and conor!
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Post by shinhito on Apr 21, 2015 9:00:30 GMT
SOPHIE also uses the Elektron Monomachine for his production. It's the only physical synth he says he owns. Here's a link to an interview he did with the company that makes the Monomachine. There's some insight into how he works such as only using the Monomachine and software. It's an interesting read even if you're not into synthesizers and such. www.elektronauts.com/talk/view/62 |
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Post by loukessler on Apr 21, 2015 20:08:58 GMT
thanks! gonna check that out. synthesis kind of scares me though, haha.
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Post by arlo on Apr 23, 2015 19:17:17 GMT
if you have a 3ds, the Korg DSN-12 is currently on sale for $19. If you have any familiarity with synths it should be pretty easy to get a hold of, and you definitely emulate some familiar sounds. http://instagram.com/p/106ai7vqCp -here's an example. I've only fooled around with it for a couple hours and have managed to make some pretty cool stuff. |
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Post by loukessler on Apr 25, 2015 17:41:05 GMT
NeWb questions: Does anyone have any good ways to learn fm synthesis? Everything I find is pretty poorly done and not explained well. I understand the idea behind it but I don't really understand the controls work. And any free fm synths for logic would help because right now I can only use the half hour demo for fm8.  Also, I'm guessing the korg m1 synth is not FM synthisis? What would it be considered? How would I got about learning how to use it? Thanks! |
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Post by champiness on Apr 26, 2015 3:35:42 GMT
Also, I'm guessing the korg m1 synth is not FM synthisis? What would it be considered? How would I got about learning how to use it? Thanks! The Korg M1 is a famous synthesizer from the 90's. Its major selling point at the time was the advances it made to the concept of the "workstation" synthesizer, which is to say that you could do most of the business of music production right on the M1. Its lasting legacy, though, is the absolute bevy of famous sounds it introduced that remain in the language of dance music (and beyond) to this day. To pick a few examples: the lead from " Show Me Love" by Robin S. (well, the Stonebridge remix anyway, which is the definitive version and one of my favorite songs ever), the archetypal galloping house piano (the Synthmania page describes it as sounding "plasticky" nowadays but as we all know plasticky has come back in a big way), the " instant coolness" fingersnap (which inadvertently gets pushed into A.G. Cook territory near the end of that clip) and all manner of pads. It's almost entirely responsible for the sound of 90's house, especially the bright, glammy end that PC Music draws influence from, although you're likely to hear it (or sounds derivative of it) in all manner of other places as well. This brings me back to something I said in the production tips thread - these sounds are "totemic", they're intense signifiers of specific musical forms and moments, and you can say things about yourself and your productions just by using them (the "Show Me Love" organ alone has become a shorthand for " house cred" and/or " Mustard on the beat hoe" in recent years). But there's also such a broad and versatile set of sounds on the thing (and they've been so thoroughly engrained into what people expect electronic productions to sound like) that it's just good sense to have access to them when making your productions. In terms of specifically doing PC Music-type stuff, it's a little bit of both these categories. You can use it to evoke bygone eras and contort the familiar - ie " Broken Flowers", which is like an elaborate sculpture of M1 sounds (or at the very least uses its M1 components as the big ornamental bits; OPN's " Zebra" might be the more literally deserving of that term) - or make it the base material of entirely new "compounds", like the semifluid fingersnaps of " USA". Of course, Korg is immensely aware of this significance, and so you can buy a VST version with all the sounds and features from their store. And always remember that first and foremost isn't the equipment, it's what you can think up to do with it! More useful M1 links to make what you will of: www.synthmania.com/m1.htmbobbyblues.recup.ch/korg_m1/m1_examples.htmlwww.youtube.com/watch?v=DgLasn669lAblog.dubspot.com/korg-m1/www.soundonsound.com/sos/feb02/articles/korgm1retro.aspwww.tuneid.com/general-chat/49571-production-trend-korg-m1-deep-house-organ-bass.htmlwww.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=383683www.keyboardmag.com/lessons/1251/the-return-of-classic-korg-m1-sounds/51904soundcloud.com/keyboardmag/sets/02-2015-the-return-of-the-korg-m1 |
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Post by loukessler on Apr 26, 2015 21:57:38 GMT
Thanks for the awesome history lesson! I really love that plastic-y sound. So iconic. There is a quote that I think applies to what you are talking about and pc music in general.
“We are nostalgists as much as we are futurists. We blissfully relive the 8-bit primitivism of a bygone age, preserved forever by the endless archival capacity of the internet, whilst utilising those same networks to shape the fantastical landscapes of tomorrow. […] We are thus cynics, and yet eternal optimists, our technologies driving our melancholia and invention in equal measure.”
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Post by lost in the file system on Apr 27, 2015 0:44:28 GMT
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Post by conor on Apr 27, 2015 5:31:07 GMT
Man, I owned an m1 for like 5 years and I can't stand it! I feel like such a black sheep, hahah!
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Post by Keith_Courage on Apr 28, 2015 16:30:21 GMT
champiness you deserve an award for your informative posts. just amazing
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Post by dfjfjfj on May 5, 2015 16:34:54 GMT
Well someone with more knowledge of Logic/Plugins might be able to id what's going on here   |
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