/prod/ - music production

you can't go wrong using lsdj

I use Reason 6.5. I know, I am the badmans.

ableton masterrace

>>52616394
garageband master race reporting in

>>52616659
oh I also use caustic 3

a lot

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>>52616659
Reason 6.5 is the shit. I have Reason 6.5. I love Reason 6.5. I heard that 8 is the money Reason though. They organized a lot of stuff so it's better for workflow.. In 6.5 you really need like at least 3 monitors to be able to work efficiently, it's just a pain of panes.

Reason is just for sound design and sequencing/composing though. I use Pro Tools as my real DAW. Often with Reason ReWired to it.

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>No trackers except for the gameboy one
You're all silly.
Renoise Master Race

>>52616795
I should really get 8, but I'm cheap. like, the money isn't a problem, I just don't feel like I'm boxed in with 6.5 at the moment.

>>52616870
I htink the differences between 6 1/2 and 8 don't really merit spending money on the purchase. All of the main stuff is there, without a couple frilly d'tails.

>>52616394

Could somebody please listen to this, and give me advice on how to make my production less dull, boring or anything. This isnt really the type of music I make, but my production doesnt really ever get better than this. I use FL studio. I know plenty about music theory, and ive even playing music for about a decade, but i am way new to mixing, mastering, and also, I cannot figure out how to make my music more engaging for the listener. Even when I am working with other genres, and have a really solid melody and chord progression, I still have this feeling of, like, there is no reason in any of this. It seems like the 'greats" have so much purpose in their music, even if the production is very minimalist. Like that oneohtix point never video on youube that is just the same thing played over and over for 10 minutes. Anyway, to end my rant, I understand that I am basically asking, "How do i write a good song", but if anybody has any tips on how to make my stuff more engaging I would appreciate it. Again, I use FL studio, I usually use FM8, M1, Synth1, 3xosc and Wavestation. I dont have many special VST effects, just teh default reverbs, delays and filters. Also, my drum samples seem pretty dull.


Thanks in advanced guys, it means a lot...


http://vocaroo.com/i/s1Nu4nnll0Qa

FL Studio

sue me

>>52616814
I use Renoise, but you're a homo.

Does everyone still hate FL Studio?

>>52617074
>http://vocaroo.com/i/s1Nu4nnll0Qa
First of all, upload it to clyp.it so we can hear it. Vocaroo fucks up the quality of audio.

>>52617149
a homo sapiens sapiens I guess

fl is ugly and my vsts fug up after like 15 minutes
windows in general is too buggy for me
ableton on mac masterrace

>>52617074
Well man, mixing can get crazy complicated the deeper you get into it but from what I'm hearing here's my advice specific to you:
1. Balance balance balance. The entire story you're trying to tell can change completely based on your balance of the elements. This is your fader levels and the most important fundamental thing to get absolutely right (what's "right" is up to you). One person's idea of balance can make the same multitrack a different genre from another person's idea. Make everything sit comfortably together so you can hear everything, but with the elements featured you want featured. This is a lot harder to do than people think - especially because you should get is as close as you can *before* you start relying on EQ and compression (EQ of course lets you carve everything out so it sits in its own spectrum without getting in the way of anything else, compression of course lets elements sit steady in the mix without getting too loud and quiet at times).
2. Dynamics! This isn't just dynamics in the individual tracks (although it could me) it's also dynamics in YOUR MIX. SO yes, maybe it's good to vary the velocity or attack of some of the drums, etc.. but mostly you want your mix to be alive. There is no good balance that will last a whole song without those faders moving. You have to start performing your mix with automation - so that things come forward and back, so they're alive. There are moments of interest and distraction and changing features and parts throughout. Don't overdo it, people shouldn't really notice it as a technique, but just feel like they're being happily led through this experience.

3. practice!

>>52617190


Alrighty, here is the fixed link::

https://clyp.it/oefycaar

I use presonus Studio One 2. I also have an audio interface and a mic (with stand and Pop filter). Overall, the program is kinda crappy, but I'm just looking to recording my own voice and instruments, which this program does fine with. The electronic side of the program is pretty crappy (i.e synth, drums, effects)

>>52617319
noice. what innaface and mic you got? i love hardware :3

>>52617319
Try reaper.
It's good for what you want to do, and it's free*

*not quite

I use renoise 2.8.

>>52617376
because you haven't found a torrent for 3.0, I assume.

ableton and fl studio

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>>52617347
The mic is the M7, and the interface is the Audiobox Itwo (the newer one). The mic is kinda cheap, but I love the interface

>>52617280

Thanks a million times for this!! Some very solid points. I hadn't thought about automating the volume levels or anything like that before. I've also been EQ'ing, compressing and adding effects as I go, but now looking back I realize that was pretty stupid, lol, I should definitely get an idea of how it all sits together before assigning each instruments space in the mix. I'm going to go read up more on balancing the mi. I particularly struggle with adding to much on the low end. The problem is, int he moment, it sounds right to have all these low frequencies, but then once I hear other people's mixes, I'm like, man, those highs and mids really add a lot, but I cant get those right crisp mids without everything sounding blurred and feedbacky. I guess that is where the practice come sin. Thanks man!!

>>52617513


Fuck, im too high to grammar lol

>>52617074
I'd suggest listening and picking apart what other artists do. Find music similar to yours and try and reverse engineer how they do it, then apply the techniques you find to your music.

>>52617599

I've been trying to do that for the past decade! I have an idea of what I want, but I struggle with fleshing it out. Even if I get similar instrumentation and melodic phrasing, it never has that same charm that my favorite artists have. Im likely just making excuses for myself, lmao

Sonar X2 Master race, reporting!

>>52617171
Only silly elitists.

>>52617227
You probably have a shitty pc. I use FL 10 and sometimes I open 8-10 instances of Sylenth1, a cpu-heavy vst, and still no crashs, delay, bugs or anything similar.

>>52617726


How are you able to do that? Whats your computer like?

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>>52617282

The ride cymbals suck. Use a different sample and humanize it with subtle modulations in volume and pitch (for volume, you want it to fluctuate just a little bit, like a human playing the ride, and for pitch, less than 10% of a semitone is good, just so it doesn't sound like a sample as much).

Fix the pops and clicks in your samples. You could say "oh it's an aesthetic choice" but it doesn't really jibe with the style of your track.

Some filter sweeps or modulation of effects sends (reverb, delay, amp etc) could help animate your sounds a bit.

EQ the lows out of your pad samples with a high pass filter.

Bring the pads down -6.0dB.

Bring the snares up.

Add some subtle compression to the whole drum bus.

There is no bassline. The bassline is the backbone of a tune like this. Write one. Have it move contrary to the fundamental of the pads, rather than mimic them exactly. Here is an example of what I'm talking about: http://www.attackmagazine.com/technique/passing-notes/contrary-motion/

>>52617726
i had a shitty pc until i got a macbook
running windows on it i still got the same problems
notes would get stuck and wouldn't release
so i switched to ableton and haven't had any problems so far

>>52617503
oh brah I was recently in the market for an interface and almost got that one! i have a few presonus things and i'm happy as fuck with them (central station and faderport). they're essential to my everyday life. I ended-up getting an m-audio interface though because it happened to be 25% off the day i was buying and it has a couple non-performance features that just work well ergonomically with my setup.

No experience with that mic but I have a number of cheap mics and they work fine.

>>52617513
>I should definitely get an idea of how it all sits together before assigning each instruments space in the mix.
yeah that's probably a good idea, don't rush into things!, balance first, it'll get you headed down the right road from the start. also, think spatially. the frequency content, reverb, and level of something can each be manipulated to make things closer or further without having to force them to sit comfy with compression and stuff. and don't just pan things randomly without a purpose, stay away from panning anything hard left or right too!

and you're welcome, this is what i do ^_^

>>52617282
you gotta compress the hell out of those drums

Mixcraft 7.

Because workflow is everything.

I've yet to find a single plugin that doesnt work with it. It does all the automation and midi editing I need.

So why should I spend 6 months doing shitall but figuring out how to do something in ableton that takes 15 min to do, when I can get it done in less than 5 in mixcraft?

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>>52617890
>yfw

>>52617949
I admire your creativity

>>52617925
I got shit for using Cakewalk for years but it was so fast and clear. Ain't nothin' wrong with Mixcraft bro.

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Thanks to inflation and ridiculous taxes, I can't even buy the cheapest daw without spending half of my monthly payment.

I guess I'll just sail the seas.

Pxtone

Come at me

>>52617762

Thanks man, this is just what I was looking for! : )

Will definitely be looking into adding more basslines in my music. Like i said in another post, I really struggle with the low end in my mixes, so every time Ive tried adding a bass it becomes muddy fast, but posting here has confirmed what I have long suspected, which is that the drums need to go and the mixing needs to become a little brighter. I have no idea where to find good drum samples, if you or anyone has any good recs.

I'll also need to look into how to module the effects, at first thought, doing something like that would make me think the delays might become off tempo, but that is a really interesting idea that I will have to look into.

>>52617762
>http://www.attackmagazine.com/technique/passing-notes/contrary-motion/
Is this the secret to Archangel's superiority when faced with other Burial tunes? If you look closely, all of his early music sounds very similar in structure, textures, even some samples are recycled. Yet, Archangel is by far his most cathartic production. Do you know if he uses this contrary motion in any other tracks?

>>52618113
I made music for a 'somewhat popular' indie game using pxtone
It's amazing.
Pixel is a based jap.

>>52617840

Thanks again, and if you are still here. What did you mean by panning hings without a purpose? I have never thought of a real purpose of panning other than to add space to the overall mix, and to help prevent muddiness. Is there more purpose for panning? I will sometimes use panning as an effect for a brief moment, but i never thought about it much. Does it change the harmonics or something, when things are panned differently?

>>52617890

Thanks dude, I have never thought of doing this. I will youtube some tutorials to see what this does.

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>>52618120

When I say modulate the effects, I'm talking about putting the effects on a bus and modulating the amount you send to that bus. That way you can use the effects to accentuate certain sections of the song to add drama and motion. Not modulating the timing of delays, although that's a fine technique as well. If you modulate the timing of delays you will either get the tape-delay-speeding-up dub reggae sound with an analog emulation plugin, or undesirable pops and clicks with a digital plugin. But by all means, experiment with it. You might find some interesting polyrhythms by sending rhythmic material one or more delays. If your DAW supports it, you can even send one delay to another for more abstract layering possibilities.

>>52618226
all I meant is don't just randomly spread things out, just put some though into it. also, don't think everything needs to be panned so it doesn't touch other things - depending on genre sometimes panning isn't a big part of the mix, but instead subtle. and don't throw anything 100% left or right, always keep things tucked-in slightly so the reverb/fx are what reach the furthest to the edges. it's subtle, but that one detail creates a subliminal world that everything is within.

fucking death grips

hi /prod/

>>52618309
>>52618353

Thanks, thanks, thanks!!! Sorry to bother you guys! I just rarely get a chance to chat about mundane DAWs, : ). Much appreciated, Im going to go fuck around in FL Studio now

>>52618610
anytime man, best of luck, have fun

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What's the BEST vst for a hundred bucks or less?

>>52619953
probably pirateable

>>52619953
Without any more info, I'd say Mux.

but what do you look for in a VST?

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Can anybody find a cracked version of Panorama 5 for me or tell me where I can look?

I don't pirate anything ever so I have no idea where to go, but i'm right in the middle of a project and my trial ran out and now I'm fuckt. It's $149 and I'm fucking broke ;_;

/mu/ help

Logic Pro X really pisses me off but it's so similar to GarageBand which i grew up with and it's cheap

i'll probably try fucking with Ableton when/if i'm no longer poor