Producing, and Analog Qs?

[TechM]

Hey prodeucers. I have a Korg Workstation, and an Analog modeling synth. My computer is alomst ready to get into the mix. Right now, I can do a lot with the two Keyboards. What I am looking for is information on how exactly do I create specific sounds adjusting the LFOs, the filters, envelopes, etc....and such. I know there are people out there that hear a sound in their head and can create that sound. I however have not been picking it up just turning knobs and playijng around. While I have created some wild sounds, I would like to know exactly what I am doing. If I can watch you do it, that would be great, or if you can tell me or point me at the right magazine, websites, books, that would be great too.

My next question is, I have a lot of unfinished songs. And my finished songs while they sound good, just did not come out the Genre I wanted. kind of a song that made itself. I find it hard to come up with a backbone ofd the song, and stick with it. It always ends up turning into something new. How do people keep a song flowing? I don't know if people do what I do, but start a song with an 8 or 16 measure loop, come up with the tracks/timbres/sounds they are looking for, and then go into arrangement? I do a lot of that, but what ends up happening is a come up with a bunch of these, and don't arrange them. I have so much fun making these, but never take the time to arrange them, would be nice to have someone to collab with.

Ok Im done, this post is to long for me.

Matt

[Elektronkind]

Hey TechM!

Creating a specific sound on any synth (soft- or hardware) is an artform in itself. Teaching how to program a synth is kind of like teaching a painting student how to hold a brush. They can learn all the terminology but it's still up to the student to know how to paint the picture.

The fist most important thing to learn is how your particular synth routes the signal path within it, and what routing is available to you to add wanted or drop unwanted elements from the sound you're after.

Most synths generally follow the LFO -> Oscilator -> Filter -> Amp -> Effects model of start-to-end routing. Within that, synths offer additional steps depending on their make/model. Learn about your synth's capabilities.... what features can the LFOs modulate? Are there different modes other than a default one which affects oscilator performance, etc.

Something you might try is when you hear (or think of) a sound you want, you write down its properties and program that part of the sound which stands out the most to you.

/dale

[TechM]

Hey TechM!

Creating a specific sound on any synth (soft- or hardware) is an artform in itself. Teaching how to program a synth is kind of like teaching a painting student how to hold a brush. They can learn all the terminology but it's still up to the student to know how to paint the picture.

I definately agree with this. But, I also know that most professional artists go to school to learn techniques, and how to create certain things. My problem is that I do not know the basics of creating the sounds. I understand the basic terminology of what the LFOs and the oscilators, and the filters, and amp, and other effects are, but not a understanding of what happens when I adjust them. People who have learned the artform of creating sounds, learned from somewhere, and that source of information is what I am looking for. If you have any resources on this, that would be great.

Matt

[PYVND]

It takes a while to wrap your head around that stuff. But one day, it all just clicks. Oh I see, attack is this, release is that. LFO does this. Read a book on this stuff (even your manual, if you have not already), and keep making sounds. Soon, you will understand it.

[Sketcher]

I have been messing with synths and electronic music production for a year or two
before I decided to attend Omega Studios.
Taking the Electronic Music Production course, and the Audio Productions technique definitely helped me learn and be on my way quicker to producing and creating the music I want.

However, it is possible to learn all of this information through hard work.

Sound design is an art.
Engineering/mixing is also an art.
Producing a song is an art as well.

The only way to improve is to keep doing it.
:)

there are many books out there on Analog Synthesis and Sampling, you should probably get one.

if you live in rockville, you should think about taking an Omega studio course.
the electronic music production would help you out alot.
(MIDI, analog synthesis, Sampling, DAW, etc.etc.)

adam

[Sketcher]

oh, and the korg's are not very intuitive when it comes to analog sound design.
I own a korg triton among things, with the Analog Synthesis board and it is NOT very intuitive to work with.

the alesis ION though, is a pleasure!!!

very recommended for the price.

adam

[TechM]

I definately love my Ion. It gets a very bad rap. I figure until I can afford the Andromeda, it does just fine. I never heard of Omega Studios, Im gonna have to look into them. Also, what books have you come across that you think are pretty good? I have seen some, but I don't know if they are exactly what I am looking for because I have not seen them in the store. Thanks a lot Sketcher for the help. As far as the Korg goes, right now it is my sequencer, and very much a part of my music production now. Korg does have the MOSS board, while I do not have it yet a couple people I know do, and it with it you can get some very nice sounds. Thanks again.

Matt

[Sketcher]

if you want to take your music to the next level,
I'd say invest in computer based sequencing.

Cubase/Logic/Sonar/Digital Performer any of these will work.

The difference in sequencing power is ridiculous.

What I can do with Cubase cannot be possibly
replicated using the sequencer in the triton.

Especially if you want to combine complex MIDI arrangements
with cutting edge audio sample manipulations.
(Try to flange individual audio slices cut into 32nd notes,
and then reverse the last one and stretch it).

Im happy to help!!!

knowledge is for anyone with the patience and the love.

[jleib]

Yesterday I spend $125 on music books at borders. Two books on reason 2.5, a Music Theory Guide for Dummies, and a Piano book.

I agree, knowledge is for anyone with the patience and the love, the learn!

[nickn]

The best way to learn is to start with presets and tweak them. Eventually you will learn what you like and don't like and can start applying the sme knowledge to raw waves. Then it's important to understand synth architecture which is usually like this:

Oscillator => Mixer => Filter => LFO/Effects => envelopes
Oscillator =^

Oscillator's will provide you with the basic tone of the sound. It takes a while to learn what you can do with each wave form but typically the more edges the wave has the more artificial and harsh is will sound. a Sine wave (round) is the smoothest sounding wave but often takes effects and LFOs to bring it out of the mix, square and saw waves sound the dirtiest and triangles are a kind of happy medium between the two. The mixer usually just mixed two or more oscillators.

The filter is where you reallly get into sound design. Depending on the type of filter (high pass, low pass, band pass) you are telling the synth which part of the raw sound to ignore and which side to emphasize. If you want a bassy sound you would use a lowpass filter to cutoff everything but the low end of the sound. If you wanted a percussive sound you would use a highpass to take out the low end. There's all kinds of room for experimentation.

the LFO (low frequency oscillator) is what gives sound the ability to modulate (change) by themselves. E.G the rhodes has that wawa sound which is created by a type of LFO. LFO's can be applied to pitch, volume, filter cutoff, and others depending on the synth. LFOs are really kind of like effects because they are the last thing that happends that is not effected by the keyboard.

Envelopes (both filter and amplitude) are what tells the synth how to act when a key is pushed on the keyboard. If you have a long attack on the amplitude then your sound will slowly fade in. If you have a long decay, it will slowly fade out. Sustain will tell the synth how long to hold the note before you release the key. The same idea applies to the filter envelope except that it tells the synth how much filter to add (really subtract) from the raw wave and when.