Veracohr Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Do you ever find yourself repeatedly doing things in your creation of music that you wish you didn't? Things that just sort of seem to happen, even when you try to tell yourself not to do them? I have a problem of making things too subtle and mellow. I enjoy some progressivey stuff, but usually what really gets my excitement going when listening to music is aggressive, prominent parts, sounds and production values. Not necessarily abrasive, like I find a lot of full on and darkpsy to be, but things that refuse to sit on the back burner. Parts of songs that say "Here I am, and you're going to pay attention to me!". However, when I try to incorporate those kinds of values into my own music, I inevitably find them too overt, like I'm trying too hard, and I retreat into more subtle sounds. This of course is completely in tune with my personality, but you would think that if I really enjoy aggressive sounds, I would be able to use them in my own music without it feeling wrong and out of place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anakoluth Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Bad EQing. I'm not trying very hard to improve it, though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malevol3nt Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I have a problem of making things too subtle and mellow. I enjoy some progressivey stuff, but usually what really gets my excitement going when listening to music is aggressive, prominent parts, sounds and production values. Not necessarily abrasive, like I find a lot of full on and darkpsy to be, but things that refuse to sit on the back burner. Parts of songs that say "Here I am, and you're going to pay attention to me!". However, when I try to incorporate those kinds of values into my own music, I inevitably find them too overt, like I'm trying too hard, and I retreat into more subtle sounds. This of course is completely in tune with my personality, but you would think that if I really enjoy aggressive sounds, I would be able to use them in my own music without it feeling wrong and out of place. That's funny, I have a similar (or maybe opposite) problem. I've got loads of scrap projects with some sort of synth lines, melodies etc. But most of these just stand out too much. Having a hard time combining them because they sound too massive when both included in a track. Kind of overkill, bit I just can't help myself when I'm tweaking a synth. It allways turns out too.. hmm... I guess too "noticable" or "powerful". I'm not a master of subtle sounds hehe. Even when I make pads they stand out too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fluffymushi Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 making my basslines at 60hz instead of 90. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alleycat Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Using too many stereo expanders on the synth tracks... Sometimes it can add the fatness the track is lacking, but some other times it muffles and distorts the dynamics a bit... Cranking the low-low end of the bass, making it 'woofy'. Sometimes Ive managed to make really nice sounding deep-end basses, but most of the time it ends up woofing. A lot of times my percussion fills end up sounding the same, too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veracohr Posted January 22, 2009 Author Share Posted January 22, 2009 That's funny, I have a similar (or maybe opposite) problem. I've got loads of scrap projects with some sort of synth lines, melodies etc. But most of these just stand out too much. Having a hard time combining them because they sound too massive when both included in a track. Kind of overkill, bit I just can't help myself when I'm tweaking a synth. It allways turns out too.. hmm... I guess too "noticable" or "powerful". I'm not a master of subtle sounds hehe. Even when I make pads they stand out too much. Ooh, we should get together! We'd be like peanut butter and jelly! But not bad, salmonella peanut butter. Only the good stuff. :clapping: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzzman Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 That's funny, I have a similar (or maybe opposite) problem. I've got loads of scrap projects with some sort of synth lines, melodies etc. But most of these just stand out too much. Having a hard time combining them because they sound too massive when both included in a track. Kind of overkill, bit I just can't help myself when I'm tweaking a synth. It allways turns out too.. hmm... I guess too "noticable" or "powerful". I'm not a master of subtle sounds hehe. Even when I make pads they stand out too much.EQ and stereo? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malevol3nt Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Ooh, we should get together! We'd be like peanut butter and jelly! But not bad, salmonella peanut butter. Only the good stuff. :clapping:Salmonella! What are you using for production? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris {RA} Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Using too many stereo expanders on the synth tracks... Sometimes it can add the fatness the track is lacking, but some other times it muffles and distorts the dynamics a bit... Cranking the low-low end of the bass, making it 'woofy'. Sometimes Ive managed to make really nice sounding deep-end basses, but most of the time it ends up woofing. A lot of times my percussion fills end up sounding the same, too... Careful careful with stereo expanders/wideners. The more you widen the more sound disappears in mono, meaning that a track being played on mono radios and the like will sound "a bit different than what you initially intended" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malevol3nt Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Careful careful with stereo expanders/wideners. The more you widen the more sound disappears in mono, meaning that a track being played on mono radios and the like will sound "a bit different than what you initially intended" Aliens with one ear? ^^ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malevol3nt Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 EQ and stereo? Yeah I know about those, but that's not really my problem. The problem is that most of these sounds have too much character to be put in the background. But anywho, this all comes down to arranging the track etc etc. Not really a big issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris {RA} Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Yeah I know about those, but that's not really my problem. The problem is that most of these sounds have too much character to be put in the background. But anywho, this all comes down to arranging the track etc etc. Not really a big issue.Common problem. You could try turning off an oscillator or two if the sound is too fat. EQ'ing works well for me. Turning down detuning and phasing. Softsynths can have too much presence, I totally agree. Or you could go extreme and change your default LowPass to BP ... Besides you can give the illusion of a sound being more in the background anyhow with a good'ol' reverb drowning and lowering volume :-P :-P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veracohr Posted January 23, 2009 Author Share Posted January 23, 2009 Salmonella! What are you using for production? Digital Performer 5. I also just got Ableton Live, but I don't plan on using that to write much, I just got it for live use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malevol3nt Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Digital Performer 5. I also just got Ableton Live, but I don't plan on using that to write much, I just got it for live use.Aw too bad. I've used just about every host on windows, but I haven't even touched osx tbh. Wouldn't really work.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veracohr Posted January 23, 2009 Author Share Posted January 23, 2009 Aw too bad. I've used just about every host on windows, but I haven't even touched osx tbh. Wouldn't really work.. Nonsense! MIDI files and WAV files are completely transferable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malevol3nt Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Nonsense! MIDI files and WAV files are completely transferable.Yeah but, can you load VST's in Digital Performer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veracohr Posted January 23, 2009 Author Share Posted January 23, 2009 Yeah but, can you load VST's in Digital Performer? Well not directly, no, but I can load them in Live. DP would require an AU-VST wrapper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzzman Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Yeah I know about those, but that's not really my problem. The problem is that most of these sounds have too much character to be put in the background. But anywho, this all comes down to arranging the track etc etc. Not really a big issue.Ok, i just found the problem allways to be the EQ and filters.... Like chris said, use a BP filter, then you can change the frequencies, so the sound become less broad if you get what im saying... Then put on a compressor, to lower the volume differences when you tweak the BPF Or maybe you just need to create a sound that will compliment the loud one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malevol3nt Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Well not directly, no, but I can load them in Live. DP would require an AU-VST wrapper.Hmm.. Well it wouldn't hurt to try I guess. Send me a PM if your up for it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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