Getting To Know The Patches

[TexLoco5]

Simon ... you've produced a HUGE volume of patches ... all great work. I have all your Padshop and Iris stuff. One thing I struggle with is ... within that large volume of patches ... is finding the ones most suited for a composition by a means more reliable than my "go to" method of "random messing around and hoping for the best". I think one of my problems is I just don't know the patches well enough to know what types of sounds I can get out of them. Practice makes perfect as they say ... but I'm curious as to what advice you could offer that might be able to speed up or hone the process.

Thanks Simon!

KenB

[Sampleconstruct]

Simon ... you've produced a HUGE volume of patches ... all great work. I have all your Padshop and Iris stuff. One thing I struggle with is ... within that large volume of patches ... is finding the ones most suited for a composition by a means more reliable than my "go to" method of "random messing around and hoping for the best". I think one of my problems is I just don't know the patches well enough to know what types of sounds I can get out of them. Practice makes perfect as they say ... but I'm curious as to what advice you could offer that might be able to speed up or hone the process.

Thanks Simon!

KenB

Well, why not study the PDFs with all the patch descriptions which are pretty precise and extensive, and also watch the videos I do for each library, then you will get an idea what I do with these patches. My work definitely does require some effort by the user, I only lay out the tools, you have to find a way to use them in your own sonic universe.

[Sampleconstruct]

Here are all the Iris videos I did using patches frim the subscription, you can see what I play with the sounds and how I use the Macros to modulate the sounds:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL ... uQKe5SudQj

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL ... K1BO24MEWD

[Sampleconstruct]

and here are all the videos I did for my Padshop Pro library Granular Guitars, released by Steinberg:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL ... 4-O2vXEKxv

[Sampleconstruct]

Some videos for my Padshop Pro library Cosmic are here:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL ... aqeCCNtbdN

[TexLoco5]

Oh ... I get what you're saying Simon. I do that and it is helpful.

I don't think I worded my question well so I'll try to elaborate.

Note that although I have years of experience with blues guitar I'm a complete beginner when it comes to soft synths and ambient music composition. In comparison to blues guitar the realm of soft synths, ambient music and the sounds that can be created seems vast ... and it's narrowing down that vastness to something more manageable that I'm trying to address.

Once I've chosen a patch to use (or extracted a .wav file) it becomes more or less a matter of playing the notes and manipulating the patch or wave within the software. That of course takes a bit of trial and error but it's not an issue.

Where I get tripped up is in the initial selection of the patch or .wav file itself. Lots of patches and lots of .wav files to choose from ... which means lots and lots of possible sounds to choose from. It's kinda like a kid in a candy store ... lots of candy to sample ... but not so easy to pick out something particular if ya want to.

Of course I have to just grind through each patch and .wav file to learn what each has to offer ... which I'm doing ... but perhaps it might be more productive to reduce the number of them I have to choose from. Say pick 10 and work with those only ... then move on to the next 10 and so forth.

Anyhow ... that's it in a nutshell ... and as always ... thanks for your work and your help Simon!

KenB

[Sampleconstruct]

Oh ... I get what you're saying Simon. I do that and it is helpful.

I don't think I worded my question well so I'll try to elaborate.

Note that although I have years of experience with blues guitar I'm a complete beginner when it comes to soft synths and ambient music composition. In comparison to blues guitar the realm of soft synths, ambient music and the sounds that can be created seems vast ... and it's narrowing down that vastness to something more manageable that I'm trying to address.

Once I've chosen a patch to use (or extracted a .wav file) it becomes more or less a matter of playing the notes and manipulating the patch or wave within the software. That of course takes a bit of trial and error but it's not an issue.

Where I get tripped up is in the initial selection of the patch or .wav file itself. Lots of patches and lots of .wav files to choose from ... which means lots and lots of possible sounds to choose from. It's kinda like a kid in a candy store ... lots of candy to sample ... but not so easy to pick out something particular if ya want to.

Of course I have to just grind through each patch and .wav file to learn what each has to offer ... which I'm doing ... but perhaps it might be more productive to reduce the number of them I have to choose from. Say pick 10 and work with those only ... then move on to the next 10 and so forth.

Anyhow ... that's it in a nutshell ... and as always ... thanks for your work and your help Simon!

KenB

I see, yes - narrowing down the vastness is a good start, then you don't feel so overwhelmed. You could e.g. choose only a few patches made with/derived from string sounds (bowed and plucked, processed and unprocessed - there are tons of string sounds in my Iris and Padshop libraries) and build something around those. Or just get some vocal patches and maybe one soundscape or drone to accompaniment these. Then start playing your guitar to the textures you have created with those sounds, then maybe add something sequenced and rhythmical (other than normal drums or loops).