How to make dubstep? (Which VST and DAW and so on)

[Edge of Ages]

I have been producing orchestral music for a while now... And I have musical training (I know music theory) so I was thinking.. I could add some dubstep to my musical training and my experience in making orchestral music! I could make some sick dubstep using what I know from music theory. So I need to know how to start. What DAW first of all? I use Mixcraft 6 for orchestral music but I don't know if it will make the cut for dubstep production lol... So I need to know that.. What VST should I use? I've heard Massive is good.. But I want to hear some other suggestions. Also for each VST suggestion it'd be a great help to have a tutorial or something linked along with it.

Thanks in advance.

[Nokenoku]

The usual dubstep synths afaik are Sytrus or FM8 (those are both very good FM synths) and Massive.

As DAW software you might want to use something, which has a very good MIDI editor and automation handling.
FL Studio would be the obvious choice I guess.
(Good thing about it is, that you can also load it as multi-out-VSTi in any other host, if you want.)

[kmonkey]

I have been producing orchestral music for a while now... And I have musical training (I know music theory) so I was thinking.. I could add some dubstep to my musical training and my experience in making orchestral music! I could make some sick dubstep using what I know from music theory. So I need to know how to start. What DAW first of all? I use Mixcraft 6 for orchestral music but I don't know if it will make the cut for dubstep production lol... So I need to know that.. What VST should I use? I've heard Massive is good.. But I want to hear some other suggestions. Also for each VST suggestion it'd be a great help to have a tutorial or something linked along with it.

Thanks in advance.

Sorry to sound ironic and all that but if you are making and you are capable on doing orchestral music then dubstep really should be mandatory for you because

a: there is no specific DAW for dubstep (your Mixcraft is just fine),
b: VST plugin doesn't matter that much if you are talented(and you really seem to be) and most important
c: there is zero brain in making dubstep(flame suite is already on me).

Quite seriously i remember 15 years ago my first experiment in to music was sounding like a today dubstep but back then at that time when music was actually sounding good something as dubstep was considered as a chord child molestation and brain destroying. It was immediately recognized as a total crap. Anyway my point is if you are in to orchestra, you do know basic chord progression, basic arrangement - you are already there bigtime. I could bet that todays leading dubstep producers does know 1% of what you know when it comes to music theory so really i don't see a problem. Just play with that automation on your distorted basslines and leads, or assign an LFO to filtered bassline, play some offbeat and you are there..

[Numanoid]

I think any kind of synth can really make any kind of music.

I think it is smarter to go for samples at the start, as that will help you study the construction of the grooves.

I would suggest you go for some construction kit like for example:

http://www.loopmasters.com/genres/49-Du ... ions-Vol-3

http://www.fatloopshop.com/product-info ... id379.html

With that you can peel of the layer to study the bits and loops, and then take that knowledge to create your own from scratch.

[MadAnthony81]

Hey whats up . Anthony Lowery here. I know how to make some dub step stuff. Ive written some reviews of what I like that are synths. I don't care for Massive at all. There techniques to using VSTS and DAWS that get similar results to massive but not so digitally.

I like Sylenth1 for that Virus TI sound. Add a saturator in ABleton LIve, ABleton is a bombeta DAW. The only one worth getting, eecially for EDM and LIVE shows. No brainer there. You can get a TC electronic Impact Twin which is IMO the best or a Motu. Preamps are to be considered in that decision as they affect your vocals. Some daws come included with Audio Interface. The M adui Track is cool but the cleaner version doesn't come with Ableton. It looks cool too. The more noisey one comes with ABleton, a small version but its perfect to learn on too. I know somewhere u can still find an Imact Twin with ABleton( CHECK IT OUT_.

The synths I use are Rapture, Sylenth1 and Synthmaster. Each sound different and you can demo them. OR atleast listen to sound sets to buy at dancemidisamples.com or something, I make my own presets form scratch with just the synth itself and the diffiferent knobs.

Read the reviews.

[MadAnthony81]

I t totally matters what you use. Don't do cut and paste its time consuming and sucks. Don't do samples, its cut and paste.

Rapture has a thick duller kinda sound but you can spruce it up ofcourse with an EQ in ABleton LIVE.

Sylenth1 is a EDM synth for a more fun and playful sound or totally cliché EDM. BUt its a fave.

Synthmaster is the mellowest of the 3 here. ANd is diffifcul to make presets from scratch but you can buy packs which I would by the big pack, Listen to the demos first.

I like the Waves plugins if you want extra stuff. The LA2a and la3a. are really cool for that radio sound. Throw a couple on the master track. Youll probably find the GEQ useful its 30 band and can actually remove phase by itself. Waves throws sales every month. This Easter should be terrific maybe.

The best thing I can ask is that you have patience and grace it. Good things come with effortlessness in the goods things of grace and love. Patience is a virtue. Good things come in time.

[sjm]

The usual dubstep synths afaik are Sytrus or FM8 (those are both very good FM synths) and Massive.

As DAW software you might want to use something, which has a very good MIDI editor and automation handling.
FL Studio would be the obvious choice I guess.
(Good thing about it is, that you can also load it as multi-out-VSTi in any other host, if you want.)

+1

Assuming you're interested in that growly gnarly stuff, it's all about FM and automation. A subtractive synth is not going to get you there (though you will want subtractive synths for those intros and build ups etc.).

You might also want to check out some of Seamless' videos where he creates a growl in Sytrus, then resynthesises it in Harmor to create some pretty impressive sounds.

I think Ableton Live is also a favorite choice as host, but I never got my head round it. FL should tick all the boxes though.

[Edge of Ages]

Ok how about this guys. What if I was thinking about making melodic dubstep? Should I get harmor of massive? Here's an example of what kinds of sounds I want to make. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h7iMHY3EqQ This is like my favorite song ever. How can I make music similar to that?

[MadAnthony81]

Melodic dubstep. I would get SYlenth1. I can tell you don't know how synths operate. All the cheezy rough big digitslly sounds are fm and massive and such. I can get ritty with subractrive like Sylenh1 and it sounds better to me. They all sound different. YOU MUST DEMO THEM first and learn to create your own sounds.

FM additive synths get less gritty as you add oscilators. Subractive synths get more dirty and gritty as you detune with few oscilators running.

For melodic dubstep and that more electro sound I actually think Synthmaster is the best and that is what Im going to use for my creamy dub basslines. That or Rapture for pure dubstep.

To make creamy stuff reuires effects. ALso you can use distortion to make things gritty. Both sylenth1 and Rapture have great distortion options, along with Ableton Live in there to kinda for their own distortion types. SYnthmaster also too has distortion I believe.

Also there are even more techniqies to mixing and mastering a sound. Such as the saturator in ABleton Live with your own setting. Chorus, or delay, or even a multi band dynamic compressor.

For creaminess I like a flanger/ phaser on from Sylenth1. It works all too good.

Each synth sounds different in the mix. I t looks like your starting to go down the road I went when I started picking out synths. I thought it didn't realy matter < I listened to poor advice, and I thought little about how they would sound, "in the mix" the song. FOr instance you want to make sure it suits your style.

[MadAnthony81]

Also, I just listened to that song. It isn't dubstep by any means. It sounds like quality presets make in Sylenth1 and with EQ. Probably even Ableton Live itself.

You need to learn more before you jump the gun and waste money on stuff you don't know anything about.

Peace out.

[Edge of Ages]

Also, I just listened to that song. It isn't dubstep by any means. It sounds like quality presets make in Sylenth1 and with EQ. Probably even Ableton Live itself.

You need to learn more before you jump the gun and waste money on stuff you don't know anything about.

Peace out.

Ok I'll try Ableton Live and Sylenth1 out. Do you think Ableton Live is better than FL?

[Edge of Ages]

Melodic dubstep. I would get SYlenth1. I can tell you don't know how synths operate. All the cheezy rough big digitslly sounds are fm and massive and such. I can get ritty with subractrive like Sylenh1 and it sounds better to me. They all sound different. YOU MUST DEMO THEM first and learn to create your own sounds.

FM additive synths get less gritty as you add oscilators. Subractive synths get more dirty and gritty as you detune with few oscilators running.

For melodic dubstep and that more electro sound I actually think Synthmaster is the best and that is what Im going to use for my creamy dub basslines. That or Rapture for pure dubstep.

To make creamy stuff reuires effects. ALso you can use distortion to make things gritty. Both sylenth1 and Rapture have great distortion options, along with Ableton Live in there to kinda for their own distortion types. SYnthmaster also too has distortion I believe.

Also there are even more techniqies to mixing and mastering a sound. Such as the saturator in ABleton Live with your own setting. Chorus, or delay, or even a multi band dynamic compressor.

For creaminess I like a flanger/ phaser on from Sylenth1. It works all too good.

Each synth sounds different in the mix. I t looks like your starting to go down the road I went when I started picking out synths. I thought it didn't realy matter < I listened to poor advice, and I thought little about how they would sound, "in the mix" the song. FOr instance you want to make sure it suits your style.

K thanks for the tips.. So do you think ABleton Live is better than FL?

[bluedad]

thanks for the tips.. So do you think ABleton Live is better than FL?

I think Live is easier to learn than FL.
Skrillex is using Live, fwiw

[sjm]

Also, I just listened to that song. It isn't dubstep by any means. It sounds like quality presets make in Sylenth1 and with EQ. Probably even Ableton Live itself.

+1 to this: the music sounds like a demo of a "101 trance" presets pack. You can make those sounds on pretty much any subtractive synth.

Personally I like FL but I've been using it for 15+ years. Live made no sense to me. Other people say the opposite. That's what demos are for - only you can answer the question as to which one you find easier to learn.

[MadAnthony81]

Oh hey by the way.

there are atleast 1 or 2 really cool extra VST plug ins to get that are LFO and complex. Ask in another post if interested, someone might know the bombeta ones. So to speak, ahah-.