Diva mini-Patchbank Contest: Results

[mcnoone]

Michael, I find your use of the Wacom very interesting. It's an Intuos or bamboo right? You don't have a Cintiq do you? I've always wanted to try one. Can you imagine using a 24" Cintiq with your music software?

It's a wacom intuos2 6"x9". I got it back in 2003, and it still works great.

haha, with respect, I couldn't agree less. Wink
The distinction between synthesis and effects is wholly artificial - it's all digital signal processing. Where a synth has effects, their use is as much a legitimate part of synthesizing a sound as is the filter.
And there's plenty of examples where the use of an effect absolutely makes a sound - for example, try turning off the reverb in Menno Meijer's lovely "MM Choir In The Clouds" patch.

Although it's really a preference thing.
Yes I've bypassed the FX for Menno's patches, which is why my opinion of them isn't so grand. As most of those patches rely on FX, and the bare sound is not as good as it is with FX.
Many users don't like FX on when they get presets. They like to add their own.
So the best ones are those that sound good with or without FX...imo.
Like Howard's presets are a good example of that.
It's not a bad thing to use fx, to color an otherwise boring tone, but it's not my thing or some other designers either.
It's probably best to use heavy fx, if your just going for one genre of music, such as EDM, but outside of that, FX are not good to use too much.
Jazz-fusion-funk-pop-rock-world, and any others where the musician actually play their instruments, like to use their own fx settings to fit the context.
Most of my sounds are geared towards playing the keys, not note penciled note input in a daw.
So I disagree with your statement, as a good sound should first sound good without FX, then if it does, adding FX is fine if it adds something to it, and makes it better.

[xh3rv]

I usually look at FX as suggestions, and generally turn them off & replace if I'm sure I'm using a sound - I guess really this just sounds better to me in most cases. There are some arrangements of FX that don't function so well either, like I tend not to like compressing after reverb.

(Actually another place where synths in Reason via Rack Extensions would be cool, I bet)

[Gonga]

My approach is exactly the same as Michael's. I always start with no effects, then add my own. I'm more of a traditional keyboardist I guess. But if I were composing with a computer I'd use more of the patch effects.

[mcnoone]

My approach is exactly the same as Michael's. I always start with no effects, then add my own. I'm more of a traditional keyboardist I guess. But if I were composing with a computer I'd use more of the patch effects.

Yea it's basically what kinda music you play, dictates what sounds one will like or create.
That's why I pay no attention to what is popular, and just do my own thing.
I don't believe in following rules of sound design or something. Just like to keep things flexible, and open for trying new things, rather than saying, this is the way to do something, and that way's not.
I'm always playing funk fusion chops while making most of my leads and basses, so someone who plays in that style will enjoy them more than someone who does trance. But when I do trance leads, and basses of which I have done many, I will try to imitate the sequencer type chord or pluck tones, and also use a sequencer.
For pads, I'll play some movie soundtrack type styles...and so on.

I will add, I'm a total preset whore. I love listening to others sounds, and learning new things from them. I also like talking about sound design, more than any other topic. I think it's a great thing, where we don't have or shouldn't try to place restrictions on what sounds good from bad, and just accept all the colors that people put forth.
I may have my own set of sd rules for myself, but others can do what they want without my judgment. It's all good.
It's just personal preferences really, and all of ours are different.

[hakey]

nevermind

[hakey]

Are reverb and delay in NI's Razor "effects"?

[mcnoone]

@ mc - you don't get it, oh well.

I don't get what? It is what?

And that (judgemental) little dig at Menno's sound design, a bit silly...

It's not a judgmental dig, but an correct observation, as you yourself concurred in your previous post.
Some sounds can sound good (to certain individuals) without fx, and with fx.
Some will sound nothing like the original without fx.
It fact, they may just be an init patch saw with the filter assigned to the modwheel, and loads of processing, where the processing to 2 hours and the patch 2 seconds to make. It can sound great, but it's not unique...if unique is the goal that is.

[hakey]

nevermind

[hakey]

And that (judgemental) little dig at Menno's sound design, a bit silly...

It's not a judgmental dig, but an correct observation

The bit where you said:

I've bypassed the FX for Menno's patches, which is why my opinion of them isn't so grand....

Is judgemental.

...as you yourself concurred in your previous post.

No. I did not and do not concur that, because one of his patches makes creative use of reverb, my opinion of that patch or his abilities as a sound designer is any less "grand". If anything, it is rather the opposite.

[Gonga]

I think Michael explained that it was just his opinion and his approach, and that others had other valid approaches. I think he gets it.

I do too. For some, the effects are an intergral part of the sound design. For me, they're not. In my case, my approach is relatively simple and uncomplicated. My patches are too. There are a lot of approaches I have never even tried, largely because I am not aware of them and haven't had the time to explore them. That goes for compositional approaches as well. For me, patches with lots of effects have the effects turned off immediately (except for some arpeggiations) so I can hear the dry sound and decide whether or not I can work with it to produce something playable. Then I add some of the effects back or, more likely, add my own.

In 1976 I wrote a 24-piece symphony on scoring paper with a pencil. but I wouldn't expect others to do that nor even appreciate it, especially since the symphony will likely never be performed or heard!

I raise my glass (coffee mug) to all the great sound designers (you too hakey), a group to which I do not belong!

[hakey]

nevermind

[mcnoone]

I've bypassed the FX for Menno's patches, which is why my opinion of them isn't so grand....

Is judgemental.

So to have an opinion is judgmental.
In that case everyone is judgmental.
...and so it is.

If you can't except other peoples opinions that don't agree with your own
on any given topic, then you really don't get it.
The whole thing was what singlex posted, was about how some sound designers make sounds that can fit in "a" mix better than others.
I disagree, as it depends mostly on the factor of "what" mix.
Not all mixes are alike, so the sounds can't go with every mix.
I think he meant his own mix possibly.
I say add some eq and effects, but I don't get it? What's not to get?
I'm not the only one who doesn't like overly used fx.
A lot of users might even complain to a designer if they used too many fx in their sounds. So Zebra and Diva both have the option to tweak fx settings, then turn them off to save by default so the user can easily turn them on if needed anyway. It's just my opinion of course. I mean if I admire creative design of a sound, over creative use of fx...unless both the sound and fx are used creatively.
Which requires turning off the fx to see if the underlying sound is something more than an init patch with a randomizer script used on it.

[hakey]

nevermind

[mcnoone]

So to have an opinion is judgmental.

Have an opinion by all means. Just don't expect to write:

"I may have my own set of sd rules for myself, but others can do what they want without my judgment"

...only to immediately cast judgement, in a somewhat mean spirited way, upon another sound designer's work and not have the obvious contradiction pointed out to you.

It's your opinion that it's "mean spirited"...not mine.
If fact, if the designer in question were asked about it.
He'd probably agree.

[hakey]

nevermind