Is it a must to use good sounds to make good music?

[Tricky-Loops]

For J-, K-, Canto- and Mando-Pop a good piano emulation is all you need...

I think that you also need some bubbles and bikinis, no?

Only if it's Hentai-Pop...

[Sendy]

If by "good sounds" you mean the latest bleeding-edge tech, then no, not really. People are still making amazing music with old soundchips that can only rock a few voices of square waves and a digital noise generator, or a guitar and voice. The way sounds are used can completely transcend what those sounds are. Elmo Sexwhistle, apart from having the most awesome band name ever, uses old crappy sound modules like the MT-32 to make amazing music.

I read in an interview that Wisp started off with all freeware synths. Amazing music.

When you create music, you are distilling the spirit of your intention. THAT is what's important, deep down. Sure, some genres require certain sounds which can only be made with certain tech, some don't, but that's all superficial stuff that couldn't exist without the skeleton of intent that underpins it. It's also more important, with sound, to be unique and have an overarching sound-design vision, than to merely be "good" and "professional". (Whatever that is).

Look at Squarepusher. Whatever gear he uses (and he started off with nothing but a crappy drum machine and a sampler and couple of keyboards), he imprints his signature on it. He has an attitude, an approach, which IMO sometimes works, and sometimes doesn't, but that's not what's important. It's HIS approach, and that is awesome.

[ghettosynth]

For J-, K-, Canto- and Mando-Pop a good piano emulation is all you need...

I think that you also need some bubbles and bikinis, no?

Only if it's Hentai-Pop...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7FB_zrrOXY

[Sendy]

This is old, but the beat is dope. Note the early zoom-in for shoulder fetishists.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRerwXWTRjM

[Numanoid]

I disagree. Especially the filters are lacking compared to nowadays payware stuff.

Get Firebird+ instead then

[RunBeerRun]

If you want to make money off it, mostly yes, but there are many high quality free options. If you meant good as in enjoyable, I personally DIS-like the mainstream stuff, it's passable, at best.

[lfm]

Why mixup the different arts:

a) the art of composing - making good music
b) the art of producing - making a good music production

Answer:

a) no
b) yes

[ghettosynth]

This is old, but the beat is dope. Note the early zoom-in for shoulder fetishists.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRerwXWTRjM

Seriously, you linked that, when you could have linked this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKjaFG4YN6g

That's great, and all that, but it's not rock and roll, this is rock and roll:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqM7bN3Kc7I

[blueman]

There is no such thing as "good music"; start there, and the rest is simple

[Sendy]

Seriously, you linked that, when you could have linked this:

That's great, and all that, but it's not rock and roll, this is rock and roll:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqM7bN3Kc7I

Wow, that was an Internet right there.

Now we know why those little music keyboards stuck to qwerty keyboards didn't catch on - very few people can be that rock and roll.

[xiujk71]

Thanks for the many replies guys. Was sleeping, so couldnt reply LOL.

So, just giving your stuff a quick listen, and keeping in mind that after just one listen I'm off sugar for at least a month, the synths are less of a problem than you simply don't know how to use/mix what you have.

Why don't you post a youtube link of some hit record in the genre that you are most interested in producing.

There are some:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY9GkOxCurg ^ this is not edm, but I would like to make similar stuffs in future if possible
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jhjgoFv4D4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh0dqDK9yEM
this one is my personal favourite.
So, its my mixing skills that is the problem, is it?

[xiujk71]

To the OP, I didn't listen to your music until now, thought you were making the regular EDM type styles, after listening to your music I am not sure what you are after, but my opinion of Sylenth1 v's other synths still stands....Many affordable alternatives out there...

I dont upload all my stuffs on soundcloud, but I kinda gave up making edm lol. IMO many of those failed so I dont upload them.

[ghettosynth]

Thanks for the many replies guys. Was sleeping, so couldnt reply LOL.

So, just giving your stuff a quick listen, and keeping in mind that after just one listen I'm off sugar for at least a month, the synths are less of a problem than you simply don't know how to use/mix what you have.

Why don't you post a youtube link of some hit record in the genre that you are most interested in producing.

There are some:

So, its my mixing skills that is the problem, is it?

Yes. Every one of those tracks have more layers than what you have, just for starters. The production is also much better. I'm not saying that better synths won't help you, but the sounds in those tracks are not hyper classic analog or really standout modern sounds. You can obtain most of that with some basic free synths and a lot of layering.

There is not going to be a shortcut here. You are going to have to get more comfortable with sound design, at least at a higher level. By that I mean simply layering existing presets together. The sound in those tracks is somewhat dense with noise sweeps and filler material. At some point you are probably going to want some better effects as well.

At the moment, however, I think trying to figure out what to buy would be a distraction. If you can get a copy of Computer Music magazine the collection of plugins that it comes with is a great place to start to expand your choices for little money. That said, there are enough free synths that you don't have to go that route.

In fact, I think that a bigger limitation is live lite 9. Dense music like that will be difficult to produce with just 8 tracks. You could do it with 8 tracks if you knew more what you were doing. I'd focus on getting a better DAW. Either upgrade Ableton to the basic version (standard, not intro), or go a different direction with one of the lower cost DAWS that is more full featured.

[xiujk71]

Thanks for the many replies guys. Was sleeping, so couldnt reply LOL.

So, just giving your stuff a quick listen, and keeping in mind that after just one listen I'm off sugar for at least a month, the synths are less of a problem than you simply don't know how to use/mix what you have.

Why don't you post a youtube link of some hit record in the genre that you are most interested in producing.

There are some:

So, its my mixing skills that is the problem, is it?

Yes. Every one of those tracks have more layers than what you have, just for starters. The production is also much better. I'm not saying that better synths won't help you, but the sounds in those tracks are not hyper classic analog or really standout modern sounds. You can obtain most of that with some basic free synths and a lot of layering.

There is not going to be a shortcut here. You are going to have to get more comfortable with sound design, at least at a higher level. By that I mean simply layering existing presets together. The sound in those tracks is somewhat dense with noise sweeps and filler material. At some point you are probably going to want some better effects as well.

At the moment, however, I think trying to figure out what to buy would be a distraction. If you can get a copy of Computer Music magazine the collection of plugins that it comes with is a great place to start to expand your choices for little money. That said, there are enough free synths that you don't have to go that route.

In fact, I think that a bigger limitation is live lite 9. Dense music like that will be difficult to produce with just 8 tracks. You could do it with 8 tracks if you knew more what you were doing. I'd focus on getting a better DAW. Either upgrade Ableton to the basic version (standard, not intro), or go a different direction with one of the lower cost DAWS that is more full featured.

Wow, thanks alot man.
I just found out about instrument racks in live lite, and found out with that rack, I can place multiple vsts n instruments in one track, and to each individual instruments, place vst effects, somewhat like how drum samples are placed in drum racks.
I guess for now i will have to start to learn how to layer, and hopefully able to make it within the limitation of live lite 9. I cant really buy anything now, so probably have to hold on the idea of buying a daw till i have the cash.

One question tho, is it advisable to layer all my parts like bass, leads and chords? Because I remembered reading that it is not good to layer everything.

[ATS]

of course not.