KVR Audio

arkmabat · Post by **arkmabat** » Tue Nov 25, 2014 3:17 am

I've heard a sampler may be able to do what I'm looking for. Basically I'm trying to figure out how to add a stuttery rhythmic silence to a long sample. I don't want to retrigger the sample but rather add a rhythm by cutting sound out of it.

arkmabat · Post by **arkmabat** » Tue Nov 25, 2014 3:23 am

I guess I could automate a mute button.

robotmonkey · Post by **robotmonkey** » Tue Nov 25, 2014 7:09 am

You use scissors to cut the tape and glue to piece it together.

stardustmedia · Post by **stardustmedia** » Tue Nov 25, 2014 7:22 am

robotmonkey wrote:You use scissors to cut the tape and glue to piece it together.

Classic, and true. That's how I learned it too. Though not for stuttering effects

The more modern approach is to automate mute or volume. Or you can use a gate that has a trigger input.

arkmabat · Post by **arkmabat** » Tue Nov 25, 2014 7:47 am

A gate. That's it. I feel dumb now.

stardustmedia · Post by **stardustmedia** » Tue Nov 25, 2014 9:23 am

You don't have to

We are nowadays so much overwhelmed with possibilities and different plugins, that often the most simple solutions (that worked for "ages) get forgotten.

holdebolder · Post by **holdebolder** » Tue Nov 25, 2014 11:03 am

There are tons of tools and methods to do this. They all vary depending on the point where you want to introduce the stutter effect in to the audio path of your sound.

The main function that creates the effect is a square-wave controlling the amplitude of the sound. The square-wave itself is controlled by the rate of the LFO.

You can use the LFO's in the effects section of your DAW, you can use automated LFO's like choppers for this, you can use the LFO's of your synths/samplers to create that effect, sometimes they even provide stutter effects straight in to the VST-GUI, etc...

A variation of the theme is to control the square-wave on a LP-filter-cutoff. The techniques for doing this are the same as for amplitude.

GFunk · Post by **GFunk** » Tue Nov 25, 2014 6:44 pm

Often overlooked - midi gate.

arkmabat · Post by **arkmabat** » Tue Nov 25, 2014 10:09 pm

I recall reading that gates were used to tighten a performance. For instance: Track midi 8th notes and then use them to gate a fast rhythm guitar to be perfectly in sync. Also, you could add extra bass by gating and selectively triggering an endless low sine wave. Never really tried either though.

Gone soft · Post by **Gone soft** » Tue Nov 25, 2014 10:45 pm

If you're happy with 32-bit plugins than there's always the crazy tremolo effect Skidder from Destroy FX, set it to temposync and once you've found your appropriate tempo play with the pulsewidth randomization for a more lively effect. Or even insert some randomization to the tempo of each individual pulse if that suits you, automate that sort of stuff in and out as you please for different sections. Use some slope to avoid clicking, unless you like click sounds as a side effect. Automate the minimum floor value all the way up when you want the effect to have no effect, the handle all the way to the left on the floor parameter.

Incidentally it will also function as a MIDI gate if you tell it to.

Destroy FX explains how the parameters of Skidder works (from the appropriatly named "WTF?" link): http://destroyfx.smartelectronix.com/docs/skidder.html

Download from the Destroy FX page here: http://destroyfx.smartelectronix.com/

arkmabat · Post by **arkmabat** » Wed Nov 26, 2014 2:31 am

Very cool! Thanks!

arkmabat · Post by **arkmabat** » Wed Nov 26, 2014 2:35 am

Skidder can be triggered by midi notes or randomly. Perfect! Thank you!

Before Stutter-Edit: How do I insert rhythmic stuttered silence into a long sample?