How much do you quantize?

[tranel]

Just thought it might be interesting to start a discussion about quantization—when to (not) quantize, how much (in terms of %, swing values etc…). Basically, I never step program anything, I always record what I play straight into the sequencer. The reason I do this is to capture a certain "human feel," as I feel it is quite easy to lose this in electronic music. I realize that this is quite subjective and genre-specific, but I personally quickly lose interest in music that sounds overly programmed—and I think many people out there do too.

For most strings, pads, leads and keyboard sounds I try not to quantize. If I don't get it right, if the timing is not good, I do another take. Bass, kick and snare though, I usually quantize quite a lot if necessary.

Any thoughts or tips on this? Any other thoughts/tips on how to "humanize" electronic music? Or, it it even necessary?

[The Chase]

Depends on my tempo - with DnB, around 180bpm, everything is quantized more or less to the tee. With mid-tempo and hip-hop, barely anything is exactly quantized at all.

Except that my kicks and bass notes are almost always quantized as their phase makes such a difference.

[Reverse Engineer]

ctrl+a, ctrl+q OWNS me. I have no clue at all how to get 'swing' in the FLS piano roll (other than using the quantise templates, which are woeful.) It's easy enough with the step sequencer, there's a slider for it, but in the piano roll, it's a headache, so i get thrown in the opposite direction altogether.

[robogone]

Don't think I've ever quantized anything. I have programmed stuff rather than play it on the keyboard because I want to get a really precise tempo, but I would rather keep playing something until it's right rather than quantize it.

[ahjteam]

Quantizing? None. Rearranging? Plenty.

[beej]

Very little, these days. Sometimes I'll % quantize to tighten up a part, or I'll add different (small) amounts of swing on, for instance, multiple hihat parts to make them groove and feel loose, but that's about it, unless I'm after a particularly sequenced feel.

[kritikon]

Likewise...almost never.

I remember I used to use quantise an awful lot more in the past, but sometimes if I dust off old tapes etc, many of those tracks sound really unattractively robotic. Not that quantisation can't sound good - some genres of music suit it well. But personally I'd rather play something in and spend 4 hours shifting notes manually in the piano roll if I really can't play it in how I want to. In times when I've not really had access to my studio and keyboards, then I've had to use the midi sequencer more...but I still move notes manually rather than quantise.

A slight caveat to that is that quantising from drumloops really can make life hugely easier. I have been known to get a drumloop and steal the midi timing, then apply it to a bassline or riff or whatever as the basis to a rhythm. I'm not a complete Luddite.

[wildpaws]

I rarely quantize anything as I prefer that human feel,swing, "in the pocket" grooves that I get when I don't quantize. When I have quantized it tends to get that "robotic" feeling and I don't care for that. If something is too far off I simply re-record the offending track.
Clyde

[BLynx]

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