What makes a synth suitable for "electronic dance music"?

[recursive one]

My quick ~15 minute take on this kind of style using Synth1. I made everything from scratch from init patches (including downloading and installing Synth1 ), excluding the 3 drum sounds, which are samples I made earlier.
I obviously used external effects and "production" here, because we can't compare a raw synth to a full production (Which I think is one of the other big things regarding this whole topic).
I mostly used Live's effects, most of which could probably even replaced by Synth1's internal effects, to be honest.

https://soundcloud.com/deltasign/synth1-psy

This is obviously not really all that good, but I made this super quickly and it could be a lot better with some actual effort. Yes, I think most of the sounds from those tracks could be made with Synth1, except the ones that are simply not possible because they need some feature that Synth1 simply doesn't have.

This does sound good, but frankly you used the simplest possible subtractive sounds. These can sound good with some external treatment basically in any synth. Try making some Nordlead style "ripping" FM lead (should be possible in Synth1 afaik) with modulated bandpass filter and cranked up resonance. Does the sound keep integrity? Does it sound powerful and angry or does it sound weedy and noisy? In my experience, more "extreme" sounds are where the differences between the synths may show up.

TBH I never used Synth1 myself, maybe it's actually popular for a reason.

[vurt]

the newer generation is probably no different than the generation that followed hendrix, they see their idols using product x, and think if they use the same products they'll sound the same.

That "what do the pros use" thing is not always "if I find out what tools the big guys are using I'll immediately become as good as them". It may also be "these tools are proven to give good results so I'll focus on learning them isntead of trying out what else is available".

yeah, i agree. i wasn't trying to belittle beginners or edm, its just id say most people do start out wanting to do music because of one or two people.
and yes, if the pros are using them, chances are they are good tools for the job. and if you start out using them, stands to reason you carry on using them and some will then inspire a new generation...

im not saying they expect to sound as good, just that knowing the sound is as good, lets you focus on the learning of other parts of the whole.

if my rig sounded as good as tony iommi back when i started out, i think id have found learning guitar a lot easier. as it sounded like a distant transistor radio. it wasn't easy.


a track isn't just the sounds, an important part yes but i bet you could take one of your tracks and replace the sounds, eg the bass with the first bass preset in what ever bass synth you used and so on... but the track would still work on a certain level because you know how to do the arrangement.
but having those sounds at your fingertips, in the beginning, makes that side easier, maybe?

but, imo it doesn't have to be those synths. there was plenty of great dance music back before any of those synths existed. ive been at raves where there was an 808 and a 303, nothing else! and did people dance? hell yes! till the sun rose

[Synthman2000]

Thanks Whyterabbit that clarifies some aspects of synths/modules and data throughput I have been wondering about. It is good to know that simplied/more efficient code should not result in lower audio quality, just less taxing on the CPU.

[recursive one]

a track isn't just the sounds, an important part yes but i bet you could take one of your tracks and replace the sounds, eg the bass with the first bass preset in what ever bass synth you used and so on... but the track would still work on a certain level because you know how to do the arrangement.

In my case the arrangement and the sounds go hand in hand. I often make the sounds first then put them together until they start making some sense. Actually in my own tracks I separate the melodic parts and the parts driven by the bass and SFXes, and when making the "SFX parts" I proceed from what my sounds are telling me to do with them, something like that.

Can you provide some Psytrance examples that use those dubstep sounds?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBuJjstRWQo

Not the best track I've heard in my life, but it has exactly what you asked for

[donkey tugger]

if my rig sounded as good as tony iommi back when i started out, i think id have found learning guitar a lot easier.

If you'd have chopped off the ends of your fingers, you'd have been fine.

[vurt]

a track isn't just the sounds, an important part yes but i bet you could take one of your tracks and replace the sounds, eg the bass with the first bass preset in what ever bass synth you used and so on... but the track would still work on a certain level because you know how to do the arrangement.

In my case the arrangement and the sounds go hand in hand. I often make the sounds first then put them together until they start making some sense. Actually in my own tracks I separtate the melodic parts and the parts driven by the bass and SFXes, and when making the "SFX parts" I proceed from what my sounds are telling me to do with them, something like that.

totally get what you mean, and im sure it would sound wrong as hell to you.
but to others they might just think its a different tune?

i used to love that filter opening woosh in goa trance on the dancefloor then the room just explodes with sounds and colours
so yes, id say the sfx are quite important they seem to punctuate the movement

[vurt]

if my rig sounded as good as tony iommi back when i started out, i think id have found learning guitar a lot easier.

If you'd have chopped off the ends of your fingers, you'd have been fine.

i actually did, luckily for me it was just the very tips and also on my right hand

[martinjuenke]

Real Music moves the listener

Isn‘t that a key element of EDM?

[Vertion]

This EDM song used all the top synths to create, surely a masterpiece :

Professional Trance AKA Jambi becomes an NBA DJ
https://soundcloud.com/brite1000/profes ... ce/s-W9gvr

[martinjuenke]

In general i wonder how many people in this thread are really competent, and interested enough to reply to the original question. It really doesn't make sense to respond, if you are not. Just like it wouldn't make much sense when i posted in a thread suggesting someone what modules to buy for his new Eurorack, to make experimental industrial music. Or should i respond to it in the same way people respond to this thread? "Yo guy... herez the latest Eurocrack so you can make yo fartz music...." Troll-a-licious.

Right
To ignore the cool Bros is the best strategy

[recursive one]

del

[vurt]

In general i wonder how many people in this thread are really competent, and interested enough to reply to the original question. It really doesn't make sense to respond, if you are not. Just like it wouldn't make much sense when i posted in a thread suggesting someone what modules to buy for his new Eurorack, to make experimental industrial music. Or should i respond to it in the same way people respond to this thread? "Yo guy... herez the latest Eurocrack so you can make yo fartz music...." Troll-a-licious.

Right
To ignore the cool Bros is the best strategy

i still think that was about me...

[martinjuenke]

In general i wonder how many people in this thread are really competent, and interested enough to reply to the original question. It really doesn't make sense to respond, if you are not. Just like it wouldn't make much sense when i posted in a thread suggesting someone what modules to buy for his new Eurorack, to make experimental industrial music. Or should i respond to it in the same way people respond to this thread? "Yo guy... herez the latest Eurocrack so you can make yo fartz music...." Troll-a-licious.

Right
To ignore the cool Bros is the best strategy

i still think that was about me...

Honestly, nobody would dare this!

[Vertion]

Honestly, nobody would dare this!

[martinjuenke]

Honestly, nobody would dare this!