One Synth Challenge #116: Triple Cheese (mmGhost Wins!)

[RichardSemper]

A quick reminder - some folks have not yet made their track downloadable. This would be a great help to those of us who like to check out the tracks offline - i always like to listen in the car for example. Also i believe it helps with creating the OSC archive.

[functionform]

Ok, so this is obviously not a submission, but the track that I was working on for it. I literally finished it in 30 minutes just now. I felt I liked it enough to share. Feel free to comment on it, but remember I'm not putting this here as a submission so spend your energy with the other tracks, and any comment is appreciated.

3 instances with epicVerb

https://soundcloud.com/functionform/dan ... on-goddess

[574X]

"Woah. Love those kicks and snares. Everything about this is awesome. List of fx used?"

Thanks! I uploaded those screenshots so that you can see all of the fx on the tracks. That's one reason I used Tracktion, but after the problems I've been having I might wait for some bug fixes.

Most importantly, I used a Manuel Schleis mix reference sample in the design of some of those drums. It's not as much to achieve the tone, as it is the strength.
I finally am doing as I was taught years ago, and cutting off the transient and body to listen them separately. (As soon as I just recently heard Mr Bill say he uses Kick 2, I started experimenting with that workflow).
They are synthesized with this synth by gliding between two notes to create a descending pitch envelope, separately creating the clicky attack and the low end, often layering both twice.

The drums are post processed (in practically all of my stuff) with things like:
- ReaEQ or MEqualizer, to clean up mids and help excite an area between 1-5k when it hits the maximizer. Also, both the ReaJS treble and bass exciters / enhancers sound great, or Overtone GEQ as a treble exciter which also can be used to pull a bit out of 400-800 Hz and harmonically boost 60 Hz, all in one fell swoop.
- Compression and gating like MCompressor, ReaGate, Transpire, Aradaz Maximizer, (you can use ReaPlugs JS: Zero Crossing Maximizer at 0ms in an x64 environment or buy Kratos 2 Maximizer). I often use ReaXComp, but I don't think I did here.
- Spatial effects; I've found Orilriver to give some of the best tone on both synthesized and my live drums, just a bit of it with the decay, width, highs and lows dialed back and 25-28ms predelay, sometimes adding a bit of John Bonham delay using ReaDelay at 16 bit, filtered 200hz to 2 or 4k, at an 1/8th or 1/4...
I like JS: MDA Pseudo-Stereo or MDA Stereo for stereo comb filtered highs, while GStereo ensures that the low end is mono compatible (or JS: Stereo Enhancer).

Everything is sidechained using up to 2 ReaComps or MCompressors, since I've learned (afaik on my own) that I like the sound of a quick dip after the transient and another compressor to provide the smooth slow swell, usually to a lesser extent than the tracks it's inspired by:
https://soundcloud.com/mufind/lorn-acid ... cial-music
https://soundcloud.com/sorrowgarage/sor ... out-now-on
o7

[h.s.j.e.]

@h.s.j.e. I have trouble with sound design and mixing/mastering myself, but I'll share my opinions on your entry. I feel like the main issue I see with the sound design is I'm not sure the track has an opinion on whether it wants the sounds to be "real" or not - I really like the first pizzicato sound you open with because it has a character of its own, but most of the rest of your elements feel more like imitations of real orchestral instruments (nicely designed imitations under the given constraints, but still cheap imitations). Mix-wise, you're stacking a lot of layers in the bottom end - cello + bass + bass drum are dominant - and even the higher strings/"brass" don't have much in high-mid/high frequency range.

So one way you might try to address both issues at once would be to revisit your sound designs and try to significantly enhance the richness in the mids/highs (something that Triple Cheese is very strong at), even if it makes the instruments less recognizable as their orchestral counterparts. In general if you listen to most "heroic" film-style music (Hans Zimmer, Klaus Bedelt, Harry Gregson-Williams, maybe those names are dated by now, I'm not sure ) even the cellos + bass alone will exhibit a giant richness in the mids/highs (I think, again I'm not an expert ). By the way, your double-bass is really cool, it sounds super bowed thanks to the overall articulation!

Thanks so much for this. I messed with some of the sound design today to try to track down the character of the voices, and I think it really improved the piece. Both your advice and feedback here, and DB's advice in the SoundCloud comments have been incredibly helpful.

[trancemaster1339]

Ok guys, i just listened all entries , and wow, what a beautifull designed tracks are in there.
For now Taron's track is No1 imo.

What i usually do is listen to the track until last day of voting and then vote. Some songs tend to grow on me (or vice versa) so thats the most honest i think.

Ok, off to the next OSC already..

[Darksynth FX]

Voted.

[Taron]

Uh, dang, thanks TM!
(quickly trying to remember what comments I wrote on SC ...... ...) Really, thanks a lot!

VOTED!

Just as I expected, plenty of unbelievable tracks in there. The overall sound is stunning. TC is one of the top free synths out there for sure and we all kinda made a point of that. Some actual surprises among the tracks, when even the more daring explorations still had such musical qualities and were through and through enjoyable. I can't remember when I last listened to so many tracks and didn't feel fatigued at all. Ok, some tracks I had to skip through a bit, but that was like 2 or 3 and I don't think anyone would hold that against me... but the rest: W O W !!!
What's annoying is that I had to spread out the votes almost across all 5 ratings, but everything starting at 3 was already fantastic stuff! So...those, who find themselves with a 3 should know that I did really enjoy what they've done, but some were just a bit more amazing and had to go to 4, while yet some more were so jaw-dropping-ly awesome or wonderful that they had to go above all else. I've got 7 number 1 (5p) tracks lined up up there...

Congrats to all already, because this was a very special OSC I find!

[OllyAudio]

Great competition. Great tracks.
I have received and experienced pleasure.

[TrojakEW]

Jesus the way how soundcloud together with browser chache works really irritates me. You really do not know if your comment on track is posted or not even with forced refresh it act weird. Well it mean short pause for me in listening for now.

[Taron]

Yeah, I've already had some sort of temporary blockage on SC, because I wrote my comments too fast.

[Tj Shredder]

They like to catch the Taronbot...

[EscapeControl]

Voted. Even though i didn't participate this round, i still had fun listening through the submissions

[rghvdberg]

Voted.
Will review my votes probably during the coming days.

[Harry_HH]

Hi Guys,

My entry for this OSC..
Something completely different , a cinematic soundtrack like piece about the end of life..

Daw: Synapse Audio Orion 8.6
Windows 10, 64bit.
Only internal eq and compression used.
Fx : Tripple cheese only.

4 x U-he Tripple Cheese

Style : Cinematic, classical.

Reminder:
It is a "story" about the road to our final destination. Don't expect any cheesyness

https://soundcloud.com/mark-van-schaik- ... f-the-line

Tell me what you think of it. Everybody good luck again!

Your track belongs to the most beautiful, its in one word symphonic.
But you have not enabled the download in the Soundcloud - it would be pity, if this challenge rule viololation compromized your input.

[Dartelec]

I have tried to vote, but the voting system is not letting me in. Tried also to recover my password, and make a new registration, but that did not work either. Is there something special, I should know about how to vote?