Diva mini-Patchbank Contest: Results

[hakey]

Phase correlation should not be foreign to you guys

I'm afraid that using frequency or phase correlation analysis to improve my patch design is beyond my technical ability.

I notice many bass patches with waaaay too much bottom for the type of bass.

hmm... too much bottom, too much this, that or the other... it's all hugely subjective.

[Fritze]

hmm... too much bottom, too much this, that or the other... it's all hugely subjective.

Yeah, I like big bottom. Even in bass sounds.

[Aiynzahev]

Partly the problem lies in mixing styles. If I shelf a sound because I cannot mix it you can see the problem because someone else may be much better at mixing than I am. I find it hard to mix anything to be honest. It is always difficult for me. Especially with DIVA because its a very lively sound.

[Bronto Scorpio]

Especially with DIVA because its a very lively sound.

+1
Diva demands space

I'm currently working on a Diva audio demo and I try to use only Diva, not even an EQ, a limiter or something. It drives me slightly crazy. It's really hard to mix since even the smallest Diva sounds sound huge

I'm even using the delay as an EQ in that track sometimes

Cheers
Dennis

[mcnoone]

We cannot rely soly on our ears...

Yes we can...and do.

For example, I notice many bass patches with waaaay too much bottom for the type of bass. Of course many people split the freq of the bass and have two or more layers in electronic music these days. Same for drums..

Electronic music these days, is not all there is.
Those other genres, like big bottom. The bigger the better.
If there wasn't any bottom, they would complain about it too though.

I was simply curious but what I am finding out is that it is more about impressing the ears when the patch is played solo. I just wonder sometimes how BigTone, Howard and others are making patches that fit many contexts right off the mark. What are the major things to consider?

I can't really agree with any of this.
It's possible, however hard to believe, that certain sound designers sounds, do not fit into the context of a mix, right off the mark.
It depends on many other factors whether or not they fit into a context.

As for me, I am constantly playing the keys with my left hand, and tweaking the synth with a wacom pen in my right. I then create a loop of bass, drum and chord keys or pad, then solo over it.
Then I do sequencing using Thesys, and lately using Caustic2.

Making sounds fit into a track is better done on the users side using EQ, and compression, and...what have you.
A lot of designers also drown sounds in caves of reverb or rivers of delay as well, so of course, it will fit in a mix better as those FX can help.
I try mostly to leave that to the user, whenever possible.

[Gonga]

Michael, I find your use of the Wacom very interesting. It's an Intuos or bamboo right? You don't have a Cintiq do you? I've always wanted to try one. Can you imagine using a 24" Cintiq with your music software?

[satYatunes]

Making sounds fit into a track is better done on the users side using EQ, and compression, and...what have you.
A lot of designers also drown sounds in caves of reverb or rivers of delay as well, so of course, it will fit in a mix better as those FX can help.
I try mostly to leave that to the user, whenever possible.

Couldn't agree with you more. It's always better to leave it to the creativity of the user. However, sounds loaded with FXs tend to sound better context-wise and can get instant attention. Usually preset lovers like these sounds.

[hakey]

haha, with respect, I couldn't agree less.

The distinction between synthesis and effects is wholly artificial - it's all digital signal processing. Where a synth has effects, their use is as much a legitimate part of synthesizing a sound as is the filter.

And there's plenty of examples where the use of an effect absolutely makes a sound - for example, try turning off the reverb in Menno Meijer's lovely "MM Choir In The Clouds" patch.

[satYatunes]

I did agree in my post above that effects do enhance the sounds. How it's gonna fit the context is totally up to the user.

[hakey]

hmm... nah, that's not what I was getting at - nevermind

[Bronto Scorpio]

I agree with hakey. The FXs can be a part of a sound just like a filter can be a part of it.
Take a vintage string ensemble and switch the ensemble effect off for example. Many people won't even recognize it as a string ensemble anymore.

Cheers
Dennis

[hakey]

yup, exactly - the string machine is a great example.

[Gonga]

I'm such a fool...I turned off the effects on some of my patches. I doubt people switched them on... and they sound a lot better with the effects on for the most part...

[Aiynzahev]

Consider how many instruments rely on reverb of some kind for example. I used DIVA's plate reverb a number of times when making a semi-real sounding patch.

When effects can be manipulated from the mod matrix it opens another world.

About the question though, If I were making something more specific and commercial, like cLuB SouNdZ or something, then yes I could see using all that analysis to get exact frequencies because I think those kinds of people have a very systematic approach and singular goal: To sound good on a club system.

I did engage the pre-filter high-pass filter from time to time on my DIVA presets because I could tell the low-frequency content was going to cause problems in a mix and to help thin out the huge sound, but I did this by ear as I always do.

I also applied negative amplification when the cut-off opens to keep the volume level throughout. This was to help in the mix. I did this and similar little things in my DUNE patches to help the mix work also.

I believe the ear gives you a lot of information. Mix & Mastering engineers talk a lot about the value of experienced listening. Its the most powerful tool.

Having said that of course I am not against any visual tools and am certainly open to learn from them in the future.

Best regards

[Fritze]

I'm such a fool...I turned off the effects on some of my patches. I doubt people switched them on... and they sound a lot better with the effects on for the most part...

Oh...