What can I do to process sound in terms of sounddesign? Filters?

[Sendy]

I like to do as much characterizing as I can before the signal even leaves the synth, so learning as much as you can about the synths you own is a must for interesting sounds. Since each synth has it's own unique basic sound, having a good range of contrasting synths helps.

For texturizing, I like Bigseq2 by Audio Damage, Truc2 and others by De Le Mancha, Sonitex by Tone Projects, Zebrify (advanced users only!) and Fabfilter Saturn for saturation and gluing it all together.

I've got a "rubbery" sound by judicious use of sample rate reduction myself, but that might be a different type of rubbery to what you want

I've never tried it, but if you're after a quick way to change sounds and instant gratification, this product claims to do that:

http://www.kvraudio.com/product/relectro-by-linplug

[justin3am]

To me, it just sounds like you need to learn the tools you have better. Understanding how a filter works, what effect it will have on different kinds of signals and how it will respond to different kinds of modulations will help you anticipate what you need to use to get the results you want.

Also, if you are just looking to experiment, having this understanding will help you anticipate the sound you will get when you setup your filter a certain way.

I won't recommend any specific effect because I don't think that will do you any good. I will however suggest some techniques.
If you want a 'rubber' or 'bending' type of sound use a filter that with high resonance that can be modulated at very high rates (into audio rates). FMing a LPF will favor low frequencies and thus result in a heavier/bassy sound, FMing a HPf will favor high frequencies and result in a hollow/thinner sound.

[jontah]

To me, it just sounds like you need to learn the tools you have better. Understanding how a filter works, what effect it will have on different kinds of signals and how it will respond to different kinds of modulations will help you anticipate what you need to use to get the results you want.

Also, if you are just looking to experiment, having this understanding will help you anticipate the sound you will get when you setup your filter a certain way.

I won't recommend any specific effect because I don't think that will do you any good. I will however suggest some techniques.
If you want a 'rubber' or 'bending' type of sound use a filter that with high resonance that can be modulated at very high rates (into audio rates). FMing a LPF will favor low frequencies and thus result in a heavier/bassy sound, FMing a HPf will favor high frequencies and result in a hollow/thinner sound.

To be honest, I've studied deeply into sound design, how LFO's, filters, modulation matrixes etc work. I've even bought courses for this. This is certainly not the problem. But eventhough I know what everything does and how many of the things sound, I still find myself limited to... I don't know! I guess I'm abit afraid of failing and wasting time on something that won't sound right in the end for some reason. Eventhough I know the process is trial and error.

I really want a proffessional, creative sound that is rather complex. I think I know alot of stuff in terms of synthesis (additive and abit of FM), but what I do want to get more knowledge about is the outside effects such as different filtertypes (DAFT, Scream, and the others) aswell as knowing how to apply them and what sound I get from them.

other than that, what else could you do? like distortion can do alot, I've played around with tons of distortion plugins (Ohmicide, Saturn, Logics built in overdrive, distortion and clip distortion plugins, Camelphat etc), and I surely get some distorted sounds from them, but it's just distortion. I've never got something "odd" from it.

Jesus I don't even know what I'm after, just some extra modulation and weird effects outside of the synth I guess, lol.

On a sidenote, I wish to add something like this:



the bending effect,

and with kind of rubberbending I mean this:



the sound that comes in at 1.44, it sounds weird, but I always think of rubber bending when I hear that type of sound. lol

[rifftrax]

LOL, really you guys could be more helpful.

Here, I know exactly what you are looking for my friend...

1. Download atlantis:
http://jeremyevers.com/atlantis/

2. Put the atlantis filter vst fx module on an fx channel. Put Loudmax after it in your fx chain (draw both sliders on the plugin back to -10db). Route the synth of your choice to that fx channel/track/buss.

3. Playback a loop or whatever you would like on your synth and while that's happening hit the "random all" button on atlantis filter.

4. Poof! Instant sound design. Watch what settings are changed to pick up cool pro tips on how to get cool sounding shiz.

And, you're welcome.

[ariston]

Well, although I'd second justin3am's advice, you seem to know everything about sound design that there is to know - at least you make it sound like that. So here's some plugin suggestions:

You need to get spectral on your music's ass. Use Spectrumworx, Izotope Spectron, or Spectral Machine to get those "out there" sounds. Of the three, I prefer Spectrumworx - it's semi-modular, has more modules than you'll ever need, and comes with a lot of freaky presets to get you started.

You need to spend some time with it to really appreciate it and to get musical results, though, because you can hack your audio to unrecognisable bits in no time.

[Neon Breath]

If you really want to dig deeper into sound design, I suggest you to experiment and learn granular & spectral synthesis (as mentioned above by ariston). This will take you where filters, delays, reverbs and other conventional fx will never be able to.

[jontah]

LOL, really you guys could be more helpful.

Here, I know exactly what you are looking for my friend...

1. Download atlantis:
http://jeremyevers.com/atlantis/

2. Put the atlantis filter vst fx module on an fx channel. Put Loudmax after it in your fx chain (draw both sliders on the plugin back to -10db). Route the synth of your choice to that fx channel/track/buss.

3. Playback a loop or whatever you would like on your synth and while that's happening hit the "random all" button on atlantis filter.

4. Poof! Instant sound design. Watch what settings are changed to pick up cool pro tips on how to get cool sounding shiz.

And, you're welcome.

wow really good advices here!


THANKS a bunch guys!!

Atlantis, is it available on MAC aswell? doesn't seem so :/ I'm on a MAC.

Well, although I'd second justin3am's advice, you seem to know everything about sound design that there is to know - at least you make it sound like that. So here's some plugin suggestions:

You need to get spectral on your music's ass. Use Spectrumworx, Izotope Spectron, or Spectral Machine to get those "out there" sounds. Of the three, I prefer Spectrumworx - it's semi-modular, has more modules than you'll ever need, and comes with a lot of freaky presets to get you started.

You need to spend some time with it to really appreciate it and to get musical results, though, because you can hack your audio to unrecognisable bits in no time.

Alright, I never understood the thing with granular synthesis, what's so special about it? to me it sounds so.. un-musical for some reason, therefore I never cared. But as you say, this is might be the thing I'm after. To be honest just look at Izoptope's demo of Spectron, i'ts really retarded and sounds so bad:



Will check out Spectrumworx!

If you really want to dig deeper into sound design, I suggest you to experiment and learn granular & spectral synthesis (as mentioned above by ariston). This will take you where filters, delays, reverbs and other conventional fx will never be able to.

I'll keep that in mind, cheers alot! Although I wonder, is there any way to study granular synthesis? anyone care to share tutorials or tips on where I can read/watch videos about it? would be cool.

Again, thanks for awsome replies! really appreciate this alot.

[justin3am]

Although I wonder, is there any way to study granular synthesis? anyone care to share tutorials or tips on where I can read/watch videos about it? would be cool.

Read Microsound by Curtis Roads. Granular systhesis and FFT processing can be as musical or un-musical as you'd like. It depends on the application, not the tool. If you use granular sampling on sound sources that are tuned chromatically and only transpose in semitone, it should be fairly easy to get musical results.

Again, a better understanding of how these things work will help you achieve the results you want. Granular synthesis, in it's most simple form is all about moving the playback position and playback rate of a small loop around a larger sample. You can apply that concept in much more complex ways to achieve some really remarkable results but you have to learn how to walk before you can run (I'm just full of sappy platitudes today ).

[jontah]

Although I wonder, is there any way to study granular synthesis? anyone care to share tutorials or tips on where I can read/watch videos about it? would be cool.

Read Microsound by Curtis Roads. Granular systhesis and FFT processing can be as musical or un-musical as you'd like. It depends on the application, not the tool. If you use granular sampling on sound sources that are tuned chromatically and only transpose in semitone, it should be fairly easy to get musical results.

Again, a better understanding of how these things work will help you achieve the results you want. Granular synthesis, in it's most simple form is all about moving the playback position and playback rate of a small loop around a larger sample. You can apply that concept in much more complex ways to achieve some really remarkable results but you have to learn how to walk before you can run (I'm just full of sappy platitudes today ).

Great stuff! thanks alot man!

Wow, I just fell in love with Spectrumworx without even trying it lol, I just watched a few videos on youtube. So this is what all the producers use to get their "unique" crazy sounds?

Are there more forms of synthesis other than granular, that also does crazy things with the sound? I bet there are alot of more stuff that I've missed out. Very interesting thread, I learned so much by just asking this question, I'm very thankful for this!

Cheers guys.

[Bronto Scorpio]

I know it has been said a lot already and no one wants to hear it but please learn how to use the stuff you already have before you buy new tools. You'll be in exactly the same situation again after a week when the presets of the new tool start to bore you again.

Theoretical knowledge is one thing....but to use it in the "real world" is something completely differnet.
One could probably learn everything about subtractive synthesis in one day but it can take a whole life to get the most out of it.

After some time you'll discover many, many small tricks to get unique sounds.
And these will be *your* tricks.

Spectrumworx, Spectron etc. have nothing to do with granular synthesis by the way. They use Additive/Spectral (Re)Synthesis.

Cheers
Dennis

[Neon Breath]

Spectrumworx, Spectron etc. have nothing to do with granular synthesis by the way. They use Additive/Spectral (Re)Synthesis.

Cheers
Dennis

Actually, SpectrumWorx is entirely working in the spectral domain, not additive at all.

[jontah]

Spectrumworx, Spectron etc. have nothing to do with granular synthesis by the way. They use Additive/Spectral (Re)Synthesis.

Cheers
Dennis

Actually, SpectrumWorx is entirely working in the spectral domain, not additive at all.

oh well, any tips on granular synthesis plugin then? I don't think I have one, apart from Alchemy (as far as I know).

Spectrumworx doesn't seem to exist in AU version, only MAC VST version, or is it out in AU yet, anyone knows? :/

[Neon Breath]

If you already own Alchemy, I would stick with it and start learning it, Alchemy has a powerful granular engine under the hood and combined with all its modulation possibilities, you already are in a really good hands for granular. No need to look somehwere else at the moment, you can learn aslot on granular synthesis with Alchemy for sure.

I suggest you to read the official Camel Audio's forum, there's lot of useful threads and video tutorials as well on granular: http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=32

[jontah]

If you already own Alchemy, I would stick with it and start learning it, Alchemy has a powerful granular engine under the hood and combined with all its modulation possibilities, you already are in a really good hands for granular. No need to look somehwere else at the moment, you can learn aslot on granular synthesis with Alchemy for sure.

I suggest you to read the official Camel Audio's forum, there's lot of useful threads and video tutorials as well on granular: http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=32

You are right. Alchemy Will be the tool I'll study. But I got very interested in the spectrumworx plugin too (since its so Easy to apply effects and transform the sound in just a few click), is it released as an au plugin now or still just Mac vst? Thanks!

[Neon Breath]

You are right. Alchemy Will be the tool I'll study. But I got very interested in the spectrumworx plugin too (since its so Easy to apply effects and transform the sound in just a few click), is it released as an au plugin now or still just Mac vst? Thanks!

VST format only http://www.littleendian.com/shop/