One-Synth-Challenge: General discussion thread

[Moldavsky]

Thank you so much, Irion, for sharing some useful workflow tips. I thought it would be nice to quote it here in general discussion so it won't get lost at least for a couple other of OSC months.

Sure, i will share some tricks:

-I always start for the main idea in my head, this is the main part of the song, which is usually placed in the middle of the track. And then, i make a whole structured track from that. This is the basis, and i have bazillion of ideas and proyects in my old DVDs, and actual hard disc. The bad of it is that if you get bored of the main basis, you won't finish and develop that main idea. So as me, you will get many unfinished ideas.
I don't know of others start the track from beginning and continue from that. I basically start the track from the middle.

-Select the sounds that are inspiring to you in the preset browser.
Sometimes is faster to get an already made sound than making one from scratch, nothing bad in that. If a sound is useful to you and fits nicely with your track or proyect, use it.
Then you can tweak that preset, or start a new one when you need more of them. Which was no the case in this track, all sound were made from scratch, except the kick, i can't make miracles with this little freebie.

-Always save your effect presets. For example, as i usually use the same plugins, i have tons of presets made by me for the effects.
Mostly in EQ, Delays, Reverbs and so on. Music is like a memory, a mirror of yourself, so if you like a preset that was made by you long time ago, for sure you will like to use it again.
This is another way to go faster. For example i always use the same freaking preset for the MG Tempo Delay, because it is very pleasant to my ears, i saved it long time ago.
For the EQ i have some basic ones, for bass purposes, for cutting highs or low freqs, for general mastering purposes, etc. I just have to tweak them a bit, is up to the sound used.
Every sound in each channels, of course.

-About automations, if you are going to make a constant up and down curves, just use a LFO instead.
And you can always save your automations too.

-Get inspired by what you are doing, it is faster and easy to make a whole track when you are digging into it. As soon as you have the main idea in your head, the track will be made in no time if you feel motivated of it.

-In any case, take a proper rest too, your ears need to rest time to time. But at same time, as it is in my case, don't leave the proyect too many days off, or you will lose your interest.
This means that i didn't the whole track just today (but almost lol).

-Another reason that i'm fast, is when i started with FL Studio, which have been always my main program to go, i was using the damn demo. This means that i had to be faster, make a whole track in one day (because you couldn't load proyects) So i made tracks in the same day, rendering them in the same day, etc.
Of course, my style, workflow, and bad programing in that epoque were a disaster and way different to what i can do nowadays, so my tracks lacked of quality, and i was even faster than today. (Of course this doesn't mean that i'm so pro now, because i have much more to learn yet)

-Forget about instruction manuals, the best teacher is the practice in real time, this is how i learned everything about what i know nowadays in music.
However, read a manual when you are completely lost with a synth.
Your main daw is just another instrument, it is like a piano or a guitar, you have to "touch" it and make mistakes, feel comfortable with it and understand it.
You will get faster with practice. Practise is the only way to be faster (Kung Fu master said )

-The last trick that i can think about is that use what you have, you don't need more programs, to learn them will take time, in my case i always used FL, so i have a lot of shortcuts to make this and that. Save your shortcuts too. To make just music, you don't need too many things.

In any case, maybe this track was made really in about 8-9 hours. When i saw the proyect last time was saying 10 hours, but this is due i'm always leaving open FL for a while when i'm rendering the track, looking for a nice portrait for the song, even the titles (which i have a huge list in a txt made by me) or more freebies to put into the folders.
So i can easily waste one hour or two just doing nothing, with the proyect in the background counting minutes and minutes.

I hope it works for you and everyone else.

Have a nice day, buddies

[V'ger]

Hi,

This is a bit off topic: Spin off from OSC - music for my videos

Last week I held a presentation in our community about my hobby astrophotography. In a powerpoint presentation I told them what astrophotography is all about, what equipment one needs and a bit about my history in this hobby. In addition I made three videos, showing my result a bit animated and together with the music I made. So I could combine both of my hobbies. Most of you will recognice the two tracks from the OSC!

I put them now on YouTube. If you like to watch and listen:
- Clusters and widefield images
- Galaxies
- Nebulas

cheers,
Photonic

Totally awesome. Own music on own space pics and both are great and fit well.

[Moldavsky]

Hi,

This is a bit off topic: Spin off from OSC - music for my videos

Last week I held a presentation in our community about my hobby astrophotography. In a powerpoint presentation I told them what astrophotography is all about, what equipment one needs and a bit about my history in this hobby. In addition I made three videos, showing my result a bit animated and together with the music I made. So I could combine both of my hobbies. Most of you will recognice the two tracks from the OSC!

I put them now on YouTube. If you like to watch and listen:
- Clusters and widefield images
- Galaxies
- Nebulas

cheers,
Photonic

Totally awesome. Own music on own space pics and both are great and fit well.

+1

[bjporter]

Hi,

This is a bit off topic: Spin off from OSC - music for my videos

Last week I held a presentation in our community about my hobby astrophotography. In a powerpoint presentation I told them what astrophotography is all about, what equipment one needs and a bit about my history in this hobby. In addition I made three videos, showing my result a bit animated and together with the music I made. So I could combine both of my hobbies. Most of you will recognice the two tracks from the OSC!

I put them now on YouTube. If you like to watch and listen:
- Clusters and widefield images
- Galaxies
- Nebulas

cheers,
Photonic

GREAT JOB Photonic

[Moldavsky]

Definitely subscribed to your channel (first!), Photonic. Looking forward for more

[V'ger]

Poll:

Maybe time with a round to hear everyone's views and if anything could be improved. Format, technical or whatever. Rules vote to follow if enough voices.

Some things will never be agreed on like for example how much effects (outside the synth) ought to be used, but maybe still good to occasionally hear some views to see if there are commons as some may feel restricted by some 'unwritten law' that might not even be there - obviously not ideal.

Personally I haven't really changed my view and still prefer when tunes sound their best no matter if a lot of effects have been used even if the purest thing is maybe to have the synth sounding as it is. Bottom line is that imo it's best overall when the tunes sound killer as long as it's the synth at heart.

What do you think? More or less effect? On a scale from 1 to 10 (10 = max use of effects)?


Another thing is that we've now tried the use of a DR number for a while so maybe check if it's working or just an unnecessary hassle? Is it making your mixes better, worse or the same?

[z.prime]

What do you think? More or less effect? On a scale from 1 to 10 (10 = max use of effects)?

I'd vote for unrestricted freeware & DAW FX, personally, even if the sound is unrecognizable... unless it became so abused that the FX really were the synthesis regardless of the synth (e.g. I'd like chorus & glitch to be allowed, some others).

Is [DR] making your mixes better, worse or the same?

Not making things worse, just tedious (and good that it's not required).

[V'ger]

Cheers

Another thing is if DR is making listening to other songs more pleasurable as is the idea of pleasurize music!'s push to DR to begin with.

[alvfaria]

Yes, more effects, please. At least, give us chorus
Yes for DR values too, it is an "educational proccess" for all of us.

[bjporter]

V'ger, allowing so many effects already has really given me motivation to push a synth to it's greatest potential. Most 'professional' tunes use a lot of processing ... one of my goals is to make a one Synth Challenge sound like a professional track and could not be done without use of a lot of effects... the Synth is at heart which makes it so wonderful.

Thanks, also I forgot to say you do an amazing job with running OSC.

[Eauson]

Yes for DRM as it makes you limit yourself, abit like the challenge.

I like the fact that it is very minimal amount on the fx front, its one of the things that appeals to me really.
If its going to be all out everything, then it will be to the advantage of the people with the newest daw etc. Ableton 9 comes with a vast array of fx, will these be available?
The more limitations the greater the creativity no.
I'm happy however it comes, as its all gravy in terms of practice on new synths and the fact that you have to work to a deadline

[gorgorgathgorgorgor]

I agree. I'm in the more limits crowd. I would say eq, dynamics, delay and verb only. I would go further and limit it to Reaper and reaplugs only, but that's not practical for everyone.

[gorgorgathgorgorgor]

Oh, and I'm totally for DR as well. Pleasurize Music!

[z.prime]

I would go further and limit it to Reaper and reaplugs only, but that's not practical for everyone.

ReaPlugs, at least, would even the playing field - e.g. no more host effects; I'd probably vote that way but more permissive on what could be used .

[gorgorgathgorgorgor]

I would do that more in the spirit of making it all about the synth.