One Synth Challenge #73 special: Synthmaster (Jasinski wins!)

[ontrackp]

Wagtunes said:

"This is supposed to be fun, and to that end I give it the attention that it deserves to make it fun and not turn it into a job."

I heartily agree with that!

[wagtunes]

For each of the osc's I've entered I plan to do a remake of the tracks using samples when needed and other vsti's, maybe even a new arrangement at parts. Then do a release of them, so to me the osc is like a foundation for tracks that will be released. So I wouldn't ever call it a waste of time, plus the more time you spend creating the better you get, so it's never a waste of time even If I didn't plan to release any of them. If you want better production skills you must have the experience and a bit of patience, but experience is best. I think there are diffenently talented musicians but productions skills are mostly all from experience imo, so don't count yourself short

Know what my problem is? Nobody ever taught me this stuff and I don't have a "natural" aptitude for it. So everything is very hard for me even to get the sound that I do get. It's all trial and error. My only formal education was in music composition, which I think shows. But when it comes to production skills, they have always come hard for me. To this day, I still don't really know how to "professionally" use EQs, Compressors and Limiters. I just kind of fool around with the settings until I think it sounds good. But I really don't have any idea what I'm doing.

Essentially, I'm a composer who has to make his own music to be heard because I can't get other people to record my songs for me. Been down that road for 36 years with nothing to show for it. These days, I do patch libraries for synths because that comes easy to me.

But whatever. I'm just here to have a good time.

[SoundGoddess]

@wagtunes - I thought you'd recycled a previous month's entry instead of creating something brand new for the month of March? I'm not sure why I'd gotten that impression but that's what I remembered.

[Touch The Universe]

Wagtunes said:

"This is supposed to be fun, and to that end I give it the attention that it deserves to make it fun and not turn it into a job."

I heartily agree with that!

It is fun, and I think I can say that on behalf of every producer here. I would of course love to hear tracks from people who take it seriously however, and when they do, it shows! So I don't see any reason it can't be both, fun and serious entries. I'd never call it a job, ever

[wagtunes]

@wagtunes - I thought you'd recycled a previous month's entry instead of creating something brand new for the month of March? I'm not sure why I'd gotten that impression but that's what I remembered.

Totally new track. I seldom will redo a track unless I felt it needed to be done.

One song I wrote many years ago (back in the 80s) called "Climbing Statues" I did two versions of. One slow and one a little faster.

I have done a few covers including "What Is Life" by George Harrison, "The Wall" by Kansas and "The Theme From MacGyver" which I actually posted up on YouTube.

[SoundGoddess]

@wagtunes - I thought you'd recycled a previous month's entry instead of creating something brand new for the month of March? I'm not sure why I'd gotten that impression but that's what I remembered.

Totally new track. I seldom will redo a track unless I felt it needed to be done.

Oh ok, my apologies. I think someone said they'd resubmitted their synthmaster entry from a previous any synth challenge. Maybe I just was confused and thought it was you because you were the first one to submit an entry. So many entries this month it's kind of hard to keep track of

Good job on the McGyver cover, brings back memories

[MTLE]

For each of the osc's I've entered I plan to do a remake of the tracks using samples when needed and other vsti's, maybe even a new arrangement at parts. Then do a release of them, so to me the osc is like a foundation for tracks that will be released. So I wouldn't ever call it a waste of time, plus the more time you spend creating the better you get, so it's never a waste of time even If I didn't plan to release any of them. If you want better production skills you must have the experience and a bit of patience, but experience is best. I think there are diffenently talented musicians but productions skills are mostly all from experience imo, so don't count yourself short

Know what my problem is? Nobody ever taught me this stuff and I don't have a "natural" aptitude for it. So everything is very hard for me even to get the sound that I do get. It's all trial and error. My only formal education was in music composition, which I think shows. But when it comes to production skills, they have always come hard for me. To this day, I still don't really know how to "professionally" use EQs, Compressors and Limiters. I just kind of fool around with the settings until I think it sounds good. But I really don't have any idea what I'm doing.

That's where we all went thru. Making music since early 90's with 10 years break (damn how many track I could have done ). Until my 3rd/4th OSC I didn't use EQ, Comps and Limiters. I didn't know how to use it right and wouldn't cut things from the nice standalone sounds. My "DomestEQ8ed" was my learning of EQs and finally changed my mind. I still have problems finding the configuration in situations, but I get faster fixing things. I take the time for track if its needed. Only thing stopping me from continue on a track is the deadline or the decission to be finished. First one happens more often.

Experience is nothing you can buy. You need this try and error phase to improve. It's easier these days than ever before. Thousands of "How-to's" in the net. Just pick the important information for you and don't believe everything

[wagtunes]

For each of the osc's I've entered I plan to do a remake of the tracks using samples when needed and other vsti's, maybe even a new arrangement at parts. Then do a release of them, so to me the osc is like a foundation for tracks that will be released. So I wouldn't ever call it a waste of time, plus the more time you spend creating the better you get, so it's never a waste of time even If I didn't plan to release any of them. If you want better production skills you must have the experience and a bit of patience, but experience is best. I think there are diffenently talented musicians but productions skills are mostly all from experience imo, so don't count yourself short

Know what my problem is? Nobody ever taught me this stuff and I don't have a "natural" aptitude for it. So everything is very hard for me even to get the sound that I do get. It's all trial and error. My only formal education was in music composition, which I think shows. But when it comes to production skills, they have always come hard for me. To this day, I still don't really know how to "professionally" use EQs, Compressors and Limiters. I just kind of fool around with the settings until I think it sounds good. But I really don't have any idea what I'm doing.

That's where we all went thru. Making music since early 90's with 10 years break (damn how many track I could have done ). Until my 3rd/4th OSC I didn't use EQ, Comps and Limiters. I didn't know how to use it right and wouldn't cut things from the nice standalone sounds. My "DomestEQ8ed" was my learning of EQs and finally changed my mind. I still have problems finding the configuration in situations, but I get faster fixing things. I take the time for track if its needed. Only thing stopping me from continue on a track is the deadline or the decission to be finished. First one happens more often.

Experience is nothing you can buy. You need this try and error phase to improve. It's easier these days than ever before. Thousands of "How-to's" in the net. Just pick the important information for you and don't believe everything

So how did you actually get better at this? What did you do?

[ontrackp]

I learn from every piece I produce.
Every piece you finish should make you better.

Some simple advice for better production:
Focus on one thing at a time. Don't try to fix everything at once -- solo tracks and listen analytically. Solo groups. Play tracks that compete for sonic space together with everything else muted. Use your meters and get a good frequency analyzer (Voxengo SPAN is free). It's not complicated -- it's all logical and methodical but time consuming to do right.
Be super disciplined! Don't just tweak controls until it sounds good. Think before you change anything and keep track of what you're doing.

Avoid tools like multi-band compressors that can ruin your sound unless you really learn how to use them.

Generally speaking, when it comes to EQ and compression - less is more.

Don't slam the limiter!

There you go.... a thousand tutorials worth of instruction in a few sentences!

[Touch The Universe]

To add, also try to keep a mix as dynamic as possible, only worry about problem peaks. Also, it's good to at first experiment with the controls of the various fx, but once you get a grasp of how they work, only apply then once you have something in mind. I first know what I want to do with an effect before I insert it, I rarely just put on an effect an experiment. Though I do sessions with experimenting only often, usually to learn a new effect or skill. Cheers

[JWHanberry]

Follow the good advice above and just keep doing it.

[MTLE]

That's where we all went thru. Making music since early 90's with 10 years break (damn how many track I could have done ). Until my 3rd/4th OSC I didn't use EQ, Comps and Limiters. I didn't know how to use it right and wouldn't cut things from the nice standalone sounds. My "DomestEQ8ed" was my learning of EQs and finally changed my mind. I still have problems finding the configuration in situations, but I get faster fixing things. I take the time for track if its needed. Only thing stopping me from continue on a track is the deadline or the decission to be finished. First one happens more often.

Experience is nothing you can buy. You need this try and error phase to improve. It's easier these days than ever before. Thousands of "How-to's" in the net. Just pick the important information for you and don't believe everything

So how did you actually get better at this? What did you do?

First, don't try all at once. Go step by step.
For EQ I like to use ReaEQ, I'm sure cubase will have something to compare. It's showing the curve of audio and what the EQ does, for beginning visual is helpful. You see what you change and compare with audio.
Most important use of EQ is cutting the lower frequencies that are not needed. Which frequencies you need to cut depends on the instrument. Try EQs on single tracks, to hear clear whats going on. But final EQing should be done in the mix. Pay attention to different sound play at same time, to have not to much identical frequency range. Use EQ to split them where they overlap. Often its a thin line of to less or to much cutting. You have to find out for each track.
Compressor was a big secret for me. Try some tutorials to see general working. Mainly you use it for reduce dynamic to get more consitant sound with same level. Some instrument have big dynamic range, frequencies have varied levels (ie. Lower freqs are more quiet, higher are loud).
Limiter I use, but can't really explain how. There are different types.

Hope it was helpful. Feel free to ask special question via PM. Too much detail will go to far here...

UPDATE:
Check http://therecordingrevolution.com
They have tons of video tutorials about mixing and recording, explained on a very basic level.

[ThePresent]

I told someone some days ago, that's the spirit of OSC, people helping each other out... ;)

[SoundGoddess]

UPDATE:
Check http://therecordingrevolution.com
They have tons of video tutorials about mixing and recording, explained on a very basic level.

I've already been learning a lot from their daily newsletter. It is kind of a lot of email that they send, but it doesn't seem too spammy since it has useful information usually.

[wagtunes]

I told someone some days ago, that's the spirit of OSC, people helping each other out... ;)

You guys are all great. A lot of this stuff sounds very technical or too general to really turn the lights on, so to speak.

I do understand about the low frequencies and getting rid of them to a point. I also understand, in theory, about instruments occupying the same frequency and making space them for, but the problem is, I don't understand how to do that.

Which one do I cut? How much? How do I know when it's "good?" All I have to go by are my ears and they're not the greatest at my age. Hell, I had 30% hearing loss by the time I was in my teens. So hearing is against me. But does that have to matter? Can you technically do this by meters alone so that your ears don't matter as much? And if not, how do you compensate for bad ears?

Some things I just do because I was told to, like cutting above a certain frequency for crash cymbals. Compression and limiting, I just use the presets. If I'm doing a dance beat, I'll use the closest thing that says "dance compression." That's all I know how to do. The levels and settings themselves are close to meaningless to me.