A Synth is only as good as its presets

[Distorted Horizon]

Well, country relies mostly on lyrics/singing when guitar is only giving rhythm and background noise.

Electronic music then.. A bit more wide area to make the song interesting.

[aMUSEd]

I’m sure you could create Country music with electronic instruments too if you wanted to - any style of music can be adapted

[digitalboytn]

I’m sure you could create Country music with electronic instruments too if you wanted to - any style of music can be adapted

There's some pretty hip hillbillies living in Nashville

[Stefken]

Electronic musicians are somehow expected to be jacks of all trades - song writers, sound designers, mixing engineers, producers, mastering engineers... While e.g. country musicians get away with using the exact same guitar "preset" on 10 consecutive albums

+100

I don't understand the obsession to spot : hey, this synth sound has already been used on this track, while rock artists use (the same) guitar on every track.

[wagtunes]

Presets are definitely important. Just look at some of the most successful keyboards like the DX7 and M1. Their presets are incredibly iconic and used on a lot of different records of the time. Most people couldn't tell you which synth they came from, but they will recognize the sounds instantly.

Personally I don't think using presets comes down to "lack of talent" or "laziness", just producers focusing on different parts of the process of making a song. Some of my favorite artists use a lot of presets in their songs, but the songwriting and production are interesting so it doesn't feel unoriginal. Electronic musicians are somehow expected to be jacks of all trades - song writers, sound designers, mixing engineers, producers, mastering engineers... While e.g. country musicians get away with using the exact same guitar "preset" on 10 consecutive albums

Well, that's the snobbery of our "profession".

Imagine how we'd laugh at Mozart using the same orchestral instruments for every piece. Piano sonata? Huh? Only one instrument? And it sounds the same every single time you use it? How boring is THAT? And what's with all these violins and violas and cellos for every damn symphony? Can't we throw in a nice TB-303 acid bass to liven things up a bit?

Can you imagine Beethoven's 5th with a TB-303 opening up that symphony? Now THAT would be cool.

For the sarcasticly impaired, the above is, well, you know.

We're all just a bunch of snobs.

[recursive one]

Can you imagine Beethoven's 5th with a TB-303 opening up that symphony? Now THAT would be cool.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4uMK7AIeIc

[anomandaris1]

Imagine how we'd laugh at Mozart using the same orchestral instruments for every piece. Piano sonata? Huh? Only one instrument? And it sounds the same every single time you use it? How boring is THAT?

Well, presets usually are not as expressive as most real instruments.
Maybe getting a preset, copying it, making variations, putting all this into a modular plugin chainer with some control over which version of the preset is playing for each articulation is the way.
Or playing the presets, then automating everything for studio recordings, but it won't sound much like the preset in the end.

[Tj Shredder]

Well, presets usually are not as expressive as most real instruments.

Unless they support MPE and you play them with an expressive controller. For example there are a lot 5D presets for Cypher 2 which are as expressive as any real instrument can get. But they sound very different... Even if you take into account, that real instruments have a lot of unusal methods to be played as well, the synth can change its sound with the push of a button...

[fluffy_little_something]

Imagine how we'd laugh at Mozart using the same orchestral instruments for every piece. Piano sonata? Huh? Only one instrument? And it sounds the same every single time you use it? How boring is THAT?

Well, presets usually are not as expressive as most real instruments.

You mean soft synth presets?
I am not sure that is correct. If I am not mistaken the famous Jupiter 8 and OB-8 didn't even have velocity, let alone aftertouch...

[ZeePok]

Can you imagine Beethoven's 5th with a TB-303 opening up that symphony? Now THAT would be cool.

 
Well, there's that "A Fifth of Beethoven" from Saturday Night Fever which is funkeeee! as hell!

Really loove that '70's Disco sound!

[Teksonik]

I'm coining a new term of derision...."Sawalopa". Sawalopas are people whose definition of synthesis is so myopic they think the only kind of synth sound is a Saw Wave through a Low Pass filter......

"Oooooh no softsynth sounds like an Oberheim" they bleat like sheep. Yea well let's hear the Ober-rated do the wavesequencing or sample based Osc sounds of modern softsynths. Can't happen.

If you're stuck 35 years in the past then by all means sell your house and buy an old Oberheim but if you want to experience the true power and future of synthesis then fire up those VSTi synths.

There's also some people here who seem to think "preset" has to mean a sound that contains sequence data. There are literally tens of thousands of presets that don't have sequenced notes in them. If you use a preset that does not contain sequencing and someone accuses you of being a "copy cat" then it's your music at fault not the preset.......

Now you kids get off of my lawn.........

[sleepcircle]

oh dear

[wagtunes]

I'm coining a new term of derision...."Sawalopa". Sawalopas are people whose definition of synthesis is so myopic they think the only kind of synth sound is a Saw Wave through a Low Pass filter......

"Oooooh no softsynth sounds like an Oberheim" they bleat like sheep. Yea well let's hear the Ober-rated do the wavesequencing or sample based Osc sounds of modern softsynths. Can't happen.

If you're stuck 35 years in the past then by all means sell your house and buy an old Oberheim but if you want to experience the true power and future of synthesis then fire up those VSTi synths.

There's also some people here who seem to think "preset" has to mean a sound that contains sequence data. There are literally tens of thousands of presets that don't have sequenced notes in them. If you use a preset that does not contain sequencing and someone accuses you of being a "copy cat" then it's your music at fault not the preset.......

Now you kids get off of my lawn.........

LMAO. You tell 'em Tek.

[fluffy_little_something]

I do use square waves as well, I am a proud sasqualopa
If it sounds good, there is nothing wrong with that, it never goes out of style, like a black dress in Portugal

[anttimaatteri]

del this