Need some suggestions for good 80s sounds. (Also good discussion on 80s music too)

[excuse me please]

Well, if you want to keep the arp, then maybe filter it a little here and there. For instance at around 0:30 when the synth comes in. Then my ears want to focus more on the synth.
To my taste the arp is too dominant.
Btw when I said "better" I meant "easier" to work with. Sorry.

[Peraqsha]

Well, if you want to keep the arp, then maybe filter it a little here and there. For instance at around 0:30 when the synth comes in. Then my ears want to focus more on the synth.
To my taste the arp is too dominant.
Btw when I said "better" I meant "easier" to work with. Sorry.

Thanks for the ideas.

Also no need to be sorry, I'm totally open to critique. I'm not one of those types that goes on a bender because someone doesn't get his art.

I'm here to learn

Cheers

[jamcat]

Stay away from anything DX7 related.

In the first half of the ‘80s, even the bad music was good. That changed in large part to the DX7.

[arkmabat]

John Carpenter's stuff is like the absolute worst of the 80s. Go and listen to Yello, Depeche Mode, Ultravox or John Foxx, that's the good stuff from the 80s.

Stay away from anything DX7 related.

I thought OP was going for stereotypical '80s, but for something both stereotypical and listenable by today's standards, then give Mr. Mister's Welcome to the Real World album a listen. The whole album is good all the way through. Cranked reverb, programmed DX7 e-bass, but it has aged surprisingly well. I'd say even better than Depeche Mode.

[Passing Bye]

My goal is pretty much to make my music sound warm with plenty of drift but not so much that it ruins the melodies.

That's the stuff you should seek for in the source of sound, not add it afterwards.

OTT is a multiband compressor right? I'll go look at it.

Yes, it sound extreme and kind of got instant gratification thing, little goes long way, as already suggested try it slapping on stereo buss, but not much than 20%, anythign lower will work too, saw Mike Spike Stent used it on 2% on his stereo buss, you decide how much do you need it, but as far as obvious and instant goes, OTT is kinda of spot on, not for synthwave per se, but as an effect in general.

Arrround 30 minutes in
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfPaepcRsyY

I'm kind of leaning away from Izotope because I've seen some people think they might go subscription only in the future and I'm not really on board for that.

Good call.

Waves One knob might be a good idea too.

Defientely look into CLA series stuff.

https://www.waves.com/bundles/chris-lor ... ure-series

Also wouldn't hurt to watch stuff like this
https://www.sonicacademy.com/courses/sy ... e-midnight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19eNnzpwKuA

[BONES]

I thought OP was going for stereotypical '80s

The thing is, there really wasn't anything "stereotypical". That was kind of the point of the 80s. The OP says "80s" and some people go straight to John Carpenter, while I go to Yello and John Foxx, bypassing Talk Talk, Tears For Fears, Spizz, The Stranglers and Devo.

[Peraqsha]

Well FWIW I went ahead and bought 2 80s hits albums and have been listening to them.

Here's the track list in case anyone is interested.

album1
- Girls just want to have fun
- wake me up before you go-go
- never gonna give you up
- total eclipse of the heart
- I ran
- 99 Luftballons
- Who can it be now?
- You spin me round (like a record)
- I want candy
- Walk like an egyptian
- your love
- Jessies girl
- Kyrie
- Out of touch
- Walk this way
- Toy Soldiers
- Cum on feel the noise
- Takke me home tonight
- Voices carry
- Break. my stride
- We built this city

album2
- Need you tonight
- please don't go
- love shack
- Take on me
- Give me the night
- Owner of a lonely heart
- each time you break my heart
- gimme gimme gimme
- geno
- The wild boys
- I want to know what love is
- Epic
- in private
- 18 and life
- who's making love
- headed for heartbreak
- w'ere not gonna take it
- Dance floor
- I'm gonna be (500 miles)
- One in a million you
- Fly away
- Heartbeat City
- Through the fire
- Beast of Burden
- Real people
- I want her
- Sweet Love
- Black Velvet
- Romantic
- Oh daddy

[arkmabat]

Even '80s compilation CDs are Rick Rolling people now.

[Passing Bye]

This thread is a mess, started as mixing plugins for generic synthwave genre and now we are discussing 80s music...

Just make the music you love and feel inside with the tools you find appropriate for your own amusement, if your thing is to shoehorn yourself into some cliché, than whatever floats your boats, if not, just make music, been that mixture of 80s,90s and 00s with twist of some modern EDM, it's you in the end of the day, your taste and inspiration, music you grew up on and listen, make music that you want to listen and same will probably resonate more than anything.

Personally I would rather listen to (and actually do) someone who is inspired by his taste and past, than someone who is tripping that he is in the past and try to sound like cliché version of same, but there are even more folks who would just listen and make same generic cliché over and over, nothing wrong with that either, at least they know what they like.

Find yourself and enjoy, you shouldn't make or use anything just because you are supposed to do that to be authentic, be you, do whatever feels right for you!

[arkmabat]

Speaking of Synthwave and John Carpenter...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONKi2S6YBSU

[jamcat]

I thought OP was going for stereotypical '80s

The thing is, there really wasn't anything "stereotypical". That was kind of the point of the 80s. The OP says "80s" and some people go straight to John Carpenter, while I go to Yello and John Foxx, bypassing Talk Talk, Tears For Fears, Spizz, The Stranglers and Devo.

But everyone can agree on Tubeway Army with Gary Numan.

[Peraqsha]

This thread is a mess, started as mixing plugins for generic synthwave genre and now we are discussing 80s music...

Yes it's definitely morphed and changed. I updated the thread to reflect a bit on what's going on here now.

Just make the music you love and feel inside with the tools you find appropriate for your own amusement, if your thing is to shoehorn yourself into some cliché, than whatever floats your boats, if not, just make music, been that mixture of 80s,90s and 00s with twist of some modern EDM, it's you in the end of the day, your taste and inspiration, music you grew up on and listen, make music that you want to listen and same will probably resonate more than anything.

Yah you know I think I'll follow this advice, I do like just making my own "style" because I really have never studied one type of music to try and emulate. I think most of my stuff just comes from the musical inspirations I have heard over the years in one form or another.

Personally I would rather listen to (and actually do) someone who is inspired by his taste and past, than someone who is tripping that he is in the past and try to sound like cliché version of same, but there are even more folks who would just listen and make same generic cliché over and over, nothing wrong with that either, at least they know what they like.

This is a good point.

Find yourself and enjoy, you shouldn't make or use anything just because you are supposed to do that to be authentic, be you, do whatever feels right for you!

Yah I'm not doing this for money just for fun. Thanks for the good advice.!

[Peraqsha]

Speaking of Synthwave and John Carpenter...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONKi2S6YBSU

Interesting video

I'm starting to notice how synthwave is kind of like this "modern" interpretation of the 80s. It was most likely started by kids born in the 90s and 2000s.

[planetearth]

You might find these helpful:

https://youtu.be/ylKvL2tvk2Q
https://youtu.be/6B7zfBazEAM

In them, Espen "I am the '80s" Kraft goes into an '80s songwriting lesson, from the composition (choosing the right "'80s-sounding chords and progressions") to the instruments and production methods.

He's done quite a bit of '80s-sounding stuff, and he doesn't mind sharing some helpful tips for those looking to reproduce the sound of a decade which, frankly, fluctuated wildly from 1980 to 1989. (I was there, and I like a lot of it.) I'm not sure exactly what you're looking for, though. I tried to listen to the track you posted on SoundCloud, but I guess you removed it.

For my own '80s-inspired or '80s-sounding stuff, I use the free PG-8X and Dexed quite a bit. I didn't see the PG-8X on your list of synths, and while I know you're looking for more of a "jack-of-all-trades" synth, this one will get you very close to covering a lot of '80s sounds with just its factory presets. (I have Pigments as well, and while it can do "analog", that's not really its strong suit. Plus, it's a bit of a CPU hog.)

Steve

[Passing Bye]

Yah you know I think I'll follow this advice, I do like just making my own "style" because I really have never studied one type of music to try and emulate. I think most of my stuff just comes from the musical inspirations I have heard over the years in one form or another.

That's the spirit!