Is it necessary to design your own sounds?

[endmusik]

I wish there were presets like what I do with some of my stuff

[Sicklecell666]

eat a buncha pills..use left hand instead of right for everything..save as..done.

[endmusik]

eat a buncha pills..use left hand instead of right for everything..save as..done.

is that you standing behind me?

[endmusik]

in all seriousness though - I've been using less and less presets for my projects, since about 6 months ago I've tried to do the whole "creative sound design" thing for all my projects, though there are a few things that always get me going that I can turn to.

The important thing is to focus on the song when the song needs to be important, and the sound design when the sound design is important. When I'm working on a Wretch or Ivilion track, that's 3/4's sound design, so alot of time is spent on sound shaping and processing. With the other projects, it's very much focused on getting a song across, so slapping a preset in the mix isn't something I stress about.

though I will freely admit to using biomechanoid and Doctor T's sounds quite frequently and whenever possible. Feels like a collaboration everytime I fire up absynth, tera2 or the evolver

michael

[shamann]

There seem to be 3 types of musicians:

1)Must use all original sounds, painstakingly designed or manipulated, so that it sounds like nothing else anyone's ever heard.

2)Use presets, samples, or recognizable instruments without worrying about if the sounds are unique, but concentrates on the actual composition/arrangement.

3)Inbetween the two. Use the sounds as they are, unless can't find a preset that suits a particular part of the arrangement--then design/tweak a sound to fit the need.

...whether these sounds can add up to a good piece of music is another matter altogether.

You seem to imply that those who fall in group 1 are failures at music composition, to which I would add that if that's how you feel, I'd guess you don't know enough about music composition. And that stuff about pros is just a bunch of crap. They are working with the same materials as you, and there are cases when their fine work just isn't appropriate for your needs.

But I think the answer to your initial question is no. Nothing is necessary. If you want to you use presets, go nuts.

Think of it like this: in the same manner that guitar players are constantly improving their technique by changing their finger position, the way they strum, the way they hold a pick, the way they place their arms, and so on, all to develop their own style, same goes for synth players. Making your own sounds is just another facet of developing musical technique.

Cheers,
Steve

[Sicklecell666]

half the time I get so distracted with what I'm messing with sound-wise I lose track of what I was originally trying to accomplish, which in most cases is nothing, granted, but still it makes a case for a good preset collection if you really just wanna hash out a tune..Once it's done tear it to shreds, but I either:

A - build a song around a sound I really dig, like showcasing a really cool preset that just doesn't fit into jack shit.

or

B - get the tune fleshed out as much as I can, then replace half of it with new sounds.

My big pitfall is opening those damned Spectral Relativity impulse responses..talk about distracting



that's a good thing.

[opiadream]

There seem to be 3 types of musicians:

1)Must use all original sounds, painstakingly designed or manipulated, so that it sounds like nothing else anyone's ever heard.

2)Use presets, samples, or recognizable instruments without worrying about if the sounds are unique, but concentrates on the actual composition/arrangement.

3)Inbetween the two. Use the sounds as they are, unless can't find a preset that suits a particular part of the arrangement--then design/tweak a sound to fit the need.

..and then there's Maude

[bluedad]

There seem to be 3 types of musicians:

1)Must use all original sounds, painstakingly designed or manipulated, so that it sounds like nothing else anyone's ever heard.

2)Use presets, samples, or recognizable instruments without worrying about if the sounds are unique, but concentrates on the actual composition/arrangement.

3)Inbetween the two. Use the sounds as they are, unless can't find a preset that suits a particular part of the arrangement--then design/tweak a sound to fit the need.

..and then there's Maude

showing your age there, opia!

[opiadream]

shady pines bluedad

[DevonB]

Does a pianist need to have his own 'custom-made' piano to be able to write? Does a poet need to 'invent' new words to write a poem? Does an artist need to create their own 'medium' to be a valid artist? Or can they all use the tools that are available and play, write, or paint what they like?

Sounds to me like saying someone has to create their own sounds is validation that you're 'better' than someone else.

I have a hard enough time finding music I find palettable to my ears, the last thing I'm worried about is did he/she make his own presets in the process. That's just fodder for people who actually care, which is a fraction of your audience most of the time anyway. Is the song good? Yes or no. A good song is good regardless of if a preset was used or not.

Devon

[shamann]

Sounds to me like saying someone has to create their own sounds is validation that you're 'better' than someone else.

Who said that?

[WilliamK]

I just hate myself when I use ready-made presets, drum-loops, etc... but it has happened a lot, so I would say: "sometimes".

Still, when I hear songs full with those sample-cds loops, I tend to skip to the next one...

Hummm, but again, who never listened to that old song and "Jumped"!

Wk

[tee boy]

I tend to think of it differently depending on the piece and definately depending on the sound. I mean, Iv got no beef with using orchestral samples, piano and rhodes samples, acoustic drum samples etc. I dont have the resources to record this stuff myself, plus in the case of these instruments its not the sample that makes the music - it all in the composition. I'd personally have no more control over the music if i had live musicians playing this stuff than if i used the samples, so convenience always wins. The same sometimes can be said about synth presets. If i hear a nice lead or bass preset that i like, i dont see any reason not to use it as long as its just an instrumental tone.

I say it also depends on the piece too, cuz some music lends itself to presets more than others. If i was doing some cheesy trance remix, then its highly likely i'd be using Virus and JP presets galore. These sounds are the bread 'n butter of the style, just like Violins and Cellos etc and the bread n' butter of orchestral music. I really dont think that spending ages knocking up all these sounds from scratch would make any significant difference to the music, so f**k it. Whatever works best in this example.

I think though, when the sounds start to have such an effect on the music which is beyond just notes, then its time to program yourself. Does that make sense? Think of it like this - if a synth part in a track has a significant emotional impact which is purely down to its timbral characteristics, then it really has to be programmed by me. I feel that many of my sounds fit into this category, and therefore end up programming most of it myself.

I agree that sound design and writing can sometimes clash, which is why i go about it the way i do. I usually put a framework together quickly using presets (my own or others), then once the composition is together i get busy with designing stuff. My music features loads of ambience, textural stuff and fx, which i feel plays a significant role. If i were to use premade stuff in this case, i would without doubt feel uneasy about it, cuz i'd basically be using premade music.

And all in all, i think thats really what it comes down too. Are the samples / presets just instrumental sounds, or are they music in their own right? I suppose its down to yourself where you draw the line.

[Melodialworks]

I use presets, and tweak presets, but often use them in an unconventional manner, for example using a pad for a lead sound. The bottom line is I use and massage the sounds that work for my music.

I think we are talking about process versus product here. For me, the most important aspect is the finished product - the music.

Does it really matter if the sounds were programmed by a professional, or created by an amateur? Nope. What really matters is the music! Does it convey what it is supposed to? Is it moving, effective, etc.?

[ouroboros]

I enjoy tweaking/programming and often find it inspiring, but sometimes, I compose a larger figure using presets and samples.


BTW Sh@ne, made it 1/2 through your article (had to stop reading as guests came over) it was very intriguing and enjoyable. I look forward to finishing it and learning more.