How much do you use presets? [Poll]

[ftech]

I don't think anyone who makes their own sounds does it for being able to say that they made their own sounds. And not for patting their own backs either like someone wrote earlier.

Maybe that should read "I don't think everyone......."

[KevWestBeats]

Sometimes I make a sound sometimes I use a preset. I don't get with the whole idea of I made a sound for the sake of saying I made a sound. If I can't quickly find the sound in my head then I will usually just make it if its easier otherwise I like presets. I am not a fan of not knowing how to use a synth because of its presets though.

I don't think anyone who makes their own sounds does it for being able to say that they made their own sounds. And not for patting their own backs either like someone wrote earlier.

True. At the end of the day, this is all about achieving the sound you desire, so does it really matter what you used as a base to create your sound? No, as long as it's legal and not a complete ripoff of someone else's work.

I've actually bumped into people who feel that you are not professional unless you make your own sounds. A lot of them but they are usually music creators themselves. I don't find fans giving a damn. Most fans that I find can't hear the difference between snares in this song or that song because they are too busy dancing.

[Crackbaby]

Dare i say i agree much with olikana? I know a lot of people here at kvr that i like use presets and i absolutely do not look down on them for doing so. Not at all.
People are different. What i do with music to feel good is different from anyone else. If you suffer from pain maybe you can't focus enough to tweak your own sounds.
For me tweaking a synth or drummachine is like sex where you try to touch the right buttons in order to climax. If you don't feel the same way it's probably hard to motivate yourself to tweak.
On my machindrum im playing a pattern. I've done everything from start. I loaded initialized machines and i've tweaked every sound, step and pattern myself. So i know that i've done 100% of this sound.
If you use some arpeggiated synthriff from nexus along with some processed drumloops and make a track out of it, how much did you really do of that composition?
In my heart, i wouldn't feel true to me if i did that. Each to his own.

I would say that if you want to call yourself a talented or gifted musician, then you better make your own sounds.
The things about presets and loops that really annoys me is when i hear these generic psytrance tracks with the same bassline, kick, sound effects and random vocal sample like the previous track. Aliens this, drugs that. Or the progressive house or whatever it has evolved to today. I think around year 2000 the trance was pretty inventive. Now it's all sounding the same. Maybe i need to dig deeper in order to find a mix giving the right feeling.

I got a mail about this today http://www.zenhiser.com/studio-essentia ... f-36753517

You get
Progressive Trance Basslines - 50
Progressive Trance Drum Beats - 200
Progressive Trance Drums - Hi Hats - 25
Progressive Trance Drums - Kicks - 25
Progressive Trance Drums - Percussion - 25
Progressive Trance Drums - Snares & Claps - 25
Progressive Trance FX - 25
Progressive Trance Prog Lines (Includes midi parts) - 100
Progressive Trance Synth Loops - 50

Included is midi tracks for synths! I think this is aimed at wannabe suckers. Now where's the talent or gift in this? Just like Olikana said, listen to the riffs and sounds. It's just what's on radio, nothing inventive or new.

Making your own sounds with software is different from hardware. It's MUCH easier on hardware. You can't focus on the sound enough when you have to keep your eyes on the screen. Brain can't do both at the same time.

I hope i didn't offend anyone love you all

Uh, completely condescending and full of back patting and awfully close-minded.

And there you go. I could pull quite a few more out of this thread.

You agreed that somehow people that use presets are lacking talent which is absurd.

Olikana's post was completely over the top absurd.

Hah, well that's your opinion and i value it as such.

[trimph1]

my brain can concentrate on both sound and sight thanky very much....

you remember multitasking roight?

[ferez21]

Using synth presets, and using loops\midi is a wholeeee different story. I agree anyone that uses pre-made midi files is not serious about his work.

By using synth presets, your'e not taking the technical side of producing music seriously, which is fine, because not every musician need to have technical skills. Not every musician is a sound engineer nor a mastering engineer.

By using midi files, your'e not taking the composition side of producing music seriously, and composition is the most basic skill of a musician.

I was once "making music" with Dance Ejay, and using loops\midi is exactly the same(and i dont mean placing 1 or 2 percussion loop to thicken your rhythem).

[trimph1]

oh good..lets start the old argument about cheating now...

[Ghostwave]

Since there has been many analogies in this thread, let me add mine, which I think is a good one.

Presets are like stencils.
You can draw anything on a piece of paper but unless you are skilled enough, your drawing will be average at best.
If you use stencils, like you probably did when you were a kid, your drawing will look better but you will be limited to a certain number of shapes and your patterns will be present in other people's drawings too.

Yet, by imitation, they can improve your drawings and one day, you don't need them anymore and can express your own ideas on that blank page.

Kids are happy with stencils because they make their drawings look good.
Some musicians are happy with presets simply because they make their music sound good.
Using presets is not bad. It's just a step.

[ferez21]

Since there has been many analogies in this thread, let me add mine, which I think is a good one.

Presets are like stencils.
You can draw anything on a piece of paper but unless you are skilled enough, your drawing will be average at best.
If you use stencils, like you probably did when you were a kid, your drawing will look better but you will be limited to a certain number of shapes and your patterns will be present in other people's drawings too.

Yet, by imitation, they can improve your drawings and one day, you don't need them anymore and can express your own ideas on that blank page.

Kids are happy with stencils because they make their drawings look good.
Some musicians are happy with presets simply because they make their music sound good.
Using presets is not bad. It's just a step.

Producing music is so much more then sound design.
I usually use presets as a base, and tweak the hell out of them, it saves me time as not every single sound should be constructed from zero. But i do believe you should be familiar with your synths, and everyone should get a bit into sound design (doesn't mean making from scratch 100% of the sounds you use though)

[vurt]

Since there has been many analogies in this thread, let me add mine, which I think is a good one.

Presets are like stencils.
You can draw anything on a piece of paper but unless you are skilled enough, your drawing will be average at best.
If you use stencils, like you probably did when you were a kid, your drawing will look better but you will be limited to a certain number of shapes and your patterns will be present in other people's drawings too.

Yet, by imitation, they can improve your drawings and one day, you don't need them anymore and can express your own ideas on that blank page.

Kids are happy with stencils because they make their drawings look good.
Some musicians are happy with presets simply because they make their music sound good.
Using presets is not bad. It's just a step.

[Wormhelmet]

oh good..lets start the old argument about cheating now...

I think there are as many opinions on what is cheating in making music as there are vst's to choose from.

Hypothetical situation:

You spend a month making a song using entirely sounds, loops, recordings you made yourself. Your song goes to number 44 in the charts.

The number one song in the charts has elements you clearly recognize as commercially bought samples/midi files/presets.

Does it anger you? Can you still enjoy that persons song as a whole?

(Not for you trimph1, but for anyone who wants to respond)

If it really bothers to hear it, what is the fundamental reason for it bothering? Do you dismiss it as garbage even though the charts clearly show others believe it is good?

I'm curious.

[Wormhelmet]

And Vurt, I've listened to your music on your website and I accuse you of making very original sounding music sir!

I quite liked the palette of sounds you use.

[ferez21]

oh good..lets start the old argument about cheating now...

I think there are as many opinions on what is cheating in making music as there are vst's to choose from.

Hypothetical situation:

You spend a month making a song using entirely sounds, loops, recordings you made yourself. Your song goes to number 44 in the charts.

The number one song in the charts has elements you clearly recognize as commercially bought samples/midi files/presets.

Does it anger you? Can you still enjoy that persons song as a whole?

(Not for you trimph1, but for anyone who wants to respond)

If it really bothers to hear it, what is the fundamental reason for it bothering? Do you dismiss it as garbage even though the charts clearly show others believe it is good?

I'm curious.

It depends. If i recognize a snare sample, it probably won't bother me much, but if i recognize a musical part that is unoriginal (melody for example) i will be pissed.

[trimph1]

I know, in my case, that if I got that high on the chart that it really would not matter if the other fellow was higher. For all I know their approach to melody may be better for that than mine...

I can, and do, muck around designing my own soundbanks or presets as well as buy others' soundbanks or presets ...so...I'm just pragmatic..it's whatever works in the given moment...

[idfpower]

Presets are like stencils.

That may apply just to arpps and even then just to some extent.

What ppl seem to "overlook" is: presets only give you a certain sound - but you are the ones laying down the notes, not the preset itself. Or maybe ppl don't understand the difference between presets and samples...

[KevWestBeats]

Using synth presets, and using loops\midi is a wholeeee different story. I agree anyone that uses pre-made midi files is not serious about his work.

By using synth presets, your'e not taking the technical side of producing music seriously, which is fine, because not every musician need to have technical skills. Not every musician is a sound engineer nor a mastering engineer.

By using midi files, your'e not taking the composition side of producing music seriously, and composition is the most basic skill of a musician.

I was once "making music" with Dance Ejay, and using loops\midi is exactly the same(and i dont mean placing 1 or 2 percussion loop to thicken your rhythem).

So using a drum loop when you are a pianist or a guitar player looking for realistic sounding drums is a bad thing now? lmfao gtfoh. There are genres of music based soley on manipulating loops or on just using loops in their entirety. Rap music comes right to mind. I have friends who are guitar players who play their guitars over studio drummer loops all of the time. Its perfect for those guys. There is no right or wrong way to make music unless its bad music.