ambient droners & soundscapers! help

[prolapse]

1. Don't use any synth designed especially for creating 'drones'.

2. Audiomulch + hours of f**king around making random patches (especially using feedback).

[Vintage73]

Would people recommend SpectrumWorx or Warmverb more? Warmverb is less expensive.

[Kaboom75]

Filterfreak 2 , Crystallizer and Eventide Blackhole might interest you.

[metalifuxx]

Valhalla Shimmer reverb. But anything that adds constant movement/change and filtering through the spectrum and stereo field. Extreme time stretching.

[projectdan]

Would people recommend SpectrumWorx or Warmverb more? Warmverb is less expensive.

I dont know about Warmverb but I own SpectrumWorx and would recommend it. I would advise you try the demo and read the manual, as it takes some getting to know, it certainly has a lot to offer for drones and ambient sounds.

[Proxima4]

Erghh

When I had NI Reaktor, Grainstates and other grain machines, which are abound in the library where the best I could find for this sort of thing really easy with Reaktor.

I moved to M4L though for better API control over lives existing effects.

I just spent last night trying to get a 'cloudier' effect with Alchemy, and started to flip back and forth between the sample edit page and basic view, to get my start and end points down to small areas, in a more traditional 'Grain Cloud' effect.

Max for Live has much to offer an Ableton user, 'Monolakes' device and the extended possibilities with lives API.

However as just an instrument, I might be tempted to give, Stienbergs 'PadShopPro' a chance, which has just be released as a VSTI this month.

http://www.steinberg.net/en/products/vs ... p_pro.html

Quick overview of Padshop Pro here.



Which ever way you go, the simple rule is that, a drone by default, doesn't really deviate from it's pitch much. therfore anything is a possible drone, your more or less talking about texture, long reverbs, and delays, maybe some phasing to add movement and fairly low on the pitch scale.

[ErikH]

I like New Sonic Arts Granite a lot.
And of course the incomparable Izotope Iris.

But good soundscapes are never fully automatic: the must be guided and steered. My idea of course. Don't create all in one layer, but have several tracks and mix them. Use indeed DAW effects like backwards FX (delay, echo) , extreme time-stretch,... and, if possible: record as much as possible your own sound files for use as samples. The more creative you are with soundscapes, the more engaged you become and the better they, in turn, become.

[davidka]

I know one can make ambient music with any source, even with just a recorder

but what do you guys think is the better suited DAW for drones and soundscapes?
the most intuitive workflow, etc

I've been using Ableton live 8 for a month now, so I'm still early to change and dedicate myself to another one

I already have a few soft synths, but what effects are essential?

1.- Use your current DAW, and current synths. You definitely don't need to switch. Ableton is a really, really great tool, you can daisy chain sh*t for some evolving feedback drones

I hope this will inspire you as well:



2.- You don't need any "essential" effects. Things to consider:

-Live's Autofilter with high resonance and really slow modulation
-Live's Frequency Shifter on 100% wetness, again with slow automation

3.- You need to stretch out the source if you want to have some eeriness. If you are not happy with Live's audio editing options, you can always try the free Audacity, now with added PaulStretch for instant drone gratification
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/



So, if I'd have to use Live I'd try out something like this:

-Play a simple, sustained raw synth chord with heavy sub-bass and some upper frequencies.
-Create additional 2-3 tracks of various "wet" chorus effects, and route them into themselves to create some feedback. Apply modulation
-Record 2 minutes of the audio. Export to Audacity, apply a delicate amount of Paulstretch without binaural beats.
-In Live, add the built-in FreqShifter onto this new record (which should be like 18 minutes). Modulate it. Cut out the parts you think are interesting to a new tracks.
-Layer these tracks as you think. Possibly with different effects, such as low-pass filters and distortion.
-Apply an ADSR envelope to these cut out parts; with short decay, low sustain, and long release.
-Enjoy the massive sound!

Fun fact, that you always create something new, and original. Each time )


Sorry for the long post, but I hope you'll find it useful!


Ps.: Or you just get a Padshop Pro and play the presets hehe

[sys2074]

So, if I'd have to use Live I'd try out something like this:

-Play a simple, sustained raw synth chord with heavy sub-bass and some upper frequencies.
-Create additional 2-3 tracks of various "wet" chorus effects, and route them into themselves to create some feedback. Apply modulation
-Record 2 minutes of the audio. Export to Audacity, apply a delicate amount of Paulstretch without binaural beats.
-In Live, add the built-in FreqShifter onto this new record (which should be like 18 minutes). Modulate it. Cut out the parts you think are interesting to a new tracks.
-Layer these tracks as you think. Possibly with different effects, such as low-pass filters and distortion.
-Apply an ADSR envelope to these cut out parts; with short decay, low sustain, and long release.
-Enjoy the massive sound!

Wicked! I tried this yesterday in Live and promptly got a lush and deep drone out of it. Unfortunately this procedure isn't very 'hands on' again and lacks the personal touch. I'm wondering if Reason can be used to create drone music.

[abstractcats]

Would people recommend SpectrumWorx or Warmverb more? Warmverb is less expensive.

I dont know about Warmverb but I own SpectrumWorx and would recommend it. I would advise you try the demo and read the manual, as it takes some getting to know, it certainly has a lot to offer for drones and ambient sounds.

Same here, SpectrumWorx is great! But yes, it takes some getting used to. Note to 4lb Kitty, you cane import sample, kinda, I have to re read the manual, my self.

[vurt]

I'm wondering if Reason can be used to create drone music.

yes, it aint what you got its what you do with it

[sys2074]

I'm wondering if Reason can be used to create drone music.

yes, it aint what you got its what you do with it

I think my question sounded as if I want to mock Reason but actually I'm an avid Reason user and I love it. It's just that I'm wondering how flexible Reason is there as there aren't all that many exotic choices available for effects, in particular for reverbs.

Edit: But then again, Steve Roach also doesn't use any particularly exotic effects (AFAIK) so yeah, all that should be needed are regular synths and effects. Maybe it boils down to that there are no Lexicon PCM reverbs in Reason.

[robogone]

I agree with the mentions of Reaktor - endless possibilities for drone with both sound sources and effects.

[sys2074]

I agree with the mentions of Reaktor - endless possibilities for drone with both sound sources and effects.

But "endless possibilities" are the real problem! Constraints are the solution to creativity!

[paradiddle]

I prefer Audiomulch or Ableton live for drones and alike but most suggestions here are very good. It certainly comes down to plenty of experimentation with the tools you have. Reaktor certainly is high up there also for me.

Audiomulch + reaktor!