Tambourine programming

[ferdik]

So, whats your best tip for tambourine and shaker programming, making them not sound like a machine gun? I played around with velocity but need more tip!

[james_mcfadyen]

Using a sampler:

1) Import the same sample on two separate channels.
2) Send the channels to separate outputs.
3) Leave the 1st tambourine as is.
4) On the 2nd tambourine, use the ADSR filter to lessen the attack (only a touch!).
5) On the audio output of the 2nd tambourine, use a shelving filter to attenuate the top end a little (say no more that 3db)
6) Bring the fader down a little too.

See if that helps a bit.

[qa2pir]

light flanger, some random quantize, fade in each sample (i.e. dampen the attack), put everything slightly before the beat and quite silent. you could try stuff like a resonant pattern filter followed by a gater triggered by a certain frequency band (I recommend Floorfish, simple but does the task brilliantly), followed by distortion.

the best of course is to record it manually.

[qa2pir]

Using a sampler:

1) Import the same sample on two separate channels.
2) Send the channels to separate outputs.
3) Leave the 1st tambourine as is.
4) On the 2nd tambourine, use the ADSR filter to lessen the attack (only a touch!).
5) On the audio output of the 2nd tambourine, use a shelving filter to attenuate the top end a little (say no more that 3db)
6) Bring the fader down a little too.

See if that helps a bit.

this is great also, to make it sound natural. mine is really more about taking a tambourine sample and making it sound musical - not hi-fi per se.

you could also try leaving only the first sample on every beat on the first channel, moving the other three to a dampened channel as described - or perhaps using three degrees of sharpness, like this:

O.o.O.o.

(O is sharp, o is dampened, . is very dampened)

or four channels, like this:

O,o.O,o.

(, is extremely dampened)

for a galopping feel. a real tambourine can be shaken in many subtle ways!

[ferdik]

Thank you everyone, really great tips here!

[prolapse]

You could also try modulating some of the parameters on the effects with a very shallow and long LFO on one of tracks, or both with the LFOs at different rates.

[dark_virus]

Using a sampler:

1) Import the same sample on two separate channels.
2) Send the channels to separate outputs.
3) Leave the 1st tambourine as is.
4) On the 2nd tambourine, use the ADSR filter to lessen the attack (only a touch!).
5) On the audio output of the 2nd tambourine, use a shelving filter to attenuate the top end a little (say no more that 3db)
6) Bring the fader down a little too.

See if that helps a bit.

I do something like that too. Also, I like to reduce the time between the shaker's stronger and weaker hits.

[VibraSound]

Sample start point automation (LFO style).
Use Directwave or Slicex in FL Studio.

Also Swing/Shuffle.

[VibraSound]

Also Phaser dry/wet knob automation.

You can automate the fx slot "mix knob" in FL Studio.