Hitting a wall!

[ghostwhistler]

One thing I've learned about myself making music is that I have lots of unreasonable ideas/workflow.

I have a fair few vst's at this point in time. I have the Arturia V Collection 10, a few other odds and ends, as well as Vital. I even rented Serum 2 for a month only to learn it really isn't for me. Vital can do all that I want, except I don't like how it sounds - too thin to my ears (imho, it's best for textures).

I find these 'supersynths' that can do everything to be charmless and bland. Serum is obviously powerful, it can do more than Vital. But I prefer the arturia emulations I have because they, those old synths (even if by proxy), have character that i feel the supersynths lack.



So what's the problem? I am constantly thinking "which synths should I use?" I'm torn between starting a project with 3 or 4 synths and limiting it to that. Then i think "hang on, if I don't use the rest I've wasted my money!" and all sorts of stuff that stops me from getting on. This is how my mind works; it's not rational! But I think, i'd like to use this, then i think no I'd like to use that, and...nothing gets done.

​But that's not all!

Electronic music is wonderful, but it is a deeply oversaturated genre - if one thinks of it as a singular genre ofc. It's very easy I find to just get bored with an idea because it sounds like, yawn, another arp part, another pad, another boring dancey dancey style beat (i don't really make dance music, my tastes are more old school). Everyone makes electronic music, if you watch any youtube clip about production (probably not a good idea).

Sometimes I think it's because my keyboard skills, as a player, aren't great (as a player, i play bass). But then I think that would be it's own limitation. I want to write stuff a bit more abstract. Venus Theory recently did a great video that echoes how i've been feeling: that melodies are just....boring! :O

I've been listening to a lot of Aphex Twin's Saw 85-92 album. Most of his stuff bores me (everything after the Donkey Rubarb ep basically), it goes nowhere. But 92 is really clear and the arrangements simple and straightforard. It's a bit too simple: all the melodies are largely pentatonic and the tracks don't so much evolve as flow, but its really enthralling and unique for he time. Even the rest of his oeuvre sounds nothing like it.

What would you recommend, dear reader?

[eassae]

One thing I've learned about myself making music is that I have lots of unreasonable ideas/workflow.

What would you recommend, dear reader?

I would say when it comes to creating art that unreasonable ideas are completely reasonable to hold. In terms of feeling like you're in a place where nothing sounds good and nothing is interesting then that's great if you have the fortitude to continue. I think this is where many that become in any way proficient at making things give up. I once had a painting professor that said, "if you haven't considered giving up, then you're nowhere near the end." The only thing I don't like about this is the word "end", because it doesn't exist—there is no end, but I still know what he meant.

In terms of synths, I agree with you on Vital, even though it can do a lot, it's to tinny sounding. Have you tried Dune or others from Synapse Audio? To my ears they always sound the best out of the soft synths. As for wasting money by not using what you buy, I can understand that. I know I probably use about 10% of the plugins I've bought. But, unless it's becoming a financial problem, then write it off as a "I tried."

It's a platitude at this point, but I'd say just keep working. I always loved the line in Moby Dick—I think it was Moby Dick, but it could have been another of Melville's books?—anyway, one of his characters says, "I try everything, I accomplish what I can."

[Zeisner]

"Change the process, change the outcome" - Mick Gordon

[Uncle E]

Play more bass.

Seriously, electric bass is such a beautiful soundinging instrument, especially when you dial it in to sound bell- or piano-like.

[Constructed Identity]

Don't try, do.

[jancivil]

Define what the role of any instrument is at least in terms of the arrangement. Look at ranges and what the bandwidths are and if there's a lot of Venn overlap once you've instantiated multiple instruments your distinctions and definitions are vanishing from the outset. The notion you have to use this or another thing is perhaps the central problem; if you have 3 or 4 fungible options loaded in a project you may already have a sort of choice paralysis.

Let's go with you like these four synths and want to work with them based in their sound profile; now examine to what extent you're noticing redundancy. When so, is this useful or not. EG: if you want this part doubling the lines of that part, is similarity desirable or do you want distinct voices (eg., plucked vs bowed). In either case consider their weight in terms of balance.

4 synths/4 voices:
soprano
alto
tenor
bass
any two of these in unison reduces this to 3 voices de facto; one of them is probably heavier than the other two. Should it be; if not what mitigates this.

[ghostwhistler]

One thing I've learned about myself making music is that I have lots of unreasonable ideas/workflow.

What would you recommend, dear reader?

I would say when it comes to creating art that unreasonable ideas are completely reasonable to hold. In terms of feeling like you're in a place where nothing sounds good and nothing is interesting then that's great if you have the fortitude to continue. I think this is where many that become in any way proficient at making things give up. I once had a painting professor that said, "if you haven't considered giving up, then you're nowhere near the end." The only thing I don't like about this is the word "end", because it doesn't exist—there is no end, but I still know what he meant.

In terms of synths, I agree with you on Vital, even though it can do a lot, it's to tinny sounding. Have you tried Dune or others from Synapse Audio? To my ears they always sound the best out of the soft synths. As for wasting money by not using what you buy, I can understand that. I know I probably use about 10% of the plugins I've bought. But, unless it's becoming a financial problem, then write it off as a "I tried."

It's a platitude at this point, but I'd say just keep working. I always loved the line in Moby Dick—I think it was Moby Dick, but it could have been another of Melville's books?—anyway, one of his characters says, "I try everything, I accomplish what I can."

I have tried Dune. I like it very much. Can I afford it? Not so much

[ghostwhistler]

"Change the process, change the outcome" - Mick Gordon

I can't decide if I like FM synthesis

I like the idea of it. I like a lot of music that uses it.

I 'm not sure I like using it. Not just the programming, whcih I can cope with even if it is burdensome (it just is), but I'm not sure I like it.

Synths like Vital, thin sound notwtihstanding, are a bit different because it's much simple (3 ops) and you can then just mangle the sound spectrally and make silly harsh wub wub noises like the cool kids. Although that's not the music I write, it's good for textures and atmosphers. But I got bored of using the op6 and the arturia DX. I thought I could all Brian Eno, but honestly? I didn't really care for the results.

[Zeisner]

I can't decide if I like FM synthesis

You can decide what to do with FM synthesis. Just like you can decide to use some other type of synthesis.

Electronic music is wonderful, but it is a deeply oversaturated genre - if one thinks of it as a singular genre ofc. It's very easy I find to just get bored with an idea because it sounds like, yawn, another arp part, another pad, another boring dancey dancey style beat (i don't really make dance music, my tastes are more old school). Everyone makes electronic music, if you watch any youtube clip about production (probably not a good idea).

Suggestion: Try creating sounds which give the impression you're listening to a physical instrument that has been recorded with a microphone. Doesn't have to be a perfect recreation of something existing, feel free to invent an instrument that could exist theoretically in the physical world. To get an idea where to start, have a look at articles about synthesizing instruments - percussion, strings, winds and so on (SoundOnSound has some nice articles). The foundation is often simple with just one or two oscillators with standard waveforms (Triangle, rectangle with PM and noise of course). When you think your creation starts to sound interesting, round it all up with a few parallel comb filters slightly mixed in for some formants and to give the sensation that the sound has been recorded in a room (First reflections). After that, experiment with playing styles. Don't just program something in your piano roll, play those sounds with your keyboard, your performance will add more "reality". Then make music around those sounds, let them inspire and guide you.

[Uncle E]

Synths like Vital, thin sound notwtihstanding, are a bit different because it's much simple (3 ops) and you can then just mangle the sound spectrally and make silly harsh wub wub noises like the cool kids.

FM8 is great for wub wub noises but you have to use multiple instances, otherwise it sounds static.

[ghostwhistler]

FM8 sounds amazing, but the envelope management is awful. It's a pain to use

TBC, i'm not really looking to make wub wub. It's 2026 ffs