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Posted by JmanNZ on Jan-13-2009 05:54:

making good tech stabs/donks

Hey guys, I've been working on getting a tech trance type track going and want some good stabby "donk" like sounds. Ronski Speed type stuff. I've been working with sawtooth waves but can't seem to get much more than a lame "ping" (as opposed to the metallic like "bang" that I'm going for).

I'm still relatively new at producing and up until now have been abusing the presets as I suck at programming, but I am giving it a go now and struggling, any good tips on producing solid stabs would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers, J

Posted by MrJiveBoJingles on Jan-13-2009 05:57:

FM synthesis is very good for metallic sounds.

Posted by Lucidity on Jan-13-2009 06:23:

If he's new at synthesis he is not gonna figure out fm synthesis for a while, if he can then, wow, he will be awesome but till then,? By the way, Ronski Speed is awesome!
!

Posted by Eldritch on Jan-13-2009 06:26:

Re: making good tech stabs/donks

quote:
Originally posted by JmanNZ
Hey guys, I've been working on getting a tech trance type track going and want some good stabby "donk" like sounds. Ronski Speed type stuff. I've been working with sawtooth waves but can't seem to get much more than a lame "ping" (as opposed to the metallic like "bang" that I'm going for).

I'm still relatively new at producing and up until now have been abusing the presets as I suck at programming, but I am giving it a go now and struggling, any good tips on producing solid stabs would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers, J

Take any old subtractive synth. Set both oscs to saw (pulse could work too though). Transpose the second osc 7 semitones up. Adjust the mix so that so that mostly the first osc is heard.
Adjust the filter and envelope until it sounds like a pluck. Add distortion and other effects. Now, play a minor chord. Like E-G-B for Em.

Here, I made a sample. http://www.zshare.net/audio/5405872190b10fe7/
I used an LFO controlled bandpass filter as well, plus delay chorus and reverb.

Posted by mzvirbulis on Jan-13-2009 06:27:

quote:
Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles
FM synthesis is very good for metallic sounds.

yer what jivebojingles said! FM makes complex spectra so play with that, also play with the harmonic ratio's of the mod vs carrier osc.
Its amazing the way you can distort sine waves with synthesis types like PM and FM.

Posted by JmanNZ on Jan-13-2009 07:17:

Thanks guys, yea I haven't really tried FM synthesis yet, but by the sounds of it I should learn how!

Eldritch, thats exactly the kind of sound I was after! Awesome, thanks! I'm gunna go and give it a try in Reason's Subtractor.

quote:
also play with the harmonic ratio's of the mod vs carrier osc

not sure what you mean, but I'm on it!

quote:
Ronski Speed is awesome!

+1, I got to see him a while ago and it was mind blowing!

Thanks again!

Posted by JmanNZ on Jan-13-2009 08:51:

Re: Re: making good tech stabs/donks

quote:
Originally posted by Eldritch
Take any old subtractive synth. Set both oscs to saw (pulse could work too though). Transpose the second osc 7 semitones up. Adjust the mix so that so that mostly the first osc is heard.
Adjust the filter and envelope until it sounds like a pluck. Add distortion and other effects. Now, play a minor chord. Like E-G-B for Em.

Ok, sorry to be annoying, but I gave it a go and not even close, I've tried playing with the filters and envelopes and mix etc... but no matter what it sounds nothing like the example. There is a certain timbre to the example you posted that I can't even get close to. It sounds clean and solid, while mine sounds fuzzy (and shit). I tried a chord, but that didn't help so I've stayed with a single note. I have posted an example, its dry and sounds terrible, but its there all the same.

stabs.mp3 - 0.27MB

Thanks again!

Posted by Eldritch on Jan-13-2009 16:28:

Re: Re: Re: making good tech stabs/donks

quote:
Originally posted by JmanNZ
Ok, sorry to be annoying, but I gave it a go and not even close, I've tried playing with the filters and envelopes and mix etc... but no matter what it sounds nothing like the example. There is a certain timbre to the example you posted that I can't even get close to. It sounds clean and solid, while mine sounds fuzzy (and shit). I tried a chord, but that didn't help so I've stayed with a single note. I have posted an example, its dry and sounds terrible, but its there all the same.

stabs.mp3 - 0.27MB

Thanks again!

Well, in the sample it's playing an E minor chord. Try it. And use EQ to clean it up. Youre on the right path.

Posted by adi_hanson on Jan-13-2009 23:20:

Tech stabs/donks?

Donks? as in Alex K?

Or the overused Vstation preset Retro5?

Posted by Stef on Jan-14-2009 02:58:

Re: Re: making good tech stabs/donks

Posted by JmanNZ on Jan-14-2009 03:00:

quote:
Originally posted by adi_hanson
Tech stabs/donks?

Donks? as in Alex K?

Or the overused Vstation preset Retro5?

Well Eldritch hit the nail on the head with the example posted, which is exactly what I am trying to make at the moment. I listened to some of Alex K and his are more techno-ish style than what I am after. I have put a few examples of the style im going for if anyone is interested. stabs n donks.mp3 - 0.85MB First two are Ronski, then a Genix remix, and a remix of PVD's new york city - I can her that same donk that Eldritch posted in two of these examples.

quote:
Originally posted by Eldritch
Well, in the sample it's playing an E minor chord. Try it. And use EQ to clean it up. Youre on the right path.

Thanks mate, I'll keep at it!

Posted by Eric J on Jan-14-2009 03:49:

quote:
Originally posted by adi_hanson
Tech stabs/donks?

Donks? as in Alex K?

Or the overused Vstation preset Retro5?

As in "Put a Donk on It"!!!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ckMvj1piK58

Posted by pwnage1 on Jan-14-2009 03:50:

quote:
Originally posted by adi_hanson
Or the overused Vstation preset Retro5?
People actually use the v-station presets?

Posted by JmanNZ on Jan-14-2009 09:16:

OK,here's version 2: stabs2.mp3 - 0.38MB

I really was having doubts but think I managed to get it pretty close in the end, stoked!

Thanks again, def wouldn't have made that without your help!

Posted by BOOsTER on Jan-14-2009 18:05:

quote:
Originally posted by pwnage1
People actually use the v-station presets?

yeah, they do...actually some of them are good, but some people beat the shit out of them (yes, I'm pointing at you Deadmau5 j/k) oh well anyway, I'm ok with anyone using any presets as long as they sound good in the context of the track so it's all good

Posted by Zombie0729 on Jan-14-2009 18:26:

something like this?

https://www.yousendit.com/transfer....TVnNnYU4zZUE9PQ

Posted by adi_hanson on Jan-14-2009 21:22:

quote:
Originally posted by Eric J
As in "Put a Donk on It"!!!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ckMvj1piK58

lol i dont know whats more funny , the big fat bastard in the video lives just a few miles from me and thinks he's it in his little cheap hatch back car or the fact youve heard it in the good old U S of A.

Posted by paulc_dj on Jan-14-2009 22:24:

quote:
Originally posted by JmanNZ
OK,here's version 2: stabs2.mp3 - 0.38MB

I really was having doubts but think I managed to get it pretty close in the end, stoked!

Thanks again, def wouldn't have made that without your help!

That sounds good Jman. All I would say you need to do is cut some of the lows off. If you A/B yours and eldritch's examples, eldritches is hi passed more than yours.

Good work

PC

Posted by JmanNZ on Jan-15-2009 04:40:

quote:
Originally posted by paulc_dj
All I would say you need to do is cut some of the lows off.

Yea I can hear that too. Its a fine line between clean and fuzzy!

And yea DJ Anthony, that the 1!