Hey Guys,

I think I have noticed that when applying a filter to my VSTs that they seem to lose a kind of sound quality in the final product--It's almost like a richness of character that has been lost.

I have been trying to find a way to make my VST sounds more professional, and I though using the filters would be the way to do it, but no much I compress the track or turn up the volume, it still never gets that richness and massiveness that it had when it was at original settings.

So I'm wondering: Should I keep trying to use filters to increase my sound quality, or should I be looking elsewhere, or should I even be using VSTs at all?

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Gated Arps:

I've been using the sidechain method found on numerous youtube videos to produce my gated arpeggios. I'm wondering if there is a better way to go about it!


Thanks a lot guys,
Lester

There are different types of filters. Some will sound better for certain situations than others.

I think fundamentally though, you need to be clear on what you're trying to do to the sound. Applying effects indiscriminately won't lead to better sounding mixes. Maybe the sounds you're using require filtering. Maybe they don't. Be clear on what you want to do to the sound. Reference against songs you think sound great and work out what's different about your sounds.

In terms of the "sidechain gated arps", I haven't come across this. Can you provide a link?

Sorry, I didn't realize I wasn't being specific enough.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c27tK1XgKMs

As far as the quality of my sounds, filtering is one of the only things I know that will drastically affect a sound. Sometimes the sound has too much of an edge on it, and if I lower the high pass threshold (or increase the low pass) then it will take out elements that I don't like. I experiment with band pass as well, but I don't completely understand how it works.

Basically what I am looking for is high quality string and saws, similar to something you may hear on an alex morph or sean tyas track. Forgive me for I am a newb...(but very serious)

Lester

Last edited by Ponemax on Apr-17-2011 at 03:39

quote:

Originally posted by Ponemax Basically what I am looking for is high quality string and saws, similar to something you may hear on an alex morph or sean tyas track.

Regarding band pass filters - these allow a range of frequencies around the cutoff frequency to pass through the filter. It's kind of like having a low pass and high pass filter working together.

Regarding strings/saws - in addition to a high-pass filter, thick pads/ saw leads often need some frequencies around 200 Hz - 600 Hz (it depends on the sound) pushed down using an EQ, otherwise they'll quickly muddy up a mix. Cuts in this region will often improve sounds.

The multitrack song packs (in my signature) I sell via insidemixes contain PDFs detailing all the synths, effects and settings I used to create them (including screenshots). I also explain why I used each effect and why I chose the settings I chose. The latest song I put up there has some heavily pumping pads. And a 303!

Regarding sidechain - that video looks like straightforward sidechain compression. I couldn't hear any gated arpeggios in there. But yeah, that's how sidechain compression is typically set up. I'd say just have it set up in your starting template, so it's ready to go when you need it rather than setting it up each time. If you don't end up using it in a particular project, no big deal, it's not a resource hungry effect.