Delete preset banks. Then you *have* to make your own sounds. This is how I learned to program Instruments and Effects, most of my plugins have no presets or patches.

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The whole process of sound design and figuring out how to program things is half the fun for me, so I don't bother with presets, but I understand why people use them if they just want to jump straight into making music without diddling around with knobs and sliders.

i like to make samples based music

As much as I love programming sounds and encourage others to do the same, we have to realize that each person is different. Some people have no interest in programming sounds and/or just prefer to focus on other things. Some people just see it as reinventing the wheel. Others think that using presets makes a person less of a producer. etc. etc. etc.

A more important point is that, ideals aside, a LOT of people just aren't good at programming sounds, which has as much to do with songs falling by the wayside and crappy sounding demos as anything else. Like everything else in production, sound design takes time and experience and can be viewed as an art form unto itself.

Speaking for myself, I have yet to create a sound from scratch using a pure FM, additive, or granular synth that I would use in a track - I can tweak presets into usability, but I haven't found the time to become proficient with these synths yet because I have higher priorities and limited time.

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I would definitely say that it's each to their own on this one.

I have often found that you can use patches but would suggest that you do things to make them your own i.e. fiddle around with envelopes, resonance and other knobs.

The effects that you use with these sounds and even how you place them in your mix plays a much bigger part than the patch itself in my experience.

If a patch jumps out at you through the mix as a preset, then it's probably more a case of it being the wrong patch rather than it being a preset.
I would also recomend that you stay away from those trademark patches like patch 1. on the FM7 (Exciting), I have heard that one a few times and every time it makes me wretch.

If you write a song that people here and they think of that patch then then the song itself isn't good enough. It would be better if you wrote that song and when people hear the patch they think of your song if you catch my drift.

People often also get so obsessed with sound design that they overlook the option to layer sounds and using them together. You will find that most great producers are not necessarily great designers but know how to layer stuff and work it into the mix.

Using sound in ways that it wasn't intended for, i.e. you might find a bass patch that also sounds interesting higher up on the keyboard, it might not be an obvious lead sound but layer it with something else you you have a new sound.

Before you start going mad with confusion over the fact that your patches don't come out the way you want, try those other things, if nothing else it will teach you some of the fundamentals before you go in deeper.

cheers
Nem

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I like presets and i don't think making your shows any skill, a real producer uses presets and nothing else

I'm with Nemesis and cryophonik on this one. I use presets, and tweak them accordingly.

But extra kudos to those who can design sounds, I'm very jealous of you guys.

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quote:

Originally posted by BshidoHEAT I'm with Nemesis and cryophonik on this one. I use presets, and tweak them accordingly. But extra kudos to those who can design sounds, I'm very jealous of you guys.

This is normally what I do too is tweak presets. Except for the most part I make my own bass sounds and layers.

I've got an Access Virus B synth and it seems like they had this in mind while designing the presets. There's about 1 cool patch for every 50 or so. Most are barely discernible from the next and completely impractical, but every once in a while something awesome will jump out as though they're letting you know what the machine is capable of, but don't want to hand it to you on a silver platter.

Designing sounds from scratch on an analog synth is really difficult. It takes extensive knowledge of all the controlling parameters to get the sound in your head onto the machine. Takes a lot of visualizing. Shit be complicated, yo.

I'm kinda sad... I bought the B synth used and there was one patch on it that I absolutely love, but ended up losing when I had to change the battery. The previous owner must've designed it. I've been trying so hard to replicate it but it's just not happening

R.I.P. ringy noise

Last edited by meriter on Aug-04-2009 at 04:23

"...SHIT BE
COMPLICATED
YO....."

___________________
E = mc²/2

E = mc² is the optical illusion of E = mc²/2

Click me to find out why.

whats wrong with using presets. ?

if you can make an amazing song from presets. is it still an amazing song? i would hope so.

its not just the preset that you made or came from the factory. but its what notes you use/melody etc.. . what eq and all that isnt it?

i feel that making your own sounds is important and im trying to learn it at the moment but im sure alot of people have released songs probably quite well known songs with presets. .

presets are just like using samples for kicks and percs.

you CAN make kicks/percs etc.... but alot of people use sample packs..

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