The Computer Music Special on Reason has a tips and tricks section on creating sounds with Thor and Subtractor. (Some housey sounds included)

The techniques apply to other kit as well.

The Dance Music Manual is another valuable resource if you want to learn how it all goes together.

I have FM8 any presets in mind?

Let me download the demo and run through it.

Anyone else own it?

Here's a pro tip: How about you all read the stickies, learn some synthesis basics, and then you'll realise that you can create those sounds yourself faster than you can find the preset.

That would be FAR more productive than sitting around rubbishing certain (very good) synths because their presets aren't in the genre you like. All synths are basically the same, if you can't work out how to make the sounds you want on any one of the synths mentioned here, you are basically an idiot and should find another hobby.

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Actually,

For the most part, there are a lot of similarities.

Learning how to work with Thor taught me how to program patches for my hardware synth. Don't use it for its sounds much any more, but it's a great controller.

Although FM is probably the hardest to work with, at least in hardware.

Certain synths do have their own character though, especially hardware. May be the reason some people are still pure analog.

quote:

Originally posted by kitphillips Here's a pro tip: How about you all read the stickies, learn some synthesis basics, and then you'll realise that you can create those sounds yourself faster than you can find the preset. That would be FAR more productive than sitting around rubbishing certain (very good) synths because their presets aren't in the genre you like. All synths are basically the same, if you can't work out how to make the sounds you want on any one of the synths mentioned here, you are basically an idiot and should find another hobby.

The 1st paragraph I can actually relate and find it useful however the 2nd paragraph is not very helpful to Producers at all...that's a discouraging comment and id not listen to this advice at all.

Synths all have different characteristics, some cut off frequencies are more sensitive than others, others have different Arppegiating layouts and some can actually have up to 4 different wavelengths operating for up to 1 sound where others like Predator may only have 3...thus Predator shows it's more useful for House than Trance.

No-one should be an idiot because they use Pre-sets...Van Buuren, De Goeeij, Prydz, Laidback Luke and Axwell all use presets in some of their Productions and do you think all of them know how to re-create them from scratch?Some do but im not naive to think they all can.

quote:

Originally posted by shane_w1 The 1st paragraph I can actually relate and find it useful however the 2nd paragraph is not very helpful to Producers at all...that's a discouraging comment and id not listen to this advice at all. Synths all have different characteristics, some cut off frequencies are more sensitive than others, others have different Arppegiating layouts and some can actually have up to 4 different wavelengths operating for up to 1 sound where others like Predator may only have 3...thus Predator shows it's more useful for House than Trance. No-one should be an idiot because they use Pre-sets...Van Buuren, De Goeeij, Prydz, Laidback Luke and Axwell all use presets in some of their Productions and do you think all of them know how to re-create them from scratch?Some do but im not naive to think they all can.

I'm quoting this because it made me laugh.

Synths do have different characteristics that's very true. But the simple sounds you're looking for for trance will be replicable 99% of the time on 99% of synths.

Secondly, I don't give a fuck about most of those names you mentioned. They are the dance music equivalent of britney spears, and if you want to produce like them, you're only confirming your stupidity.

quote:

some cut off frequencies are more sensitive than others, others have different Arppegiating layouts

And what does this even mean?? Do you know what a cut off frequency is?? And what on earth is an arpegiating layout? Are you referring to patterns? What does it mean that a synth can have 4 different wavelengths operating for one sound?? You clearly have no idea.

You'll look back on this post when (like me) you are old and jaded, and laugh at your wide eyed ignorance. For now, I'll do the laughing for you.

For any new producers who actually want to hear some advice, I recommend you realise very quickly to use the tools you have at your disposal, experiment, and not rely on presets. If you try really hard, one day you might get to be Tiesto's uncredited engineer.

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quote:

Originally posted by kitphillips If you try really hard, one day you might get to be Tiesto's uncredited engineer.

Ohhhhh...so that's what you do for a living, eh kit? Tiesto's bitch?!

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quote:

Originally posted by cryophonik Ohhhhh...so that's what you do for a living, eh kit? Tiesto's bitch?!

Well... Remember the part where he mentions his dog?

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quote:

Originally posted by kitphillips I'm quoting this because it made me laugh. Synths do have different characteristics that's very true. But the simple sounds you're looking for for trance will be replicable 99% of the time on 99% of synths. Secondly, I don't give a fuck about most of those names you mentioned. They are the dance music equivalent of britney spears, and if you want to produce like them, you're only confirming your stupidity. And what does this even mean?? Do you know what a cut off frequency is?? And what on earth is an arpegiating layout? Are you referring to patterns? What does it mean that a synth can have 4 different wavelengths operating for one sound?? You clearly have no idea. You'll look back on this post when (like me) you are old and jaded, and laugh at your wide eyed ignorance. For now, I'll do the laughing for you. For any new producers who actually want to hear some advice, I recommend you realise very quickly to use the tools you have at your disposal, experiment, and not rely on presets. If you try really hard, one day you might get to be Tiesto's uncredited engineer.

I don't have to get into a childish debate here...I discuss alot of things on about 3-4 forums and that's not a reply I would deem helpful to many Producers, we're here to help Producers not criticize and clearly that's not an attitude id like to come across in EDM.

I totally agree with working on the material/equipment you got but im saying don't be afraid to use Presets, I sound-sculpt alot of sounds myself and sometimes I start from scratch or sometimes I use a Preset to understand the process and none of those are the types of Presets used for a Britney Spears type-track but keep making your "Acid jazz" and im sure many other Producers will use there techniques on other Projects.

I've been Producing since 2006 and that may be shorter or longer a duration than others but that's more than adequate for me at this time....I talk to alot of Tutors and reputable Producers and I have intelligent conversations with them, none end up with "you don't know what your talking about kid"

quote:

Originally posted by shane_w1 I don't have to get into a childish debate here...I discuss alot of things on about 3-4 forums and that's not a reply I would deem helpful to many Producers, we're here to help Producers not criticize and clearly that's not an attitude id like to come across in EDM. I totally agree with working on the material/equipment you got but im saying don't be afraid to use Presets, I sound-sculpt alot of sounds myself and sometimes I start from scratch or sometimes I use a Preset to understand the process and none of those are the types of Presets used for a Britney Spears type-track but keep making your "Acid jazz" and im sure many other Producers will use there techniques on other Projects. I've been Producing since 2006 and that may be shorter or longer a duration than others but that's more than adequate for me at this time....I talk to alot of Tutors and reputable Producers and I have intelligent conversations with them, none end up with "you don't know what your talking about kid"

For the questions though: Im studying Electrical Engineering at BSc level and don't have many problems at the moment in the field...where I mean 4 different wavelengths, im talking Square waves, Sine waves and Saw waves into 1 channeled complete sound...you can literally create bigger sounds on Sylenth than with Rob Papen Predator and if you think you can create 1 sound on Rob Papen Predator aswell as on Sylenth then that's obsurd, create a Preset on Sylenth, piece of p*ss...create a Preset on Korg M1 and you'll be there for hours...or maybe not with your "Acid lead"

A cut-off frequency is where the sole power of the sound or it's source (energy) can be reduced eg by filtering but of course I googled that right?I don't experiment or see for myself...it's a fairly basic terminology but I understand, I might be "new" to this site so I can understand the scrutiny and patronizing comment for every detail.

The arpegiating layout, by that I mean Sylenth has the option on the Interface for 7 steps where as Rob Papen Predator has 16 which can be altered but also there is no "Swing" mode on Sylenth which means Papen Predator is more geared for Swing orientated Genres like House justifying my opinions wholly.

i use presets

haters gonna hate

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