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The Importance of Modulation & Automation
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| cl0ckw3rk |
Let's face it. Whenever I have a good thing goin, I always realize my tracks seem a little raw and lame. Why? Deep down I know its because I need to modulate my synths, and automate certain parameters throughout the course of the track to make it more interesting. But really...how easy can this really be? Isn't this where the real "vision" for a good track comes in? Like, do you guys just wing it when it comes to creatively manipulating the sound or do you know ahead of time exactly what to do and where? I'm just so overwhelmed by the sheer amount of directions a track can go.
The reason I ask is because I'm extremely frustrated lately when I think to myself..."Hmm, I wonder what happens when I start messing with THIS". And then after an hour of playing around with various parameters, I realize I don't know wtf i'm doing and it sounds like garbage and the next thing I know I close out of Live and completely lose interest. Have any of you thrown away a perfectly good start on a track because of this? lol! |
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| derail |
| quote: | Originally posted by cl0ckw3rk
And then after an hour of playing around with various parameters, I realize I don't know wtf i'm doing |
This is a big part of the problem, and will add immensely to your frustration. If you're not clear about what you wish to learn and randomly "play around" in the hope that somehow inspiration will strike, you're setting yourself up for many long, unproductive studio sessions.
Read up on what the parameters are, find out what they're designed to do, then dedicate a session or two to experimenting with their effect on the sound - you'll find it's a lot less confusing if you're clear about what they do and what you want to use them for.
Beyond even this, your approach seems a little haphazard. You "know that you need to modulate/ automate things", but it doesn't sound like you know what you actually want to do to your sounds. As an example, people don't (generally...) randomly apply filter sweeps to their sounds. They have a certain effect in mind, choose an appropriate filter, then automate it to achieve the effect they're after. Be clear about what you want to do, before you simply start experimenting - sure, you could find out some things by experimenting, come up with some cool things. However, if you're clear about what you want (listen to your favourite tracks, the effects they employ, techniques which could be helpful for your songs as well) and find out how to get what you want, you'll make progress much more quickly - after that, you can experiment and come up with cool new techniques, with the added benefit of knowing your tools. |
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| Kevy Kev |
| quote: | Originally posted by derail
However, if you're clear about what you want (listen to your favourite tracks, the effects they employ, techniques which could be helpful for your songs as well) and find out how to get what you want, you'll make progress much more quickly - after that, you can experiment and come up with cool new techniques, with the added benefit of knowing your tools. |
QFT.
Always listen to tracks you like and try and figure out how they came about getting that certian effect, sound or whatever. |
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| MrJiveBoJingles |
Filter cutoff, resonance, volume, FM, amp release, filter envelope decay and release, and delay / reverb feedback and wet / dry levels.
Those things are pretty much all most people ever touch as far as automation.
;) |
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| G-Con |
| quote: | Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles
Filter cutoff, resonance, volume, FM, amp release, filter envelope decay and release, and delay / reverb feedback and wet / dry levels.
Those things are pretty much all most people ever touch as far as automation.
;) |
pitch? LFO amounts? amp attack? I think the list cound go on and on. But yes you listed the most common ones I think. |
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| Acton |
| quote: | Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles
filter envelope decay and release
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yeah i wish i could automate these in Ableton!, you might be able to with some synths, but not the ones i use :( |
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| G-Con |
| quote: | Originally posted by Acton
yeah i wish i could automate these in Ableton!, you might be able to with some synths, but not the ones i use :( |
Find their midi cc number and see if you can do it with the midi list rather than the list of parameters on the synth itself.
Or if you have a midi controller then assign the knob in question to your controller amd then use the midi number that knob is to automate with. |
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| cl0ckw3rk |
| these are really useful responses, thanks folks |
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| cl0ckw3rk |
is there a link to this in the tutorials page??? if not i think there should be!
after browsing through it, i think its gonna be really useful in understanding more in the sound design world. thanks for the link!! |
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| Watts |
| I bought the book. It is very good and recommend it to everyone. |
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| cl0ckw3rk |
| the free version alone is pretty damn good! |
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