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Repetative Tracks
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| Delroy |
What are some of the things that you guys do to make your tunes less repetative sounding? less linear and more changes?
I know a lot of people are doing the less is more thing here and I wanted to know what instruments, sounds, percs, tricks, automation you add to avoid repatatvie sounding music?
Cheers
:) |
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| Storyteller |
synth filter automation
synth filter release automation
synth amp release automation
synth amp attack automation
changes in drum pattern (kick mostly)
changes in bassline pattern
snarerolls
noise sound effects
synth sound effects
sweeps
Those are the basic ones.
light LFO influence on a synth filter often makes it a bit more lively as well as the sound is ever changing slightly. |
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| Brownsound |
-not sticking to the typical "16 bars - add new element" scheme
-using different modes or scales
-changing up the EQ of the entire mix (i.e. filtering)
-using an arrangement that isn't "drum loop for 32 bars, melody buildup, breakdown, buildup, release, reprise, drum loop for 32 bars" |
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| derail |
Work out the overall journey of your song, then examine every instrument in light of that. Play through your song many times, focusing on an individual instrument each time - for example, just a hihat. Does the hihat simply drop in and out? Do these drop ins and outs always line up neatly with the starts and ends of a 16 or 32 bar pattern? Maybe some filter automation would help this section of the journey, or volume automation, or a different hihat pattern right at the end of a bar to signal a transition, or maybe it can drop out for just one beat at the end of a bar.
Any instrument that is static and just lines up with 16/32 bar patterns will add to the repetiveness of a song. On the other hand, if everything is changing all the time the song will lose it's solid foundation. You'll get a feel for how much variation is enough for a particular song. |
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| DigiNut |
I just make my tracks non-repetitive. Unfortunately it often leads to people saying that they aren't repetitive enough (no joke - some readers may remember the details).
Probably the most common "trick" to make something sound less repetitive is filters. You take the exact same 16 bars, throw a sweeping lowpass filter on it, and suddenly it's brand new! It actually works sorta well as long as you don't overuse it.
I suppose the other "trick" would be the breakdown, which all too often is just the same melodic line with all of the percs and basslines taken out. |
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| Subtle |
I like to drop acid lines with automated filter. Cheap and effective.
Also subtly adding more and more layers to the track, which could take many listens to spot. |
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| pwnage1 |
I think the best way to avoid this problem is to change the way you look at things. Arrangements are my favorite part of trance music, and to me it's what makes a trance song a trance song.
The best thing i ever did with my arrangements was to make my arrangements by listening to the song and thinking this should come in now, this should drop out, etc. Instead of okay bar 32 the hihat should come in bar 128 need an epic breakdown. |
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| Subtle |
| quote: | Originally posted by pwnage1
The best thing i ever did with my arrangements was to make my arrangements by listening to the song and thinking this should come in now, this should drop out, etc. Instead of okay bar 32 the hihat should come in bar 128 need an epic breakdown. |
Yeah i do that too, just arranging the track by listening and feeling what should come next. |
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| EgosXII |
| quote: | Originally posted by DigiNut
I just make my tracks non-repetitive. Unfortunately it often leads to people saying that they aren't repetitive enough (no joke - some readers may remember the details). |
haha yeah i've had that too :p
how funny |
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| TaylorR |
don't know about you folks but i can just keep on listening to this, lol. don't know what timo did to make such a repetitive track so interesting.
Timo Maas- Subtellite |
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| palm |
| quote: | Originally posted by TaylorR
timo did |
he didnt he got a producer-team. and the groove is awesome what else do u need? the guitar ruins the track tho |
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| Subtle |
| quote: | Originally posted by palm
he didnt he got a producer-team. and the groove is awesome what else do u need? the guitar ruins the track tho |
Yeah the guitar and those wierd tabla/congo percs ruins it. |
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