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Help with tension builds
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| TyeDynamite |
What's up guys
I've been producing a lot of Big Room House lately and haven't found a forum nearly as loaded with knowledgeable producers as this one. So I figured I'd post my problem here. Sorry that it's not trance but it's electronic in nature at least? So I'd greatly appreciate some help.
I have been struggling big time with my tension builds. I've never been to music school and couldn't find good vids on how to do noise filter sweeps but all I typically do is (in Ableton Live) program a noise sound with an opening LP filter and send that to my return track with a HP filter along with my other tracks.
My question is, in a lot of tracks I hear a noise build, but at the same time there is a tonal build with it sort of like a lead raising in pitch and going with the filter. I hear it in a ton of songs but have no idea how to produce it. I'm lost guys help me out.
Also many songs have sort of like a double Tom hit that raises in pitch (typically I've heard songs do these all in combination) but again, don't know how to produce it but I'm assuming simpler and manipulating pitch bend.
This song has the double tom type hit working in combo with some other sweeps at around 1:30:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yKnz5oM9uY
A good example of the type of noise build I'm looking for is Alesso's style here at around 50 seconds:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJ28K6mmkps |
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| DJRYAN™ |
I just picked up a plug in called pitch wheel that I found in the Nicky Romero tutorial a couple of threads down. So far I've found that it maintains the sounds original integrity while shifting its pitch.
as far as the noise builds. Turn on an oscilator with noise. Turn its res all the way up. Automate its frequency from 0hz on Up and throw in another oscilator to mirror your main synth. Add reverb and eq.
Least that's how I've gotten a few of my done.. |
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| TyeDynamite |
Thanks for the help will give that a try.
When you're talking about the oscillator to mirror my main synth, should it be playing the same notes as my lead line coming in or should it just be for instance a saw wave rising in pitch?
Also which VST's do you typically like to generate your noise waves from?
Thanks. |
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| DJ RANN |
Actually, don't rely on pitching for tension builds or drops.
I am so sick to death of hearing every ing tune just using white noise sweeps or pitching up some of the elements until the crapness of their drop. I find it more cliched than doubling up the snare before a drop.
It's an absolute plague which is devoid of any substance - trying thinking about how your melodic content or rhythmic content can build tension. Don't just use a lazy sweep to fake tension - it adds nothing to your track apart from something that every amateur producer around the world is hammering now. |
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| Beatflux |
| quote: | Originally posted by DJ RANN
Actually, don't rely on pitching for tension builds or drops.
I am so sick to death of hearing every ing tune just using white noise sweeps or pitching up some of the elements until the crapness of their drop. I find it more cliched than doubling up the snare before a drop.
It's an absolute plague which is devoid of any substance - trying thinking about how your melodic content or rhythmic content can build tension. Don't just use a lazy sweep to fake tension - it adds nothing to your track apart from something that every amateur producer around the world is hammering now. |
A build up isn't going to make or break any track...
No need for a heart attack now... |
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| DJ RANN |
| quote: | Originally posted by Beatflux
A build up isn't going to make or break any track...
No need for a heart attack now... |
No but just listen to the amount of crap tracks recently that just give you a few elements, then drop out the kick, add a white noise sweep and pitch shift some repetitive noise and that's your breakdown to drop. It's utter bollocks and lacks any imagination whatsoever, so excuse me if I try to dissuade people from doing it. |
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| MSZ |
| rann does have a point, although sometimes i still use sweeps and it took me a long time before i could make a track without relying on them. |
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| TyeDynamite |
| Any other examples/ideas you guys have to send me in the right direction? I'm all for trying and making new things to differentiate a bit. |
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| MSZ |
| bro you just got to not listen to cookie cutter tracks and youll find tons of ideas. It depends on how your track is laid out and what elements you're using. something simple such as raising the cutoff frequency on your pads, reverb automation, auxillery automation in general will usually do the trick. |
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| DJ RANN |
| quote: | Originally posted by MSZ
bro you just got to not listen to cookie cutter tracks and youll find tons of ideas. It depends on how your track is laid out and what elements you're using. something simple such as raising the cutoff frequency on your pads, reverb automation, auxillery automation in general will usually do the trick. |
Exactly - great advice.
Of course, sweeps have their place, but IMO they are an additive, and should not be the main substance of tension or a drop. |
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| Looney4Clooney |
increase in volume
fragmentation of previous material
harmonic tension
rhythmic distortion or just plain bpm increase
and the most effective tension builder, absolute silence.
But more important is whether the track needs the build, Some tracks that are not really meant to be rave savers don't require some super epic build. Some tracks don't require any sort of build. |
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| DJRYAN™ |
| quote: | Originally posted by TyeDynamite
Thanks for the help will give that a try.
When you're talking about the oscillator to mirror my main synth, should it be playing the same notes as my lead line coming in or should it just be for instance a saw wave rising in pitch?
Also which VST's do you typically like to generate your noise waves from?
Thanks. |
it should be a saw wave or other waveform rising in pitch in the same key or chord that the drop part is in. But don't just stop at that. I've gotten some cool jet engine noises (risers) and some other slightly different effects by adding chorus, delay, distortion, etc.. once you get the white noise rising, then all the other oscilators just provide thickness to the rise.
Edit:
Another cool thing you could do is stagger the notes in the rise. So you could play a note on 1/16 then another on 9/16 and then on the next pass 1/16 , 3/16, 9/16th and then 12/16 all while having the pitch rise. Behind when the note is being played. You'll get a staggered rise, which is prodominant in in tracks like Hardwell's SpaceMen. |
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