Where Do These Producers Find Their Weird and Amazing Sounds?

K

KD35WB0JH13

New member
Stumbled upon Trey Songs - Smartphones


I can't post a working link because im a new member but if you search "Trey Songs - SmartPhones lyrics" It should be the first video with 2.6M views


The instrumental has really reminded me with the question I ask myself a lot "how do people find these weird noises and effects that really creates something unique". I'm very new to producing and have only spent a couple of hours on Abelton but everything on their sounds horrible compared to tracks like this that have amazing drum kits piano and effects. I've made a list of everything I find interesting in this song and hopefully someone can point me in the right direction to where I can find stuff like this.


1. 0:00-3:51 very high and quiet notes played throughout


2. 0:22-0:28 main chord progression but with a very weird effect


3. 0:50-1:04 repeated staticy thing (seriously WTF is this?)


4. 1:20-125 guitar note with another weird and reverby effect- sound plays on the lyric 'side' "time is not on our side"


5. 1:35-1:49 very strong bass with no attack, very subtle


6. 2:33-3:01 like the bass in #5, this guitar is very thick with no attack, but subtle and the presence is definitely felt


7. 3:18-3:33 electric guitar with another weird and reverby effect


If anybody could help I'd be so so thankful. The factory sounds on Abelton have really killed any inspiration when composing. Man if I had great sounds to work with I'd create so many amazing pieces.


Thanks guys
 
KD35WB0JH13 said:
If anybody could help I'd be so so thankful. The factory sounds on Abelton have really killed any inspiration when composing. Man if I had great sounds to work with I'd create so many amazing pieces.
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This is wrong. Cool sounds are the reason modern music composition's suck. Everyone wanted awesome sounds they forget they were supposed to be musical as well. I'd advise you to compose with nothing more than a piano or something similiar, if it can emotionally move you on a piano then you know it'll skyrocket with production. If it sucks on piano no production will make it worth listening to.

As for cool sounds, they are created by the producers. it is true Ableton synthesizer's are a little weak but great starting spots! External VST's are where you will be able to branch out your sound design, Sylenth1 & Massive are two powerful soft synths, but that is only the beginning the list goes on forever. I'd advise you to grab an external synth and init the preset, just make sounds on sounds eventually they will become better, original & unique. Production takes time don't become so impatient at the start (It's very easy to do I think we all did the same).
 


Alot of what I hear are reverses, delays, and bit crushers. I'm just taking quick guesses here but...

1 0:00-3:51 I don't know what sound it initially is, maybe a bell or piano fed through a delay and then fed into a bit crusher.

2 0:22-0:28 The chords are easy if you play each note and reverse them to audio and just reconstruct the melody.

3 0:50-1:04 is definitely a bit crusher.

4 1:20-125 I'm thinking a wah effect or pitch envelope, but if you have an actual guitar its very easy to do that.

5 1:35-1:49 more bit crusher or distortion on bass also can have a saturator

6 2:33-3:01 low pass filter

7 3:18-3:33 phaser
 
Wapiti said:
This is wrong. Cool sounds are the reason modern music composition's suck. Everyone wanted awesome sounds they forget they were supposed to be musical as well. I'd advise you to compose with nothing more than a piano or something similiar, if it can emotionally move you on a piano then you know it'll skyrocket with production. If it sucks on piano no production will make it worth listening to.

As for cool sounds, they are created by the producers. it is true Ableton synthesizer's are a little weak but great starting spots! External VST's are where you will be able to branch out your sound design, Sylenth1 & Massive are two powerful soft synths, but that is only the beginning the list goes on forever. I'd advise you to grab an external synth and init the preset, just make sounds on sounds eventually they will become better, original & unique. Production takes time don't become so impatient at the start (It's very easy to do I think we all did the same).
Click to expand...

Yeah as a Ableton Suite owner I don't really like the stock sounds to much neither. I'm into making my own, but those are kind of bland. Big on Sylenth and Massive.

I'd say learn the ins and outs of your favorite synth...envelopes, modulation, routing of your software or hardware synth. All the knowledge carries over to the next thing. However the example you posted seemed like most of the things that stuck out were handled at the mixing phase or at least effects thrown into mixer inserts.
 
Wapiti said:
This is wrong. Cool sounds are the reason modern music composition's suck. Everyone wanted awesome sounds they forget they were supposed to be musical as well. I'd advise you to compose with nothing more than a piano or something similiar, if it can emotionally move you on a piano then you know it'll skyrocket with production. If it sucks on piano no production will make it worth listening to.
Click to expand...

Its not wrong to want to add electronic sounds, it defines a genre. The problem is those generic producers don't know a thing about music.
 
Experimentation plays a great role in achieving some unique sounds. Unusual FX chains, timestretching, distortion, creative EQ... all can help you discover new sounds.
 
I've always thought of Live's stock library as more of a "building blocks" kind of thing instead of a bunch of radio-ready sounds. Use them as a starting point & experiment, as said.
 
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