i have a problem with programming synths to sound in the hip hop area. i know what filters, ADSR envelopes,oscillators and the other stuff do and how they operate but, i cant seem to create the sounds im looking for. my vsti's are purity, hypersonic and pro 53. please no negative comments. thank you.
problem with creating synth sounds.
- Thread starter izzy1
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quantumleap
New member
I hear ya... When I wanted to get into sound design..more so just making my own synth sounds from scratch...I was told to check out Massive..So I did. By then I already had a good understanding of the ADSR envelopes as well as filters and what not.. But I couldn't make any sound, sound the way I wanted to.... But I kept at it...I'm still learning...but I'm able to make the sound I want more often than not now.... So just keep practicing.....And even though you have an understanding of the envelopes and filters, perhaps you just don't have the know-how of how to utilize them in a way that produces the sound(s) you're looking for.. Don't take that negatively..Cuz I was in the same boat..I knew how everything worked, and what everything was there for, but when it came to programming and using all that stuff on my own with no tutorials..I blew it damn near every time...Like I said, I'm still learning...but am getting better...And you will too if you keep practicing, reading, learning, and....practice some more!
Also keep in mind, its not what you have, its what you know. You have good plugins.. But you seem to lack some knowledge of those plugins, and/or the technical knowledge required to program synths in those plugins..Again, don't take that in a negative way..because we all start off in the same boat..Learn the basics, master the basics, and expand..The same principles can be used on ANY synth, since they're basically all the same, for the most part.
Just keep at it dude and you'll get it
Also keep in mind, its not what you have, its what you know. You have good plugins.. But you seem to lack some knowledge of those plugins, and/or the technical knowledge required to program synths in those plugins..Again, don't take that in a negative way..because we all start off in the same boat..Learn the basics, master the basics, and expand..The same principles can be used on ANY synth, since they're basically all the same, for the most part.
Just keep at it dude and you'll get it
Can you please be more specific what your problem is? Where do you have problems creating the sound you are looking for?
Some first thoughts:
- know the signal path of each of your synths (eg: osc 1 -> filter 1 -> filter 2-> Amp)
- know your waveforms and what they can do (what can you do with a sine wave? what´s the difference between a sine and a saw in terms of frequencies? RM/AM: what are they useful for? Do you have OSC sync? Whats a square wave and how can I transform it into a pulse wave?...stuff like that)
- if you have other synthesis techniques what can you do with them? (f.e. creating a resonance feedback sound with a pair of phase mod oscillators ( osc1 = sine, saw, triangle, square + osc2 = Resonace I, II or II ) without using a filter)
I think for HipHop stick to subtractive synthesis for now and use the Pro53. I mean this is a Prohpet 5 emulation. I don´t know the Pro53 but I took a quick look at it on the NI website and looks quite powerful. I think with this one you could build up anything you can think of: cold + warm bass sounds, 808 like drums, strings, funky worm gangsta lead...
So I would try to figure out the following on the Pro53:
- how do you start with a clean osc sound ? (disable all oscillators but one and everything else in the signal path what comes after the oscillator but the Amp Env which should have the following settings: A 0 - D 0 - S Full - R 0. This will be very first thing you should have to do if you wanna build up a sound from scratch. After that add Filter1 to your chain with or without envelope and so on ...)
- how can you initialize a patch on the Pro53?
- what kind of signalpath do we have ? (see also "how do you start with a clean osc sound")
- where do you enable/disable all the filters, envelopes etc ?
- do we need polyphony, legato, retrigger and stuff like that?
- do you know how to work with more than one osc? (know the "power" of detuning two oscs against each other, adding a second osc one or two octaves higher then the 1st one, adding a third osc that plays seven semi tones higher than the original one...)
- try to figure out if you have some kind of matrix where you could assign envelops, lfos etc to your oscillators, filters, envelopes etc to create movement
- change your velocity settings and play around on your keyboard
- experiment, experiment, experiment...
- have fun shaping your frequencies
- trust your ears and avoid analyzers for now
Some useful links (take them as guidelines and for understanding synthesis in general, it doesn´t matter which kind of softsynth you are using as long as they share the same synthesis form (subtractive, additive, granular)):
Sound On Sound Synth Secrets (all parts)
How to Program a Synthesizer
How to Make a Noise: A Comprehensive Guide to Synthesizer Programming
Thor Demystified
Have fun
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