Is there a good source/VST/Something to use to fill a song?

A

aceover9

New member
A lot of songs have an ambient tone that plays in the background to provide emotion and fill to a song and it seems like everything I have is terrible for that. Could just be my lack of ability.

This song, for example, seems to have a very subtle backing during most of it:

Everything But The Girl - Love is here where I live [Official video] - YouTube

At first I thought it might be reverb off a piano or something but the song makes it stop during certain parts so it's got to be something. I know this post is kind of everywhere because I don't really know where to begin with this. Hopefully someone with some knowledge can kind of see what I mean.

I use FL Studio.

Any input is appreciated. Thanks.
 
it is simple stuff and it is not just down to instrument choice - piano, guitar, bass drums and some tambourine, bongos, congas, castanets and a cuica - but also playing choices

the guitar is not just playing chords but playing melodic lines that outline the harmony as is the bass as is the piano, in some cases the piano and guitar playing the same line, with the guitar playing the line in octaves a la Wes Montgomery

the percussion use is sparse but filling where needed
 
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What you're talking about is generally referred to as "pads", as in "padding" - I guess the most generic way to approach this is by using a subtle polyphonic synth patch (pretty much any synth with presets is gonna have a "pad" category), but it can also be - as you touched upon - just reverb, or strings, or samples or whatever you come up with.
 
sorry krushing, did you listen to the track? there is no use of "pads" as such but the instruments I listed and the uses I listed - this is an orchestrational issue in terms of this track and highlights how to create a full texture which is still minimal
 
Did listen, but I was mostly referring to the "a lot of songs have an ambient tone" part - and there's an ambient tone in the example provided, no matter how it's produced in this particular case.
 
Yeah I might just be way off the track but I could swear there is sometimes an ambient tone playing in the background of the song. Particularly where the chorus smooths out (see: 1:07). I don't know if it's reverb coming off the piano or what but it sounds like there is definitely something "padding" the background of the song and creating an ambient tone. It sounds common but I always fail to find anything that subtle.

Maybe it's a combination of the instruments trailing off or something?
 
I think i can hear what you mean in the song. Im completely guessing here and basing it off nothing, but I don't think its a 'traditional' pad. Are we talking about the sort of ..I don't even know what to call it, echo of the piano? Its not a delay or anything, its more so like the release of the note was raised really high and they just let it fade out while automating it down..almost like each individual note is also playing a lot quieter in the background and slowly automating out..I know thats probably not what it is, but thats the easiest way for me to explain what I'm hearing. Id like to know how to do this too.

I understand what Bandcoach means about what the instruments are doing, Im just curious how you would actually do it to sound this nice and blend so well.
 
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what you are hearing is the sustained block chords on the piano - nothing ambient or pad-like about it
 
View attachment pianorev.mp3

Well, to me it's a pretty fine line between "just piano" and "ambient and pad-like" - this example is obviously very exaggerated. But the latter sound is still "just" added reverb (even though there's a lot of it).
 
Yumid said:
I think i can hear what you mean in the song. Im completely guessing here and basing it off nothing, but I don't think its a 'traditional' pad. Are we talking about the sort of ..I don't even know what to call it, echo of the piano? Its not a delay or anything, its more so like the release of the note was raised really high and they just let it fade out while automating it down..almost like each individual note is also playing a lot quieter in the background and slowly automating out..I know thats probably not what it is, but thats the easiest way for me to explain what I'm hearing. Id like to know how to do this too.

I understand what Bandcoach means about what the instruments are doing, Im just curious how you would actually do it to sound this nice and blend so well.
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Yeah, that sounds much like what I'm talking about. Hard to explain isn't it? It sounds so deliberate. Hard to believe it's just run-off from the piano. I know there's some post production in there to get the reverb to stop. It just sounds like some kind of separate sound on it's own being played. I wish it was. It's a nice sound. Would be cool to just be able to toss it in things.

Krushing... yeah, that sounds a lot like it. I wonder if I can toss a bunch of reverb on a piano sample and kill the dry and semi-achieve just the ambient sound...

Thanks for all the help and feedback, guys. If you got anything else to toss in feel free.

Thanks again!
 
bandcoach said:
sorry krushing, did you listen to the track? there is no use of "pads" as such but the instruments I listed and the uses I listed - this is an orchestrational issue in terms of this track and highlights how to create a full texture which is still minimal
Click to expand...

no need to call the guy out man. He was just offering another suggestion that also gets a "full sound"
 
bandcoach said:
what you are hearing is the sustained block chords on the piano - nothing ambient or pad-like about it
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aceover9 said:
Yeah, that sounds much like what I'm talking about. Hard to explain isn't it? It sounds so deliberate. Hard to believe it's just run-off from the piano. I know there's some post production in there to get the reverb to stop. It just sounds like some kind of separate sound on it's own being played. I wish it was. It's a nice sound. Would be cool to just be able to toss it in things.

Krushing... yeah, that sounds a lot like it. I wonder if I can toss a bunch of reverb on a piano sample and kill the dry and semi-achieve just the ambient sound...

Thanks for all the help and feedback, guys. If you got anything else to toss in feel free.

Thanks again!
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Haha its funny, I was walking home from the store last night and for some reason I was thinking about this thread then it all of a sudden hit me. I remembered when I was playing around with the piano settings on Mini Grand on Pro Tools that yes, its just the run off of the chord. I felt like such an idiot when I realized what it actually was haha.
 
Well since he was playing it a keyboard it was possible it was a mixed sound. A lot of boards especially the older ones have piano patches mixed with pads or strings.
 
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