Creating your own sound. (Full Version)

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Sidius -> Creating your own sound. (11/7/2012 10:21:52 AM)

Right so here's a question for you, what do you consider to be acceptable when it comes to crafting your own sound.

I've never really used sounds from one track in subsequent tracks because to me it A) feels a bit like cheating & B) is kind of boring when you could just start something totally new.

However, there are obviously many people who re-use elements from track to track which leads to them creating a 'sound' for them self.

This is something i've never done but would kind of like to now, but i just can't get around the mentality that it's just fucking cheating/not as interesting as just starting from scratch each time.

What are other peoples views on this, do you think that re-using sounds is what makes producers really successful?



Technicolour -> RE: Creating your own sound. (11/7/2012 10:25:20 AM)

Get you with your proper music discussion threads.



Mr Cunt -> RE: Creating your own sound. (11/7/2012 10:26:50 AM)

I've given it some thought, I've made Hip Hop, Reggae, Trip Hop, Bleeps and very few tracks have any continuity about them.

But then I wouldn't enjoy the moments I'm in if I set out to do specific styles at specific times.

I guess it depends where you want to be with you music.

I've you want to be a smash in the Drum and Bass disco then some consistency in output would seem the best way to go.

But then how many established artists have alter egos that enable them to work in other styles.


I think do your thing is the order of the day.

The only sounds I've consistently reused are 808 kicks.

You can't fuck with an 808 kick.



STIMPY -> RE: Creating your own sound. (11/7/2012 10:28:01 AM)

I dunno, Dillinja is a prime example of this and I'd say he's considered one of dnb's greatest producers. It's fine to do variations of an idea over and over if the idea is a good one in the first place and the changes in each tune warrant it being another tune. His back catalogue being a good example.

However, you need to not fall into the trap of self loving everything you make, otherwise you'll be in danger of continually expanding on the shit ideas instead of just the good ones.



joebastard -> RE: Creating your own sound. (11/7/2012 10:35:41 AM)

i do this loads largely because im not very good and im lazy.



Specialist Sound -> RE: Creating your own sound. (11/7/2012 10:41:06 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: joebastard

i do this loads largely because im not very good and im lazy.


THIS



Leonard Nimoy -> RE: Creating your own sound. (11/7/2012 10:53:18 AM)

The very act of trying to observe something will affect the nature of what is being observed. It is impossible to manufacture something original when by doing so you are creating a preconceived cerebral framework. Creativity is not about the pure plastic act. It is the drama of the pure plastic act. That moment when the universe comes out of it's shell and meets it's own destruction.



STIMPY -> RE: Creating your own sound. (11/7/2012 11:01:14 AM)

The art of hearing is to listen, as there are none so deaf as those who do not want to hear.



Sidius -> RE: Creating your own sound. (11/7/2012 11:01:36 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Technicolour

Get you with your proper music discussion threads.


I'm still in my probation period, i can't wade back in with hidden meatspin links just yet......or can I!!


I think i've decided that i ultimately write music that i enjoy making and would enjoy bogling to in the disco and after just trying to write a tune in a similar style to my previous one i think i've decided that i don't really enjoy doing that....and it shows in the end result too!!

I couldn't give a monkeys about DnB any more, still love the music but it just feels like the last 9 or 10 years have been spent desperately trying to keep up with the established artists. I have nothing but respect for people who do make it in DnB because it's possibly the most over-saturated genre in dance music so to really stand out from the crowd is no mean feat, but personally i think my Drum & Bass days are done.



Mr Cunt -> RE: Creating your own sound. (11/7/2012 11:04:00 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Sidius

i think my Drum & Bass days are done.



Thank fuck for that, now if only everyone else here would follow your lead.


Something good might happen.



STIMPY -> RE: Creating your own sound. (11/7/2012 11:04:19 AM)

Are you saying that you're not able to come up with good enough ideas or that the type of dnb you like to make just isn't really that popular a sound?



Liquid EDGE -> RE: Creating your own sound. (11/7/2012 11:05:53 AM)

I find it fun to start from scratch.
But I'm realising more and more that when this is done it sort stifles creativity.
If you reuse stuff you only need to think about arrangement and melody etc.
Bit of both really. If it sounds good why not usr it again.
But I do love messing with creating sounds etc.



New Era -> RE: Creating your own sound. (11/7/2012 11:07:07 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: STIMPY

I dunno, Dillinja is a prime example of this and I'd say he's considered one of dnb's greatest producers. It's fine to do variations of an idea over and over if the idea is a good one in the first place and the changes in each tune warrant it being another tune. His back catalogue being a good example.

However, you need to not fall into the trap of self loving everything you make, otherwise you'll be in danger of continually expanding on the shit ideas instead of just the good ones.


The dillinja thing is interesting, i've always thought his tracks were pretty boring but people seem to love them.

The thing is what happens in dance music is different to what happens in the rest of the music industry... other examples of dance guys who make similar sounding tracks all the time are Deadmau5 and Calvin Harris who are both huge at the moment but pretty much use the same sounds and arrangements over and over...

Most producers in the rest of the music industry, by this i mean proper producers (no Mark Ronson) who get out of their bedrooms and use real instruments, record things and know about music will try to get the best out of whatever song they are presented with rather than put their stamp on it. Obviously they will have certain mic techniques or mix techniques they like to employ but very rarely use all of their possibilities in every track as they don't always work. This is a good thing in my opinion... Think about what the goal is and work towards a final idea from the very first note rather than try to put together a template of techniques you feel must be used on every song.

Ultimately if it's a good song it'll get attention regardless of who's name is on it, unless your name is Gary Glitter!

It's a relatively new thing to have a producers name all over a track... if it's a good track i couldn't give a fuck if it was produced by Timbaland or Barry Gibb to be honest. As long as people like listening to your music does it matter if they instantly recognise it as a Sidius production or not?



silkworm -> RE: Creating your own sound. (11/7/2012 11:07:37 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: STIMPY

I dunno, Dillinja is a prime example of this and I'd say he's considered one of dnb's greatest producers. It's fine to do variations of an idea over and over if the idea is a good one in the first place and the changes in each tune warrant it being another tune. His back catalogue being a good example.



This is why, 10 years ago, I couldn't stand listening to any of his stuff. Gentle intro, some light hats maybe, little plinky plonky melody....building to a crecendo and bringing in reece and some heavy acoustic style broken snares.

But yeah, it's a good point and something I've thought about myself recently. It's why so few producers can cross over styles, let alone genres. They work within a narrow framework, this helps to focus energy and direction, in a positive way. Break's stuff sounds really similar, he must use loads of the same presets, but varied enough to be interesting (most of the time) but could he write a Bungle style track? Probly not and vice versa.



Sidius -> RE: Creating your own sound. (11/7/2012 11:07:42 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: STIMPY

Are you saying that you're not able to come up with good enough ideas or that the type of dnb you like to make just isn't really that popular a sound?



I'm saying that after going to Glade the other week and having my eyes opened to exciting, fresh new sounds and tempos, something switched in my head. And where i'd had a slightly unhealthy obsession with DnB for the best part of 10 years, i suddenly realised that i didn't give a fuck about it any more.

I don't think i ever really had a 'sound' with my DnB and i don't really want to pigeonhole myself with whatever new stuff i write, but i know that i'm done with trying to make a name for myself in a scene that never really wanted me. [:)]



STIMPY -> RE: Creating your own sound. (11/7/2012 11:08:34 AM)

It's not relatively new to have the producers name allover the track in dance music, because in most dance music the producer IS the artist.



STIMPY -> RE: Creating your own sound. (11/7/2012 11:12:30 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Sidius

quote:

ORIGINAL: STIMPY

Are you saying that you're not able to come up with good enough ideas or that the type of dnb you like to make just isn't really that popular a sound?



I'm saying that after going to Glade the other week and having my eyes opened to exciting, fresh new sounds and tempos, something switched in my head. And where i'd had a slightly unhealthy obsession with DnB for the best part of 10 years, i suddenly realised that i didn't give a fuck about it any more.

I don't think i ever really had a 'sound' with my DnB and i don't really want to pigeonhole myself with whatever new stuff i write, but i know that i'm done with trying to make a name for myself in a scene that never really wanted me. [:)]



See I still really like the sound of dnb I make, it is kinda niche though and I wouldn't go to most nights or mainstream dnb clubs because they play shit imo. As with all music's there's a commercial crap end and then there's people making something interesting and heartfelt (gay but true).

If you're chasing success you'll always have to play/make what's current and if you're not into a current trend you'll end up making bland music because you aren't really into it anyway.

But you must have liked a certain type of dnb at one point and there's no reason why you should not like it anymore nor enjoy making it if even just for your own pleasure no?



Sidius -> RE: Creating your own sound. (11/7/2012 11:16:22 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: STIMPY

quote:

ORIGINAL: Sidius

quote:

ORIGINAL: STIMPY

Are you saying that you're not able to come up with good enough ideas or that the type of dnb you like to make just isn't really that popular a sound?



I'm saying that after going to Glade the other week and having my eyes opened to exciting, fresh new sounds and tempos, something switched in my head. And where i'd had a slightly unhealthy obsession with DnB for the best part of 10 years, i suddenly realised that i didn't give a fuck about it any more.

I don't think i ever really had a 'sound' with my DnB and i don't really want to pigeonhole myself with whatever new stuff i write, but i know that i'm done with trying to make a name for myself in a scene that never really wanted me. [:)]



See I still really like the sound of dnb I make, it is kinda niche though and I wouldn't go to most nights or mainstream dnb clubs because they play shit imo. As with all music's there's a commercial crap end and then there's people making something interesting and heartfelt (gay but true).

If you're chasing success you'll always have to play/make what's current and if you're not into a current trend you'll end up making bland music because you aren't really into it anyway.

But you must have liked a certain type of dnb at one point and there's no reason why you should not like it anymore nor enjoy making it if even just for your own pleasure no?



I always wrote DnB that i enjoyed myself, of course! And don't get me wrong i do still like DnB and would probably go along to the odd night, but it just doesn't hold the same interest for me that it had before i went to Glade.

Just seems a bit recycled now and i'm looking for something fresh.



STIMPY -> RE: Creating your own sound. (11/7/2012 11:16:57 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: silkworm

quote:

ORIGINAL: STIMPY

I dunno, Dillinja is a prime example of this and I'd say he's considered one of dnb's greatest producers. It's fine to do variations of an idea over and over if the idea is a good one in the first place and the changes in each tune warrant it being another tune. His back catalogue being a good example.



This is why, 10 years ago, I couldn't stand listening to any of his stuff. Gentle intro, some light hats maybe, little plinky plonky melody....building to a crecendo and bringing in reece and some heavy acoustic style broken snares.

But yeah, it's a good point and something I've thought about myself recently. It's why so few producers can cross over styles, let alone genres. They work within a narrow framework, this helps to focus energy and direction, in a positive way. Break's stuff sounds really similar, he must use loads of the same presets, but varied enough to be interesting (most of the time) but could he write a Bungle style track? Probly not and vice versa.



Yeah I wasn't a fan of his at that particular time, but he became big before that for a different sound, and it was similar throughout but not quite as samey as say the whole cybotron album is.

Angels Fell/Jah Know Ya Big/Heavenly Bass/You Don't Know etc. are the tunes that got him signed to Sony in the first place, they're the ones that made him huge and personally I think he's fallen off because when the era you're talking about ten years ago is when he was still riding on the hype of his good work, but once he stopped coming up with anything really new he thought he had to literally make the same tune over and over, then instead of innovating and being the first with the ideas he started copying shitty jump up from other people.



STIMPY -> RE: Creating your own sound. (11/7/2012 11:19:12 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Sidius

quote:

ORIGINAL: STIMPY

quote:

ORIGINAL: Sidius

quote:

ORIGINAL: STIMPY

Are you saying that you're not able to come up with good enough ideas or that the type of dnb you like to make just isn't really that popular a sound?



I'm saying that after going to Glade the other week and having my eyes opened to exciting, fresh new sounds and tempos, something switched in my head. And where i'd had a slightly unhealthy obsession with DnB for the best part of 10 years, i suddenly realised that i didn't give a fuck about it any more.

I don't think i ever really had a 'sound' with my DnB and i don't really want to pigeonhole myself with whatever new stuff i write, but i know that i'm done with trying to make a name for myself in a scene that never really wanted me. [:)]



See I still really like the sound of dnb I make, it is kinda niche though and I wouldn't go to most nights or mainstream dnb clubs because they play shit imo. As with all music's there's a commercial crap end and then there's people making something interesting and heartfelt (gay but true).

If you're chasing success you'll always have to play/make what's current and if you're not into a current trend you'll end up making bland music because you aren't really into it anyway.

But you must have liked a certain type of dnb at one point and there's no reason why you should not like it anymore nor enjoy making it if even just for your own pleasure no?



I always wrote DnB that i enjoyed myself, of course! And don't get me wrong i do still like DnB and would probably go along to the odd night, but it just doesn't hold the same interest for me that it had before i went to Glade.

Just seems a bit recycled now and i'm looking for something fresh.



Totally agree with this, but that's because people aren't coming up with enough new original ideas to develop.

By going to another genre you might feel more inspired but you'll probably only be copying stuff that sounds fresh to you and might end up with the same predicament down the line (which is fine of course, you know what you like and what you don't)



STIMPY -> RE: Creating your own sound. (11/7/2012 11:21:10 AM)

What I'm saying is that creating your own sound doesn't require switching genre, it does require you coming up with an original take on whatever genre you're making though.



Sidius -> RE: Creating your own sound. (11/7/2012 11:26:12 AM)

I'm not switching genres to create my own sound, i'm switching genres because i'm bored of writing at 175bpm.



dibidibbidibi -> RE: Creating your own sound. (11/7/2012 11:37:00 AM)

in answer to the OP i find my tracks tend to sound a bit samey even if i start from scratch, but that's
probably because i use similar engineering and go for a certain texture or production style. i can't get
away from it.

...even if the elements sound nothing like an old track, the overall engineering feel might not
differ that much. people who make tracks that sound similar might be using the same sample library over
and over, or maybe not. i know that some producers like to stick with samples when they find they work.
i don't think i could do that; but even if i use fresh synths and drums the end result still has the same "sheen":
the same weight and same overall texture. ...or it might just be FLstudio's crap audio engine. but i like it.

i know what you mean about feeling like it is cheating and/or unoriginal. i find it more inspiring to start
afresh. but one could start afresh and fall into similar effect chains and thus end up with similar sonic textures.



IKOS -> RE: Creating your own sound. (11/7/2012 11:50:24 AM)

There are two sounds that i sneak into almost every track i make, usually very subtlety buried deep in the mix, not because im lazy but because i love them both so much. I don't think it gives me a sound so to speak but it may help give some of my tracks a continuity, all be it on a subconscious level.

There are other things i do in order to try and keep my style on track but none of that requires using the same sounds. Its more about sticking to the vibe and formula i love to hear from the music i make.



hop -> RE: Creating your own sound. (11/7/2012 11:50:34 AM)

Nice read.

quote:

but i know that i'm done with trying to make a name for myself in a scene that never really wanted me.


The thing about dnb is that the 'only' space to manoeuver is within the context of a mix between two tracks that are bound to be similar. Thats is not a lot of scope.



New Era -> RE: Creating your own sound. (11/7/2012 11:59:32 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: STIMPY

It's not relatively new to have the producers name allover the track in dance music, because in most dance music the producer IS the artist.


I didn't say in dance music, i meant it in general. It's spread now too... You often hear about a new record produced by Timbaland or Mark Ronson even though the artist performing is just as well known.

The producer of a record used to have their name in small print inside the sleeve now they want it in bold on the front cover. When did you ever see a Michael Jackson record with 'Quincey Jones feat' Michael Jackson' on the cover?

Either way you've pretty much focused on the least relevant part of my post. The important part is that successful music doesn't have to have a sonic stamp on it to show it's yours.



STIMPY -> RE: Creating your own sound. (11/7/2012 4:05:10 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Sidius

I'm not switching genres to create my own sound, i'm switching genres because i'm bored of writing at 175bpm.



Well then I'm not sure why you've titled the thread as it is. 175 bpm is no more restrictive than any other bpm I don't think. Besides, nobody says all dnb has to be written at 175bpm it's a constraint you're putting on yourself.



STIMPY -> RE: Creating your own sound. (11/7/2012 4:08:06 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: hop

Nice read.

quote:

but i know that i'm done with trying to make a name for myself in a scene that never really wanted me.


The thing about dnb is that the 'only' space to manoeuver is within the context of a mix between two tracks that are bound to be similar. Thats is not a lot of scope.



There is as much scope as you can imagine, if you can't come up with fresh ideas it's not the genres fault it's your own. Being afraid that people won't like your music or play it is down to you. All you're doing is playing the game and making what you "think" other people want to hear to try and get your tune played or signed, chances are this will definitely NOT lead to you coming up with your own sound and your music will sound uninspired and cliché, it's just as likely to happen with any other genre of music that are mixed at similar bpms.



Sidius -> RE: Creating your own sound. (11/7/2012 4:19:15 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: STIMPY

quote:

ORIGINAL: Sidius

I'm not switching genres to create my own sound, i'm switching genres because i'm bored of writing at 175bpm.



Well then I'm not sure why you've titled the thread as it is. 175 bpm is no more restrictive than any other bpm I don't think. Besides, nobody says all dnb has to be written at 175bpm it's a constraint you're putting on yourself.



why do you care so much if i don't want to write DnB any more??

it's so funny, my mate was like this when i said i'm not really into DnB any more, he started getting all antsy and trying to convince me otherwise.....it really doesn't matter!!

i started this thread because i've stumbled across a sound that i like but don't know if i can bring myself to only write stuff like it.

i just wanted to get peoples opinions on how important it is to stick to a certain sound



STIMPY -> RE: Creating your own sound. (11/7/2012 4:26:53 PM)

I don't care, you just asked a question and I'm answering it, if you don't want people to tell you what they think, don't ask them a question.



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