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Envelope Automation
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routingwithin
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
46
Posts :
204
Posted : Jul 27, 2016 12:44:48
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Hi guys, just thought i'd share this because it is a common problem with many guys.
Have you ever wanted to create a nice bassline to go with your awesome kickdrum
but finding it difficult to get that sound you hear in well produced tracks ? Well join the club. i.e. You follow the formula, taking a saw wave, adding a low pass filter and modulate the cutoff, however you keep tweaking and it just does not end with the result you want. Almost as if the setting you're looking for is in between two point you cannot reach.
I have researched this topic, finding many guys asking the question, but are poluted
with the same, It's sounds like a basic saw with filter modulation, yeah, no shit
I heard that from the last 100 guys already. Even many of the tutorials on youtube are some dumbass with crappy logitec speakers showing you how to make a psytrance bass. sigh
And still you're trapped in the mystery.
Well I ended up finding an article that stated that you need analog gear to get a better bass sound, but for many that is not an option - it being too expensive etc etc
Then I went on a mission to find out why, yes hardware does have richer, warmer sound but many artists use VST's and still get good results.
My mission ended reading that many analog gear has faster envelopes.
So how can we emulate this, well give this a try next time you're infront of your DAW. (I use ableton9)
Load up you VST synth, choose a sawtooth wave, maybe add a lower velocity sine for sub and lower the octave to the right point. Do not activate the filter.
Load up an Equalizer and put a low pass on it. pull it down to cut everything above 100hz. Then simple automate it in session or arrangement view. When the note hits the lowpass opens and closes. Lowering the height of the curve gives less high frequencies, etc.
You don't even have to use 2-3 16th note, just use an 8th note, for a smoother sound. (still keeping the 16th note lowpass automation)
The benefit is you can now make the curve shorter without making the sound inaudible. It keeps the sound raw and present. (i.e. many vst filters tends to bend the note to another key)
Using an EQ with automation lets you create your own unique envelope curves and eliminates the limits.
Try it on kick creation aswell.
Cheers guys
Good luck
  " We are together in this matter you and I, closer to death, yes, closer than i'd like. How do you feel? - There can be no division in our actions, or everything is lost. What affects you affects me. " |
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the five assed monkey
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
22
Posts :
145
Posted : Jul 27, 2016 17:21
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Nice tip, but I think the secret is matching the bass with the right kick drum. same pitch is also very important. |
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routingwithin
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
46
Posts :
204
Posted : Jul 28, 2016 09:28
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Yes there are many aspects to this. Obviously envelopes aint a magic trick that wil give u a pro sound .. its just essencial. Making all sounds live in seperate octaves is also a good trick to minimize eq. Using a multiband distortion/saturater can take away/transform that ugly mid frequencies sawtooth waves tend to have.
Also layering bass samples/waves and compressing can also give a unique timbre to the sound. But less is more.. and too less just sucks.. And like you said. Using an frequency analyzer the check the fundamental on kick and make that the root of ur bass.
" We are together in this matter you and I, closer to death, yes, closer than i'd like. How do you feel? - There can be no division in our actions, or everything is lost. What affects you affects me. " |
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knocz
Moderator
Started Topics :
40
Posts :
1151
Posted : Jul 28, 2016 16:32
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Good stuff, I've also found that a lot of the digital envelopes are not as snappy as I would like them to be..
Nonetheless they do have other types of features. In Ableton Live Operator (my goto synth for pretty much everything), you can simply lower the "Time knob" to -100% (I think it goes down to 100), and all envelopes will become a lot tighter 
Leaving everything to the VST is in some ways very limiting - and using the clip view (or track view) is a great step towards resampling your stuff and manipulating it via sample, I can never get things as tight and "sample perfect" as when using samples (nowadays I actually prefer a bit more of sloppiness)
But, the most limiting factor of using something outside the VST is keytrack and veltrack - unless you are using a Max4Live device to capture key note and velocity form the midi, and control something else, you are limited in this field (and, if when you go up the note scale, your LP filter opens up - will help making your VST breath and sound more alive and dynamic, using velocity you can build interesting repeating patterns in the filter cutoff point too )
Just remember that the old'days of setting a VST to certain settings and forgetting about it is not up to standard nowadays - we can do a lot to the VST settings in real time (just like you can take your analogue gear, and twist a knob when recording). But in the end, if if sounds good, it's right No matter how you got there
Super Banana Sauce http://www.soundcloud.com/knocz |
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routingwithin
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
46
Posts :
204
Posted : Jul 28, 2016 16:50
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Well said knocz. I haven't gone into Operator that much, usually stick with Massive or Sylenth1.
Not sure what you meant by the Velocity track, cause most VSTs can be linked to the velocity in ableton. Probly misunderstood.
* Also just like to add a point to my original post. Using VSTs closer to analog gear can also give insane results.
And in my opinion nothing beats Native Instruments - all of their products. Especially in this case, the amazing Monark Synth.
" We are together in this matter you and I, closer to death, yes, closer than i'd like. How do you feel? - There can be no division in our actions, or everything is lost. What affects you affects me. " |
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ansolas
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
108
Posts :
977
Posted : Jul 30, 2016 12:53
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