|
Maybe this is more of a generic musicianship question but where do you guys go to think up or get melodies that don't suck? I know this is probably beep boop goon computer cannot compute original creativity beep boop but I've gone to some websites that do random melody generation in a given key signature, or just general ones at all, and I can't for the life of me get anything to sound like anything good. Should I just pick a melody and stick with it, just put in the notes, then try it in different instruments or something until I get something that sounds cool and go from there? Start with a beat first? All this openness and requirement for creativity is intimidating to a guy who's better at following instructions. 
|
#
?
Jul 14, 2016 20:09
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 22, 2024 15:05 |
|
|
Either bring up a keyboard and tap random poo poo until something catches your ear, or do the same thing with a step sequencer (which makes it easier to hear it loop). Modern smartphone apps like iKaossilator and Figure are fun to doodle with too.
|
|
#
?
Jul 14, 2016 20:16
|
|
|
Learn a few scales.
|
|
#
?
Jul 14, 2016 20:24
|
|
|
Quincy Smallvoice posted:Learn a few scales. I can do scales in normal mode - just not immediately, I gotta step out whole whole half whole whole whole half. I need to just force myself to take my laptop and controller to Starbucks, put on headphones, and start actually doing this thing.
|
|
#
?
Jul 14, 2016 20:33
|
|
|
I find that being around other people working helps me focus. Doing edm stuff while my GF works, or even being at a library can help a lot.
|
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2016 08:29
|
|
|
MJP posted:I can do scales in normal mode - just not immediately, I gotta step out whole whole half whole whole whole half. well then there is always A Minor!
|
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2016 14:53
|
|
|
start whistling.
|
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2016 00:20
|
|
|
My DAW (Studio One 2) has a scale "cheatsheet" on its piano roll - I can dial it in to, say, D Minor or C Blues and it'll show what notes are in that scale on a little keyboard icon. I don't always rely on it 100% though because depending on the genre the odd note off scale or blue note can be a good thing, but I'd experiment with what works and what doesn't when pitchbending notes or taking a detour from your scale. Rhythm is a strong element of melody, too - if it follows a good pattern, a melody consisting of very few notes can be very interesting. This goes double for basslines and triple for literally anything in techno. (Think Gesaffelstein - "Hate or Glory".)
|
|
#
?
Jul 22, 2016 00:07
|
|
|
Anyone following Collab Alliance? Slynk & Mr. Bill spent about 70 minutes combined making the first half of a cool sounding track, then Multiplier spent about 50 rambling about the world, his catchphrases and maths, before making less than 3 seconds of content - based the sound of his own catchphrases. What a disappointment. At least Seamless is never going to be a bad video. Anyways, I made a remix of a Deftones song. Tried to keep the original vibe intact: https://soundcloud.com/glxe/deftones-minerva-glxe-remix I'm actually not a huge deftones fan, but I'm messing around with a bunch of vocal tracks and seeing what fits. Really wanted to avoid the obvious remix targets. well why not fucked around with this message at 13:36 on Jul 27, 2016 |
|
#
?
Jul 25, 2016 10:34
|
|
|
Recently I've been having a go at trying to make some new retro wave style tunes and have just finished my first track. One area I'm having a little trouble with is writing melodies. I don't have this problem writing other genres so this has been a fun challenge. Any advice or critique is welcomed. https://soundcloud.com/user-702688323/waking-up-in-a-dark-place
|
|
#
?
Aug 3, 2016 06:08
|
|
|
edit: goshdarnit, there's a VST thread for VST questions.
|
|
#
?
Aug 26, 2016 06:28
|
|
|
I realised I hadnt made anything for over 6 months, so I grabbed some old sketches and had a go at arranging them into something that felt like a real track. https://soundcloud.com/downpour/160827a-1 Feedback very welcome I've been tyring to make proper music, with more melody and maybe even something someone could describe as a bit of a soul, but it's miserable going. learning keyboard and practicing guitar has got in the way of ever actually making a thing.
|
|
#
?
Aug 27, 2016 23:37
|
|
|
cubicle gangster posted:I realised I hadnt made anything for over 6 months, so I grabbed some old sketches and had a go at arranging them into something that felt like a real track. Digging this a lot. I love that kind of dubby, atmospheric tech-house sound, it reminds me of a lot of the stuff that Kompakt was releasing in mid / late 00's. I think it could use some editing - for me things start to drag a bit around the 5 minute mark, when it comes back in with the tougher rhythm work. You don't really have a lot of time to build up much momentum and I don't think it adds much to the track overall. I can see what you're going for there trying to build up some energy after the atmospheric stuff but it just doesn't have the impact that it needs and it ends up sounding a bit confused and half-hearted. I think the structure is pretty good though, maybe a bit long, I think around 6 minutes is probably a good time for a track like this. Nice work overall!
|
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2016 03:13
|
|
|
You know I agree with you - I was trying to force a second big section in and it is a little ham fisted. I like the new additions on their own but they're not right for this track - it takes until it's second go through to even wrap your head around it, it's too busy. I was a little too attached to it after the time I'd spent on it. Will have a go at doing a re-edit of the back half this week  Thanks for the compliments/good critisism!
|
|
#
?
Aug 29, 2016 01:03
|
|
|
new minimal weird techno track:
|
|
#
?
Sep 5, 2016 12:09
|
|
|
hi i haven't posted stuff here for a long time but i will now. don't know why. i like nightcore, footwork, field recordings and supersentimental rhodes this is a 170bpm remix of ariana grande - one last time https://soundcloud.com/sylvanidyllics/ineed2be_2letgo this is a 170bpm emotional joint https://soundcloud.com/sylvanidyllics/another-final-exorcism-attempt this is a 160bpm fictional track. i'm actually redoing the drums in the latter bit because i made this several months ago before i had a better grasp of footwork kick drum placement. https://soundcloud.com/sylvanidyllics/she-sparkles sea of losers fucked around with this message at 08:19 on Sep 15, 2016 |
|
|
#
?
Sep 15, 2016 07:22
|
|
|
Poizen87 - Modern Day Warrior Returning to production for the first time in god knows how long. First draft of a song I've been working on, since my friend challenged me to sample Rush. Some pretty blunt and clumsy transitions that need work, but arrangement is about 80% done. Trying to decide how many lyrics I can borrow from the track without it being just a straight Tom Sawyer remix, but I like that I've recast the lyrics without Tom sawyer as the specific subject. Particularly like how the chords/build sections are coming together, and particularly the drop at 2:08 and groove section at 3:45 even if the transition effects need to blend a little better. Bass cutoff envelope could probably be toned down a slight bit too. PoizenJam fucked around with this message at 05:55 on Sep 28, 2016 |
|
#
?
Sep 26, 2016 05:10
|
|
|
I'm wanting to start composing chiptune style music, but I'm not sure what software is ideal for this. Based on what I've read, there are several tracker programs that are out for specific consoles (Genesis/SNES/etc.) which I can use to generate the base sounds. I'd like to be able to get those audio tracks exported into a DAW so that I can mix it into other instrumental tracks. My preferred DAW would be Cubase but I'm open to suggestions for others that may be better for this. I've got a MIDI capable keyboard and an audio interface. Can I download soundfonts that will give me video game like sound from the MIDI output on my keyboard?
|
|
#
?
Oct 5, 2016 14:58
|
|
|
There's quite a lot of free chiptune vsts out there, in a more general sense FM and C64 sounds are your bread and butter tones. Arpeggios and a very limited number of tracks in total are generally hallmarks of this music, and bitcrushing drums and other sounds will add that old digital character. Its more about writing style than what DAW you use, Cubase should be fine http://www.musicradar.com/news/tech/9-of-the-best-chiptune-vst-plug-ins-554428 The Tweakbench stuff is good NonzeroCircle fucked around with this message at 15:39 on Oct 5, 2016 |
|
#
?
Oct 5, 2016 15:33
|
|
|
I appreciate it. I got a PC from work with an i5 processor, which should be sufficient for a DAW I think. That kind of spurred this whole thought process at making chiptunes.
|
|
#
?
Oct 5, 2016 16:32
|
|
|
SunVox is a pretty fun little tracker with a hilarious number of features.. so many you might get lost in them. But the software runs on literally anything with a processor in it. Their other program, PixiTracker, is a lot simpler and pretty fun to make bleep bloop noises. If you have a Nintendo DS, the Korg DS-10 is pretty badass too. It's a traditional synthesizer though so you're gonna have to learn how synths actually work.
|
|
#
?
Oct 5, 2016 16:38
|
|
|
Vargatron posted:I appreciate it. I got a PC from work with an i5 processor, which should be sufficient for a DAW I think. That kind of spurred this whole thought process at making chiptunes. Chiptunesy stuff should be fairly processor light, mostly simple waveforms and whatnot. I'm still on an i5 3570k that's been the heart of this pc for 6ish years and have no issues running some horrifically intense sessions, though the more RAM you can feed it, the better. Alternatively if you dont have a Cubase licence yet, Reaper would be an ideal candidate, it runs like a dream on my chuggy Toshiba laptop.
|
|
#
?
Oct 5, 2016 18:21
|
|
|
Vargatron posted:I'm wanting to start composing chiptune style music, but I'm not sure what software is ideal for this. Based on what I've read, there are several tracker programs that are out for specific consoles (Genesis/SNES/etc.) which I can use to generate the base sounds. I'd like to be able to get those audio tracks exported into a DAW so that I can mix it into other instrumental tracks. My preferred DAW would be Cubase but I'm open to suggestions for others that may be better for this. I like FMDrive and SPSG for working with Genesis/Master System sounds. They're VSTs so they should work in whatever. http://www.alyjameslab.com/alyjameslabfmdrive.html
|
|
#
?
Oct 5, 2016 18:43
|
|
|
At this point the biggest hurdle I'll have is actually learning how to use the DAW and the VSTs. I used to do composition with Guitar Pro, which was all MIDI. I'll probably have some other questions as I work through things this week.
|
|
#
?
Oct 5, 2016 19:13
|
|
|
Whichever DAW you pick there's plenty of beginner's guides on YouTube. As for VSTs: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/use-vst-beginners-63099.html Should hopefully demystify things a little
|
|
#
?
Oct 5, 2016 20:25
|
|
|
Tace Vim posted:new minimal weird techno track: new version https://soundcloud.com/tace/gch-overflow
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2016 11:05
|
|
|
Nice track! Cool vibe/groove/sounds. I really like that metallic pad. The stereo in the bass is kind of throwing me off a bit - feels like it might work better without the panning (and maybe something else in that space).
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2016 17:29
|
|
|
JamesKPolk posted:Nice track! Cool vibe/groove/sounds. I really like that metallic pad. Thanks man! I actually already dialled back the panning to be less wide originally, but may still have a play with it yet, as I think I need to rebalance the levels/eq in the mix anyway.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2016 05:29
|
|
|
I'm at a point where my dabbling is becoming more than a hobby for me, so I'm looking into hardware. I'm planning on getting a digital mixer and a cheapo 2 octave keyboard. The I'm also seeing tracks being posted in here, and I just want to confirm, is this thread a good place to start getting criticism and feedback on my work, or should I start in threads like "post your soundcloud" first? Everything I've done so far is somewhere within the umbrella of electronic music. intervolver fucked around with this message at 14:47 on Nov 25, 2016 |
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2016 14:38
|
|
|
What digital mixer?
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2016 15:06
|
|
|
Flipperwaldt posted:What digital mixer? Livid DS1 http://tomleemusic.ca/174156
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2016 15:23
|
|
|
Ok, yeah, that's not an actual "digital mixer", but a midi controller. I'm sure you were already aware; it just changes the answer to your question. Using midi over usb is perfectly fine and sustainable for as long as you have ports available, that's really no reason to look into audio interfaces. However, if you're on Windows and you want to play plugin instruments on your midi controller keyboard, you will need an audio interface with a low latency driver. Otherwise the delay between pressing keys and hearing sound will make the experience unbearable. And yes, this is a fine thread to post your music if you're looking for technical feedback. However, the amount of traffic here isn't what it used to be.
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2016 15:54
|
|
|
Thanks for explaining. I was aware that it was a midi controller, but I didn't understand that it wasn't a digital mixer as well. So just to make sure I understand: USB is fine for controlling dials and sliders in the DAW itself, but I will run into latency if I'm using a midi controller over USB to trigger notes in a VST? As for my music itself, I'll put some stuff here and try a few other sharing threads. Here: https://soundcloud.com/gabriel-tripp/ascendrine is a recent piece I felt especially good about. Anyone who's interested in tearing it apart please do so! Some constructive criticism is what I need at this point. As far as I can tell the genre is some variant of acid (... breaks?).
|
|
#
?
Nov 26, 2016 00:00
|
|
|
Flipperwaldt posted:However, if you're on Windows and you want to play plugin instruments on your midi controller keyboard, you will need an audio interface with a low latency driver. Otherwise the delay between pressing keys and hearing sound will make the experience unbearable. You can also get asio4all and turn down the sample rate to deal with the latency issue.
|
|
#
?
Nov 29, 2016 01:59
|
|
|
Cross-post from the Ableton thread. I am working on a track right now and ran into a new issue that I can't fix no matter what I try, even though I have a couple theories on the problem. There are only about 4 individual tracks running, all MIDI. The tracks are: Pads (Massive) Lead 1 (Massive) Lead 2 (Massive) Kick (Simpler) Pretty simple setup right? Here is the problem. On Lead 1, I have a Macro setup in Massive to automate the Filter Cutoff, and the Filter Envelope. This is basically my attempt to re-create the classic deadmau5 "pluck" sound that when automated with the macro starts to widen out. When the track hits the point where I automate the macro, I can start to hear really bad crackling/static coming through. I checked my levels and none of my individual tracks or my master were hitting the red. I even tried throwing a Limiter on the Master just to see if that would help and it did nothing. I even experimented with just soloing Lead 1 to see if there was some conflict between tracks and it was still putting out seemingly random static. One thing I have noticed which I think could be a problem is that the CPU% in the top right of Ableton is getting really high, around 60%+. I haven't noticed it ever getting this bad before but then again I have never had this static/crackling problem on tracks that I couldn't fix through some quick adjustments.
|
|
#
?
Nov 30, 2016 20:03
|
|
|
If you are happy with the part, try freezing and flattening that track to audio to see if it persists. How resonant is your filter? Is the feedback turned up? Could be some stray subs peeking through NonzeroCircle fucked around with this message at 22:01 on Nov 30, 2016 |
|
#
?
Nov 30, 2016 21:58
|
|
|
NonzeroCircle posted:If you are happy with the part, try freezing and flattening that track to audio to see if it persists. Sorry I am a noob and not familiar with certain terminology. By freezing and flattening to audio, do you just mean recording that single Lead 1 MIDI track to an Audio Track? Or is there a step I am missing in the freezing/framing part? I am pretty sure Resonance is at 0 on the filter but now that you mention it....that does sound like it would produce the exact problem I am having. Man, if its resonance I am going to feel like an idiot.
|
|
#
?
Nov 30, 2016 22:11
|
|
|
I haven't used Live in a while but I'm pretty sure you can just right click on the selected MIDI, click 'freeze' then do the same and hit 'flatten'. It can be done in the Edit dropdown too. Here's a guide to the concept: http://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/track-freezing-ableton-live It'll free up CPU if nothing else
|
|
#
?
Nov 30, 2016 22:18
|
|
|
MrSargent posted:One thing I have noticed which I think could be a problem is that the CPU% in the top right of Ableton is getting really high, around 60%+. I haven't noticed it ever getting this bad before but then again I have never had this static/crackling problem on tracks that I couldn't fix through some quick adjustments.
|
|
#
?
Nov 30, 2016 23:06
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 22, 2024 15:05 |
|
|
I do audio work for a living but never really bothered with music, started to try and fiddle something together today. https://clyp.it/kvhj5hle (16 bar loop twice) While I don't really listen to this music on my own time, it's neat to make without having much talent for writing complicated rhythms or melodies. I just know how to program a synth. Probably work on it more this week, figure out how to do a song arrangement and stuff.
|
|
#
?
Dec 1, 2016 02:20
|
|
