Maybe you guys can help me with a sound?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7XD60Q95jM

It’s the main pad sound in the back that’s not the vocal formant one. The rhythmic, helicopter-like sound. I’ve tried the obvious: A saw wave with a really closed filter and a ramp-up LFO set to the filter at a rate of a 16th note, but it doesn’t quite get there. It’s not percussive or snappy enough. Is it just noise that he’s using? It has a pitch though, doesn’t it?

I’ve got a MnM if it makes a difference. Also if anyone has an idea as to how to do that vocal formant sound I’m all ears. I can use the VO on my MnM but that’s also not quite there.

There is a lot going on here in this track. I hear delay time modulation, flange sweeps and what sounds like a Leslie type effect on that noise. Crickets? Cicadas? It sounds as if at one point the pad switches from Leslie effect to gate. Try squarewave LFO to more closely approximate the gated sound. Or just sidechain key a compressor with a 16th note sequence.

There is definitely a lot going on in this track…Sonic Boom is a mastermind. All of his mixes are pure ear candy. Just listen to Congratulations by MGMT and Panda Bear vs Grim Reaper if you haven’t already.

Yeah I know there’s some modulation and flange and whatnot, but I was more talking about the actual helicopter-like percussiveness of the pad in the back.

It sounds like Sonic Boom is a fan of the Legendary Pink Dots.

I believe the Leslie/gated effect is what you are after. This is probably going to be easier with a keyed compressor, as I said, since you can utilize the envelope and threshold settings of the compressor. Add auto pan and enjoy.

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I’ll have to check out Legendary Pink Dots. Never heard of 'em.

I’m trying to get away with making this sort of sound with just a MnM and MD, so a sidechained compressor isn’t really feasible unless I do some p-locking trickery. I think what I have will suffice…I’ll have to settle :stuck_out_tongue:

LFO set to pan already taken care of!

There are loads of LPD releases out there. Look at The Tear Garden too and note the age of some of these records and think about doing this without a DAW. :wink:

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Yes, highly suggest studying up on the cEvin Key/Subconscious Studios/Ken Marshall catalogue for getting schooled on experimental processing and mix. If it makes a noise, they have used it.

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