Sound designing a track - what's your approach?

The Lounge General Discussion
#1

So, when you sit down with your instruments, have a clear slate in front of you, how do you usually get things started, and in what way do you usually progress?

I usually don’t have like a set approach to this, but I’ve found that working a certain way will usually yield more interesting results in the end.

I often look to create the first sound I focus on to be a “small” sound, it shouldn’t take too much space (if I start with a big pad, for instance, I usually can’t fit anything else in pretty quickly). I try to make that small sound as interesting as possible but for it to take very little space in the mix. Usually I tend to hipass filter it, and stay away from low-end sounds in the beginning. Often I’m looking for almost fizzy high pitched stuff in the beginning.

I usually build from there, find another sound that can contrast the first, but also in the higher spectrum, not any low end, and it shouldn’t take too much space either. Lots of messing about with filters or EQ to get this right, usually.

When I have enough of these smallish sounds, and have them do a sort of hook, I try to add some sort of bass element, but that as well, I don’t want it too big. Turning down the volume is usually a smart move.

Get the bass in, and then there’s almost always a sort of atmospheric element needed. A sort of pad sound to fit in the remaining few frequencies. Fitting this in without drowning out the other sounds can be a pain in the ass, but with some filtering and EQ, it can be done.

Here’s a track I made using this approach:

Very repetitive, but yeah, I like the soundscape.

Anyways - I’d love to hear other people’s approaches to building up a track or sounds, and the thinking behind it. :slight_smile:

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#2

My approach is much too chaotic to explain in detail.

  • It may start with jamming on an instrument or checking some patch-ideas on synths, or getting some nice grooves with the help of a sequencer going. Sometimes creativity strikes and

  • I continue to jam and improvise with the new idea, add voices, and if I feel that I like it, I fire up my OTB recording device and do some takes … this will include typcally rythm, bass, lead, harmonies, and sometimes FX sounds. During this phase groove and feeling is king. I don’t bother, whether the kick is tuned or any voice is of a particular sound at all.

  • If I think the stuff is worth to become a track, I start a little planning, developing a better idea of the story, which the track should or could tell, create a first simple arrangement, improve on performance, groove, choice of sounds.

  • What follows next is something I would call crafting the track. Detailed arrangement, serious recording, mixing, fine-tuning the parts, adding new ideas, trashing others, create variations. Often I do this in an iterative way and set a time-limit for myself, because it would never end otherwise :wink: I define myself a relatively short deadline and that’s it.

#3

Thanks for sharing! :slight_smile: Sounds like a lot of work, but it probably shows in the tracks! I’d love to hear one of your tunes, if you don’t mind sharing. :slight_smile:

#4

For me it always depends on what style I’m going for. Which depends on my mood or the music I’m currently loving most.
I have two main styles I guess, one is more sample oriented, the other more with synths.
So for the first I would start by chopping and rearranging a main sample. Then program a bassline and drums. Then adding other short samples or some synth melodies.

But most of the time I start with Digitone or A4 with 4 init sounds. And just start trying to nail a sound or vibe I’m going for. I have most fun with the Digitone these days. Cause it is a sweetspot synth for me, no matter which parameters I change I always like the result. I design one sound, usually a lead or a pad, and play a melodie or some chords with its little keyboard. Then I add another lead with a supporting melodie, a bass and one track with a drum beat (soundlocks). Same workflow with the A4.
Could make patterns for days on these two :slight_smile:
Generally it’s mostly about melodies for me. I’m a melodic guy :slight_smile: If I want to do something dark and abstract I fail, cause automatically the melodies appear and integrate into the track.

When building a track it’s usually adding and removing elements in the course of the track. I very early have a feeling how the track should progress. I mute everything, but the first element and start recording.
Or, if I want to mix it properly, record revery element as clip into ableton. Then I quickly build scenes and record the scenes live into the arrangement view and start mixing.

So this was less about sound design I guess, but anyway, that’s my process :slight_smile:

Edit:
here is an example for patterns I make on the DN. These are not full tracks, but I would use the patterns I like most as starting point and add further elemtens with OT or A4.
The sounds were all done from scratch. Simple, but I like them.

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#5

This is an exciting topic - thanks for your insight! Looking forward for more nice tips like this! I end up a lot with too many frequencies in the same spectrum.

How do you create interesting sounds at all? I figure it’s a lot about combining samples/sounds add filter sweeps - resample - use the new sound and layer / sequence again etc.?

#6

I’m a big supporter of the idea that you can already do most of the mixing by choosing sounds that fit well together from the beginning. I don’t use a lot of eq when mixing (not to say that I’m very good at it, but for me it sounds good enough most of the time).
I actually think I can practice that a lot on machines like the digitone, where you have no eq (fortunately a second filter with high and lowpass - was missing this on the DT). It’s all just about the source sounds, volumes and panning

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#8

Yep, that’s what I learned from working with the DN. It’s really sad there is no EQ indeed (on DT as well). Sometimes sounds need some boost …or reduction.

#9

True. But you could go back and design the sound differently. Or replace it with another sound that fits better with the rest

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#10

Well … yeah … but sometimes it’s a very unique sound. For example when using SCWs - it happens a lot to me that the part I like from it is too weak. But I found a nice workaround with the OT: Separating the output of the DT and spread it to two tracks and use the OT’s EQ.

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#11

Sure you are right. Doesn‘t work in every case. Eqs can be very helpful

#12

Cool topic! I think I can learn a lot from this one. Lately, I’ve been having a lot of fun with the 4 tracks of the digitone. I’ve always been a percussion / drums guy, so I usually find myself laying down some kind of beat with sound locks on track 1. It’s been eye-opening how you can still make beats from simple to really complex just using sound and parameter locks on one track. From there, I’ve been working on a lead melody or pad sound, just because the DN is so good at that. then it’s usually a bassline. I use the last track for whatever seems “missing” (atmospherics, weird glitchy stuff, another pad or twinkly accent).

I review and iterate a lot, sometimes solo-ing the new track, or solo-ing with drums. Then, I listen to the whole thing and find out it’s all a muddy mess. I’ve been massaging it back to some semblance of decent-sounding by adjusting track volumes, filters, effects. I’m very much a hobbyist, so my output isn’t going to win a grammy, but it’s fun. Eventually, I get around to dumping the mix into Live to add some minor tweaks (compression, eq). I know even less about that stuff, but I think it helps. Usually, I’m just trying to tame some high frequencies that run wild. I picked up the Izotope Ozone pack when it was on a deal, so I’m curious as to how that will help. As with most stuff, I’ll get around to it one day!

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#13

I generally start with noise and work backwards. Out of ether i then shout “Its alive…its alive”.

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#14

Your track is beautiful … it has a very positive vibes, love it :+1:

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#15

great workflow :slight_smile:

#16

I tend to get a drone going then add/take away elements and harmonics until it’s just the wrong side of overwhelming.
Then I scale back the envelopes and form it into some sort of rhythm/melodic structure before a bit of final tweaking.
I tend to find that things that are a bit too much as a sustained note sound really good when gated or contoured into shorter notes.
I am shit at mixing though, so this is terrible advice but you did ask.

#17

I prefer to use very different analogue and digital methods of synthesis like subtractive, AM, FM, wavefolding, waveshaping, wavemultiplying, wavetable, additive methods just to name a few. They all have strenghts.

Most freedom is given with modular or semi-modular gear, or with spectral synthesizers, where we can define or import our waveforms and samples and built up from there.

It’s much more then sample/synth combination or layering, which is indeed an important part of the whole. To create “interesting” sounds is often the result of “thinking outside the box” and abuse something in a crazy way. Taking some hours for experiments with a synth or some gear and beeing as curious and open-minded as a child is much fun and gives me the best sounds.

Sorry, if that was too general …

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#18

Thanks man!

#19

Same here :slight_smile:

#20

Ah, this thread came alive afterall! Awesome! Thanks for all the replies so far, peeps. Keep em coming! :slight_smile: