To those producing any type of electronic music, what category of sounds do you..

[perx]

usually look for when it comes to presets in softsynths or hardware?

This differs alot from person to person so I thought I would check with everyone here. Some people prefer to program their own synth leads for example - while not caring if the bass or pads, etc are presets. Others always program their own pads or bass sounds while grabbing something from presets when it comes to synth leads..

So when you dig into your vsti´s or hardware synths and go through the presets - do you usually look for bass sounds? Synth leads/pads? Drum sounds?

Which (if any) are the most common categories you usually go through?

Thanks in advance for the feedback!

[alexp]

Hey man interesting thread.

All of my sounds are programmed.... Having said that, if I am looking to create a bass patch, I will start with a bass preset and tweak it out. Same with pads, and all that. Just having the programming down though is sometimes not enough..... I can do anything from flip flopping it back and forth into the Ensoniq Mirage a couple times to grit it up, pass it through a tape delay, then right into my E4 or something for some filtering and all that. I think a lot of people really only create a sound on the front panel of the synth, which really is only half the creative options we as electronic musicians have. Even if your using softsynths, try bouncing it through some bitcrushers or something and see what u get.

Then again, this isnt for everyone. A lot of people are content with presets, because of a lack of equipment, or just not wanting to understand synthesis, and with the quality of presets on current synths of the day, more power to them! I hope though, that using presets are stepping stones that piques peoples interest about seeing just what it takes to make sounds, and gets in there and gets their hands dirty! You would be amazed the producers out there that dont know how to program a filter sweep!!!


alexP

[d1rtynyc]

I don't descriminate when it comes to sounds, be it basses, drums, leads or whatever. If the presets are cool I might use it after I tailor it to my tastes or I might design it from scratch. If it's good, it's good I'll use it.

[chrisso]

For me: Pads

Really good ones can be time consuming to program.
Pads are rarely the key element to any piece I write, so I tend to concentrate on programming my other elements and just look for a couple of preset or softsynth pads.

[digital 1010]

Originally Posted by chrisso

For me: Pads

Really good ones can be time consuming to program.
Pads are rarely the key element to any piece I write, so I tend to concentrate on programming my other elements and just look for a couple of preset or softsynth pads.

+1

I start with presets quite a lot to get a groove then start manipulating them or create new sounds and remove them,but it is normally pads to get an atmosphere

[bentley]

I typically start with very generic sounds just so I can get my ideas going and then start tweaking from there. Sometimes a sound I'll program will serve as an inspiration for a song but more often than not I'll start by programming a beat. Once I've got an idea happening I'll try and further develop it by sculpting the patches a bit or programming something from scratch to be unique to the song I'm working on. Also, I'm with AlexP in that programming a sound is only half the journey. Once I've got a good idea where everything is headed I'll try additional processing just to hear what I can come up with. While it's not always the fastest way to work it can sometimes yield interesting results and take a song in a different direction even if the results only prove to be subtle or overlooked by the end listener. Of course, if I land on a preset that just seems to fit what I'm working on, I'll use it with no apologies or regrets.

[plaid_emu]

Originally Posted by d1rtynyc

I don't descriminate when it comes to sounds, be it basses, drums, leads or whatever. If the presets are cool I might use it after I tailor it to my tastes or I might design it from scratch. If it's good, it's good I'll use it.

+1 on this approach.

[Shim]

Originally Posted by d1rtynyc

I don't descriminate when it comes to sounds, be it basses, drums, leads or whatever. If the presets are cool I might use it after I tailor it to my tastes or I might design it from scratch. If it's good, it's good I'll use it.

+2 on this approach. Get in the song and forget about the original context of the sound. Who cares where it's from. If it's the right sound, it's the right sound! thumbsup

[perx]

sorry if I was not clear in my initial post. The question is not really about the USE of presets Vs. your own programmed sounds.

The question is: when you do turn to presets in soft or hardware synths - what (if any) category do you tend to browse for sounds?

Some programs their own leads, while usually just grabbing a bass preset. Others always program their own bass sounds, while going for presets when it comes to pads or leads.

So thats really the question.

Thanks!

[Mantik]

- when I am running out of ideas. looking for some random-lucky input.
- when I exactly want THIS preset

anyway I always end up changing the preset-parameters, for different reasons.

[Neutrikconnector]

Funny this should come up. I was digging through my iTunes and found three songs I created. They're actually all three the same song, just improved at a few steps.

Listening to the different versions really gave me insight into how I work, and how little I think about it.



Generally, I'll start with a drum loop, usually rex. I'll loop it out of the length of the song. I'd use a click, but I find my sequences groove more when I program to a drum loop. I guess it comes from by background as a guitar player.

Then I rummage through my bass presets. I usually have a slight idea of genre/feel that I'm going for, so I get as close as I can. I also usually start all my songs with my headphones on, as my roommates are usually asleep when the inspiration hits.

Then I usually fill in with pads, then my leads.

After all that, then I'll go back and replace my drum loop (maybe) or take out part of it, and use it for an intro, or bridge or something. I almost always usually run it through some distortion process, mangle it, and then compress the crap out of it. Or I'll just shift the pitch so it doesn't even sound like drums any more.

Then I program my own drum loops, Then I work on finding a lead sound. Sometimes I change the presets, sometimes I don't. Or somtimes I'll find three or four presets I like and just layer them all, so it's a little bit of all of them.

Then at a point when no one else is home, I'll plug into my studio montitors and tweak the bass so it's nice and fat, and get the snares/claps popping.

[edit machine]

I look through them all! presets are a great way to find inspiration. I love to get all tweaky and make my own sounds from scratch, but I also love to find something that already exists in the world that inspires me, it can be a sample from an old record, or a preset lovingly crafted by a sound designer. over the years i have found great presets in every catagory, sometimes you find a synth with only one good preset in it, but that can be the one that inspires a song, and thats what it's all about, finding something that jumpstarts the creative process and gets the music flowing.

i guess i'll take this opportunity to share my current favorite preset. in ableton live the "operator" synth default setting is a lovely, powerful, simple sound that is really great for classic techno or hip hop bass. try it out!

[diogo_c]

Originally Posted by Shim

+2 on this approach. Get in the song and forget about the original context of the sound. Who cares where it's from. If it's the right sound, it's the right sound! thumbsup

+3!

It's all about the creativity and the work flow going on, and what matter most: getting new songs done!

[diogo_c]

Originally Posted by perx

The question is: when you do turn to presets in soft or hardware synths - what (if any) category do you tend to browse for sounds?

Some programs their own leads, while usually just grabbing a bass preset. Others always program their own bass sounds, while going for presets when it comes to pads or leads.

I see your point, but IMO there are no rules when it comes to that and creating a rule would be pointless. The idea of "when doing X = use presets and when doing Y = program from scratch" does not really seem to be a very clever one from the song-writing point of view.

For example: I was used to program all my basses from scratch, but I've found some cool presets on Cubase4's native synths. With a tweak or two and some eq-ing they gave me the sounds I wanted.

[chrisso]

Originally Posted by diogo_c

I see your point, but IMO there are no rules when it comes to that and creating a rule would be pointless.

So don't reply to the topic.
It's a simple question.
It could be from someone planning to offer pre-set sounds for example.
Which would attract more buyers, pre-set sound banks of pads, leads or bass?

If you feel strongly anti pre-set use, then there's no need to answer.

[Don Solaris]

Damn it.....





...no presets here. This synth sucks!


@perx: seriously, get yourself one of these and tweak the hell out of it. The sound you're looking for will come by itself. (and probably the song too.)

[OurDarkness]

Originally Posted by chrisso

For me: Pads

Really good ones can be time consuming to program.

+1.

[perx]

Originally Posted by christosm

nice one i like it too.. I always program my bass & try to find/distinct the elements as i understand more and more about sound synthesis and leads which are more "free" on their movement and i think more easy than a lead (not always of course, depends on the knowledge/experience..) , but the bass is so much fundamental, at least for trance music, so it has to be original & unique, it has to be your own,,, then pads more often is from presets messed up or not, maybe from virus but more often absynth or fm8 cause its so much complex sometime especially when you have some soundscapes/pads that the sound varies all the time and gets complex lasts for 1 minute with three/four notes polyphony, and its somehow a higher class sound synthesis techniques imho, i think you have to b goood for that sound to sound good (same for me :P unfortunately im not) , and as for percussion its 100% samples from libraries where i have picked out the most useful to my taste and use a sampler like kontakt for that, except kicks which are independent audio always into to sequencer , or some from synths that are odd/very "digital" & unique or just fit nice into the groove , i dont know why but i avoid to create my own percussion all the time cause the sample are so good i could never make them that quallity sounding ,, but i like sound synthesis and want to always get better so now its bass/leads next will be pads/soundscapes but for percussions i think i dont care too much (at least for now)..

This is the kinda feedback I was looking for. :-)

Thanks.

[perx]

Originally Posted by chrisso

So don't reply to the topic.
It's a simple question.
It could be from someone planning to offer pre-set sounds for example.
Which would attract more buyers, pre-set sound banks of pads, leads or bass?

If you feel strongly anti pre-set use, then there's no need to answer.

Thanks. :-)

The reason this thread exists is actually just because of that.
We´ve managed to put together a team of both dedicated sound designers and well known electronica artists that are producing some really unique sounding vsti instruments / sounds.

And although most of the research was done prior to project start, I was curious on how the Gearslut geeks in the electronic forum was going at it when looking for sounds in presets.

To show my appreciation for anyone that takes some of their valuable time to post feedback that actually answers the question asked in the first post - the poster will receive a free sounds pack once we go online. :-)

Thanks for the feedback so far!

[diogo_c]

Originally Posted by chrisso

So don't reply to the topic.
It's a simple question.
It could be from someone planning to offer pre-set sounds for example.
Which would attract more buyers, pre-set sound banks of pads, leads or bass?

If you feel strongly anti pre-set use, then there's no need to answer.

tutt

You didn't get it dude...I even mentioned that I'm using presets since I got cubase4...I just think (from my perspective) that its counter-productive to obey to rules when it comes to getting sounds done.

If OP's goal is to make some kind of research regarding preset use, making a poll would be a nice idea.

[chillytc]

I like having bread and butter presets ready and available for when inspiration strikes. I usually start things off with my Virus and so I have a bunch of basses in one place and a bunch of pads in one place and a bunch of leads in one place in the first bank of sounds. Many are presets picked from the crazy number of presets on the Virus and many are tweaked or homemade. But when I have an idea, I can quickly flip through 16 basses that I like that are in various styles to find one that fits the idea (sometimes with a tweak, sometimes not). So any synth that is intended to be used a lot should have some solid, inspiring basic tones to start from. I find it is too easy in electronic music to fall into the rat hole of constant tweaking, so I am always looking for ways to move fast to get an idea down before the inspiration is lost.

I also like to see some presets that show off the unique attributes of the synth - sounds that only it can do. For example, some of the Absynth pads or the Polished Steps preset on the Poly Evolver which manages to have tons of modulation and movement while still sounding crazy analog fat - can't get that tone from anything else I have. Whether or not I use these unique patches, they serve two purposes for me: (1) they help me file away what this synth is particularly good at so I know when to reach for it and (2) studying those patches helps me get to know the synth.

[Daddy No]

As several have mentioned Pads are where I'd most often start with a preset
(I'd then tweak it, add chorus, change the waveforms, mess around a bit, not for the sake of it because usually by this stage it has to sit in with quite a lot of other stuff)

Mind you that's also because Pads = chords = keyboards,
whereas I use modulars for nearly everything else
& then you have to start from scratch

:J

[chrisso]

Originally Posted by diogo_c

tutt

You didn't get it dude....I just think (from my perspective) that its counter-productive to obey to rules when it comes to getting sounds done.

Simply put, that wasn't up for debate.
Start another thread.

[diogo_c]

Originally Posted by chrisso

Simply put, that wasn't up for debate.
Start another thread.

Jeez00z..........