Skrillex! I want to be Skrillex!! How do I do it?

[GeorgeHayduke]

Originally Posted by Alfonso Muchacho

It's a rite of passage.....

Manager: "Hey Skrillex, come look, you've got a hate thread on Gearslutz!"
Skrillex: "I've made it!"

Maybe Deadmaus willl start posting now, if he's no longer 'it' :D

Seriously though, there's a lot of childish/reactionary envy here. I think it's fine to have an opinion, but the truth is that anything mainstream and electronic will get slaughtered by the many here who once hauled gear for Aphex Twin, yet they didn't make it big, so how can these young bastards get so much attention grr!

[Susceptor]

Originally Posted by GeorgeHayduke

FL Studio is great for composing, better than most DAWS

People* never really update their info and just remain blocked in time: Pro Tools is the pro DAW that everyone should use if they want to be pro, Cubase is the almost pro DAW, Ableton Live is for tranceheads, FL is a toy that sounds like crap, software sounds like crap, you'll never be pro if you don't mix on a console with hardware AND SO ON...

*still not sure if it's a general thing or just happens in this forum

[Resonance5]

Originally Posted by Susceptor

People* never really update their info and just remain blocked in time: Pro Tools is the pro DAW that everyone should use if they want to be pro, Cubase is the almost pro DAW, Ableton Live is for tranceheads, FL is a toy that sounds like crap, software sounds like crap, you'll never be pro if you don't mix on a console with hardware AND SO ON...

*still not sure if it's a general thing or just happens in this forum

you forgot to say that every daw is specific for something.

for example pro tools can really be the top daw when recording and mixing bands...

and for what i've learned logic is mostly used by trance producers.

[Alkamist]

Hey guys, I was wondering if I could get advice about synthesizing a snare drum along the lines of what Skrillex uses in Bangarang.

He uses this type of snare drum a lot it seems. It's very punchy and cuts through the mix without muddying anything up.

I had it kind of close the other day by taking an Xfer snare and distorting the mid-region with Ohmicide and putting light reverb on it, but it wasn't in the right pitch for what I wanted it and pitching it down made it unflattering.

I want a very specific pitch, so I want to maybe synthesize this from scratch, but I really have no where to begin. Can anyone suggest anything?

I've tried loads of samples from Xfer and Vengeance but they just aren't exactly what I want, and layering seems to get really muddy.

Any help is appreciated.

[paulbinns]

I think you need a dedicated drum synth. Slight pitch bend on the tone right at the start of the note. Try something like Audio Damage Tattoo or Fxpansion Tremor. FWIW I came up with something in about 10 min in Tremor that sounded pretty close to that.

[Michael E]

Originally Posted by Alkamist

It's very punchy and cuts through the mix without muddying anything up.

1. Use proper layering, eq, comp, saturation.
2. For making it "cut through the mix" - do a narrow deep cuts in all sounds (at snare peak frequency), to make a room for it.

Check out this dude:

AscianUK's Channel - YouTube

[Alkamist]

@paulbinns - Thanks for the suggestions, I'll have to check those out. Tremor looks particularly interesting. How do you think Tattoo stands up against it?

@Michael E - Wow that's a good video, thanks for posting that. I could only watch a couple minutes but I'll check out the rest tomorrow

[ohmicide]

he mainly uses a 909 snare processed and layered and processed some more

[Leras]

Samples.



.

[eplastek]

In one of his interviews he elaborates a little on the emphasis of the 200hz region.. Really make the snare take over the whole frequency range for that half second..

[ohmicide]

Originally Posted by eplastek

Really make the snare take over the whole frequency range for that half second..

that'd be a pretty damn long snare if you ask me

[Myrok Rolles]

it's a snare drum people, not rocket science

[chembros]

Originally Posted by Myrok Rolles

it's a snare drum people, not rocket science

Oh high and mighty, a novice isn't allowed to ask about snare drum synthesis here?

[Alkamist]

Thanks for the replies guys.

@ohmicide - thanks for the advice, I'll have to try that. My problem with layering snares is when they are differently pitched. I guess I'll just try using the low end of only one snare and try to shape the attack with the higher end of multiple snares.

@eplastek - Yeah I try to emphasize that region too. It seems to be the sweet spot where when strong enough can make your chest rattle a little bit, but in a different way than the kick.

[boon]

just buy this kit.

[Myrok Rolles]

Originally Posted by chembros

Oh high and mighty, a novice isn't allowed to ask about snare drum synthesis here?

Well i wasn't trying to come across high and mighty but I can see how you interpreted my response that way. Let me rephrase:

"If you consider that the snare drum is only a single element in the mix, usually built by a combination of samples, compression / distortion, eq, and reverb, you will find that you are overthinking it quite a bit. It's just a snare drum, dude. It's not gonna make or break your music, unless it's absolutely the worst snare i've ever heard."

[Goa-Dubs]

Originally Posted by Myrok Rolles

Well i wasn't trying to come across high and mighty but I can see how you interpreted my response that way. Let me rephrase:

"If you consider that the snare drum is only a single element in the mix, usually built by a combination of samples, compression / distortion, eq, and reverb, you will find that you are overthinking it quite a bit. It's just a snare drum, dude. It's not gonna make or break your music, unless it's absolutely the worst snare i've ever heard."

Some snare are fashionable.Just like haircts or glasses.Gotta use the right one.In the right place.Even tho its crap.

[Liquid360]

Skrillex! I want to be Skrillex!! How do I do it?

Why do you want to be someone else? You'll never make it copying like that.

Omicide, how's that new song turning out? I really liked that Halloween thing you did. (Though it did sound very Skrillex-y).

To make a point: When I was a kid I wanted to be Nine Inch Nails, but there is only room in this world for ONE Trent Reznor.

And I believe there is only room for ONE Skrillex.

[Don Edgar]

Originally Posted by JLiRD808

WOW YOU"RE RIGHT THERE'S TWO OF THEM NOW!!!

Are you guys really that naive? Skrillex doesn't exist! It is based on the ancient dutch tale of "wunderskrillken".

[Castro_Bigdog]

I dont know if Im going off topic but from what Im reading in the 1st 4 or 5 pages of this post, someone is trying to make that big growling bass line like Skrillex makes.... I took my own little stab at it and this was my end result in the link below....

I did make the sounds in Massive but I also added compression and more tube distortion along with guitar amp distortion and stereo spread .... oh, and also added some analog tape comression too.....


DUBSTEP - (Crazy 808 Bass Mix) Bad Azz!!!! - YouTube

[dhollmusik]

Originally Posted by Liquid360

When I was a kid I wanted to be Nine Inch Nails, but there is only room in this world for ONE Trent Reznor.

when I was a kid I wanted to be Adam Ant:



aaaaah...I still know where that cassette is, got it in the early-80's...the very first album i chose myself (not bought, i was 5 years old and had no money),

Funny story is during my very first go on the internet almost 20 years later at a Tooting library I met the lady who ran the Adam Ant fan club...she ran it from the library's computers!

Diamond stuff. Worth a song, I reckon:



or two:




anyway, don't know what my point was...back to your new Gods then.

[Zombie H]

I'm going to blast this for a couple minutes and then go drink happy friday night Skrillex people

[dhollmusik]

Originally Posted by GeorgeHayduke

there's a lot of childish/reactionary envy here. I think it's fine to have an opinion, but the truth is that anything mainstream and electronic will get slaughtered by the many here who once hauled gear for Aphex Twin, yet they didn't make it big, so how can these young bastards get so much attention grr!

Yeah...if I'm being completely honest, I was initially also sceptical of Skrillex's appeal, but when you watch youtube uploads of how it goes down at one of his gigs then you just have to ask yourself: "why didn't my gigs go down like that?"

You probably won't find the answer, but you (the royal you) might have more grudging respect for this seemingly one-trick pony.


This is what I'm talking about:



youtube is full of clips like this. And I'm sure I speak for all of us who've played the odd good gig that we would absolutely love for the crowd to have a fit like that to our tunes. It's bloody addictive and you can't blame Skillex for finding and perfecting the formula.

[Goa-Dubs]

[QUOTE=dhollmusik;you can't blame Skillex for finding and perfecting the formula.[/QUOTE]

The perfect commercial formular.It dont mean much away from the popular noise factor.Youv comepletely lost me if theres something more than fashion and production going on.But hey,im not the market.I prefer the reggea side of that.

edit-and dont get me started on Adamant : ]

They used two drummers and borrowed a tribal rhythm like-

[dhollmusik]

Originally Posted by Goa-Dubs

The perfect commercial formular.It dont mean much away from the popular noise factor.

I agree with this, it doesn't mean much artistically, it's nothing for the ages and it's nothing but funny loud noise for the kids...

...but...what are we in it for? Brownie points?

There's an argument that the memory of one perfect gig is worth the same as long-term critical adulation of one of your albums...


One of my favourite gig memories was when spontaneously pitching down a snare roll and making it into a bassline for the next track and how naturally explosive the crowd reacted...ultra-mega ok!


If i ditched my silly subversism i would totally attempt to perfect the formula to play those kind of manipulative gigs. They're just as worthy and brilliant as any of your (royal your) artistically-best efforts.

[dhollmusik]

Originally Posted by Goa-Dubs

and dont get me started on Adamant : ]

They used two drummers and borrowed a tribal rhythm like-

Yes, but why do I (and many others) still enjoy listening to Adam & his Ants more than 20 years after first-love, when Bow-Wow-Wow never ever did anything for me?

Because the Ants perfected the formula

Just listen to Mowhok segueing into SEX on the Prince Charming album...perfect hypnotic tribal pop.

[Liquid360]

Originally Posted by dhollmusik

Yes, but why do I (and many others) still enjoy listening to Adam & his Ants more than 20 years after first-love, when Bow-Wow-Wow never ever did anything for me?

Because the Ants perfected the formula

Just listen to Mowhok segueing into SEX on the Prince Charming album...perfect hypnotic tribal pop.

All Adam Ant and Bow Wow Wow had in common were the two drummers.

[dhollmusik]

Originally Posted by Liquid360

All Adam Ant and Bow Wow Wow had in common were the two drummers.

I didn't bring up Bow-Wow-Wow...but I will bring up burundi beats

[boon]

reminds me of when i saw twisted sister in 8th grade.

Originally Posted by dhollmusik

[GeorgeHayduke]

Originally Posted by dhollmusik

I didn't bring up Bow-Wow-Wow...but I will bring up burundi beats

0:20 That's a big ass drum, dang. Sometimes digital is just that much easier :D Though I think it'd rock pretty hard to do the toms with a drum like that, live!