How do you make strings sound more aggressive?

[Nahuel]

look for a staccato patch

[scottdavidson]

a staccato or even a marcatto string patch will do this, make sure you choose a patch with bow up/bow down round robin articulation otherwise it will sound very repetitive, unatural and synth like. You can also adjust the attack setting on the amplitude envelope to make it more or less "agressive".

[dubadoo]

yea try turning the attack envelope all the way down or adjust as needed

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/elect...tutorials.html

that helps if you want to learn more about synths

[phillysoulman]

Those "strings" are crap.
Why would you want to imitate crap??
Ooops...this is the Hip Hop Forum..I almost forgot

IK Philharmonic has some decent "attacky" strings.
Turn the attack all the way to the left/record each note of the chord seperately and blend to taste.

[ryst]

Dry strings usually sound more aggressive than heavily "verb'd" strings.

[scottdavidson]

If you own kontakt you can visit cinematicstrings.com where they offer a superb and free 600mb monster staccatos patch. To my ears its the best staccato sample patch ive ever heard, it certainly has a more epic/cinematic sound than symphobia, L.A.S.S or vsl and about a million times more dramatic and realistic than the strings in the tracks you posted. They sound very synthy and unpleasant to my ears.

[MotifStudios]

Originally Posted by ryst

Dry strings usually sound more aggressive than heavily "verb'd" strings.

thumbsup+1

[bgrotto]

Sansamp.

[Chris Lago]

EQ and compress, here's your answer. Anything can sound aggressive with both applied.

[phillysoulman]

Learn all you can about strings...not hip hop strings but real strings and then go from there.
Strings,meaning violins,violas,celli,bass viol, are very expressive instruments in the right hands,but can suck ass sometimes when "programmed" by novices.

[Larry Mal]

Am I missing something here? Those strings are a string patch on a synthesizer- there's no attempt to make them seem like real strings. Just **** around with settings on your synth, and play the keys staccato- you know, stab at them with your fingers.

In a related question, does T-Pain do that Autotune thing on every God damned thing he does? What a one trick pony that guy is. But, I don't blame him- ride that sound out until it's done, then, ten years later, when it's retro, he can do that shit on Comedy Central or something and we'll all have a laugh.

Music can be really depressing sometimes. The state of hip hop is dismal at the moment. The state of music is dismal at the moment- all I hear, no matter what style, is the same shit recycled back at me over and over- the same instruments, the same concepts. I know we're supposed to be saving the planet and all- but you don't have to recycle ideas, though. Rock, country, hip hop- it all sounds like shit I've already heard, singing about things I've already heard mother****ers singing about.

That's why I usually listen to older music.

[3rd Degree]

If the strings aren't very high in pitch, I have noticed that a high pass filter can make strings sound slightly more agressive. I think it probably has to do with the fact that not only does it sperate them out more in the mix, it also shortens the attack futher.

You can also layer staccato hits under a longer string and just keep the volume to where it is barely heard, just enough to be perceived.

[Infamous]

Originally Posted by Larry Mal

Am I missing something here? Those strings are a string patch on a synthesizer- there's no attempt to make them seem like real strings. Just **** around with settings on your synth, and play the keys staccato- you know, stab at them with your fingers.

In a related question, does T-Pain do that Autotune thing on every God damned thing he does? What a one trick pony that guy is. But, I don't blame him- ride that sound out until it's done, then, ten years later, when it's retro, he can do that shit on Comedy Central or something and we'll all have a laugh.

Music can be really depressing sometimes. The state of hip hop is dismal at the moment. The state of music is dismal at the moment- all I hear, no matter what style, is the same shit recycled back at me over and over- the same instruments, the same concepts. I know we're supposed to be saving the planet and all- but you don't have to recycle ideas, though. Rock, country, hip hop- it all sounds like shit I've already heard, singing about things I've already heard mother****ers singing about.

That's why I usually listen to older music.

Agree. And the thing is, if you listen only to hip hop for several hours or days, your own music starts to sound like shit.

The trick is really not listen to all this f****** bullshit everybody heard before.

I just listen to vinyls. Old music. That's the key to make good music and create nice rhythms and melodies.

I don't want to listen to another synth unless is Jean Michel Jarre playing it. lol

[longbongsilver]

Originally Posted by monkeychow

Manio - All The Above (Prod. by Just Blaze)
YouTube - Maino ft. T-Pain - All of the Above

Wow, Just really suckered that dude, huh? "Eh, I'll just smack at my keyboard a bit, this idiot won't be able to tell the difference. I ain't wastin' a dope beat on him..."

[phillysoulman]

Originally Posted by Infamous

Agree. And the thing is, if you listen only to hip hop for several hours or days, your own music starts to sound like shit.

The trick is really not listen to all this f****** bullshit everybody heard before.

I just listen to vinyls. Old music. That's the key to make good music and create nice rhythms and melodies.

I don't want to listen to another synth unless is Jean Michel Jarre playing it. lol

Truth be told, MOST hip hop today sounds like shit.

[MYAMS]

you know whats great on like vsl or ewql or miroslav or whatever you use, add a transient designer with a fast attack setting, adds some aggressiveness and a little crunch

[Stitch333]

hire an ensemble and give the first chair violin player a shiv

[maestrothugg]

crunch works

[pdiddy boy]

Originally Posted by monkeychow

Basically the strings don't reach their peak fast enough.

Adjust the instruments attack envelope for a faster attack.

Originally Posted by monkeychow

Do I need a new specific synth or is there a way to compress to make this happen or what

No you don't need a specific synth but an improved understanding of audio dynamics would help you greatly. Setting a Compressor and Noise Gate Threshold can help.

Originally Posted by monkeychow

Below are two examples of the strings I'm trying to achieve. Thanks alot.

The strings that are continous through these songs from beginning to end...

Manio - All The Above (Prod. by Just Blaze)
YouTube - Maino ft. T-Pain - All of the Above

Jay Sean - Down
YouTube - Jay Sean - Down (ft. Lil Wayne) [SONG + LYRICS]

Awwww hell naaah !

[soundsubs]

a couple things i do to strings regularly:

1.) throughout the song, double the part and octave up and an octave down at partial velocity (and therefore volume).
so Verse 1 might = 1 string, verse 2 might have 2 octaves of strings, verse3/chorus might have 3 octaves of strings. I find it makes it sound more intense.

2.) dirty it up: this can be in analog (distortion works great on strings, even just a touch)- or afterwards with a vst effect on audio.

3.) filter it out: strings (at least my strings) tend to get thick and muddy, so i hipass them almost always. you can even automate this throughout the song.

4.) layer brands or sample sets. i use a lot of Roland Strings. simply doubling them with E-mu strings sounds great and enhances the stereo field. which reminds me...

5.) play with the stereo field. pan two sets of samples hard left and hard right.


as a general rule, i almost always increase velocity throughout a song to do things like change volume and filter. this is similar to what a real string section or orchestra might do.

[bobbybass]

hi there. i produced both down and do you remember by jay sean

the sound you are looking for comes from logic 8/9. it is the staccato string patch from exs instruments>orchestral. it is layered with another sound, but i cant say what the other one is (the sound in the verse) because i dont want other people using it lol.

now u know what the sound is

enjoy


BB

[Broken_English]

Less verb and study Larry Gold's work/cd and maybe Panic at the Disco (for context)... Barry White (LUO, may not be aggressive, but incredible)...

[Dwssoundz]

Real sounding strings only come from real sounding players. I know that Just uses a real ensemble. With that being said the clip may have been just the mock up for the real ensemble. Also VSL is good. The best sounding sample set that I've heard is audiobro LASS. That is the truth!! I use all the time for documentaries and the like. But nothing replaces real strings.

[Retrofreak]

Distort them a tad.

[CWsounds]

Originally Posted by longbongsilver

Wow, Just really suckered that dude, huh? "Eh, I'll just smack at my keyboard a bit, this idiot won't be able to tell the difference. I ain't wastin' a dope beat on him..."

Actually the label was probably like... Give us another "Just live Your Life" w/ TI and Rihanna beat... they sound really similar...

But honestly most strings you hear on pop and hip hop are probably just patches on a Motif or Fantom....

[longbongsilver]

Originally Posted by CWsounds

Actually the label was probably like... Give us another "Just live Your Life" w/ TI and Rihanna beat... they sound really similar...

I forgot Just Blaze even did that one. I'd tried to block that song out of my mind actually.

But honestly most strings you hear on pop and hip hop are probably just patches on a Motif or Fantom....

Pretty much.

[E.rOk.stA]

Originally Posted by bobbybass

hi there. i produced both down and do you remember by jay sean

the sound you are looking for comes from logic 8/9. it is the staccato string patch from exs instruments>orchestral. it is layered with another sound, but i cant say what the other one is (the sound in the verse) because i dont want other people using it lol.

now u know what the sound is

enjoy


BB

Bobby, thanks for posting. I think most people here missed it.

[The Hydrilla]

Originally Posted by scottdavidson

If you own kontakt you can visit cinematicstrings.com where they offer a superb and free 600mb monster staccatos patch. To my ears its the best staccato sample patch ive ever heard, it certainly has a more epic/cinematic sound than symphobia, L.A.S.S or vsl and about a million times more dramatic and realistic than the strings in the tracks you posted. They sound very synthy and unpleasant to my ears.

I recently downloaded this. Really good sound!! and FREE.

[beat you down]

piss off the players.