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April 2012

Archive: April 2012

Hack Some Toys & Make Some Noize!

04-25-2012

We’ve often discussed ways on this blog to make your sound a bit more original and individual. But if you’re looking for the ultimate fix in getting a sound that you can be sure no-one else has, there can be few methods more assured than hardware hacking, or ‘circuit bending’. Customise your own equipment! It takes you out of the realm of the computer too, which is always ...

Synthesix – 6 different methods of making synth sounds

04-25-2012

Do you feel you’re in a rut with your productions? Struggling to create new sounds? Or simply on the lookout to expand your synthesized horizons? Well here are the synthesix – 6 different methods of synthesizing sounds… 1. Additive By giving complete control over every harmonic or partial in the sound, additive is one of the most versatile, but also difficult synthesis met...

5 simple ways to improve your track

04-18-2012

When you’re starting with production, it can be easy to think that more is more. Well I’m going to explain why less is indeed more as per the cliche, with 5 tips to improve your track – by lessening what’s in it… 1. Removing Percussion for fills Listen to any decent Hip Hop song and you’ll find that the beat compliments the vocals on occasion by dropping out so ...

Synaesthesia – People who see Music

04-16-2012

Have you ever seen someone wearing a painfully coloured T-shirt and thought to yourself; “Man, that’s a loud shade of green!”? Well, if that person suffers from synaesthesia, they might be thinking “Man, that’s a green shade of loud!” Synaesthesia is when stimulation of one sense involuntarily stimulates another sense. In this article I’ll be talking ab...

Creative Distortion!

04-13-2012

Back in the olden days, when music was still in black and white, and ‘dubstep’ was a type of chain mail armour, noise and distortion were the enemy – vast sums were spent coming up with the newest and best equipment to minimise any kind of hiss or unwanted clipping. Valves, gold plated contacts, the works. But now, since we can run synths into EQ’s into Busses without ever ...

Lessons in Compression Part 1

04-11-2012

The compressor. Possibly one of the most mystical, misunderstood, and yet even simplest tools in the producer’s arsenal. It has the power to improve or ruin any mix. Can you be sure you know when to draw for it? Join us for a quick tour of how, why, and when to use a compressor… Although a compressor is a simple tool – Let’s be honest here, it’s essentially just an a...