There are way to many Sylenth Presets in this Tutorial. What about those of us that don’t have SYLENTH. Suppose I wouldn’t be complaining if I had the choice but there isn’t a Mac G5 version…!
Its not just the synth sounds but all the fx that are running from within the sylenth too!!
Don’t get me wrong the track sounds great but i’m lost…
The majority of the time with electronic music, aside from the drums, specific synth sounds are what stand out and are what make a track a specific style. I’d be happy just to know how to make specific synth sounds and go away and use them in my arrangements.
What would you suggest for other tutorials bro? The use of Ableton’s inbuilt synths like Operator ?
I see your point but another way of looking at it is that Sonic knows that most of it’s subscribers have Sylenth, after all it is an awesome plug in.
However yes there is always going to be the issue that someone doesn’t have this. But then for example if Sonic then used just Operator then all those that are using other DAWs wouldnt be able to follow along, at least with Sylenth being an external plug in, people on all DAWs can still get the plug in to use with their prefered choice of workstation.
Maybe what would have been a good idea is if Sonic had supplied all the sounds as .wavs so users who don’t have Sylenth can still follow along.
The idea is though is not really to copy the exact tune but take the examples and create your own track in the genre style. So you could use any of your own prefered synths and create a similar or different sound.
[quote]roben (1/15/2010)[hr]What would you suggest for other tutorials bro? The use of Ableton’s inbuilt synths like Operator ?
I see your point but another way of looking at it is that Sonic knows that most of it’s subscribers have Sylenth, after all it is an awesome plug in.
However yes there is always going to be the issue that someone doesn’t have this. But then for example if Sonic then used just Operator then all those that are using other DAWs wouldnt be able to follow along, at least with Sylenth being an external plug in, people on all DAWs can still get the plug in to use with their prefered choice of workstation.
Maybe what would have been a good idea is if Sonic had supplied all the sounds as .wavs so users who don’t have Sylenth can still follow along.
The idea is though is not really to copy the exact tune but take the examples and create your own track in the genre style. So you could use any of your own prefered synths and create a similar or different sound.[/quote]
I have no problem with Sylenth - not at all but to just drop in a preset without showing how it has been set up is no help if you don’t have Sylenth. I’d like to recreate the sounds used in another synth but with no idea where to start its not easy… especially when additional effects have been used from within the Sylenth ie chorus delay and arpeggiator! In that respect Sylenth isn’t like many other DAW synths some don’t have built in effects… 4 oscillators that can have individual numbers of voices and panning etc
I think the Sonic Academy group are in a catch-22 with regards to synths/software packages. If you limit yourself to just the simpler and impulse, everyone can follow along but the tracks are going to be simple at best.
I have Operator, but I don’t have Tension or Analog… so I couldn’t use the guitar patch in the tutorial. I found a nice Kalimba sound which fit.
I don’t know if you’ve watched all the videos in the Nu Disco series, but they start from scratch for several sounds. The Sylenth has been one of the best tips I’ve received here. It reminds me of my old Access Virus.
If only all versions of Ableton come shipped with Analog I doubt there would be much need for Sylenth. Don’t get me wrong I love sylenth especially the huge amount of excellent presets it comes shipped with but lately I’ve been using Lives Analog quite a bit and I am starting to really like it. Its quite easy to double it up in a rack to move beyond the 2 osc limit.
I get djmarcatkins point though. Not about the effects since Bryan seems to just fiddle with the dials until he comes up with something that sounds sweet … something we should all be doing rather than dialing in exact numbers.
But yeah if Sylenth is using an arp pattern thats unique to the tutorial tune then yeah perhaps a few seconds showing non Slyenth owners the pattern and how to achieve it would probably help.
As far as I can see the only synth using an Sylenths arp was the Bass track (bladerunner preset) and the tutorial clearly shows Sylenths sequence
0,0,+2,+3,0,0,0.0 str8 sixteenths with no ties. Simple enough in hindsight.
As Roben says maybe the tutorials should come with pre rendered wav’s …that way at least users could slow the wav down and reconstruct a particular arp pattern in their chosen Va via Lives step sequencer.
I suppose there was also a lot of pressure to get the tutorial out quickly given the circumstances of late so its fairly understandable a few minor corners were cut.
hey krome,
thats a really good idea about doubling up two instances of analog. I assume you put them into a instrument rack together. As far as analog though , i find it confusing , mostly because of its layout. Ive been contemplating buy a tut on just analog from another website. My go to synth usually is operator. I just change the routing options on it so there is no fm.
If you have any advice on how to make analog easier i’d sure appreciate it.
thanks
Unfortunately, we can’t all be pleased. Everyone has differet needs and tastes, especially to their plugins. I really think that if you watched the tutorials leading up to this one, you would 1) be able to know the basic note structure and sound structure of what he was using and 2) be able to get close with something you already have. Many plugs come bundled with tons of presets that you could probably get close. You might have to add an arpeggiator on your own. You might have to do that anyway, but thats how we learn. We have to improvise. It’s the same if there is a logic or cubase vid. Us ableton users are gonna have to improvise. We can’t have it handed to us on silver platter. No one ever said that making music was easy. Otherwise we would all be platinum selling artists. 
[quote]tommyt (1/16/2010)[hr]hey krome,
thats a really good idea about doubling up two instances of analog. I assume you put them into a instrument rack together. As far as analog though , i find it confusing , mostly because of its layout. Ive been contemplating buy a tut on just analog from another website. My go to synth usually is operator. I just change the routing options on it so there is no fm.
If you have any advice on how to make analog easier i’d sure appreciate it.
thanks[/quote]
Hi Tommyt,
Yeah I just create an instrument rack and drag in a couple of Analogs …sometimes I also drag in an operator as well and start developing multi layered split key synths with velocity splits etc which is fun. I am still learning both Analog and Operator and could also use a bit of help with some of their functions.
You are right though the layout with Analog can be a bit confusing but I am slowly chipping away at it with pure experimentation and a lot of time
Btw I purchased the Tom Cosm course for $10 and although I know its not an alternative to this place it made for a nice supplement for my learning. Well worth it and a real eye opener.
I assume you mean PL tutorial? if so that also looks like a very good primer …I’d get it myself if I had the cash.
its the nicks tutorial one, he has a few different modules
Ah yeah pretty cool tutorials for sound design for sure.
40 bucks aint too bad either.
In response to the first two posts I would definatley recommend buying the sylenth as it is used in a lot if the tutorials, have a look around the forum for another group buy!. Like myself when your just starting out you may want to follow the tutorials word for word until you get more confidence to start experimenting.
[quote]mussi81 (1/17/2010)[hr]In response to the first two posts I would definatley recommend buying the sylenth as it is used in a lot if the tutorials, have a look around the forum for another group buy!. Like myself when your just starting out you may want to follow the tutorials word for word until you get more confidence to start experimenting.[/quote]
They don’t make a G5 Mac version!
It would have been nice if Sonic had continued with the Reaktor synth tutorials as this could have been an alternative for those that don’t own Sylenth…
[quote]howiegroove (1/16/2010)[hr]Unfortunately, we can’t all be pleased. Everyone has differet needs and tastes, especially to their plugins. I really think that if you watched the tutorials leading up to this one, you would 1) be able to know the basic note structure and sound structure of what he was using and 2) be able to get close with something you already have. Many plugs come bundled with tons of presets that you could probably get close. You might have to add an arpeggiator on your own. You might have to do that anyway, but thats how we learn. We have to improvise. It’s the same if there is a logic or cubase vid. Us ableton users are gonna have to improvise. We can’t have it handed to us on silver platter. No one ever said that making music was easy. Otherwise we would all be platinum selling artists. :D[/quote]
I don’t agree what is the point of a tutorial if you have to teach yourself key parts?
However hard I try I cannot recreate the bass synth sound in this tutorial… I have managed to get close to the sound I want with operator but I cannot get the same arpeggiator setting as the one in Sylenth… it just doesn’t fire the sound in at the same time??
it was a pretty sad “nu-disco” tutorial.nevermind the sylenth use,they cut corners with the picking of artists they claim to emulate on this one.105 bpm?most nu-disco is 115-130 bpm.i could keep going on but there really isnt any point.im just let down after that extremely long wait that this is what they came up with.
[quote]djmarcatkins (1/17/2010)[hr]However hard I try I cannot recreate the bass synth sound in this tutorial… I have managed to get close to the sound I want with operator but I cannot get the same arpeggiator setting as the one in Sylenth… it just doesn’t fire the sound in at the same time??[/quote]
As long as you get close is all that matters. I would keep at it and use whatever you think would work best in your tunes.
i think it was a good and helpful tutorial. after i watched the tut i layered up a lot of different drums, hats, and snares and got a really good sounding beat, probably my best yet.There still is a lot of good stuff in here even if it isnt in the bpm range of 125-130 which is usually the range of the nu disco that i play. i do think we should organize another group buy on sylenth though. i wanted to get it on the previous buy but had just lost my job , so my funds were tight. i could probably manage now.
[quote]djmarcatkins (1/17/2010)[hr]However hard I try I cannot recreate the bass synth sound in this tutorial… I have managed to get close to the sound I want with operator but I cannot get the same arpeggiator setting as the one in Sylenth… it just doesn’t fire the sound in at the same time??[/quote]
To get the bladerunner arp in Live first get the sound as good as you can.
It sounds like you are reasonably happy with what you got.
Then make sure the piano roll is set to sixteenths …move the loopbrace so that it only extends to 1.2.
I’ll use G as the root note for this example.
Draw in 4 sixteenths.
G,G,A,A# Pattern sorted.
To get it sounding right drag in an arpeggiator from lives midi effects.
Alternatively the note length tool also found in lives midi effects does the same job.
In the Arp Set the rate to 1/16 and adjust the gate to suit (start around 15% and adjust until it sounds right) It really depends on a few factors but the ADSR has to be setup pretty good to get it sounding really tight.
I think it should fire quite nicely then,
Good luck.
[quote]painlessmatthew (1/17/2010)[hr]it wasa pretty sad “nu-disco” tutorial.nevermind the sylenth use,they cut corners with the picking ofartists they claim to emulate on this one.105 bpm?most nu-disco is 115-130 bpm.i could keep going on but there really isnt any point.im just let down after that extremely long wait that this is what they came up with.[/quote]
Nu disco is a very difficult genre to pinpoint as it is so broad. and steals influences from so many other genres.
hopefully (and it seems is the case) most of you enjoyed it however.
what i will say however is don’t be looking to beatports nu disco/ indie dance charts for Nu disco music as 90% of the stuff in there is just Indie Dance / electro house crossover material.
as for the non sylenth sufferers i will look into providing samples for use in ‘Simpler’ to help you out.
Bry