loopdokter Haha that’s the spirit. I’ve learned that I can be very productive with just the digitakt and syntakt, along side ableton. Everything else is a nice to have luxury for me.
the production thread
4 days later
303abuser Nothing automated - it’s my mix. I’m not a fan per se of channel strip emulations, but as I say, the sound on the EQ’s is lovely. I use it in conjunction with the native ableton EQ, generally rolling off the bottom end with the native EQ and boosting the mid / high with the 9000 J. I don’t have anything on the master - other than the metric A/B (or some of the other monitoring tools).
I think some of the power of the mix is down to the synths. There’s alot of Razor in there - the additive synths really cut through the mix.
That said I use Oliver Lieb’s analogue mastering - but while there’s no doubt that it adds some sparkle, it’s really the mix that counts.
SSL have X-Comp and Valve-Comp on sale for $14.99 a piece. Not that I need any of them already using Logic’s compressor and Wave’s H-Comp.
Morty-C-137 Seems like a decent price if you’re in the market. I’m out of the plugin market for a while, unless some sort of new creative software blows me away. I’ve got more utilities and fx plugins than I need, just checking out the demo for this granular synth at the moment …
https://www.tracktion.com/products/novum
What genre(s) are you making? Anywhere we can listen?
- Edited
303abuser Also so much good free stuff to be had nowadays.. I still can’t believe how good the free version of Vital is. So quick and easy to use.
Re my tracks.. here’s my Soundcloud, but I haven’t finished any music in ages. Had a massive writers block for 5 years where I fucked myself in circles. Now I still do enjoy noodling around and have sketches all over.
Most of the 2014 bits were music I scored for my brothers wedding film .. ahaha.
Morty-C-137 Sometimes you just need a break to find the enjoyment in it again. I’ll give your stuff a listen this week.
I haven’t tried vital yet, I’ve got more hardware and software synths than I need, but I’ve heard nothing but good things about it.
Here’s how fun Vital and Guitar Rig are together:
Guitar rig is great. Its convolution reverb is my go to reverb.
apyssjw Yeah, I love it. It’s my main FX rack. Only thing I don’t like about it is the loading time. Having said that, I am still running an old 2012 Mac Pro.
I just have 3 aux channels with Guitar Rig setup in my default template.
Newbee, so be kind.
I’ve at last got my hardware out of storage and want to setup my Roland JD-XI , TR-08 and TB-3.
Based on those items I would just link the Midi out from the keyboard ( JDXI ) into the MIDI IN of the TB-3 then its MIDI OUT into the MIDI IN of the TR-08. Simple if I want a basic outboard setup
What is the best way to integrate into a DAW setup? Simply hook up the JDXI via USB to my Mac? I have a M-Audio M-Track 2×2M audio interface with a MIDI IN/OUT - I use this as my main soundcard, so would I simply hook up the MIDI OUT from the M-Track into the Midi In of the Keyboard/JDXI? As the soundcard is already hooked up via USB-C, would I need to link my Mac via another MIDI cable ?
All a bit complicated ………..lol
IndustryStandard It took me the better part of two days the last time I re-wired my studio last winter to get all of this right, it’s always a pain. Are you planning to use your daw as the main clock or as a recording device with the hardware doing all the work?
I think you have the right idea, but there are a number of ways to set it up depending on your workflow. I have my elektron gear set up to track individual outs into ableton via usb and the rest of my gear through a mixer that acts as an audio interface. Sometimes I change the routing of the hardware to take advantage of external fx processing too.
Think im going to keep it very simple to start off with, so will want to use the synth/JD-XI to control the TB-3 and TR-08 modules. Then I can use maybe Ableton to record it all if I want (? )
I have all the synths going though a basic mixer ( Edirol M-10DX) which isn’t a sound card. Could do an out from that back into the synth as its a 2×2 sound card too. Will have to putz around to see how it all jives
To begin with I really want to understand how to get my outboard stuff to make some basic patterns and how to control. Ideally be good to go on a crash course when I have my annual block leave and learn in a structured manner
IndustryStandard
Have you got any air-raid siren efx? Will deffo need.
Enjoy the ride, look forward to hearing what you pull together.
IndustryStandard I have all the synths going though a basic mixer ( Edirol M-10DX) which isn’t a sound card. Could do an out from that back into the synth as its a 2×2 sound card too. Will have to putz around to see how it all jives
That’s probably the easiest way to start out then. Pick the synth you want to be your main clock (I like a drum machine for that, but I’m not sure it really matters), run midi out from that in a daisy chain. Pick you audio interface (could be a stand alone or a synth that acts as a sound card) and run your audio into ableton from there to record.
That should get you started, then you can tweak it once you figure out how you like to work and incorporate more complex routing if you need it.
Found a place near me in Chatham that does courses for Ableton. £300 for 8×2hr one on one sessions. Seems like OK value and what I need, rather than going online. Ive started so many times learning DAW. I remember trying to learn Cubase in the early noughties ……that was hell on earth. Will keep you all posted 
@Mad_Cyril indeedy…plus Jamacan horn samples at the ready
Anyway, I have a long way to go before i’m up to this guys level…
I work completely in the box.. I have had a Virus C and an Electribe R1 in the past, but I found it easier staying in the box and most plugins these days sound so good. I am having a lot of fun demo-ing XLN Audio XO the past couple of days.
I use logic and I also have Battery from NI, but I can easily see this becoming my 1-stop drum solution. Just so convenient having all your samples that quickly accessible.
What do you guys use for drums?
The new album is out today, myself and Essentia Sound (also Canadian). Here’s the bandcamp link and it’s available on all the usual streaming services too. Give it a listen if you’re into it, I’d love to hear what everyone thinks.
A quick write up on the inspiration behind it …
Atmospheric Rivers is based on a series of record breaking rainfalls that swept through British Columbia in the fall of 2021 washing away homes, bridges and highways, causing landslides and loss of human and animal life. The weather system identified as an atmospheric river is a large, narrow stream of water vapour that travels through the sky. Usually originating in tropical ocean regions near the equator, these rivers bring masses of warm air and water from the ocean to land, sometimes dumping a month’s worth of rain or snow in a matter of days.