10-07-2012, 09:10 AM
|
#21
|
|
Minor Glitch
| Brisbane |
Posts: 34
MC Status: 210
Thanks: 0
Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts
|
Re: Advice for composing Complextro/Complex Dubstep?
yeah bang on hey, about the chords being made of different instruments. I notice that a lot and am only trying it out very recently. I come up with chord progression and try to use three separate sounds to make the chord. and then call and response it out as well. Keeping the sounds at different frequencies helps keep instrument separation and mix balance IMO. now I run into problems and its the FX chain needs rewriting if that makes sense. So if I make a few patches and use verbs or any FX like that, and it is close but does not lend its self to chopping as reverb tails can be lost so..... Drums is easy for me as I resample and print the reverb or FX so to speak and use the resample of the drum hit through FX, and I have amp envelope on drums so tame it and can have big reverberated drum hits but its still tight at a fast tempo. You know its not all muddy from the verb bloom, just fat and tight.*So was gonna do this with synths to. Like same workflow, but its not working as well cos I need to rethink when and what FX where. I have a MPC1000 with JJOSXL operating system and its made for it as it can make layered instruments so use that to. Basically chromatically pitch shifted instrument of what ever you sample, patch ect. See I tried chords and that is not as good as it is just way too noisy so I am trying the layered instruments to make chord instead and see how its more like complextro. thoughts? each to their own of course, just saying thats how I am approaching it,. my new soundclouud track is an example, only a jam, but its that kinda dirty electro and I am trying to cut it up more now. more work
|
|
Advertisements
|
|
|
10-07-2012, 04:35 PM
|
#22
|
|
Soundwave Mangler
Posts: 167
MC Status: 760
Thanks: 3
Thanked 15 Times in 12 Posts
|
Re: Advice for composing Complextro/Complex Dubstep?
Sorry for the Grammar in my original post D: I wrote that very late at night when I was tired haha but I'm glad some of you are finding it useful. It really is key to dance music. Even if the call and response isn't between instruments it have just be among musical phrases in the chord progression. Take ERGMAGERD Levels for example. Quite a clear conversation going on there and the little break makes it more clear. Saw some also mention the wide and narrow instrument thing. This is vital in Skrillex tracks. Deeper instruments and in the middle while the higher ones are widened so when they speak to each other its as if they are speaking from different places in the stereo field but just be careful because your higher sounds could fall apart in mono if you don't watch out for phasing.
|
|
|
|
|
10-07-2012, 05:24 PM
|
#23
|
|
Minor Glitch
| Brisbane |
Posts: 34
MC Status: 210
Thanks: 0
Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts
|
Re: Advice for composing Complextro/Complex Dubstep?
Hey Son of Akira thanks for that snippet. I could have cut any track, and I never watch youtube how to videos, or ask how to do stuff just figure it out myself usually, but today I listened to that snippet and was yeah that sound still eluded me, hence me going on about it, and being here. So after reading a bit here and there on idmf I thought I would tackle it again today. I use hardware so no DAW, but that does not matter, if you break it down to its parts, I should be able to do it. So I loaded my complextro project up and erased sequence and kept my kit and FX chain I used. Cos I already made my drum sounds, but I time stretched the snare i made to hell and reset my amp env on them. Then wrote the beat.
Hey Son of Akira is there a tetsuo? And am I right in assuming that it is in 2/4 time that beat?? Thats how i wrote mine. At first I was listening to it through my crappy comp speakers from itunes while writing it, then was like hang on, it has a lead in of a bar? So had to load it up into sampler and layer it to check and it is hey a one bar lead in to down beat in 2/4. which made me have a few bars after and this was 8 that I copied and pasted and replaced that lead in with double break/roll. I have turned it off now but its like it comes up a bar short then every time it loops? hence a break. made some for very interesting breaks and rolls like this. I can see how this tricks you into feeling more tension, and its more sudden. i tried to make that wobble sound with a workstation but was not right so went to simpler mono synth and it was was way easier. I ran it through a little FX, and made another synth sound for other part. I time stretched and reversed some cymbals I had, to get that whooshiness and feel of the hits being bigger, and that and FX. Gated verb (big 80s drum sound) > filter > bit crusher > delay.
THe Fx I used was what I already figured out and when I did all above it was pretty much spot on to what you did. I kinda jammed a bit and made a melody and counter melody and pads and keys, and pretty much had a track. Some actually said it did not sound the same as my other stuff, so I knew I nailed it. so thanks everyone. Its gotta be the time stretched snares I think lol. I will probably spend ages now just going woob woob woob waaannnggaawwwaaannggaaa. as you do. Next I got to figure out how it goes double time more. I mean I can program drums, but this lead in of a bar and such means I will have a lot to programming to do to make a song. Its bloody brilliant though, the rolls i did actually blew me away. So a few days doing that and it will make more sense and I will be used to being a bar ahead, or behind or whatever it is.
|
|
|
|
|
10-07-2012, 06:10 PM
|
#24
|
|
Soundwave Mangler
Posts: 167
MC Status: 760
Thanks: 3
Thanked 15 Times in 12 Posts
|
Re: Advice for composing Complextro/Complex Dubstep?
Quote:
Originally Posted by bliprock
I use hardware so no DAW, but that does not matter, if you break it down to its parts, I should be able to do it. So I loaded my complextro project up
|
Am I missing something here? You're making complextro on something other than a DAW? How very hipster of you, I can't imagine you are getting very good results? If you are then you are a hardware god! 
|
|
|
|
|
10-07-2012, 06:13 PM
|
#25
|
| Pale Hairy Beastville, OH |
Posts: 5,837
MC Status: 8224630
Thanks: 958
Thanked 674 Times in 594 Posts
|
Re: Advice for composing Complextro/Complex Dubstep?
Quote:
Originally Posted by CallAndResponse
Am I missing something here? You're making complextro on something other than a DAW? How very hipster of you, I can't imagine you are getting very good results? If you are then you are a hardware god! 
|
That's just ignorant. Why on earth would someone not be able to get good results using hardware? Why would they have to be "a god"?
Clearly some tasks would be much easier in a DAW...but ...you know what...never mind...go on about your business.

|
------------------
|
|
|
10-07-2012, 06:14 PM
|
#26
|
|
Savage Mad Cunt
| Montreal |
Posts: 1,277
MC Status: 13011176
Thanks: 31
Thanked 59 Times in 55 Posts
|
Re: Advice for composing Complextro/Complex Dubstep?
Quote:
Originally Posted by t(-.-)t
I mean if there´s some kind of "secret" I´m missing.
|
Resampling.
|
|
|
|
|
10-07-2012, 08:56 PM
|
#27
|
|
Soundwave Mangler
Posts: 167
MC Status: 760
Thanks: 3
Thanked 15 Times in 12 Posts
|
Re: Advice for composing Complextro/Complex Dubstep?
Quote:
Originally Posted by relic
That's just ignorant. Why on earth would someone not be able to get good results using hardware? Why would they have to be "a god"?
Clearly some tasks would be much easier in a DAW...but ...you know what...never mind...go on about your business.

|
It is not ignorant. Of course you can make good music on hardware. Maybe I should have put COMPLEXTRO in bold to emphasize my point. I think it would be pretty godlike to make good complextro on hardware alone since I make the genre myself. You are working with multiple chops and instruments and in a DAW it can take up to 100 tracks. Being able to see everything visually on a playlist plays a huge part. So yes, some tasks would be much easier in a DAW and complextro is one of them.
|
|
|
|
|
10-07-2012, 09:40 PM
|
#28
|
| Pale Hairy Beastville, OH |
Posts: 5,837
MC Status: 8224630
Thanks: 958
Thanked 674 Times in 594 Posts
|
Re: Advice for composing Complextro/Complex Dubstep?
I guess if one was really visually dependant in their music making. Id load all the midrange chops into a groove box or mpc and.record it by jamming out. you could always chop.again.
|
------------------
|
|
|
10-07-2012, 10:04 PM
|
#29
|
|
Soundwave Mangler
Posts: 167
MC Status: 760
Thanks: 3
Thanked 15 Times in 12 Posts
|
Re: Advice for composing Complextro/Complex Dubstep?
For sure. Look I am not saying you can't make complextro with hardware, you can make anything with hardware, it is just that workflow is incredibly important in that genre so in order to make good complextro a DAW would surely be way better. Being able to move tracks and change MIDI notes with a click of a mouse is just far more practical. Making a good complextro track may take literally hundreds of hours longer on hardware. I don't think there has ever been a successful complextro track made on an audio workstations other than a digital one. I am still curious to hear the guy's music though, maybe I am wrong and he is making bangers but the skeptic in me says it will be average at best.
|
|
|
|
|
10-08-2012, 04:25 AM
|
#30
|
|
Minor Glitch
| Brisbane |
Posts: 34
MC Status: 210
Thanks: 0
Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts
|
Re: Advice for composing Complextro/Complex Dubstep?
relic has it in one. MPC with JJOSXL is like a DAW in a way. I can just copy paste programs and sequences. Synths do the rest. I use hardware FX as well as inbuilt FX. Get all that right and it is doable. In fact in some respects it is quicker as I can just bang pads or keys. THe sound design takes longer of course, but it is fun.
I was actually shocked how close I got it to Akiras example. Like very close. Pitch shifting my drum hits got it closer to. But I still am a bit huh? over the one bar lead in, but like I say it seems to work great and make it seem to move more.
I can have up to 99 programs going on 99 tracks so I have plenty of room for complextro stuff, just takes time.
For instance today I will set up my pads to send the right CC to my microkorg to change LFO time. Pad for half time, pad for triplet time ect, so I can just hit a button and it changes LFO rate. Things like this help and make it easier to edit in fine detail.
So with JJOS XL I can see tracks and move notes real quickly. but I use my ears not look at screen. So I know what you mean, but trust me I will give most guys with a DAW a run for their money. I will post track when it is done.
|
|
|
|
|
10-08-2012, 01:47 PM
|
#31
|
|
Minor Glitch
| Brisbane |
Posts: 34
MC Status: 210
Thanks: 0
Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts
|
Re: Advice for composing Complextro/Complex Dubstep?
I posted it on my soundcloud. it is not done and is just a loop that plays twice as I faff about. But with some fem vox as a guide I can get more of a clue with chord structure. And that and I have to make more kits and stuff. and then when that is done, sample it all again and go again right? thats what I figure anyways. This is a rough jam and is live unedited take. So no fancy editing, just Raw straight up take. I am going for huge loud sound live and yeah its not bad. Now my problem is i am writing skankin keys. Like just cant help going into dub mode and doing that skankin ragamuffin vibe. I was meaning to make pop, cos that is what this style has a lot of style wise. So need to write straighter chord progressions. and faster ones. then sample them. So please any feedback is greatly appreciated, though i can not post link yet.
just look for BlipRockHustler on soundcloud. thanks again 
|
|
|
|
|
10-08-2012, 02:07 PM
|
#32
|
|
Banned
Posts: 642
MC Status: 3760
Thanks: 10
Thanked 75 Times in 67 Posts
|
Re: Advice for composing Complextro/Complex Dubstep?
Idk wat DAW you're using, but if ableton you can make a lot of Complextro style stuff using follow actions
Also, complextro makes me think there should be a strain of Complexdro
|
|
|
|
|
10-08-2012, 04:20 PM
|
#33
|
|
Savage Mad Cunt
| Montreal |
Posts: 1,277
MC Status: 13011176
Thanks: 31
Thanked 59 Times in 55 Posts
|
Re: Advice for composing Complextro/Complex Dubstep?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dugg Funnie
|
wtf is this
|
|
|
|
|
10-08-2012, 05:42 PM
|
#34
|
|
Banned
Posts: 642
MC Status: 3760
Thanks: 10
Thanked 75 Times in 67 Posts
|
Re: Advice for composing Complextro/Complex Dubstep?
What the OP was looking for in a nutshell.
I didn't make the tutorial, but it's simple and explains one way of accomplish what the first post was asking for (at least for ableton live users).
So really, the question is:
Quote:
Originally Posted by aeoR
wtf is this
|
wtf is this?!
|
|
|
|
|
10-08-2012, 06:41 PM
|
#35
|
| Pale Hairy Beastville, OH |
Posts: 5,837
MC Status: 8224630
Thanks: 958
Thanked 674 Times in 594 Posts
|
Re: Advice for composing Complextro/Complex Dubstep?
Quote:
Originally Posted by CallAndResponse
It is not ignorant. Of course you can make good music on hardware. Maybe I should have put COMPLEXTRO in bold to emphasize my point. I think it would be pretty godlike to make good complextro on hardware alone since I make the genre myself. You are working with multiple chops and instruments and in a DAW it can take up to 100 tracks. Being able to see everything visually on a playlist plays a huge part. So yes, some tasks would be much easier in a DAW and complextro is one of them.
|
Yea. I kinda misread what you were saying. Sorry. Damn it. Sometimes I cannot control my inner asshat.
|
------------------
|
|
|
10-08-2012, 07:37 PM
|
#36
|
|
Savage Mad Cunt
| Montreal |
Posts: 1,277
MC Status: 13011176
Thanks: 31
Thanked 59 Times in 55 Posts
|
Re: Advice for composing Complextro/Complex Dubstep?
Well, just don't take it personal, but this tutorial is crap and it's a bad suggestion.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dugg Funnie
What the OP was looking for in a nutshell.
I didn't make the tutorial, but it's simple and explains one way of accomplish what the first post was asking for (at least for ableton live users).
So really, the question is:
wtf is this?!
|
|
|
|
|
|
10-08-2012, 10:45 PM
|
#37
|
|
Banned
Posts: 642
MC Status: 3760
Thanks: 10
Thanked 75 Times in 67 Posts
|
Re: Advice for composing Complextro/Complex Dubstep?
Quote:
Originally Posted by aeoR
Well, just don't take it personal, but this tutorial is crap and it's a bad suggestion.
|
Good or bad is subjective; what would make a "good" tutorial?
And too late, I took this shit so personal...SO personal, you will rue this day.
psych! you just a joker haha 
|
|
|
|
|
10-09-2012, 12:59 AM
|
#38
|
Posts: 766
MC Status: 1610
Thanks: 17
Thanked 32 Times in 29 Posts
|
Re: Advice for composing Complextro/Complex Dubstep?
Make every bar sound slightly different and automate the crap out of everything.
|
|
|
|
|
10-25-2012, 06:22 AM
|
#39
|
|
Analog Lurker
Posts: 88
MC Status: 118
Thanks: 1
Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts
|
Re: Advice for composing Complextro/Complex Dubstep?
complextro ????
what the F*** does that mean ?
|
------------------
- If first you don't succeed, try again...step up to the mic...and die again -
|
|
|
10-26-2012, 04:54 PM
|
#40
|
|
Minor Glitch
| Brisbane |
Posts: 34
MC Status: 210
Thanks: 0
Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts
|
Re: Advice for composing Complextro/Complex Dubstep?
It is short hand for complex electro.
|
|
Advertisements
|
|
|
All times are GMT +1. The time now is 12:47 PM.
|
|