Making sounds like Apex/Spor/Noisia/etc...

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wacked_1

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Joined
Feb 12, 2009
Does anyone have any advice on how to go about making sounds like these? Frankly, I don't know where to start. I know it's way more complex than other styles of d&b but i'm determind to learn! ;)

Recently I've been getting much more into drum & bass like this. I really want to learn how to make those wierd kind of ripping reese sounds if anyone is willing to give some advice.

Thanks.

EDIT: Sorry I dunno why two of these threads got made. I thought the first one failed when I posted it :/
 
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It's all about layering and sampling really. It sounds simple but it's an art really. Here's some basic steps but there's no solid recipe, you just gotta try different things:

Start with some sort of synth, must have at least 3 oscs. Choose saws or squares and detune them so they sound fatter. Sweep a notch filter through it (LFO is easiest way, but the pro's draw in the curves)

Apply effects, distortion, EQ, phasor/chorus, what ever you want. Bounce it down to audio unless you've got a super-computer cos you're gonna be doing a few layers all with individual effects.

Repeat this process using different octaves and waveforms and use different filters. Once you've got a few layers that are morphing and growling, EQ them together, ie let each layer focus on a different range like sub. bass, low-mid, high-mid, highs. It's important to try and scoop out any frequencies that are neccesary otherwise when they're all on top of each other they'll sound like mud.

When you got it sounding nice, bounce it down again and shove it in a sample. When you play the high notes the morphing will sound faster and when you play low ones it'll be all growly and morphing.

As I said, there are no rules. You could load up several samplers and process them in different ways.

In Summary:
Detune
Distort
EQ
FX (phaser, chorus, flanger, etc)
EQ
Distort (If you want)
Layer
Repeat
 
"It's all about layering and sampling really"

I agree, layering, sampling, resampling, automation, modulation etc.

Your best bet with be to look online at youtube. There are a couple of good tutorials there.
Also, Q&A with Noisia on the Grid, Calyx interview on sydneyfriction.com etc

There are loads of interviews but bottom line is you have to workhard and be ready to NOT have a life!

Its rewarding when you get there though!

Good luck!
 
i did the coolest shit on this one song, i got these busted jamo speakers and if you run deep bass on them they do that busted speaker distortion on top of all the rest, so then i miced it up and got the coolest sound. im going to do more of that. anyway you see noisia doing weird stuff with a mic too on the youtube vid.

basically, noisia sounds and whatever the hell else is not the actual issue, its just the sounds we all love in the genre, the dirty bass stabs and so forth, theyre all easy to get to grips with, whereas doing what noisia does certainly isnt
 
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