How do you deal with 10,000 sounds?

Started by DreamTheory, August 11, 2017, 08:44:46 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

DreamTheory

Once I started using software synths, many which are free, the number of sounds at my command exploded beyond comprehension. I estimate that there are now 10,000 preset patches at my command, and all are infinitely customizable. But one hardly needs to tweak, given the variety readily available.

These are incredible times. I work with friends in other cities. That's cool but also alienating in an odd way. And it adds another 10k sounds.

What do I even sound like anymore?

There is a sense that it is odd to mix decades of virtual gear. A 1967 style organ  can be dialed up with a 1987 style string synth. The mix match moshup is strange.

One becomes more attuned to reverb type, compression type, and delay type. Etc.

I am not complaining, just bewildered by it all.
electric: Epiphone Dot semihollow body, acoustic: mahogany jumbo, recording: Cubase Artist 11 or Tascam DP008

Kevin M

Yes, almost makes for overload. Sometimes I get bogged down just searching for sounds and lose the creative 'bug' in doing so. Something I intend to do is to start making a catalog of synth, patch, style, description to use as a quick cheat sheet. Otherwise, it's easier to scale back to the basic elements (drums, bass, guitar) and not let technology get in the way....relatively speaking.

Rhcole

#2
It's the synthesist's dilemma: any sound you pick means you haven't used the 9999 other options. You find something that moves you and you go with it.

I do think for guitar it's important to use the medium expressively via the guitar itself. Otherwise it just comes off like somebody triggering patches.

Funny, on another Board there is a long thread about whether using ANY effect, such as compression, spoils the "purity" of the instrument. "Your tone should be in your fingers, man!".

gumtown

Having too much resource at hand can get in the way of imagination and creativity.

I recommend off loading as much as you can onto portable storage and only keep the basics to work with.
Free "GR-55 FloorBoard" editor software from https://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/

chrish

#4
Everyone's work flow is different. Some folks like me need to be overwhelmed with possibilities before anything creative happens.

The more oscillators the better.


mooncaine

Sometimes, I come home from work, get to that point where I can put on the headphones and jam, and I just play spin the dial. Play whatever patch comes up. Do it a few times. Now that you ask, I realize I do it quite a lot.

jb63

This used to be a problem when I was at home trying to set up the sounds to take out on a gig, but immediately upon playing with the other guys you realize that you can't use that much, and what you do use you have to make work.

In graphic design, we have a phrase called KISS:

Keep it simple, stupid.

Remembering this, you can look at a page of design and see what a mess having 5000 fonts at your fingertips can create. Think of yourself as the designer, and find the 2 or 3 sounds you need for any given piece (or page).

It will immediately make you look smarter and sound classier.

Redvers

I did a lot of electronic music back in the day but most of my favourite songs I wrote using two or three sounds on a Yamaha dx27. You can't beat just having a solid instrument. I sold it knowing I could get everything in the FM8 but it wasn't the same, mainly because of the 1000 other presets that distracted me.