Electronic Music 411 - Signs of an amateur techno producer....

07/18/08 + aligak

I have been listening to two of my latest Kompakt influenced (yet darker) techno tracks which I was quite proud of. However, after a break for a few days of neither working or listening to them, I compared them to some material released in the last 2 years from artists I really respect (i.e. Lawrence, Pryda, Gui Borrato, marc romboy, justus kohncke, stu hirst, etc), and it became clear that both my tracks fell short. For one, there are too many transitions and I overcrowded it, yet it still doesn't sound or feel as full or intense or interesting as some of the more minimal or simple tracks from such artists I mentioned. So I would like to ask you EM411 producers out there (especially those of you more on the experimental techno or hard or minimal techno, or elektro house side of dance music). What do you think are some characteristics that discern a pro techno track from a amateurish sounding one? I guess this would encompass all areas from the sounds used themselves to the arrangement to the mix to the mastering. Anyway, I would really appreciate it if you guys can be detailed and specific. Many thanks!!

07/19/08 + j_chot

...or not any at all, or not enough, or poor use.
never underestimate the power of the subtle reverb.

oh, and eq everything.

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edited: Jul 20 2008 + implexgrace

this is a pretty broad (but natural) question, and i think the best thing to do is.. listen better. talk about what can be done won't help unless you know your techniques, which is best discovered through experimentation and finding your own style and sound and depth.

knowing when to treat and when not to treat. and how to treat. for instance, you can have dry 808 sounds and it will not necessarily sound amateurish if you put it into a context.

good example: telefon tel aviv - introductory nomenclature

is a great study on professional sounding "good quality" music that still has very basic elements.

07/20/08 + hello6am

I'd suppose it depends on what you want to make, but unless your intention was specifically to copy the style of those folks then don't feel bad that your tunes don't sound like em. Never forget, 'music' can be anything.

If fullness is what you.re after, compare your tune to one of theirs in a spectral analyser or some other frequency representer. Does your tune not have as much bass? Or too much? Maybe your sounds need a rethink. Try to have sounds to occupy the full frequency range. But do so in moderation, or you can tire the listener (and more importantly yourself).

Above all, just write a lot of music. Plow ahead. There is no immediate trick to becoming 'good', you just need to do it a lot, focus, and ask yourself what have you not tried before.

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07/21/08 + dkarma

i'm w/ j_chot eq everything. the main shortfall I have when comparing my tracks to "pro" musicians is my sounds (regardless) of genre don't sound as rich or as full. that's why it is important to me at least to tweak every sound. its tough because sometimes you don't get results right away or it takes forever and you get caught up in details that get drowned out by other things. there really is a fine balance...

remember that even old rock bands who had simple music (track wise) still had amazing music.
for instance on a lot of older music you see only about 4-5 "tracks" on each song.
1 for vocals
2 for drum kit
3 for bass guit
4 for lead guit
5 for rhythm guit

hell bob dylan only had his voice a harmonica and a guitar

it is so hard w/ a huge collection of loops and synths and kits of all sort to get wrapped up in too much sound.

try using 5 or less sounds at any given time during the songs... more if you feel you must on the climax or ending.

also make sure everything is 24bit...

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07/21/08 + elronhubbard

make sure at least one track is 12-bit. my only secret.

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07/21/08 + hardvoltnine

yekker said: "i didn't read this thread but maybe perhaps to much reverb?"

Why doesn't fire fox spell check know the word "reverb"?

Um, I like string quartets, thats minimal, but put a big fat distorted drum beat with one, that's nice.

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07/21/08 + nagrom

reverb is an abbreviation of reverberation </smartass>

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07/21/08 + nagrom

that DJ TRAXX video is fucking wicked. so is Mandate. fuck, I want some techno.

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07/21/08 + lilt

dkarma said: "also make sure everything is 4bit..."

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07/22/08 + Analog

Ghost noises are a must.
I like to leave record crackle on all my stuff I've sampled off vinyl.
EQ everything is good advice too.
I sometimes use reverbs with predelay, early reflection stuff. Particularly on bass drum and snare.

I think sometimes it's hard to like your own sounds if you've heard them too much. I've been using the same 909 sample set for years now so get a bit bored of them, it's hard to make it sound fresh with old sounds.... Sampling hihats from 70s dub tracks is nice. crispy and filtered. A freind of mine swears by tangerine dream tunes for all his synth sounds.

Pitching samples a long way up or down can sound good; bass drums become toms, snares (hi pass filtered) become hihats. 909 toms play the bass. and the 909 cowbell makes a wicked synth sound tuned low.
I've also just discovered layering a synth bip with a snare or clap can give quite a nice rich sound.

Audion seems to put distortion on a lot of his elements (at least on the Suckfish album that i'm digging at the moment) It can colour the sound in ways you don't realise.

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08/01/08 + Analog

I liked this thread.

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08/01/08 + lematt

yeah i like this thread too.

about the bassdrum volume: i think the key is here.

you have to understand that that music is made to be played on gigantic sound systems which will expand the lowbasses A LOT.

if you watch that video: Video the basses seem enormous, but in fact no !

if you listen to all the m-nus tracks on normal hifi stereo, it sounds really weak.

also: while not falling in some ultraminimal music making, techno is all about simplicity and reducing the number of elements. you must get to a sort of dynamic groove (some funk.) without melodic stuff, then you can add it, but slowly.

i'd really like to know more about sidechaining compression... because each time i use compressors, the result is shitty.

about the reverbs, i dunno why, but i just simply hate it. love when the sound is really raw, especially in techno.

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08/01/08 + lematt

and... definitely don't look for a "trick" or a magic formula... you have to tweak your gear until you have the sound that you love

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08/01/08 + bla

i find that putting stuff through compressors always makes it better
i think techno needs alot of compression- its good if the sounds get blended into one big funky noise- dont think in terms of seperate 'instruments'

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08/01/08 + ejectorset

Signs of an amateur techno producer.... ?

spends too much time on em411.com ?

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