I've begun to notice a certain particular René sound, specific to his synths. There is something "airier" about them

I have noticed this too. Altough I think it is "detail" or sound fidelity - maybe in the sfz engine?. I've built a lot of hi-fi audio equipment (amps, pre, speakers both solid state and tube) and it's kinda like the difference between comercial and real audio hi-fi: it just has a more detailed sound. Not sterile or anything like that, just a depth to it.

Of couse, I could just be wack...

Exactly. Practicality wins every time.

Doc, I need a prescription of Lipitor.

Not particular impressed with the softer initial sound, but the other tracks were nice and beefy. I'd try to create some more sustained rythmic fatness, just to kill the myth, in addition to the sweeping stuff, which you nailed. Different flavors of fat, in other words. And I'd normalize the volume levels better.

Yes, it's true, Fat is the prevailing need. All that must be trimmed off to accommodate a mix without mud but to sell a synth these days I guess you need these fat patches that would in a mix need some adjustment. I on the other hand can understand that subtlety can and will stand proud in a mix. You have to strain to hear it in the cacophony of a busy tune. But if it's missing I would miss it. It is also the hardest to program for. I've been listening to Duke Ellingtons Indigo suite lately. the master of the subtle phrase. It is not rock or electronic. But I wish to learn something through osmosis?

I've taken the mission assigned to me and am currently making a Rapture demo track with plenty of FAT in it.

Succeeded. I just put on 10 lbs. listening to it. Say, does this demo song make me look fat?
Nice one, Frank. My woofers thank you, too, for loosening them up a bit. Yeah, I know I was warned, but ...

You don't get off that easily here, though. You have to reveal what you used. Obviously, heavy StepGen use, both smoothed & stepped, but we want the sordid details. Even the reasons that you used outside drums, and what they were. Spill it.

Nice work, Frank. Having already been convinced by kdm's demos, I note what's cool about yours is how it demonstrates all of the movement you can get out of Rapture - the step gens, efx, lfos, etc... That's what will ultimately enable modern sounds to be programmed. And of course now we know that it can get fat as well.

Thank you.

Succeeded. I just put on 10 lbs. listening to it. Say, does this demo song make me look fat?
Nice one, Frank. My woofers thank you, too, for loosening them up a bit. Yeah, I know I was warned, but ...

You don't get off that easily here, though. You have to reveal what you used. Obviously, heavy StepGen use, both smoothed & stepped, but we want the sordid details. Even the reasons that you used outside drums, and what they were. Spill it.

I didn't use that much at all actually. The step sequenced sound you hear at the beginning and lasts through to the end is 1 instance of rapture playing 1 note the whole time. It's set to one of the factory presets. When the drums come in, the pitch sweep you hear is another instance of Rapture set to the "Tuning In" preset in the factory bank. Next, the FAT sweep is a preset I programmed exclusively for this track, again, on 1 instance of Rapture; It uses all six elements (5 saw waveforms and 1 square), light unison, 1 four pole filter on each element, and some of Rapture's internal EQ. Lastly, the drums were made using the Reflex Vsti by Basement Arts. That's all so far.

My hearing is struggling between the kick and bass, any chance you could put this up without the drums?

Yes, I will post another clip later that doesn't include the drums.

Peace,

Frank

Ok, as requested, Here's the same mp3 of the introduction heard above minus the drums.

Please Right Click and Save As HERE



Frank

IMHO, it's usually an interpretation of hyped low frequency content rather than an actual characteristic. For others, it's pushing the low end to the point of diminishing returns by layering low end until the mix is almost overwhelmed by it (Fletcher Munsen curve theory). Then there are still more that would say it's stacked, or complex chord voicings, or a description of the arrangement .

Based on the demos and reactions, what is being discussed here can be created with any number of synths - software and hardware, as long as the filters are half decent. While it would be nice to think one synth is "fatter" than another, the truth is (based on personal tests with a large range of instruments), few if any instruments discussed in this thread aren't capable of it. Often width is really just about how much chorus either as an effect or via detuned multiple oscillators/sources panned opposite, and how much low end is evenly distributed from 60Hz to 150Hz - either from EQ or just layering instruments in the bass register in the arrangement. Most soft synths, if not all, that can detune oscillators can do this, unless they have a high pass filter set for 100Hz on the main out.

There are a lot of myths around "fat/phat" that are easily swayed by flapping subs. I know producers that talk about layering kicks to get a huge sound, but end up back where they started with the final mix without realizing it - a different tone to the kick, but no more low than was there to start with (unless it was a really lame kick).

To me it's really more about a mix with a lot of width, depth, dynamics, power, and clarity to allow instruments to stand out within a great arrangement - not just layering sounds to boost the low end, but doing it with intentionality to match the music, arrangement and mix. YMMV.

My general synth advice is not to take the all-in-one workstation approach to looking at a synth - e.g. show stopping presets that were only good for concert openers in the 80's ;-) - but rather tweaking it to find out where it sings and where it croaks - the latter is becoming less and less common now that frequency response vs. noise floor really isn't the issue it once was and more synths employ higher order filtering. Just be careful of how effects influence what you think you are hearing - always turn them off to see just what the synth sounds like raw. That is when "fat" becomes quite lean and the definition starts to make more sense.

Ok, as requested, Here's the same mp3 of the introduction heard above minus the drums.

Where do I send the bill for the new floorboard Frank? Windows have started rattling as well... I will let you know what the glazier says in due course...

ORIGINAL: Frank@ProSounds

Ok, as requested, Here's the same mp3 of the introduction heard above minus the drums.

Please Right Click and Save As HERE

Frank

I just got Rapture myself and have been playing around a little with it. Is it possible for you to post the .prog or .elem file for this fat bass sound? I just want to reverse engineer it so I can learn how you did it......

Thanks,
Adam

EDIT: If you can, email them to awilki01@gmail.com