time to buy some new synths...and darkproject update.

when everything you make starts to sound the same, you know its time to buy some new synths.
seems like everything i start on, tends to sound bla......all the sounds sound the same to me now.

also...the darkproject cds are done and will be shipping out soon....just needs a little tweaking.

havnt been able to set up the cafepress site yet...because it looks like the cds are going to be $8.99 because of the art work....i wanted them to be cheaper.....oh well.

are you still think of buying rhino?
some guy named energy is trying to put together a 3 bank set of EBM sounds for it -- as best i can figure from the Big Tick forum at kvr

that may be of interest to those wanting harder sounds out of rhino

good news on the cd

ORIGINAL: :10:

when everything you make starts to sound the same, you know its time to buy some new synths.
seems like everything i start on, tends to sound bla......all the sounds sound the same to me now.

also...the darkproject cds are done and will be shipping out soon....just needs a little tweaking.

havnt been able to set up the cafepress site yet...because it looks like the cds are going to be $8.99 because of the art work....i wanted them to be cheaper.....oh well.

might I inquire where you are getting the CDs mfg?

Hey, Woodamand nice site you have, interesting stuff.... i noticed you have played on a goth band in the 80s. I was big fun of that genre few years ago. I'm listening to 120ways, i like it, good vibes, good production although strange drums part (but it works).

10, i want to listen to your stuff too, but need to register on soundclick first .... it seems you're on the same genre as i, so i'm interested...

cheers

btw, i must excuse for my english....

Alfonso does offer a valid point, Sean. You may be just in the (inevitable) funk that happens to all of us when you fall into a static approach to utilizing the tools at hand. Far be it from me to preach about not giving into 'gear lust' [I'm the worst offender in that respect], but why not give for your friends here a chance to shake up your programming methods with the synths that you're using, and perhaps send you in a fresh direction? What is it that you're using that's getting old for 'ya, and what kind of results are you seeing in your mind's eye [or hearing in your 'mind's ear']?

Ok, first...... throw away npulse and download e-phonic Drumatic 2.x and 3.0... (search for them at Kvr)... trust me, these drum synths are great.... while you're at it, get also e-phonic's LoFi effect.

UGO's synths are great, but maybe a more "normal" substractive synth would fit the hole? Something like ASynth or Triangle II ? Powerful stuff, and IMO, completely different than UGO's.

Anyway, how do you create your sounds? Do you find a preset you like and tweak on? Or do you start from scratch? I usually do the latter. Do you sit and spend a couple of hours making patches which may or may not be useful later, or do you synthesize your sounds according to the composition you're currently working on? If you only do the latter, you might not be giving yourself the chance to explore all your synths' possibilities, since you just need a bass sound, or an e-piano, or whatever the song needs.

When I'm just making sounds (not working on a song), I usually impose myself some restrictions. Here's a few ideas:

1) Use ring modulation in the next 5 sounds you make.
2) Same as 1) but with FM, amplitude modulation, dual filters, formant filters, and any other features your synths allow.
3) Make a simple square wave sound. Don't apply any filters, envelopes, LFO's, etc, except maybe the amp envelope. Now, try shaping the sound only with effect plugins.
4) **** npulse, drumatic, and anything else. Use your common substractive synths to make all the drum sounds (Triangle II is actually pretty good at this - maybe Rene should try making a drum synth).
5) **** substractive synths. Use FM for drum and percussions (PSYN will allow you a good range of sounds, as a 4-op FM synth) - hey, don't use any noise sources.
6) You want some great pads? Ok, layer 3 or 4 synths with lots of slow movement (filter lfo's, panning, etc.). Sample a long note (for example, an 10-second long middle-C) and save it as a WAV file. Now load it into your sampler DS-whatever and map it correctly all across the keyboard (**** multisampling). Tweak the filters and the envelopes a bit and play a chord. Do it right and you'll get a new definition of FULL.

Well, I don't wanna monopolize the ideas so I'll let the others continue from here.

Good luck! And tell us the results.