chall@leonardo.net writes:
quoted 5 lines I could lurk and wait in the bushes for insight into this question,> I could lurk and wait in the bushes for insight into this question,
> or just ask it. Being a non-DJ type, but a big fan, I listen to the
> likes of FSOL, Ae, Soma, etc. These folks apparently use those DAT
> machines and samplers to distort(change) the sounds to create new
> music(noise).
just to clarify - a DAT machine is just a tape recorder. it doesn't
do much more than a normal cassette deck. (although it sounds way
better of course).
quoted 2 lines What is the procedure? Sample, change, create a melody, then replace> What is the procedure? Sample, change, create a melody, then replace
> with the new sound sample? I know, I'm confused too!
i have a ton of tools at my disposal. each one is like a paint on the
artist's palette... you can mildly alter the sound (flange, chorus) or
completely weed-whack it into something else (waveshaper, wrap,
time/pitch bend)
my sampler has a huge range of possibilities... LFOs, envelopes,
algorithms galore. i also have outboard effects boxes that can do
interesting stuff to sound.
less immediate but more "deep" are software packages like SonicWorx,
HyperPrism and MetaSynth. these can do completely crazed things to
sound but require a little more time invested up front.
once you learn your tools and what they can do to sounds, you get to
work creating music.
the actual writing process varies (of course) from individual to
individual. sometimes it starts with a concept (i want to write a
pretty song that will have ethereal vocals on top) or a sound (wonder
what it would sound like if i took that jazz break and slowed it way
down) or an attitude (i can't believe talentless dorks like <insert
favorite luser here> are so popular, think i'll do something in his
style only much much better to show the world how misguided it is).
or maybe it will be just plain sound exploration. "let's get a simple
jungle break going and try complicating it with this piece of gear to
see what happens."
once you take the first step you just repeat with each additional
layer. usually i just get like 20-30 tracks of stuff going until i
find combinations that are interesting and go together well enough to
make a song. that usually gets me through 1 or 2 minutes of music.
then i either try adding more stuff or find that i really only like
one little loop out of that 1 or 2 minutes, so i take the loop out and
build an entirely new thing around that.
808 state had a great technique that i use from time to time called
"the hidden sample." basically sample a beat or a bar or two off a
record and start building stuff around it. then remove the original
sample.
hope that helped.
--
Jon Drukman jsd@gamespot.com SpotMedia Communications
...I was an infinitely hot and dense dot...