What was required
In our first week of class we were required to recreate the sound of the big bang. It had to be between 15 - 30 seconds in length. I was very excited by this. Creativity has no right or wrong answer, whatever you come up with is correct (so long as you meet the requirements). I was also excited to hear what my peers brought to the table and how they approached the task
What was created and how
My lecturer Michael gave the advice of how people generally do a slow build up with automation and finish off with a bang or an explosion. Sounds great to me, why try and recreate genius?
As this was my first week and I had yet to learn Ableton, I decided to retreat to my comfort zone of Logic Pro. Logic has many benefits for songwriting with guitars. Throw down a drum loop and riff over the top at your desired bpm (which is what I am used to and have some skill at). Creating the big bang would require more than guitars, synths, soundscapes and effects were needed.
My limitations with Logic would soon be revealed (more on that later).
A brief insight into how I created this track
● Startup logic
● Create a new software instrument track
● Go to the left and search through the sounds until you find something you like, using the iMac keyboard as a digital piano to test the sound
● Right click in the grid to create new midi region
● Find the note you want to play/whatever sounds good (I choose C2 on the piano)
● Either record live or program the midi into the region. For this task I programmed the midi, very easy in the midi region right click, create note and stretch as far as you need.
● Duplicate the channel and the programmed midi and slowly build up layers
● Choose different sounds from the sound library, changing the effects on each channel and utilize the arpeggiator to turn the single notes into arpeggios
● Record some rhythm guitar to flesh out the sound
● Once you have all the sounds you need, do a rough mix. This means panning, automation and volume. Use EQ to remove some of the undesired frequencies.
This is what I came up with in class.
Below you’ll find areas that I thought I excelled, areas which have room for improvement and how I plan to improve.
Strengths
Quick workflow in logic
Being familiar with the software allowed me to come up with ideas quickly and have them recorded. I knew where to get the sounds I was looking for and where to go when I wanted to experiment. A quick recording allows for more time refining, opposed to struggling to get the idea down and then the moment is lost.
Sound
The track has a nice retro feel to it. I enjoy its direction and I could imagine a film clip with all the cool 80’s aesthetics (neon, retro graphics etc.). To me it sounds like a video game soundtrack from the Atari/NES days. I could imagine it's a bit like space invaders.
(Moby Games, 2003)
(Sound on Time, 2019)
Weaknesses
Synthesis
Whilst I am proud of the track, I feel it was more as a result of my limitations than skill in attaining the desired 80’s arcade game ascetic. The midi programming was all done through premade plug-ins in Logic and I was reacting to the sounds they provided me, rather than sculpting synths and having some grand plan of how I wanted it to sound. To be perfectly honest I just made it up as I went along, utilizing my basic workflow as I outlined before. Whilst this works now, how will I go when someone requests me to make a specific synth sound?
Besides my tutorials in class, I found a great video from Reverb.com that teaches me the basics of synth programming. I can apply these principles and techniques to Ableton.
(Reverb, 2018)
Writing in the key of C
In order to expand my creative palette, I have to stop retreating to the comfort zone of the key of C. Only so many emotions can be expressed in C major. It would be beneficial for my music career to focus on the piano. I find it easier to write music with a piano in front of me (opposed to a guitar). All the melodies and rhythms are right there in front of me.
I found a great piano learning path on Lynda. I think it will hold me accountable to practice properly and work towards developing my skills.
The video below gives a nice tutorial on how to create interesting chord progression. Investing more in this will break me out of the I, IV, V chord pattern of C.
(Schneider, 2016)
Writing Electronic Music in logic
I feel in order to create great electronic music I have to move away from Logic. I’m too comfortable using the software and it’s easy for me to record guitar to cover up my faults. In order to truly progress I have to switch to Ableton.
My experiences with Ableton so far have been really enjoyable. The layout is easy to use and it seems primed for EDM production. The stock plugins/midi effects and instruments far outweigh what is provided with Logic. By moving away from the guitar and focusing on sculpting sounds, writing synthwave and trance tracks will allow my production skills to quickly increase. I can then use the guitar to add to the track, letting it be a finishing touch rather than the basis of the song.
I’ve been using the Lynda Ableton live course and getting a lot out of it. It is well worth your time to watch and implement its tips.
Conclusion
With every challenge comes an opportunity to grow. In my time at SAE I have found reflecting upon tasks as being invaluable to identifying learning gaps. Whilst it can be painful starting your weaknesses in the face, by removing the ego you allow yourself the chance to change and improve. At the end of the day, I want to be the best producer I can be, and I accept all the work that comes with it.
References
Linkedin Learning. (2017, Jan 31). Play Piano and Keyboards.Retrieved from Lynda.com: https://www.lynda.com/learning-paths/Audio-Music/play-piano-and-keyboards
Moby Games. (2003, April 6). Space Invaders Covers .Retrieved from Moby Games: https://www.mobygames.com/game/atari-2600/space-invaders________/cover-art/gameCoverId,19650/
Reverb. (2018, Feb 12). Intro To Synthesis Part 1: Oscillators | Reverb Learn To Play.Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyVFIPtOsm8
Schmunk, R. (2018, April 5). Ableton Live 10 Essential Training.Retrieved from Lynda.com: https://www.lynda.com/Ableton-Live-tutorials/Ableton-Live-10-Essential-Training/642460-2.html?srchtrk=index%3a7%0alinktypeid%3a2%0aq%3aableton+%0apage%3a1%0as%3arelevance%0asa%3atrue%0aproducttypeid%3a2
Schneider, J. (2016, Jan 27). How to Write Chord Progressions that Sound Amazing (Piano in View!).Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oy3KE_z3Qg0
Sound on Time. (2019, March 1). How to Make Synthwave Music.Retrieved from Sound on Time: https://soundontime.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/How-To-Make-Synthwave-Music.jpg
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