Looking for guides to help understand Operator in Ableton, Massive, etc...
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Looking for guides to help understand Operator in Ableton, Massive, etc... Posted on: 15.08.2012 by Tenisha Hejazi I'm trying to get into producing some of my own stuff, but the biggest issue I'm having is truly understanding all the features and whatnot of synths like Operator in Ableton, and the popular Massive by Native Instruments. There's a lot of tutorials for how to get certain sounds with Massive, but few on how and why it works. For example, I have a vague idea of how to get a typical dubstep kick drum, but my lack of understanding in these programs is making it difficult. I know it has the pitch drop that creates the attack, and shorter decay so it doesn't boom like an 808, as well as frequencies higher in the bass range so it doesn't mush with the sub-bass lines, but I'm not certain on how to make it.If anyone can direct me to a video series or articles or anything else on these type of things, it would be really appreciated. Understanding how to achieve certain sounds that I have in my head is almost half the work in my preferred styles of music, I feel. | |
| Arline Receveur 16.08.2012 |
Originally Posted by Tarekith
Now back on topic have a look here, http://www.beatportal.com/topics/c/guide-to-synthesis/ There is some really good stuff there worth looking at!! |
| Tenisha Hejazi 15.08.2012 | I'm trying to get into producing some of my own stuff, but the biggest issue I'm having is truly understanding all the features and whatnot of synths like Operator in Ableton, and the popular Massive by Native Instruments. There's a lot of tutorials for how to get certain sounds with Massive, but few on how and why it works. For example, I have a vague idea of how to get a typical dubstep kick drum, but my lack of understanding in these programs is making it difficult. I know it has the pitch drop that creates the attack, and shorter decay so it doesn't boom like an 808, as well as frequencies higher in the bass range so it doesn't mush with the sub-bass lines, but I'm not certain on how to make it. If anyone can direct me to a video series or articles or anything else on these type of things, it would be really appreciated. Understanding how to achieve certain sounds that I have in my head is almost half the work in my preferred styles of music, I feel. |
| Alice Kanning 21.08.2012 | Don't jump right into these hard topics like FM-synthesis, first get an overview of synthesizers in general. This short series explains some basics and some more advanced stuff! Once you get these the right terms for functions down, you can relate these theoretical story's to almost any VST/hardware synth! http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL47886FFC3EB8CA7B Also, in Massive, there is an huge section of the program dedicated to modulation envelopes/LFO's etc that are pretty hard to understand when you don't have the basics: The OSC's on the left generate the soundwaves, the filters remove certain parts to shape the waves and then the FX and EQ affect the overal sound. Well know the funky stuff: In the middle you have that panel, above that panel you have blue and green 'tabs', these are mod envelopes (blue) and repetitive modifiers (LFO, STEPPER etc). Using the drag/drop icon you drop the modifier onto a box beneath or beside a knob/fader and then slide the number in there up or down. You will see a ring or stripe appear, whn you play a note the knob or fader will follow the modifier over time. For example: i set an simple ASDR envlope (check the bootcamp for more info) to an filter cut-off, when a note is played, the filter will 'attack', 'sustain', 'decay' and 'release' as definied by the envelope! Let me know if this was helpfull or if you need any other advice! |
| Ervin Calvery 16.08.2012 | @Tarekith Nice! |
| Monserrate Rupnow 16.08.2012 | Here's what I consider the absolute best set of guides on synthesis: http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/allsynthsecrets.htm/ They're in reverse order, so start at the bottom. It can get techy at times with lots of math, but even if you skip that stuff and just skim the basics, you won't find a better guide to learning how synths work. IMVHO. |
| Arline Receveur 16.08.2012 |
Originally Posted by Tarekith
Now back on topic have a look here, http://www.beatportal.com/topics/c/guide-to-synthesis/ There is some really good stuff there worth looking at!! |
| Monserrate Rupnow 16.08.2012 | Here's a really good video on FM synthesis, which is what Operator uses. http://www.sonicstate.com/articles/article.cfm?id=148 |
| Ervin Calvery 15.08.2012 | http://www.massivesynth.com/category/tutorials/ |
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