Kriece's Electronic Music Production Tips

This Site has Moved

2011-07-06T02:03:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

I have now moved this site to the new and improved Kriece Music site -

www.kriecemusic.com

Come and join me there :)

Yet another unreleased re-edit :)

2009-12-18T01:12:00.000-08:00

To make up for my complete slackness in not putting any tips up lately (I am having a little break from all production/dj stuff at the moment), I have put another unreleased re-edit up for free download here -

https://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=batch_download&send_id=792850418&email=8c601e1e7409c37ba210a93ce15dd038

Another Unreleased Kriece Re-edit

2009-11-13T21:29:00.001-08:00

Here is my second most requested unreleased re-edit - previously only given to Digweed & Hernan ;)

Up for limited number of downloads so first in first served :)

https://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=batch_download&batch_id=RmNDak93NDQ0b0N4dnc9PQ

Don't forget to add me to your Twitter account as I will be announcing these first on Twitter soon...

www.twitter.com/kriece

(edit - have updated the expired link)

Nerve Impulse Remix Parts

2009-11-08T01:17:00.000-08:00

Howdy all,

Due to popular demand (2 people asked me!), I am putting up more remix parts. This time its my track "Nerve Impulse"

Have fun!

https://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=YkxMa3NXcWZ0TWtLSkE9PQ

cheers
Kriece

Twitter

2009-11-04T02:46:00.000-08:00

OK...curiosity finally got the better of me and I decided to get a Twitter account to see what all the fuss is about. For some reason my blog suddenly got hundreds of hits referred by Twitter (someone must have mentioned this blog on Twitter I guess) - so I thought I should check it out.

Anyway, I haven't Tweeted anything yet but please add me -

http://twitter.com/kriece

I promise to brighten your day with dry witticisms and cynical observations about the world. (actually, I can't legally promise that)

some new tips coming soon...I promise!

Another Unreleased Kriece Re-edit

2009-10-16T03:08:00.001-07:00

Have put this up for free download for a limited time -

https://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=YkxJclVFMVg5eFd4dnc9PQ

AAS Ultra Analogue - $15!!

2009-10-16T03:04:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,

For those of you who havent seen - Audio midi has the AAS Ultra Analogue VSTi for sale for $15 (usually $200). If you are a tightarse like me you will find that to be attractive value!!!

http://www.audiomidi.com/Ultra-Analog-VA-1-BR-No-Brainer-Deal-P12692.aspx

Mix Tip

2009-10-14T04:28:00.000-07:00

Howdy all,

Sorry for being so slack lately - last week I was in South Australia driving around the beautiful Clare Valley & Barossa Valley wine regions - many a tasty Red was sampled!

Here is a tip on mix/loudness -

Quick Tip # 1

Regarding loudness - remember that your track is only as loud as its loudest peaks. So if you have sounds jumping out of the mix it will negatively impact how loud your track can be for two key reasons -

1. When you apply a limiter at the final stage the loud peaks will either become reference points for the limiter or will be distorted due to over squashing

2. The DJ will need to adjust the volume of your track when they play it so the punters don't get their ears blown by stray peaks

You need to cast a careful ear over your mix to look for things that pop out. Some of my usual candidates include - resonant peaks in basslines, percussion transients (ie - quick attack/quick decay sounds), resonant peaks from delay feedback loops

Here are some suggestions for getting rid of these peaks -

1. EQ - apply a parametric eq to the channel with the offending sound. Grab the nearest band which approximates where the peak sits on the spectrum. Narrow the Q as much as possible. Push the EQ for that band as high as possible vertically, then slowly move horizontally across the spectrum. When the noise peaks at its loudest you know thats where that sound is popping out. Then just pull the band back down vertically and eq out the peak

2. Compression - especially good for transients - but you need a quick response time to capture quick, peaky transients. Many compressors will not be quick enough and even at the quickets attack time, will let some of the transient through, creating a snapping sound.

3. Transient Modulator - these are really good for transients - they essentially smooth them out. There are a few out there by the usual plugin guys. A good one which springs to mind is Sonnox Transmod (http://www.sonnoxplugins.com/pub/plugins/products/transmod.htm)

Another trick I use is to gradually decrease the volume on my monitor speakers to almost nothing and slowly decrease further until the volume completely disappears. As you decrease the volume you can check which sounds disappear first and which ones still stick out. However you need to be comparing similar frequency sounds because bassy sounds will disappear before high end sounds like hi-hats, snares and claps. Often I will do this and notice that, for example, I can only hear the closed high-hats but the other percussion has gone - I can then adjust the levels so they are more cohesive.

A final word - you need to strike a careful balance between a nice, loud track and going to far - creating a hot, squashed mess with no dynamic range. Be careful about following mix/mastering advice from rock/pop producers or mastering engineers. They will warn you about squashing tracks too hard to get more loudness. It is known as "loudness wars" as each producer tries to squeeze more and more apparent volume out of the source material.

This is no doubt true, however with electronic music there are some caveats and exceptions. In my opinion, dynamic range is less important for dance music than rock & pop. Dynamic range can sometimes clear a dancefloor as quiet parts suck the energy from the room. It is also impossible to ignore Beatport. If your track is noticably quieter than others, when users are previewing tracks, yours will not stick out if it is quieter than others. So its about finding balance. If I could simplify all this to one piece of advice regarding loudness - check your final waveform - if it is a solid, unbroken block from start to finish, you have pushed it too far! Conversely, if your track is only sporadically touching -0.5 db or so, you could afford to push things a bit more. This may be an oversimplification but its a good place to start :)

Some new Soft Synths

2009-09-22T02:23:00.000-07:00

Apologies for the lack of tips lately - I have been completely snowed under with various projects so have been short on time.

I will soon be putting up some more parts for remix so keep watching for those...

In my studio news I have recently bought a few new bits and pieces and tried out some nice demos. I got D-Cam Synth Squad (http://www.fxpansion.com/index.php?page=62) a couple of weeks ago and have been putting it through its paces. Some of the the patches make my ancient (1.5 year old!) Core2 Duo processor struggle a bit - this is the first synth I have tried which has made my computer crap itself so there must be some decent processing happening under the hood of this synth. I am dying to get one of those new i7 processors, however will wait to see what happens with Windows 7... ("GET A MAC" I hear you cry).

My initial impressions have been very positive - I won't do a full review on here as there are people far more qualified than myself to give a detailed rundown. However, just simply it is three synth in one which can be combo'd in a similar fashion to Korg's Legacy Synth. I won't attempt to say whether it sounds genuinely "analogue" as claimed by the maker, however it just have a nice gritty sound with a kind of 'analogue' flavour - don't ask me to try to qualify what I mean by this as I have no idea. The best I can do is say that some of the patches (especially pad & string) sound similar to what you could hear on a Prophet 08.

Also tried a demo of the new Largo soft synth by Waldorf (http://www.waldorfmusic.de/en/products/largo). The demo is fully functional for 30 days which is plenty of time to work out whether it is for you or not.

This is also a really cool synth - very different to Synth Squad. Largo has a shiny FM-style sound - a little like NI FM8 but also with its own character. Very tweakable and great for big fat synth basses and shiny pads.

I also downloaded a demo of Camel Audio's Alchemy (http://www.camelaudio.com/Alchemy.php). This sounded really promising however it kept crashing Cubase for me so I had to uninstall it. Not sure if this is a problem unique to me or not. Will maybe look at a future release/update or when I update to the new version of Cubase (I am still on 4).

One other cool piece of news is that you can buy selected Arturia Synths for half price at the moment and then you get a free upgrade to the new versions coming out soon. I bought CS80-V and Prophet V which arrived today so looking forward to having a play...I got mine from Audio Midi (www.audiomidi.com) but I am sure you can get them elsewhere too...

Stay tuned for the next tip - some more guest tips are coming too - so you may actually get some information from someone who actually knows what they are talking about....

Mannequin - Anjay Remix

2009-09-09T03:03:00.001-07:00

Here is another cool one -

http://soundcloud.com/anjay

keep 'em coming ;)

cheers
Kriece

Another Cool Mannequin Remix

2009-09-01T02:14:00.000-07:00

Howdy all,

Here is a another wicked remix - this time from Argentinian producer Martin Caruso

Check it out on his Soundcloud page -

http://soundcloud.com/martincaruso

Re-edits for Download

2009-08-28T17:20:00.000-07:00

Here is one of my unreleased re-edits from a couple of years back which people have been hassling me for on myspace since James Zabiela was playing it out, so have put up for limited number of downloads - first in first served ;)

I will start putting up some of my unreleased edits up over the next few months...

https://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=batch_download&send_id=732529529&email=ff6fbcdb3ee8933a5bbc30ab9289808d

Mannequin Remixes

2009-08-10T17:10:00.000-07:00

Here is the first remix of Mannequin, its by US artist Bassheavy - check it out - its a cracker!

http://soundcloud.com/b_bonura

Quick Reverb Tip #1

2009-08-06T02:34:00.001-07:00

Quick Reverb Tip # 1

Don't be afraid to apply automation to your Reverb to keep the sound constantly evolving.

If you have a sound which ends abruptly in your track, try automating the decay so that it gradually increases over the last 8 bars or so (when you start to open up the decay is up to you - if you start too early the long reverb decay can smear over all the other sounds). That way, when the sound ends, it has a slowly decaying tail which blends into the track.

This trick also works in breakdowns to build tension - open up the decay of the reverb in the breakdown to create a building sound - then when the beat kicks back in you can either cut the decay back to zero to give a clear distinction of where the beat starts, or keep the long decay so it functions almost like a crash noise to add drama to the breakdown.

Kriece - "Mannequin" Remix Parts

2009-08-01T02:53:00.000-07:00

Here are the parts from my track Mannequin for those who want to have a go at a remix. Will post up links later of any good remixes people do. If I get a REALLY spectacular one I will put it out on one of the labels.

https://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=batch_download&send_id=736222211&email=0e6eb421e862a714b518e317ea287968

Only limited number of downloads unfortunately.

Special Guest - Stallos' Ableton Live Tips

2009-07-29T17:53:00.000-07:00

Today's guest tip is from the UK's Stallos - one of the most popular producers on my label group.

http://www.myspace.com/stallos

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Gear List

I've got a real shoe string studio setup.

My desktop is a Intel powered PC and I have a mac laptop for DJing and travelling

Unfortunately I dont have any hardware synths or outboard effects but would maybe look to buy something in the not too distant future - maybe one nice fat analog synth!

Todays plugins are awesome!

I use ableton live as my main host/step sequencer

I use a variety of 3rd party FX

Motu Ultralite

Genelec 8030A

Macbook Pro

Vestax VCM-600

MK-461C Keyboard

UC-33e

X-Session

Faderfox LX1

Faderfox LC2

Some Fave Plugins

synths

NI Massive

Sylenth1

GeForce Minimonsta

Microtonic

DBlue Glitch

Audio Damage Bundle

Antares Filter

NI Electronic Instruments 2

Production Tips - Ableton Live

As an Ableton (Ableton Live 8 Full Version)
user I find the session view a great way to get things started.

Its so easy to get a groove going and you can throw all your plugins, loops and hits at it.

The trick is progressing things beyond the 16 or 32 bar you have going into a full track!

Its very easy to spend many hours noodling away to your groove and ableton makes things like a giant DJ mix where you keep adding loops and noises. Its a bit of a double edge sword this as for me personally i think the best sounds come out of sessioning live but you need discipline not to while away the hours twiddling the cutoff nob! I am guilty as charged!

I try to use the scene layout to create different sections for my track, intro, bass drop, main part, brekdown etc. As much as I love automation in my arrangements……..for leads and melodies you cant beat a bit of hands on action. I have my synths mapped to midi controllers and usually record multiple versions of my melody line as I mess with different synth parameters. I then experiment with my FX racks and will do another 20 or so edits with different effects applied. Then its a case of finding the best bits and splicing these togther in something cool.

Another tip is for compression. I often deploy paralell compression where I layer up the original signal with the dry signal. This works very well on drums which I typically run through 1 main drum bus channel. You can do this easily inside a rack in live, create a rack with 2 layers 1 dry and then on a second layer add your favourite compressor. You could use a wide notch EQ setting to compress just the high and low end. Then mix dry with wet til you get things soundin nice. You get the punchiness of compressed drums without losing all the dynamics.

Sends are great and I always set up 4 sends when I start a new track so I can easily apply some effects to loops and synth parts. Ableton allows you the option of feeding sends back in to themselves to create some interesting feedbacks. Watch your levels on these as its easy to create some nasty distroted speaker melting feedback. What I tend to do is then route this feedback in to its own channel and record the results. Then I can use a side chain compressor or gate effects to create some interesting patterns from the noise.

One effect I have been loving lately is the new vocoder that comes with live 8. The noise setting on this works great with snare sounds. I like to increase the noise levels over 8-16 bars and play with the release settings to create longer hits with the snare to build tension. Again get this mapped up or automated until you achieve the sound you are looking for.

Final tip, less is more! Its easy to bombard a track with lots of channels but when you are ready to render out listen to each one in solo. Ask yourself if it really adds something or is it just clouding things in the mix. You have to be brutal and lose the mad synth line you spent hours on if it doesnt quite work - not always easy so an extra pair of ears helps for this

Poor Kriece gets to hear all my shadey versions when I have overcooked things with too many synths but can be objective on what parts need to go. Instead of quantity go for quality and spend time getting your individual sounds right - you dont need much to get a strong track going.

I find sometimes going into another room from the studio where i can still hear the music sometimes helps me pick out things that dont seem right.

Get on the forums too, everything I know about ableton I have learned from the manual and the forum. All the big outfits have good forums with users sharing tips and tricks, a great source of inspiration

Perserverance is the key so just keep going!

Using Gates on Loops

2009-07-27T21:19:00.000-07:00

This week lets start out with a really easy & useful tip on how to gate loops that I want to sample for a track.

Firstly, what is a gate?

A gate is a tool for removing sounds below a particular threshold - ie - it only lets sounds above a certain threshold "through the gate".

I use gating on loops primarily to -

1. Remove existing reverb from a loop
2. Remove unwanted background noise from a loop
3. Make a 'busy' loop a bit more sparse (ie - removing some of the quieter elements of the groove)

Here are a couple of examples -

https://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=batch_download&batch_id=Y1RyYUROUnFPSHpIRGc9PQ

In example 1) I have made a busy loop a little more funky & skippy
In example 2) I have eliminated the white noise in the background

I mainly use the stock standard Cubase gate but some other really good ones include -

Sonnox Dynamics
Waves SSL Channel Strip

(feel free to add your favourite Gating plugs in the comments)

Some final points/tips -

- try gating before you try a Noise Reduction plug if you want to reduce background noise - this could eliminate the artifacts which come with any NR processing

- if you are sampling a loop you like, use gating to remove the reverb and then you can add your own in to give the loop a completely new feel

- use gating if you want to chop up a loop instead of using timestretch - it makes the hitpoints much easier to detect on the waveform

- play around with the attack, hold & release of the gating plug to get the sound you like

hope that helps :)

My Studio

2009-07-25T22:19:00.001-07:00

here is my current gear list -
Cubase (Steinberg Cubase 5 DAW Software)
PC
Event ASP8 Monitors
Moog Little Phatty Monosynth (Moog Little Phatty - Stage II Analog Synthesizer)
RME Fireface Soundcard (
RME Fireface 400 FireWire Audio Interface)

Anamod ATS-1 Tape Simulator
TC Powercore X8 (selected plugs- Tubetech CL1b, VSS3, MD3) (TC Electronic PowerCore FireWire 8 DSP Rack Unit with 14 Plug-Ins and 3 FireWire Ports)
Eventide Eclipse Multi-fx (Eventide Harmonizer Effects Processor)

Technics SL1200 Turntable
Evolution UC33 controller (Evolution UC33e MIDI Control Surface)

Selected VSTi - Tone2 Gladiator, Lennar Digital Sylenth1, Korg Legacy Analogue, Arturia Jupiter 8V

Here is a video intro of my studio -

Introduction

2009-07-25T20:22:00.000-07:00

Howdy all,

I have been getting a lot of emails & myspace messages recently asking for tips or what gear I use so I thought I could save some time (I am, as you may know, inherently lazy) by creating a blog with some tips & goodies.

Here are some of the things I plan to include -

Tips
Samples
Some of my re-edits which are not for commercial release

I can't make any guarantees how regular this will be but will do my best.

Also, I am by no means claiming to be a production guru - in fact, I am easily the worst producer in my little circle of friends like Basek, Jeff Bennett etc. But hopefully I can shed some insight into some reasonably basic production issues.

I am trying a couple of screen capture programs so when I get one I can use properly I will do a video tutorial in Cubase.

cheers
Kriece