The 'Techniques for making techno' thread.

[MARKEG]

I wanna get an ongoing thread rolling on techniques for making techno.

So I will make the first one.

UNDERSTAND COMPRESSION full stop.

the thing i find about techno is that the most important thing is the 'feeling' not the melodies or catchy hooks. obvious it depends upon the type of techno you're making, but it stands to reason that if it's not about melodies, it has to be about something else. and you can really get an intense feeling in your music by exploring compression.

do a search on here for compression and you'll come up with loads of this subject. take it to bed with you and read it night with hot choc and morning on toilet b4 porridge.

:)

[MARKEG]

ps and don't be afraid to spend money and go outboard on this. a good comp is as good as a goood mixing desk imho :)

[loopdon]

This will be a great thread!

I don't have an outboard comp (yet) but the best one in the affordable range is the RNC - Really Nice Compressor

http://www.fmraudio.com/RNC1773.HTM

or the RNLA - Really Nice Levelling Amplifier

http://www.fmraudio.com/RNLA7239.htm

[Ritzi Lee]

ps and don't be afraid to spend money and go outboard on this. a good comp is as good as a goood mixing desk imho :)

A good outboard compression on the kick really makes a difference!!

[Basil Rush]

I had an RNC and don't use it. Gave it away, was bland, decided I'd rather use the waves stuff on most things.

However I'd throughly recommend the use of the Urei emulations that come with the UAD-1 card. Fantastic, hard to tell apart from the real thing unless you're a complete compressor nut. If I wasn't on a Protools rig with all my slots full I'd have one.

I have two real Urei LA-4s that I use on vocals, none of my plugins come close to them, but then I don't own the UAD-1 card.

Might go and dig up one of the old posts now and edit it ...

[Mindful]

Dont be affraid to try new things or techniqus.

Understand compression

Piss about with delays

And spend time on EQ, Some techno can have alot of layers working together to make the groove so EQ can be vital(along with compression)

Listen and asses all sorts of music, watch good films and soak up the world around you.

Last one .......... Be creastive and use your imagination.

[Jay Pace]

I bought a focusrite compounder to use with our rig, back in the days of rigs and fields.
Its now the mainstay of my studio. Breathes life and whooooomf into digital noises.
Compression is pretty fundamental. Even once you've got to grips with its basics, there are loads of ways you can use it creatively.

Keep wibbling about on a project, even if you don't like it. Sooner or later you will hit on an idea or hook you like, and start to build elements you like around it. Then, when you have loads of elements you like start taking them all away again until you are left with the essence of your ideas.

Don't get too caught up in the wealth of plugins, soft synths and samples. Pick a few things, learn to love them and master them.
Much better to be an expert with a few choice tools than an amateur with a library full of them.

And keep at it. You are always learning, even if you don't much like what you are producing.

[fresh_an_funky_design]

techno is definetly all about the rhythmn

outboard compression for me is definetly focusrite, i've got a compunder for the kick & bass and a mixmaster for the master and they both sound so sweet

[fresh_an_funky_design]

Don't get too caught up in the wealth of plugins, soft synths and samples. Pick a few things, learn to love them and master them.
Much better to be an expert with a few choice tools than an amateur with a library full of them.


so true, thats what i love about logic, a good selection of great plug-ins, i found with cubase that i had loads of random plug-ins and was always swapping between different synths and never really got settled with 1

[stjohn]

outboard compression for me is definetly focusrite, i've got a compunder for the kick & bass and a mixmaster for the master and they both sound so sweet

I BELEIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!

i think my next step is an outboard compressor. and focusrite seem to be the most talked about. out of interest, what is your routing system?????

PRAISE THE LORD!!!:)

[Jay Pace]

My mini mixer is shite so I just route two channels directly into the compressor, and then back into the soundcard.

You can always bypass the compressor.

When I get a better mixer I'll run it as a send on a bus.

[fresh_an_funky_design]

outboard compression for me is definetly focusrite, i've got a compunder for the kick & bass and a mixmaster for the master and they both sound so sweet

I BELEIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!

i think my next step is an outboard compressor. and focusrite seem to be the most talked about. out of interest, what is your routing system?????

PRAISE THE LORD!!!:)


i've got my compunder on inserts for channel 10 & 11(usually kick & bass)
behringer on 15 & 16 usually for hats & clap

then my mixmaster is on bus 1 & 2, everything that i want master compression on gets sent out an returns through 6 & 7, sometimes i dont put any compression on my effects ( 3, 4 & 5) returns to keep the dynamics of the tunes

if any1 is thinking of buying a mster compressor i really reccommend the mixmaster, as the multi-band compressor is so sweet, and there's loads of other features for polishing ure tunes on it

[tekara]

whats a good affordable compressor thats under the $500USD range? Or that doesnt exist?

[Jay Pace]

You can pick up a focusrite compounder for less than that.
Lovely compressor for techno

Check ebay.... plenty there.

[DotMatrix]

good thread!.


interested on when you all use compression.

I can't seem to decide if I should keep my mix totally dry while I get my arrangement right and then apply compression, reverb etc. Or start to apply compression as I go.

[Jay Pace]

Apply compression samples, then channels, then as groups, then globally.
Just don't overcompress or you will lost the dynamics.

Fine art.

[DotMatrix]

thanks Jay.

One other thing. should I take the time to work on EQ before I compress or after? does it really matter?

[rhythmtech]

it matters a lot. it will totally shape your sound differantly applying eq after compression than it would before. the general rule of thumb is b4 compression but like everything else its what sounds good that matters. so experiment and see what happens...

[DotMatrix]

will do thanks RT

[danielmarshall]

My main quam with outboard anything is that I can't have a project file to save the settings. Like the idea (and sound) of allot of gear, but sometimes it's hard to replicate that sound you had a couple of days ago even with all the knob numbers written down. Not only that, but I feel that I loose my ideas very quickly (don't do drugs kids), so if I can't have things up and running in minutes I'm lost. That, and with digital technology being at the point is is, and only getting better I'll take the hit in sound quality for the usabilty/ flexibility tradeoff anyday. Mind you, some valve compressors/ distortion units still make me wet...

[danielmarshall]

thanks Jay.

One other thing. should I take the time to work on EQ before I compress or after? does it really matter?

EQ -> Compressor/ exciter -> EQ -> Limiter works for me.

[Metadog]

it's taken me years to approach a decent understanding of compression - tend to use it a lot but fairly mild settings

it's well important in techno

sometimes on individual sounds, sometimes on groups

been getting into putting a limiter on the main output, just tickling it - keep those fills in check, means you can push the overall level up slightly

tend to lightly compress kick & bass individually, then route them to same channel and slightly compress them together

use eq to help define layers, pulling best frequencies outta sounds you've got running, making room in mix by removing other freqs

[DotMatrix]

very interesting. I never would have focussed so much on compression. I think I've read too many magazine articles warning of over compressing things that I was too scared to do it enough.

I like what I'm hearing now though. once again great thread!!!

[danielmarshall]

it's taken me years to approach a decent understanding of compression - tend to use it a lot but fairly mild settings

it's well important in techno

sometimes on individual sounds, sometimes on groups

been getting into putting a limiter on the main output, just tickling it - keep those fills in check, means you can push the overall level up slightly

tend to lightly compress kick & bass individually, then route them to same channel and slightly compress them together

use eq to help define layers, pulling best frequencies outta sounds you've got running, making room in mix by removing other freqs

For some kinds of techno with stacks of dynamics (Detroit techno for example) overcompression will really suck the life out of it, but I kinda like a really overdriven sound on some of the more clubby tracks.

[Jay Pace]

Basically if you don't use compression at all your tracks will most likely sound flat, thin and a little lifeless.

Compression is crucial to techno.

[danielmarshall]

Yeah, but it's all too easy to get a little heavy handed with your threshold knob. I like to compress certain mixer tracks together very harshly (usually with a side chain), and some (vocals in particualar) hardly at all, with a limiter at the end of the chain to take the edge off some of the naughty trancients. It also "squarifies" the peaks of sine/ triangular/ saw waves to add a bit more texture and thickens up the bass.

[fresh_an_funky_design]

My main quam with outboard anything is that I can't have a project file to save the settings. Like the idea (and sound) of allot of gear, but sometimes it's hard to replicate that sound you had a couple of days ago even with all the knob numbers written down. Not only that, but I feel that I loose my ideas very quickly (don't do drugs kids), so if I can't have things up and running in minutes I'm lost. That, and with digital technology being at the point is is, and only getting better I'll take the hit in sound quality for the usabilty/ flexibility tradeoff anyday. Mind you, some valve compressors/ distortion units still make me wet...



i find i'm much more creative with my outboard than with software.

If i apply software compression i usually go for standard compression settings, wheras with outboard i really mess around doing slightly crazy settings and often get really good results.

I've started really battering my compressors recently, getting the overload lights glowing, get such a lovely distortion. not that heavy like the distortion you get from a lot of plug-ins, just a really nice warm sound

[fresh_an_funky_design]

very interesting. I never would have focussed so much on compression. I think I've read too many magazine articles warning of over compressing things that I was too scared to do it enough.

I like what I'm hearing now though. once again great thread!!!

too much master compression is shit, but i use lots of compression on some parts and very little on others.
I usually only use a ratio of 1.3 or 1.7 on the master to keep plenty of dynamics, as i think it's the dynamics that make music interesting and give it life.

Far to much stuff coming out at the moment is really loud but got no life at all

[DotMatrix]

Yeah I hear you. there are a few artists in particular. (I won't mention names) that I quite like their arrangements but you can tell they have compressed the life out of it. it's a shame really.

[Jay Pace]

All a fallout of the loudness wars

Tracks have been becoming louder and louder for years.

This is the ultimate end - big fat over compressed loud mess

[loopdon]

very interesting. I never would have focussed so much on compression. I think I've read too many magazine articles warning of over compressing things that I was too scared to do it enough.

I like what I'm hearing now though. once again great thread!!!

too much master compression is shit, but i use lots of compression on some parts and very little on others.
I usually only use a ratio of 1.3 or 1.7 on the master to keep plenty of dynamics, as i think it's the dynamics that make music interesting and give it life.

Far to much stuff coming out at the moment is really loud but got no life at all

that's a very nice atitude, dude. :boadj:

[loopdon]

i think it's going back gradually. it isn't actually louder for some reasons. and there's always the volume knob to adjust to taste.

generally speaking when i was in a club some months ago, i had the impression the kickdrums sounded very very samish. i dunno it must have had sth. to do with the club compression methinks. they sounded very 'attacky'. like nails. i had the impression that i wouldn't have mattered what the kick sounded to begin with. as they were all samified through the p.a. maybe that's down to 909 business. and some of the simple 909 open hats really pissed me off, somehow. why not take a different sound. use real sounds, i think, we should all experiment in using new drum sounds, ie. real drumsets or even better, a mixture of both, either via layering or by using a synthesized kick with a natural highat or sth. we could get experimental with the basics....


sorry for ranting, just imo :lol:

[danielmarshall]

My main quam with outboard anything is that I can't have a project file to save the settings. Like the idea (and sound) of allot of gear, but sometimes it's hard to replicate that sound you had a couple of days ago even with all the knob numbers written down. Not only that, but I feel that I loose my ideas very quickly (don't do drugs kids), so if I can't have things up and running in minutes I'm lost. That, and with digital technology being at the point is is, and only getting better I'll take the hit in sound quality for the usabilty/ flexibility tradeoff anyday. Mind you, some valve compressors/ distortion units still make me wet...



i find i'm much more creative with my outboard than with software.

If i apply software compression i usually go for standard compression settings, wheras with outboard i really mess around doing slightly crazy settings and often get really good results.

I've started really battering my compressors recently, getting the overload lights glowing, get such a lovely distortion. not that heavy like the distortion you get from a lot of plug-ins, just a really nice warm sound

I hear ya man. One of the things that's nice about outboard stuff is that the knobs are right there in front of you, making tweaking less labour and more leasure.

This is why a decent control surface is an absolute must for people who're into using software solutions, but an area that most people really skimp with because they feel a mouse can theoretically perform the exact same function. This is true of course, but it's so unintuitive. Some of the new MIDI interefaces that are coming out are breaching the divide between hardware and software very effectively. I wonder what new cool gadgets we'll see this year!

[Jay Pace]

why not take a different sound. use real sounds, i think, we should all experiment in using new drum sounds, ie. real drumsets or even better, a mixture of both, either via layering or by using a synthesized kick with a natural highat or sth. we could get experimental with the basics....


I've started doing that with all my drums and hats.
Mono analog kits layered on complementary stereo real world samples. The space and depth you get is amazing, especially with the highs. Layering a 909 ride with a real world 15 inch zildjan ride sounds damn good.

[loopdon]

why not take a different sound. use real sounds, i think, we should all experiment in using new drum sounds, ie. real drumsets or even better, a mixture of both, either via layering or by using a synthesized kick with a natural highat or sth. we could get experimental with the basics....


I've started doing that with all my drums and hats.
Mono analog kits layered on complementary stereo real world samples. The space and depth you get is amazing, especially with the highs. Layering a 909 ride with a real world 15 inch zildjan ride sounds damn good.

cool. that's what i meant. a nice way to get a shitload of real samples is using breaks from songs (some d'n'b breaks packages) and slicing them to get some nice perc sounds.

nice links:

http://www.producer-network.de/download/drums-cymbals.zip (huge)

rexed breaks:

http://www.producer-network.de/download/declassified-breakspack-rexed.zip

wav breaks:

http://www.producer-network.de/download/declassified-breakspack.rar

[Jay Pace]

Cheers boss, will check these out when I gets home.

[loopdon]

there's more stuff on that page, just examples.

i can dig out far more if needed. generally: have a look at dogs on acid -the grid-

[Jay Pace]

I check their periodically. They post up some good samples, nice snappy snares and cymbals

[Jay Pace]

there their they're tharrrr.....

[Mindful]

thanks Jay.

One other thing. should I take the time to work on EQ before I compress or after? does it really matter?

I personaly try not to add any extra bass before compression(say on a kick drum for example)
So on somthing like a kick I will EQ(but not boost any bass freqs, compress and then boost the bass(then probably compress again)
If you use the Sonalksis compresser or Sony wave hammer you can limit wit the compression.
I tend not to limit drums ect unless its in an extreme way NIN style.

[danielmarshall]

You're so right. Boosting bass before you compress leads to a paddocks' worth of mud.

Something I've realised lately is that side chaining the bass with a longish decay on the kick is often a good way to reduce the ammount of overall compression you'll have to apply to your mix to get it to sound full and loud.

So much of this stuff is common sence, but all too often I forget to apply these basic principles...

[DJ Z]

well you can't really separate compression from eq..it's kind of a symbiosis thing...many good advices here about compression..i would just add a little advice about EQ-ing: try getting your sound by cutting frequencies not by boosting..i get the best results that way
:newstyle:

[DotMatrix]

yeah I have read alot on subtractive eq. So I do understand the theory behind that, but I am having trouble putting it into practice. It's all fine if I hear something in the mix that I don 't like I can isolate that and take it away. But when it comes to eqing my highs I have alot of trouble knowing what to remove.

can anyone give me some advice on this? I'm looking for hands on advice as I do understand some of theory but I need to know how to put into practice.

[danielmarshall]

Subtractive EQing is useful when you're using low quality EQs which introduce less artifacting to the signal as compared to boosting. Cheap filters create combing when you boost em basically.

It works by cutting the inverse of the frequencies you want to boost, then pushing the gain back up again. So say for example you wish to boost the bass a bit, you'd put a rather dry low pass filter on the signal to deminish the high end a tad. The result will be a signal that has more bass in it than mid and trebble.

Perosnally I don't find this technique to really be of much use, because I usually end up ruining my sound in one area whilst trying to correct it in another. IMO Just use boost when you need to and drop the overall gain. Make sure you're using a decent EQ though... There are plenty of options (some free). If you can't tell the difference, then who cares!

[Sinister_Minister]

all I can is wow...here I am, an isolated technohead from Toronto, with my brandspanking new copy of Reason and my X-station in hand, ready to make my first track...and I find myself in here with my techno brothers basking in their collective wealth of knowledge in regards to production...i'm a lucky guy

[MARKEG]

:)

[fresh_an_funky_design]

You're so right. Boosting bass before you compress leads to a paddocks' worth of mud.

Something I've realised lately is that side chaining the bass with a longish decay on the kick is often a good way to reduce the ammount of overall compression you'll have to apply to your mix to get it to sound full and loud.

So much of this stuff is common sence, but all too often I forget to apply these basic principles...

interestin bit of advice about side-chaining, been really getting into it recently, great with the software but only 1of my hardware compressors has a side chain input which is really annoying

[Mindful]

all I can is wow...here I am, an isolated technohead from Toronto, with my brandspanking new copy of Reason and my X-station in hand, ready to make my first track...and I find myself in here with my techno brothers basking in their collective wealth of knowledge in regards to production...i'm a lucky guy

haha I know how you feel mate.
when i first hit this place I had one freind who was in to making music(well techno and electronica music)
So when I found this place I was so happy(looking thru old topics in this forum was more of an addiction than actualy making music for me)

The best advice I can give is to post the results of your music making in the production files and take every comment on your music on board, be it positive and negetive and use it as you see fit.

Also do your own thing :)

welcome to the board.

[Sinister_Minister]

quote" haha I know how you feel mate.
when i first hit this place I had one freind who was in to making music(well techno and electronica music)
So when I found this place I was so happy(looking thru old topics in this forum was more of an addiction than actualy making music for me)

The best advice I can give is to post the results of your music making in the production files and take every comment on your music on board, be it positive and negetive and use it as you see fit.

Also do your own thing :)

welcome to the board.[/quote]

Appreciate it mindful...everybody on here has experience on me so I'd be fool not to listen and sift thru what I can use huh? Guess I'm in a good spot as newb...can only get better :)

[Jay Pace]

This is probably the friendliest and most informative place on the internet.

Use it wisely. Welcome to the board!

[tracatak]

:clap:


i have to really go back and save all of this..lol..well done guys..

[MARKEG]

i love this place :)

[Elvio Neto]

me too! :)


i dont have friends in producion or djing

when i found this place is like i found god :)


thanks all amigos.

[danielmarshall]

My main quam with outboard anything is that I can't have a project file to save the settings. Like the idea (and sound) of allot of gear, but sometimes it's hard to replicate that sound you had a couple of days ago even with all the knob numbers written down. Not only that, but I feel that I loose my ideas very quickly (don't do drugs kids), so if I can't have things up and running in minutes I'm lost. That, and with digital technology being at the point is is, and only getting better I'll take the hit in sound quality for the usabilty/ flexibility tradeoff anyday. Mind you, some valve compressors/ distortion units still make me wet...

i find i'm much more creative with my outboard than with software.

If i apply software compression i usually go for standard compression settings, wheras with outboard i really mess around doing slightly crazy settings and often get really good results.

I've started really battering my compressors recently, getting the overload lights glowing, get such a lovely distortion. not that heavy like the distortion you get from a lot of plug-ins, just a really nice warm sound

Yup, I agree, some valve equipment just can't be replaced... My guitar amp doesn't use transistors for a good reason. But I usually write tracks over the period of a few weeks, sometimes months rather than just one afternoon. I also like to jump around between projects so that I don't get bored to often and keep my motivation levels up. You can't really do this effectively if your gear is always in a state of flux, and so you really do need some way of keeping things consistant. I guess it's just dependant on how you write tunes and wether or not you're keen on revisiting them later.

[danielmarshall]

me too! :)


i dont have friends in producion or djing

when i found this place is like i found god :)


thanks all amigos.

Well I have a tonne of freinds DJing and a few producing, but nobody in my area seems to like techno much :(, so I suppose I'm in your book too mate... I feel like since I joined here I've really had my standards stretched, not to mention getting some ace technical advice. Group hug :P

[thetonewrecka]

Even my gear is happy in the studio these days.
Check it Click it (http://www.tonewrecker.com/heapofgoodies/Octopus%20first%20sequence.WMV)

This thing is ridiculous. All of my hardware jumped off the shelves and popped out of their racks to line up to get hooked up to this multitrack, multitasking sequencing party machine.

www.genoqs.net

[fresh_an_funky_design]

My main quam with outboard anything is that I can't have a project file to save the settings. Like the idea (and sound) of allot of gear, but sometimes it's hard to replicate that sound you had a couple of days ago even with all the knob numbers written down. Not only that, but I feel that I loose my ideas very quickly (don't do drugs kids), so if I can't have things up and running in minutes I'm lost. That, and with digital technology being at the point is is, and only getting better I'll take the hit in sound quality for the usabilty/ flexibility tradeoff anyday. Mind you, some valve compressors/ distortion units still make me wet...

i find i'm much more creative with my outboard than with software.

If i apply software compression i usually go for standard compression settings, wheras with outboard i really mess around doing slightly crazy settings and often get really good results.

I've started really battering my compressors recently, getting the overload lights glowing, get such a lovely distortion. not that heavy like the distortion you get from a lot of plug-ins, just a really nice warm sound

Yup, I agree, some valve equipment just can't be replaced... My guitar amp doesn't use transistors for a good reason. But I usually write tracks over the period of a few weeks, sometimes months rather than just one afternoon. I also like to jump around between projects so that I don't get bored to often and keep my motivation levels up. You can't really do this effectively if your gear is always in a state of flux, and so you really do need some way of keeping things consistant. I guess it's just dependant on how you write tunes and wether or not you're keen on revisiting them later.


when i make a tune i start it and the completely finish it before starting anything else, wrecks my head trying mixer, compression & effects settings back after altering them for another tune.

[MARKEG]

This thing is ridiculous. All of my hardware jumped off the shelves and popped out of their racks to line up to get hooked up to this multitrack, multitasking sequencing party machine.

www.genoqs.net

for gods sake paul.

has anyone got a spare 1999 euros they can donate to me???

:)

[machina]

Even my gear is happy in the studio these days.
Check it Click it (http://www.tonewrecker.com/heapofgoodies/Octopus%20first%20sequence.WMV)

This thing is ridiculous. All of my hardware jumped off the shelves and popped out of their racks to line up to get hooked up to this multitrack, multitasking sequencing party machine.

www.genoqs.net

mine just arrived too. very. happy.

machina

[vadarfone]

So, I read about some of you guys EQing before compressing...

Erm, how does that work then?

Compression is dynamic range controller... EQ in my mind is the final shaper of the sound; kind of like a rope or boundary to keep all the bad sounds out... surely distorting after this process will make the boudaries fuzzy and not what you originally set them to be?

If I am missing something here, please fill me in... :)

[Miromiric]

it`s a dynamic process. i adjust EQ little by little `till i am finsihed with the song.

[shpongled]

Well I'm pretty new to techno production, but this is useful in other types of edm so I imagine it will be useful here too...tune your kick drum to the rest of your bassline.
You can get some dissonance if your kick drum and baseline are out of tune

[tracatak]

when u say loose the dynamics u mean loose the bass or the highs ...basically it sounds flat or doesnt thump...etc?...im tryin to fully understand what loosing dynamisc is...im thinking its loosing the nice crisp clean thumping music..and it turns falt n distorted..muddy etc/....

[loopdon]

Well I'm pretty new to techno production, but this is useful in other types of edm so I imagine it will be useful here too...tune your kick drum to the rest of your bassline.
You can get some dissonance if your kick drum and baseline are out of tune

yep. actually this goes for perc like bongos and congas as well, sanres too, i think. yet this is sth. i think of but often leave aside....when the flow gets me, y'know. you can use analogx autotune (free)

http://www.analogx.com/

to tune to a key or antares autotune or
gsnap (poor man's autotune :))

http://www.gvst.co.uk/gsnap.htm

[BranLanen]

me too! :)


i dont have friends in producion or djing

when i found this place is like i found god :)


thanks all amigos.

Usually in many places around the world the people could see another dj/producers as "enemies", the competition is over there...
People usually is not friendly in this electronic world...

[danielmarshall]

when u say loose the dynamics u mean loose the bass or the highs ...basically it sounds flat or doesnt thump...etc?...im tryin to fully understand what loosing dynamisc is...im thinking its loosing the nice crisp clean thumping music..and it turns falt n distorted..muddy etc/....

When you compress, limit or apply distortion to stuff it tends to make everything sound the same volume - loud. The term "dynamic" implies something which is changing, so when we talk about compression squeezing all the dynamics out of a tune what we mean is that the volumes don't seem to change much after we've compressed it.

This has a detrimental effect musically. Imagine a symphony orchestra playing only forte.. It'd be really boring. To make things more dramatic you have strings building and building in volume, and then maybe some percussion and brass slamming in at the start of a new movement. Compression reduces this effect.

Sorry, I'm getting carrried away. I've been listening to allot of Shostachovich lately though - DRAMATIC SHIT!

[danielmarshall]

My main quam with outboard anything is that I can't have a project file to save the settings. Like the idea (and sound) of allot of gear, but sometimes it's hard to replicate that sound you had a couple of days ago even with all the knob numbers written down. Not only that, but I feel that I loose my ideas very quickly (don't do drugs kids), so if I can't have things up and running in minutes I'm lost. That, and with digital technology being at the point is is, and only getting better I'll take the hit in sound quality for the usabilty/ flexibility tradeoff anyday. Mind you, some valve compressors/ distortion units still make me wet...

My bad, I just found out what a sysex dump/ load is :blush: