Acid techno production advice wanted.

[loopdon]

Generally asking. I just want some input, not carbon-copy anybody!

What kinda effects are applied to basslines etc. , i think reverb, distortion, flangers (chorus) etc are common but i would still like pointers on settings , type of verb etc. etc.

Do you/people modulate cutoff/res or do most people just automate?

Hope this isn't to general - acid heads please tell me stuff.

Martin

[AcidTrash]

Depends what emulator you're using. The on board distortion with a bit of muted doubletime delay sounds mint on the ABL. Light flange and chorus is also good. IF you wanna go out there get hold of the hematohm plugin.

Usually high res, low cutoff varying mod wheel to taste. Just stop when it sounds good.

I usually automate one acid line and do the second run manually to give it an organic flow. Layering a thrid line of acid stabs sounds cute too.

You'd be surprised how little effects usuage you need to tilt the sound to filthy. I used tyo cake on the distortion but have found a whole new range of filth by being sparing with it. It will improve the sound quality too. I don't recommend compressing acid lines. IMHO anyone who does is plain wrong.

[loopdon]

Thanks, mate. Appreciated. Some nice tips there!

[rhythmtech]

3 words

antares tube booster

[loopdon]

I know that one! Used it ages ago.

[force]

I don't recommend compressing acid lines. IMHO anyone who does is plain wrong.

??????

Now i've heard it all

[rhythmtech]

actually for once i agree with acidtrash :whoops:

although i do compress them.. i dont as much as i would any other synth.. they seem to lose that 303 feel when overly compressed.. 303's IMO are meant to snake in and out of the music but with even medium compression they can end up sitting at the front of a mix with no dynamics.. i dont know why this is.. but then again who the hell understands anything the pesky little buggering machines do? :laughing:

[AcidTrash]

actually for once i agree with acidtrash :whoops:

although i do compress them.. i dont as much as i would any other synth.. they seem to lose that 303 feel when overly compressed.. 303's IMO are meant to snake in and out of the music but with even medium compression they can end up sitting at the front of a mix with no dynamics.. i dont know why this is.. but then again who the hell understands anything the pesky little buggering machines do? :laughing:

Thats why commercial use of acid sounds so lame.

[force]

actually for once i agree with acidtrash :whoops:

although i do compress them.. i dont as much as i would any other synth.. they seem to lose that 303 feel when overly compressed.. 303's IMO are meant to snake in and out of the music but with even medium compression they can end up sitting at the front of a mix with no dynamics.. i dont know why this is.. but then again who the hell understands anything the pesky little buggering machines do? :laughing:

I dont agree, i find you can get some lovely dynamics as well as tying (and tightening) the 303 and the drums together nicely. Gives the 303 a nice elastic sound depending on the comp settings

:mrmyagi:

[rhythmtech]

I dont agree, i find you can get some lovely dynamics as well as tying (and tightening) the 303 and the drums together nicely. Gives the 303 a nice elastic sound depending on the comp settings

:mrmyagi:

quite so.. if compressed with something else and obviously on master comp..

but as an insert on a 303 channel its never been my cuppa..

but im talking purely from a quintisential "acditechno" point of view..

obviously its not law :)

[eyeswithoutaface]

strange comment, i'd ignore the one about not compressing 303/acid lines. They work just like anything, compress them too much you'l lose the bite, compress them accurately, sparingly and coupled with good subtractive eq work and you'l get results. The 303 is no different to any other synth in terms of treatment, its what u do with it that counts, it's not some precious magic fix a track in a instant machine, just another synth, but it only makes one sound :)


The more you try and follow specific's for getting one sound, often enough you end up disapointed. Take a few guidelines, play around, see what works for you

[Si the Sigh]

My advice is stumble into the studio, rack up a fat line of ketamine, crack open a can of Special Brew, twiddle some knobs and press some buttons.

Aciiieeed! :)

[AcidTrash]

The more you try and follow specific's for getting one sound, often enough you end up disapointed. Take a few guidelines, play around, see what works for you

Thats the best advice. Make your own rules. I've only ever encountered a couple of times where compression has enhanced the acid part so my general rule is not to bother. but if I came accross a method that was demonstrably superior I would eat my workds. Personally I think it dulls the edge and distorts even when used sparingly.
Just stop when it sounds right.

[force]

Thats the best advice. Make your own rules. I've only ever encountered a couple of times where compression has enhanced the acid part so my general rule is not to bother. but if I came accross a method that was demonstrably superior I would eat my workds. Personally I think it dulls the edge and distorts even when used sparingly.
Just stop when it sounds right.

Also, it could well be the compressor you're using.

Remember they all have different 'personalities'!

[theledge]

Also, it could well be the compressor you're using.

Remember they all have different 'personalities'!

Multi-personality compression, surely the next big plug-in trend

[eyeswithoutaface]

yeah, out of the thousands upon thousands upon thousands of records that have used 303 over the years, i bet my bottom dollar practically all of them had compression of some sort on them. Learn compression properly and it's like the best friend you never had

[christian wagner]

If you can get hold of a 303, or a hardware clone like the Freebass, use it alongside the ABL, this way you can have the ABL doin the squidgy non-distortedness, and the hardware 303's providing the fat distorted analogue-ness!!

[christian wagner]

Meh, compression is an anal subject.....over-rated, i hardly ever compress anything, only the main mixdown, with a small ratio, compression takes the life out of tracks, best thing to do is ride the faders.

If your distorting the 303 with a high res and cut-off, then maybe a slight compression will help it going into red whilst filtering down.

[rounser]

What kinda effects are applied to basslines etc. , i think reverb, distortion, flangers (chorus) etc are common but i would still like pointers on settings , type of verb etc. etc.
Amplitube does all of this, just cycle through the presets....acid wonderland.