The 'Techniques for making techno' thread.

**MARKEG** · 26-02-2006, 11:59 AM

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** · 26-02-2006, 12:01 PM

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** · 26-02-2006, 01:32 PM

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** · 26-02-2006, 02:15 PM

Originally Posted by MARK EG

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** · 26-02-2006, 02:25 PM

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** · 26-02-2006, 08:16 PM

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** · 26-02-2006, 11:01 PM

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** · 27-02-2006, 12:29 AM

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** · 27-02-2006, 12:32 AM

Originally Posted by Jay Pace

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** · 27-02-2006, 01:44 PM

Originally Posted by 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!!!:)

**Jay Pace** · 27-02-2006, 01:47 PM

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** · 27-02-2006, 02:03 PM

Originally Posted by stjohn

Originally Posted by 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** · 27-02-2006, 10:23 PM

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

**Jay Pace** · 27-02-2006, 11:10 PM

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

Check ebay.... plenty there.

**DotMatrix** · 28-02-2006, 02:36 AM

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** · 28-02-2006, 11:02 AM

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

Fine art.

**DotMatrix** · 01-03-2006, 04:02 AM

thanks Jay.

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

**rhythmtech** · 01-03-2006, 04:07 AM

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** · 01-03-2006, 04:12 AM

will do thanks RT

**danielmarshall** · 01-03-2006, 08:51 AM

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...

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