Processing those sounds...

Hi,

Could do with some advice. Got loads of one shot drum / percussion samples on my hard drive, but am getting a bit confused - I realise I gotta process them to get the sounds that I want, but do peeps process the sounds and save them individually (as in a separate process from writing a groove), or do you process the sounds as you go?

It'd seem easier to process them as a separate process, then when you start writing your next track you've got some solid stuff to work from?

And regarding the processing, what sort of techniques do you apply to certain sounds? I'm not so hot yet at being able to listen to a sound on someones track and tell what's been done to it…I keep hearing this wicked sort of "mulled" hi-hat sound in Thomas Krome tracks but don't have a clue how to get something similar…any tips on this and generally getting dry drum sounds to fit into a techno context would be much appreciated

Thanx

Both pre-processing (processing the sounds and then working with them), and post-processing (working with the sounds and then processing them) are acceptable - there are no rules. Both will create subtley different effects, and it's up to you to decide which is best... it will vary wildly from one sound to another and there is no "right" answer.

It's not the most useful answer in the world, I know, but just experiment. It might take you longer than someone telling you what to do, but you'll come up with something inifinitely more original just whacking on random effects (even if you don't know what they do or how they work) and playing until you get a good noise.

You'll feel much more pride afterwards too.

i think where i fall down is i have always processed my sounds whislt im working, but sometimes i can spend so long getting a certain thing to sound right, i then lose all the creative ideas i had, and lose the flow.

so now im trying to get all my ideas together, and then worry about it sounding right later

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dan the acid man

i think where i fall down is i have always processed my sounds whislt im working, but sometimes i can spend so long getting a certain thing to sound right, i then lose all the creative ideas i had, and lose the flow.

so now im trying to get all my ideas together, and then worry about it sounding right later

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I'm starting to learn this...

Best to work quickly at first, then slowly refine later.

someone said to me...80% of the work should take 20% of the time, and the remaining 20% of the work should take 80% of the time...seems to fit with what you're saying

going back to the actual processing of the sounds, what kinda things work well...obviously compression, eq, distortion - what other kind of processes can you recommend? trial and error is probably the best way but could do with a few shortcuts...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by auditory hallucinations

someone said to me...80% of the work should take 20% of the time, and the remaining 20% of the work should take 80% of the time...seems to fit with what you're saying

going back to the actual processing of the sounds, what kinda things work well...obviously compression, eq, distortion - what other kind of processes can you recommend? trial and error is probably the best way but could do with a few shortcuts...

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General modulation stuff.... flanging, phasing, chorus... ring modulation is sometimes interesting... vocoding, if you've got the software...

+ also, always play around with automating parameters on your FX.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by auditory hallucinations

someone said to me...80% of the work should take 20% of the time, and the remaining 20% of the work should take 80% of the time...seems to fit with what you're saying

going back to the actual processing of the sounds, what kinda things work well...obviously compression, eq, distortion - what other kind of processes can you recommend? trial and error is probably the best way but could do with a few shortcuts...

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there arent any shortcuts, what works in one track, wont work in another, it all depends how you want it to sound, and what samples, synths etc you have together in a particular track

personally, i keep a ,ibrary of dry un processed sounds.

then, depending on what i want, i have base audio to work with rather than being stuck with a pre processed sample.


horses for courses though i reckon.

Both mate.
I find it best to use the one shots to create your patterns and proccess as you go(commpression,EQ,distortion,reverb,delay are my usual suspects)
Ill usualy bounce rythms and stuff down to save on memory,to keep things easyer to arrange,for edits or just because its a good pattern or kick ect.
So then I allways have a libary of stuff thats allready proccesed and ready to piss about with when im starting a new track or im after for example a hat pattern or whatever I can call one up quick.
So I use bote myself.
Hope this helps ;)

"Hope this helps"

dude that is most helpful, thank you...clarifies where i need to be heading

i'm more into proccessing as i go, even i think,,some proccessing in Wavelab could help my CPU,but i dont waste my HD,and for me is better to proccess on fly as i hear how it fit in into the track as i proccess the VSTs and rest of sounds,.