Building Blocks

[benzene]

After too long lurking, it's time to post something (and maybe eventually a track too at some point! :) )

How do people here construct all those frantic high energy layers of percussion? Don't have a good artist name for reference (no good with names), but something Messanger posted in the filez section (Brad Lee - Noisier Tool1) last month is what I'm talking about. Shocking, hard-hitting and complex powerful layered rhythms. Simply amazing.

Are people generally working with individual drum hits, say sampled off a drum machine or record and then sequencing them? I've tried this but making slow progress since 99.9% of experiments I try just sound wrong, so I spend all my time tweaking effect settings/EQ/patterns and eventually get bored.

So then there are prefabricated loops. I always feel a bit low using loops cos then I ask myself 'why don't I learn to make loops like this then it's really my stuff'.

so then I'm back to square 1 - sequencing individual hits and making slow progress.

I suspect the answer is to continue what I'm doing until I get it, but there's a lot of trial and error.

What's people's take on this?

[etnarama]

I tend to use loops already made or i use single hits and pass the loop into wav.
Then i use warp and i mess with the rythms, use reverbs, distorts and watever fx you like, it all depends of how you want it to sound.
Rex files are wicked in Cubase, just mute some hits and change the order...
Wav is the best way, you can play more with it, just do the single hits then do a loop of it.

Good Luck, dont be scared to experiment dont follow the usual rules.....

[benzene]

Thanks etnarama ... Good advice about not following rules - I sat down tonight and decided to do something different.

I am experimenting right now with some ideas - broke a drum break into single hits using Kontakt and then started playing with weird MIDI effects & timings.

Right now I'm getting some pretty insane sounds using MIDI inserts (echo/arpeggiator) triggering the various hits with mad timings and velocities. :cheese:

Nice one, I will keep experimenting - maybe I just needed to try something different! :)

[dan the acid man]

do what ever you feel best at doing, although most people use individual hits rather than loops, i know i do, and its much more satisfying making your own loops.

just mess around, less is more, then layer loads if you want that real full sound

[Mindful]

Do how ever you feel of course but I would say deffo program your own patterns.
As you say it seems to take you forever but this is all part of it.
Take your time and remind yourself there is no rush.

Its down to whether you want a track that took you some time to make where all the sounds and patterns are yours or crafted by you.......
Or do you want a track made with premade loops that you knocked up in a few hours.

Enjoy yourself and take your time, then still be unhappy with the results possibly:)

[benzene]

Thanks a lot for the replies ... I guess it makes sense since I want to create something personal that I actually did ..

Time to have fun and drive the neighbours mental!