Learn How to Program A Synth or Buy Packages of Presets?

[AndrewScott]

Hi Taxi Friends,

I'm interested in using synths to provide submissions for ambient background music, such as suspenseful laboratory scenes, etc.

So far my submissions get returned because the synth sounds are "dated."

I've used presets found in Retrolgue 2, packed in Cubase.

In order to upgrade the quality of my submissions, should I spend hours and hours learning how to program Retrologue (or some other synth) or buy packages with cool sounding presets, such as

https://www.steinberg.net/vst-instrumen ... re-bundle/

or

https://www.steinberg.net/vst-instruments/wind-glass/

or some of the hundreds of other packages on offer?

The arguments against each plan are that it might take years to learn how to come up with unique, marketable sounds if I study building them from scratch.

If I buy packages of sounds, then I'm competing against all the other buyers of those packages of sounds, and am less likely to develop something unique...

Looking forward to your thoughts and experience.

Andrew Scott from Australia.

[ochaim]

learn enough about synthesis to be able to tweak presets.

find presets that get you into the ballpark of whats used in the references.

if “wind glass” has the modern texture of whats used in the references, use it. you are not competing with others who use it.

[cosmicdolphin]

I generally go with presets but often tweak them in some way - that might just mean throwing some cool FX on , sticking it through a guitar amp sim, or combining it with another preset or two and layering them.

Most of what gets dinged for "dated" is more about the writing / production side than the core sound itself. i.e. Two producers given the same core sounds could come up with very different sounding tracks.

Personally I'm not that interestd in diving deep into synthesis although I know people that are and they come up with some cool stuff, but I probably have 10,000+ presets and if you multiply that by the number of different FX and layering possibilities it's almost an infinite amount of sounds to use.

[telefunkin]

Hi,
Retrologue has a clue in its name - its a synth that generates the retro sounds of classic analogue synths. However, it can still be used in modern productions that nod towards the classic sounds of the analogue synth era. That might be a deliberate intention, and it could be the way its used, or how its layered, and also the rest of the production that helps it sound fresh rather than dated. Personally, I'm not a fan of retrologue because I find it difficult to make fresh sounds with it (but that doesn't mean you can't). I would suggest trying something else that is designed to give a broader range of sounds. Have you tried Padshop (also comes with Cubase)?

All synth packages come with a ton of presets and I expect that most of us use these to find something close to what we want and then (as suggested) tweak them to something closer. It doesn't have to be major reconstruction though, It might be simple adjustments to envelopes, filters or FX, so you don't need to spend years learning how to do that. You can also use plugins to manipulate the synth sound and get something different (eg distortion, gating, delays, reverbs, etc), and that might turn a tired old saw sound into something entirely new. If you want to go deeper and get into serious sound design then it would be necessary to learn the mechanics of analogue synthesis. At a superficial level its not too difficult and there is a lot of common ground between synths. There can be lots of differences in various synth architectures and user interfaces that can make it confusing but if you jump in and learn the basics that theory will serve you well for many packages. Where that comes unstuck is in FM synthesis (which is totally different at the front end) but you'll still be able to pick out some familiar features at the back end. Similarly, Wavetable synths can have confusing front ends (although less so than FM synths) but the rest should be familiar. Sample based synths start with samples of anything and everything, so offer an unlimited range of sounds. Some allow you to use your own sounds, so the world is your oyster.

Another thing to consider is your own personal taste and what you hear as fresh or dated. If you are not particularly 'tuned in' to these things it will always be difficult to discern the difference. To confuse matters further, lots of modern music includes retro sounds. Its crazy that drum and bass sounds from old 808 drum machines have been used for decades, so you could say that they're dated, but they still sound fresh because of what happens around them (and they can also be heavily manipulated). Similarly, lots of current pop chart music include retro synth sounds as part of modern productions, so there's a familiar warmth from the retro nod but its the rest brings the whole thing up to date.

So, where to start? There are so many, but lots of companies allow you to try their synths for free, either for a limited time or with limited features. You could listen to their demos and download those that sound promising. Synthmaster offer 3 different synths covering a very broad range, but I find their interfaces need a bit of working out. Note that they have a FREE version (Synthmaster Player) that allows only very basic editing but has a lot if usable sounds.
https://www.synthmaster.com/

Arturia offer Analog Lab Play for FREE. Note that the clue is in the name again, so expect classic analogue synth sounds but some very usable sounds too. The editing is very simple but limited, but I still like this a lot more than Retrologue.
https://www.arturia.com/products/softwa ... oglab/free

Vital is somewhat different as its a Wavetable synth, so the essence of the sound sources can be extremely diverse. Again, there's a FREE version, and there are lots of FREE presets available to cover lots of styles. Not all sounds are fantastic but you might find some gems.
https://vital.audio/

If you want to pay for some quality sounds then you could go as far as Serum and Omnisphere, two highly respected and heavily used synths, I don't have either, so can't comment, other than to say that Serum looks to have complex interface, so expect to use mostly presets with minor adjustments, and that might be all you ever need.
https://xferrecords.com/products/serum-2
https://www.spectrasonics.net/products/ ... erview.php

Honestly though, I'd grab Native Instruments' FREE Kontakt Player and start downloading any free Kontakt instruments that will run in that version. You might be amazed what sounds you can get from them. There's a truck load of this stuff, and although some will be less than inspiring I'm sure you'll find some very useful sounds.
In fact, why not get the Komplete Start bundle for FREE and start exploring with what you can do with all of that before you need to start looking elsewhere. Note that there will be some learning curve but don't let that put you off. Youtube has all the answers if you get stuck.
https://www.native-instruments.com/en/c ... query=free

Lastly, there's a whole world of synths and others will know what works for them, so weigh some opinions and see what you think might work best for you.

Good luck

[AndrewScott]

Thanks for your opinions, gentlemen.

ochaim, your advice goes straight to the heart of the matter.
I will finish my Retrologue learning videos and try to apply the principles therein to the free offerings suggested by telefunkin.
That list you gave me is awesome!
It will save me a lot of time on Google.
cosmicdolphin, your tips on tweaking, such as adding FX and layers point me in the right direction for tweaking.


telefunkin's witty first sentence reminded me of a story I once heard about an actress who had a minor role in the TV show Gilligan's Island.
She approached the producer with a view to getting a bigger part for her character.
The producer rejected the idea, saying
"Does the name of the show give you some idea of what it's about?"

May your music be heard and loved by many.