What are you making music on?

[phearhead]

So, I'm not ashamed to admit that I've wanted to learn how to make music for a long, long time. I've tried learning guitar and several other instruments and I've just never been able to grasp it very well. Recently, I started diving into the world of synthesizers and it's been a lot of fun. I'm currently slowly building a small eurorack setup to link up with my Pocket Operators and nanoloop on the Analogue Pocket. I've even been taking a class on DIY synths, to learn how to build my own with simple circuits and such. Hoping to build my own euro rack VCO! I've even started designing the cover plate for it, and hoo boy, I'm excited.

If you make music, what are you typically using to do so? I wanna learnnnnn!

[summers]

I've been using Ableton since... version 8? Apparently that was almost 15 years ago, which is horrifying. It's the best option (imo) for doing everything in one place. I don't own one personally, but old-school MPCs are super fun too.

The best way to learn is to make as many tracks in as many different styles as you can! It's super easy to get stuck trying to write the one perfect song or find the one perfect piece of gear, but just keep producing. Doing remixes/edits/covers is also super informative, because you start to pick up on how the original was put together while breaking it down. What kind of stuff do you want to make?

That class sounds super cool. Are you guys soldering or is it all breadboard?

[andrewelmore]

Oh man. I've been using Logic Pro for, I dunno, fifteen years? I actually recently ordered a bunch of new equipment that I'm waiting on. Most importantly, a new M2 Mac Mini with some monitors lol. But I got lucky with a bunch of Japanese auctions. I got a Korg Triton rack that came in the other day, and I'm waiting on the shipment of a Yamaha TG77, a Roland Super JV-1080, and a Roland Fantom XR. I've recently gotten some actual composition work for some small indie game projects, so it felt like time to start taking things a bit more seriously lol.

[phearhead]

That class sounds super cool. Are you guys soldering or is it all breadboard?

Just breadboard! It's been super fun.

Oh man. I've been using Logic Pro for, I dunno, fifteen years? I actually recently ordered a bunch of new equipment that I'm waiting on. Most importantly, a new M2 Mac Mini with some monitors lol. But I got lucky with a bunch of Japanese auctions. I got a Korg Triton rack that came in the other day, and I'm waiting on the shipment of a Yamaha TG77, a Roland Super JV-1080, and a Roland Fantom XR. I've recently gotten some actual composition work for some small indie game projects, so it felt like time to start taking things a bit more seriously lol.

I always see your equipment posts and just drool. I've only recently gotten back into the Mac ecosystem but I definitely jumped in headfirst, it's been nice. I was thinking of picking up one of the new Roland Aria synths because they're super inexpensive for what they are, and it seems like a fun tool to build on, as well.

[summers]

Also gonna shout out the DX7 (or dexed, it's software emulator younger brother).
FM synthesis is a total nightmare, but you can get a really great punchy sounds out of it. I'm always amazed looking through all the older patches people have shared.

Just breadboard! It's been super fun.

That rules! I took a (dubiously legal) DIY radio class once, and it's wild how much you can do with just a breadboard and a few components wired together.

Oh man. I've been using Logic Pro for, I dunno, fifteen years? I actually recently ordered a bunch of new equipment that I'm waiting on. Most importantly, a new M2 Mac Mini with some monitors lol. But I got lucky with a bunch of Japanese auctions. I got a Korg Triton rack that came in the other day, and I'm waiting on the shipment of a Yamaha TG77, a Roland Super JV-1080, and a Roland Fantom XR. I've recently gotten some actual composition work for some small indie game projects, so it felt like time to start taking things a bit more seriously lol.

I've only got the VST but the Triton rules! A lot of really good early 2000s hip-hop/R&B turns out to just be Triton presets. It also has some really good cheesy E. Pianos too. The Triton EXTREME somehow has even cheesier pianos, and it has EXTREME in the name which is hard to beat.
Nothing beats the M1 Piano.

Congrats on the gigs! I haven't done soundtrack work in ages, but would love to get back in. It just seems like such a saturated space rn. I need to polish all this demo material I have and put it out, but do you have any overall tips for things now?

[andrewelmore]

I always see your equipment posts and just drool. I've only recently gotten back into the Mac ecosystem but I definitely jumped in headfirst, it's been nice. I was thinking of picking up one of the new Roland Aria synths because they're super inexpensive for what they are, and it seems like a fun tool to build on, as well.

Oh heck yeah dude. Those Aira synths are generally pretty great. Though lately I've gotten fed up with all these desktop synthesizers, I don't have the space! So I've just been drowning in rackmounted synths and ROMplers, which no one makes anymore unfortunately, but the old ones tend to be super cheap (especially when ordering from Japan) so I've been building a little army of them, which is GREAT for making PS1 music!!

[andrewelmore]

Also gonna shout out the DX7 (or dexed, it's software emulator younger brother).
FM synthesis is a total nightmare, but you can get a really great punchy sounds out of it. I'm always amazed looking through all the older patches people have shared.


Congrats on the gigs! I haven't done soundtrack work in ages, but would love to get back in. It just seems like such a saturated space rn. I need to polish all this demo material I have and put it out, but do you have any overall tips for things now?

Yeah, programming FM synths on your own is a pain. I use the Korg OpSix for that because the knobs and faders layout makes it much easier to organize algos and such. But generally speaking, I mostly just use other people's presets lol. Dexed is an extremely good free VST plug-in. You can use it to send all the original DX-7 patches over to a Korg Volca FM via Sysex, which is nuts. But generally I use a combination of Yamaha's TX81Z and FB01 for my FM synth needs. The FB01 is straight up the same chip that was in a bunch of Data East arcade games in the late 80s and early 90s, which is to say it's the same chip as the one in the Genesis/Mega Drive but with two more operators, so it's slightly more versatile.

As far as tips for things now, uh, I'm not really the right person to ask, I feel. I've just spent a lot of time around other game audio people to absorb as much knowledge as possible, and happen to have been lucky enough to have a few friends that are working on games that need music in an aesthetic I've already established myself in.

[summers]

Yeah, programming FM synths on your own is a pain. I use the Korg OpSix for that because the knobs and faders layout makes it much easier to organize algos and such. But generally speaking, I mostly just use other people's presets lol. Dexed is an extremely good free VST plug-in. You can use it to send all the original DX-7 patches over to a Korg Volca FM via Sysex, which is nuts. But generally I use a combination of Yamaha's TX81Z and FB01 for my FM synth needs. The FB01 is straight up the same chip that was in a bunch of Data East arcade games in the late 80s and early 90s, which is to say it's the same chip as the one in the Genesis/Mega Drive but with two more operators, so it's slightly more versatile.

As far as tips for things now, uh, I'm not really the right person to ask, I feel. I've just spent a lot of time around other game audio people to absorb as much knowledge as possible, and happen to have been lucky enough to have a few friends that are working on games that need music in an aesthetic I've already established myself in.

Guilty as well! I've amassed an enormous folder of .syx files I need to actually sit down and go through one-by-one someday.
I'm jealous of your TX81Z, if only for LatelyBass. Sometimes I'll use VOPM for YM2151 emulation, but it's a bit... finicky on newer computers. Having an actual module sounds really nice.