Re:fx parameters, I would love to discuss those a lot more. What do you know about parameter modulations and envelopes?
They’re fun to play with. They can give life to a boring synth patch. If you like ambient music chances are you’ve been exposed to all sorts of modulation. It’s an effective way to get “movement”. Throw in a “random” oscillator and you have practically infinitely-changing sounds.
If you’re new to the concept I highly recommend this video to get an idea of what is possible: https://youtu.be/ImWJixBPZj0
There’s a lot more to it than just trippy ambient pads, though. When you think about dynamics in music, especially synth-based sounds, envelopes and modulation can do a lot of heavy lifting. For example, turning down the sustain on a reese bass so it has a bit of punch at the start of the note, but isn’t going full blast the entire time can give room in the mix and have more impact. Also think about the neat little oddity where our ears perceive a sustained sound as louder than a short one and you can trick the listener into thinking something is loud while still saving headroom for other goodies if you so choose.
I’m not an expert but I have dabbled in sound design for a few years, especially in Vital. Sometimes I come up with patches I save and use later, but a lot of the time it’s just fun to screw around and make interesting noises. There’s a lot more you can do besides what I mentioned, too, including automation and things live “reverb throws”. Lots of things great for transitions between song sections.
They’re fun to play with. They can give life to a boring synth patch. If you like ambient music chances are you’ve been exposed to all sorts of modulation. It’s an effective way to get “movement”. Throw in a “random” oscillator and you have practically infinitely-changing sounds.
If you’re new to the concept I highly recommend this video to get an idea of what is possible: https://youtu.be/ImWJixBPZj0
There’s a lot more to it than just trippy ambient pads, though. When you think about dynamics in music, especially synth-based sounds, envelopes and modulation can do a lot of heavy lifting. For example, turning down the sustain on a reese bass so it has a bit of punch at the start of the note, but isn’t going full blast the entire time can give room in the mix and have more impact. Also think about the neat little oddity where our ears perceive a sustained sound as louder than a short one and you can trick the listener into thinking something is loud while still saving headroom for other goodies if you so choose.
I’m not an expert but I have dabbled in sound design for a few years, especially in Vital. Sometimes I come up with patches I save and use later, but a lot of the time it’s just fun to screw around and make interesting noises. There’s a lot more you can do besides what I mentioned, too, including automation and things live “reverb throws”. Lots of things great for transitions between song sections.