Elastic Squeezing Massive Patch

Just wanted to share with you a simple adjustment for a massive patch that produces a really cool sound. Here’s a download link for the modified patch: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BworbyAIuejoR3FDcUZLZDNoQkE/view?usp=sharing.

We have used this patch when producing the track “Secrets” by Yud Kei & The Mosquitos in 2011 (out on Baroque Records ADE compilation):

This patch is based on a quite basic patch called “Fm Plastique”. In itself quite a regular FM sound. What we did was use a macro control for the pitch of each oscillator, than use an LFO for the same pitch as a sidechain modulator, than modulated the release and decay time & level of the main envelope together with the previous parameters. To make it more simple we mapped a second macro control to LFO amp, release, decay time and decay level and named it Pitch Modulation:

So just by tweaking the macro controls “Pitch” and “Pitch Modulation”, we obtain some really cool effects such as in this short example:

It’s pretty cool in the high end, but I think where it is most impressive is the lows that go really deep and make some really interesting and unusual sounds. Try it!

Yoni

Best of 2015 part 2

After dedicating my part 1 selection entirely to DIRTYBIRD here’s some more great music with some more representation…

I’d say this is mainly a house music selection, with the first two tracks coming from UK’s powerhouse Toolroom.

Rene Amesz & Mendo manages to create a great groove with a tribal low end and awesome chunky sounds.

Miguel Bastida’s track Moudness was originally released by the end of 2014 but made most of it’s buzz on 2015, amazing first of all because of the tight clap sound and second for the great synth work, vocals and build up.

I discovered Youandewan at a Barzilay Crew event at the Alphabet club in Tel Aviv, became a fan ever since… The set was amazing and the vibe excellent, also merit of this great club which is one of the best in the city in my opinion. This track specifically is introspective and warmly oniric with great bass.

Last but not least a track from the first EP of Spanish artist Antonio Thagma released on Visionquest, an awesome sound managing to be Techno powerful and Electronica sophisticated and interesting at the same time.

That’s all for now. Will there be a part 3? Hopefully before the end of the year! Best,

Yoni

To Sidechain or not to Sidechain?

Greetings music lovers!

Side-chaining is assuming an ever growing importance in my production work, so I decided to elaborate a list with some of the techniques I know, for the readers of my blog and for myself. For those of you not familiar with sound engineering, what we are talking about is using an external signal to trigger the compression of another signal (very clear now…).

Using a kick to duck the attack of another instrument: that’s a classic use, works great with bass, pads etc. One thing I could add about this method is that adjusting the decay time of the trigger signal (the kick probably) could save you a lot of headache in adjusting attack and release time of the compressor. Really makes wonders, helps you fine tune the compression and obtain the effect you are looking for.
Using a rhythmic pattern of one instrument to sidechain another instrument: for example using a rimshot pattern as a trigger while compressing a clap pattern. Especially if the pattern you are compressing is a fixed one, say 1/8th or 1/16th note, that would make cool shifts in level along the trigger pattern. Might need to shift the compressed pattern in time to obtain the desired effect.
Using a trigger to sidechain a reverb: that can generate a world of cool FX, using the good old kick or some funky percussion.
Using sidechain comression on the entire mix: now that’s a tricky one. You should be able to monitor on two separate busses, because you will have to take out some of your tracks out of the master mix, the kick for instance. This can help build a nice overall sound for your mix, used with moderation. This brings up various issues, as not all sound cards will support multiple buss outputs. Also, if you’re used to monitor your mix with some master limiting on the master buss, you won’t be able to do that as the output will be split in two busses. I haven’t yet found a satisfying solution to this with my RME Fireface uc (using Ableton Live), because you can set up a digital loop with an ADAT cable but I already use this for the meter feed…so, I’ve been improvising 🙂

This is what comes to my mind at the moment. An important point is that these are all creative uses as opposed to traditional signal processing, where sidechain is used to smoothly compress a given signal. In a way this is the opposite of the use I have been writing about, which is mainly used in electronic music production technique, because here we are looking to create a special effect, while in the traditional use the purpose would be to smoothly compress a signal and eliminate artifacts.

Will update this list if anything else comes to mind…

Happy whatever it is you prefer,

Yoni

My 2015 Music Selection Part 1

Greetings!

As I was planning to start a monthly music selection feature, I realized 2015 has come to an end and the thought of making a “best of” started evolving in my head, and content was building up so rapidly that I reckoned multiple posts were due. So this is part 1 of what I believe will be a 3 part series. This is where I get to talk about the music I like (bla bla oh so bla bla…), what I think about the music I like (bla bla was so totally bla bla…) and how this affects me (I was so bla bla’d I completely bla’d out…). So as my fellow Gremlin described it:

Perfect!

I would like to dedicate this post to one of my favourite labels this year, Claude VonStroke’s DIRTYBIRD. http://dirtybird.com/

I find this label to be totally unique as it manages to produce the most innovative club sounds while retaining a party club vibe, sounding underground and powerful. Now underground is a tricky word, as it doesn’t really mean a lot today (unless it’s a bomb shelter), but for me, underground means using bold and distinctive sounds that come out rudely out of the mix and give an unpolished touch to a track, making it sort of radio unfriendly and night out – hi & drunk – totally friendly!

I don’t know if you’ve experienced this as I have, but Techno music and especially Deep House in recent years have brought a sophisticated yet somehow downbeat and mellow-ish vibe to music, that even though you’re appreciating the sounds and ideas you somehow almost fall asleep on the dance floor…now here’s what I like about DIRTYBIRD – the groove is upbeat and funky, while retaining the utter most production innovation and detail.

So I selected three tracks from this label that I liked the most:

Artist: Justin Martin, Ardalan

Title: Function feat. Partypatty

Only one thing to say about this track: Chapeau, Chapeau, Chapeau! The low frequency percussion combined with the synth work, the funky vocals, totally brilliant. Got that sexy vibe to it too, maybe because of the wobbling synth, truly nasty!

Link to Beatport: http://tinyurl.com/guzorlt

Artist: Ardalan

Title: It Doesn’t Want

This is Ardalan again, a solo production this time as opposed to the collaboration of three artists on the previous track. What I like about this track is it uses very few elements to create a dark atmosphere that’s banging and hard hitting all the way to the end. Retaining a funky groove, it holds an awesome low frequency content that moves the entire room!

Link to Beatport: http://tinyurl.com/zhmlzmf

Artist: Claude VonStroke

Title: Barrump

Ok, so I ranked this track third, even though as far as dance floor response this should probably have gone as number 1. Mastermind and label honcho Claude VonStroke delivers a club banger of true hit fabric. The vocal sample is so funky and funny, makes a a perfect match on the beat. The bass line is a pure funky groove, probably a loop sample (my guess).

Link to Beatport: http://tinyurl.com/z47zrbg

This was the first part of my insight into the sounds of 2015. More will come! Stay tuned.

Happy holidays,

Yoni

Here we go!

Yeah! I am writing my first post on my blog! This blog will be primarily about electronic music and my creations in the field, so if your interested in my work as a Producer and/or Sound Engineer in various other musical genres, please visit the websites below under the writing “blogroll”.

So, my first post will be about my new electronic music project, “Alternate Perceptions”, which is myself together with producer Kooki Salinas, and we’re all about house & techno, sci-fi vibes and hypnotic music. Our first EP will be out around march 2015 on UK label Baroque Records, and I am happy to share with you our first DJ Mix, which is a dj set recorded with loads of synth improvisations and real-time tweaks. Hope you enjoy it:

Best,

Yoni