Expert: Damien King - 5/12/2004

Question
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Followup To
Question -
Hi Damien,
I've been writing House music for about 2months.  I purchased Reason 2.5 hoping to get a better understanding of the production process.  So far I have been able to make a good drumline with sounds, but I lack the groovy feel.  Basically I am having trouble coming up with a good lead synth line.  Can you please give me some tips on how I can create a moving synth?  I've got a midi keyboard, but it never sounds right when I do it in real time.  I've tried using the Matrix sequencer, but always find myself inputing random patterns that ultimatly sound bad.  Is there a trick or pattern I need to know about composing?  I've done a lot of research on the web but come up empty handed.  It feels like nobody want's to share their secrets or help an inspiring bed room musician.  Any help would be awesome!
With much appreciation,
Freeman
Answer -
Freeman,

welcome to the world of music production!  Be prepared to spend anything up to a year before you're familiar enough with software and grooves/rhythms to produce some quality music.

Writing melodies is very difficult, and house music usually has a certain funk/groove element to it, fairly laid back.  It's pretty tricky to write a melody without having an idea of hearing it playing in your head; I'm guessing that you're not working with vocals yet so you'd need a strong melody line.  A lot of artists swear by the NN-XT so I'd recommend giving that a go...  might feel a bit counter-intuitive but it's far easier to use with your keyboard than using the Matrix would be.  Load a strings sample into the NN-XT and just experiment with light chords...  having a keyboard is a big advantage as its a lot easier to experiment and see what 'sounds cool' rather that entering notes into a sequencer and hoping it sounds good that way.

There's a LOT of information out there on the web, everything from music theory -- which is often more useful than people think -- to forums of producers. A few places to start include:

http://www.computermusic.co.uk  :  the definitive magazine devoted to music production.
http://www.radiomute.com  :  massive forums dedicated to all aspects of music composition, production and marketing.
http://www.garageband.com  :  a nice place to go check out what other producers in your situation are capable of, as well as a place where you can showcase your own material for public feedback.

Hope this helps get you started!  Best regards,

Damien

Hi Damien,
Hope you are still around as you given me very good advise.  I am thinking about picking up a hardware instrument perferable a synth.  I was thinking about the roland fantom x, but not sure if this instrument is suited good for house music.  Can you give me some commonly used hardware instruments used by the pros?

Answer
Hi Freeman,

Moving onto hardware then? Good choice. The Fantom is a good synth but might not be the best option for you; ideally you'd want to pop into a large music store, as they'd be only too happy to let you test the synths there and then, and you can find what you're most happy with. Even if it means a long trip to somewhere with a large enough music store, it'll be worth it in the long run and could save you a lot of money.

A few of the best equipment generally available include the Access Virus, Korg Triton, and perhaps an Akai sampler such as the S1000 - naturally these come with quite a cost, but it seriously pays off if you're aiming to produce at a professional level and make the hobby a career. If you were rich, the ideal sort of setup would be something like:

Yamaha NS-10 reference monitors
Amek Rembrant - mixing desk
SPL Sterio Vitalizer - sonic enhancer
Lexicon 300L - effect unit
Roland FX10 - effect unit
Yamaha SPX-900 - effect unit
Alesis Q2 -- effect unit
Alesis Midiverb 2 - effect unit
Ensoniq DP4 - effect unit
Behringer Ultrafex 2 - sonic enhancer
Behringer Composer - compressor
SPL valve compressor
JoeMeek SC2 - stereo valve compressor
Drawmer MX30 - noise gate
TLAudio C1 valve EQ
TLAudio 3012 - parametic EQ
dbx 100 - parametic EQ
dbx 1066 - noise supressor
Focusrite red 7 plus - valve EQ

Perhaps note those down and look up what you might be interested in - it'd all help.

Best regards,

Damien