Thanks
I repeat a comment I wrote elsewhere:
A working method that saved me time.
Before starting to work, each artisan prepares his equipment, tools, everything he needs, even tools he will not use (be ready to respond to the unexpected).
It took me a long time to apply this principle within LMMS.
Concretely, over time, and on several projects in progress, I synthesized many instruments, and I found effective effects chains (in series or in parallel).
One day, I told myself that I was going to put all this together in a
template project. What's a template project? It's a .mmpz project with everything you need to build a track, even tools you will not use (to be ready to respond to the unexpected).
I have to say that it is possible to have hundreds instances of LMMS synths in a template (I build my templates with LMMS plugins)! But I do not know if it is possible to put hundreds VST in a template, it would take at least a lot of time to load ...
For example, my template n°2 , which I continue to improve, contains :
- a hundred percussive synths in the BB Editor,
- a dozen bass synths, a dozen pad, ... in the Song Editor,
- a Project Notes ready to use,
- and a mixer containing several channels in which I placed all kinds of effects (reverb channels, distortion channels, EQ channels, "strange effects" channels, etc.).
When I want to create a new track, I open the template n°2, and I save it under a new name (track n°XXXX). So, like the artisan, I have material ready to use, I can start to work immediatly. And if I miss a tool, I act according to the needs of the moment.
I believe that this method is worth developing.
Developing templates takes time, it's a project in itself.
Sometimes, on a project, I synthesize a sound, I find it well, and hop!, I open my template to insert it in.
Same thing with the mixer, when I discover interesting effects chains, hop, I open a template to insert it in.
Having a mixer with channels filled with effects allows happy accidents.
Example, all my percussive synths have their own channel in the mixer (sometimes, some synths share a single channel, because I have too many synths). All these percussive channels are sent to a DRUMS channel. With this DRUMS channel, while the music plays, I make tests, I send it to some channel of effects, and then to another, etc. There are often good surprises.
About the method, as I have a lot of synths in my templates, and I have a lot of effects channels in the mixer, I developed a labeling system. For example:
- my kicks are called K-01, K-02, K-03, ...
- my snares are called S-01, ...,
- my hats H-01, ...
- my metallic percussions M-01, ...
- my basses, Basse-01, Basse-02, ...
Same with the mixer:
- the distortion channels: >DISTO 1, >DISTO 2, ...
- the reverb channels: >REVERB 1, >REVERB 2, ...
(I add the sign ">" to indicate that it is an effect channel)
Same with the automation tracks:
- If I automate the PAN of Basse-01, the automation track will be called Basse-01_PAN
- If I automate the SPD of the LFO associated with VOLUME, the track will be called Basse-01_LFO>VOL>SPD
- If I automate the REL associated with the CUTOFF, the track will be called Basse-01_ENV>CUT>REL
- If I automate the RESO of the FILTER, the track will be called Basse-01_FILTRE>RESO
- Etc.
In the end, it is an working method that I continue to refine, and that I apply systematically.
When I open an old project, everything is clear, everything is named, I no longer waste time trying to understand "what is what", "what does what".
Well ...