My first attempt with LMMS - Pechno

[r1_35]

Hello,

I wanted to have a try with LMMS for a while, here is it. This software is very cool !

Concretly, I'm using Ubuntu Xenial with Kxstudio repo :
* triple osc
* SID
* Zynaddsubfx
* Some samples for the drums
* Automation (gain,panning, lfo freq and resonnance)
* LFO controller sync
* Delay, Reverb, eq Calf (Ladspa)

https://soundcloud.com/erwan-lerale/pechno

Sorry if your ears bleed! This is the first time I make this kind of music

Cheers
Erwan

[brandystarbrite]

Hello and welcome r1_35.

After listening to it, I would say that what you have so far, sounds good enough.
And nice work, with the melodies and nice use of synth sounds.

Tip: Something more can be added into this tune, because the tune seems to be missing something
that would make it sound, a bit fuller and more complete.

But overall, nice work dude.

[D.Ipsum]

You're welcome!

Joyful track!

(the instruments sound cheap)

[r1_35]

Hello and welcome r1_35.

After listening to it, I would say that what you have so far, sounds good enough.
And nice work, with the melodies and nice use of synth sounds.

Tip: Something more can be added into this tune, because the tune seems to be missing something
that would make it sound, a bit fuller and more complete.

But overall, nice work dude.

Thanks !

I will try to improve it in the future according to your advices but you are definitely right

Cheers
Erwan

[r1_35]

You're welcome!

Joyful track!

(the instruments sound cheap)

Thanks !

So "chip" you mean ?

[D.Ipsum]

So "chip" you mean ?

Without prejudging your intentions, by "cheap", I mean that the whole sounds a bit like a toy, as if it were produced by a cheap kid's synth, without more refinement in sound design, and in the mix.

Drums in particular, I feel that these are the samples provided with LMMS, and used as such, raw, without working them, without sculpting them, individually and collectively. It sounds cheap, mismatched, or easy to my ear. I don't know how to say that

A proposal to illustrate my point: after working your drums individually (filters, EQ, and other effects), if you send them to a channel of the mixer to which you add for example an EQ, a 4x4 pole allpass and a Lo Fi, whatever the result obtained , treating them in a group will give them character, a common, unified character.

Hum ... something like that ...

Bien à vous.

[r1_35]

So "chip" you mean ?

Without prejudging your intentions, by "cheap", I mean that the whole sounds a bit like a toy, as if it were produced by a cheap kid's synth, without more refinement in sound design, and in the mix.

Drums in particular, I feel that these are the samples provided with LMMS, and used as such, raw, without working them, without sculpting them, individually and collectively. It sounds cheap, mismatched, or easy to my ear. I don't know how to say that

A proposal to illustrate my point: after working your drums individually (filters, EQ, and other effects), if you send them to a channel of the mixer to which you add for example an EQ, a 4x4 pole allpass and a Lo Fi, whatever the result obtained , treating them in a group will give them character, a common, unified character.

Hum ... something like that ...

Bien à vous.

Cher ami,

I perfectly understand what you mean ! I got the same issue with all my productions. I have spent the whole year experimenting. Now, I really need to improve the eq, mixing and mastering. Not easy as I have no musical background.

Thanks for your advice on the drums.

Cheers
Erwan

[D.Ipsum]

A working method that saved me time.

When a professional comes to repaint your interior, it comes with all its equipment, protective equipment, cleaning materials, paints, thinners, brushes, ladders, etc. Once all his material is ready, he starts working.

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).
So I put it all together in a template project.

My template n ° 2 (which I continue to improve), for example, 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 (a reverb channel, a distortion channel, an EQ channel, a "strange effects" channel, 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 professional of painting, my material is ready, and I can start to work. 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-01-01_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 economic 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 ...

EDIT:
I have to say that it is possible to have hundreds of synths in a template because now I only use the synths and effects provided with LMMS.
I do not know if it is possible to put a hundred VST in a template, it would take at least a lot of time to load.