How do producers manipulate the sounds of instruments?

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YoungCapone

New member
Hello! I’m new to producing music and want to learn more about manipulating the actual sound of an instrument. I’ve heard of things like sound design, synths and timbre, but I’m not exactly sure where to begin. Basically, I’m interested in learning how to adjust the physical sound of an instrument and hopefully being able to direct what kind of emotion it conveys. I was hoping y’all could give me some guidance about what topics I should look into, how I should approach learning more about this or how to think about manipulating the sounds of instruments.
Thanks
 
YoungCapone said:
Hello! I’m new to producing music and want to learn more about manipulating the actual sound of an instrument. I’ve heard of things like sound design, synths and timbre, but I’m not exactly sure where to begin. Basically, I’m interested in learning how to adjust the physical sound of an instrument and hopefully being able to direct what kind of emotion it conveys. I was hoping y’all could give me some guidance about what topics I should look into, how I should approach learning more about this or how to think about manipulating the sounds of instruments.
Thanks
Click to expand...

Well, what have you got? I assume you mean modifying sounds in a computer? If so you need a Digital Work Audio Workstation aka 'DAW'. This is the software that allows you to record and replay instruments. You can also have internal, totally 'virtual' instrument such as synths and sample based creations of things like piano, bass ad inf.

At its most basic level a DAW will allow 'EQ' of the sounds, that is 'tone control' boosting or cutting frequencies. You will have dynamic modifiers. Compressors, limiters and, in the more complex DAWs, multi-band dynamic control. You can usually add reverberation and delay effects.

There are several free DAWs around now you can download.

If I have just droned on off topic please advise!

Dave.
 
It's not very clear what you mean, and also I'm not at all certain you understand it either. Are we talking about recording a great quality accurate and obvious sound from say a piano or a guitar and then treating the recording to make out different - or are we talking about changing the actual sound of the instrument?

Both are perfectly possible. Changing the actual instrument though is usually the job of the player because it involves playing differently. You can take a piece of silk, or even thicker felt and place it on top of the strings or use an upright and put the material between hammers and strings. You can do similar with guitars at the bridge to change their character. You can experiment with mutes on brass, and even stuff things up clarinets to change how they sound. Percussion of course can be played around with endlessly.

If you are a player AND a recordist, you can mix and match. If you are only the engineer, then it's what you can treat the sound with, but also where the mics go and which ones they are?

Care to expand a bit so we can give you a steer? Most of us ancient ones found these things out by accident. I certainly never ever set out to learn properly how to do it - sessions just kind of developed when somebody said "what happens if ....." . Most ended in failure - some were rather nice, but I have to say it is very rare for me to ever do much more than mic it for a hard or soft sound, and then add some reverb and effects.
 
You mean a 'Sampler'. You input a original carrier sound, then play it on the keyboard. It is input to a tap tempo. Then can be inserted to other projects. It can be stretched, sped up, but still retain pitch, Divide the words up so the next played note will land on what syllable. Probaly has 40 different effects to add.

Roland had a nice one, the VC-2 vocal designer for the V synth keyboard series.

Sampler is where you can play a song with cats meows.
 
Just like to say..The OP has posted the same vague question over at Sound on Sound and is similarly delinquent about further information.

Dave.
 
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