um, how do you get a sound more thick?

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trim

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i'm not really sure what i mean and it's prolly a common question/topic of skill/knowledge on here, and this might do better in the newbie section...but since i think this deals with recording (tho maybe mixing more specifically) i thought i'd post it here anyway.

my recording so far (only synth, drum kit, and vocals) just sounds so. separated and sparse. too...airy?

i want that thick synthy sound. maybe this will take years (:() i know, but are there any quick fixes? things i should know about.

is this a panning thing?? :/

any help i would really like. thanks.
 
Edit the presets....... take off all the crappy, overdone, ambient effects manufacturers put on their patches....
 
Yo Trim:

On your synth, adding the right reverb room to the synth patch will help "thicken" your sound.

Also, you can record your synth cords on two tracks = more oommph!

Some patches on synths are dinky as hinted by the "Bear." So, don't use dinky patches if you want a thick sound.

Try recording your synth directly into the recording unit via a mic pre = more oommpphh!

Don't mess with eq until you are mixing and, then, use it sparingly unless you want some effect your ears like.

A good reverb unit means a great deal for a good finished product as long as you don't crank it into echo mountain.

Green Hornet
PS A couple of good cables will also help -- not esoteric cables but just good ones.:D :p :p :p :cool:
 
great advice from above. please dont use synths with preset effects (as a rule of thumb--- you are free to break it as usual).

other things: REAMP! or AMP the synths to begin with. track them in the same room as the drums. or even better at the same time as you record the drums.

do you know how to reamp? that is another big issue... i or someone here can explain it to you...

also lots of low and high cuts on the synths. little bit of compression. track to tape.

how newbie are you? is this making sense?

you have hit upon a really big subject!

oh and what kind of music do you make? this is important....
 
Assuming you have good source sounds and a good signal chain (which is probably assuming a lot) the best way to thicken something up is with compression.
 
eeldip said:
great advice from above. please dont use synths with preset effects (as a rule of thumb--- you are free to break it as usual).

yeah that was good, thanks green hornet.
why are presets so bad? not like i really like them. but..


do you know how to reamp? that is another big issue... i or someone here can explain it to you...

never even heard of it :/ a brief explanation would be good to start.

also lots of low and high cuts on the synths. little bit of compression. track to tape.

how newbie are you? is this making sense?

uber n00b :(
just starting. i have all these song ideas and don't know what to do with them. and of course they sound a very distant sad comparison after recorded to their originals swimming in my head.

what is compression? what does it do? why is it so important?
tape is better huh? are you talking 4 track or...?



oh and what kind of music do you make? this is important....
Click to expand...

indie-electro, dreampop electroclash i guess sums it up.


thanks for the advice :)
 
Assuming your synth has stereo outs, definately pan hard left and right!!
 
hasbeen said:
Assuming your synth has stereo outs, definately pan hard left and right!!
Click to expand...

I think this would depend on what the synth is being used as.

Is the synth your low end? what kind of sounds do you use from it?

Layer your patches, if you find a combo you like that would thiken the sound
 
"do you know how to reamp? that is another big issue... i or someone here can explain it to you..."

"never even heard of it :/ a brief explanation would be good to start"

Re-amping is simply run the outs of your synth into an amp (i would suggest a bass amp or similar). Mic the amp as you would with a bass or guitar by placing the mic toward the hotspot of the amp and maybe using another mic set a few feet back and higher to pick up the room sound. If possible I would use two seperate tracks as well for these two mics. Also, it might help to run a direct into a third track as well to pipe in some of the "actual" sound mixed with the re-amped sound. Hope this helps. Also.... good luck on getting an easy to understand explaination on what compression is and what is does!!!
 
trim said:
indie-electro, dreampop electroclash i guess sums it up.


thanks for the advice :)
Click to expand...

ahh. very familiar with the genre(s). i have played in and recorded indie-electro stuff for the last 10 years (sadly enough) i have tons of advice for you. email me with specific questions:

gep at iraqmail.com
 
A little Stereo Chorus added to some instruments can add a little thinkness too...just don't overdo it
 
13th_Omen said:
"do you know how to reamp? that is another big issue... i or someone here can explain it to you..."

"never even heard of it :/ a brief explanation would be good to start"

Re-amping is simply run the outs of your synth into an amp (i would suggest a bass amp or similar). Mic the amp as you would with a bass or guitar by placing the mic toward the hotspot of the amp and maybe using another mic set a few feet back and higher to pick up the room sound. If possible I would use two seperate tracks as well for these two mics. Also, it might help to run a direct into a third track as well to pipe in some of the "actual" sound mixed with the re-amped sound. Hope this helps. Also.... good luck on getting an easy to understand explaination on what compression is and what is does!!!
Click to expand...

whoa. i never heard of doing that with a keyboard.
it works?! what does it sound like? i have a sonic image of it sounding like horrendous, scratchy, feedbacky (bad) noise. but i hope i'm utterly wrong about that ;)
i will try it, er, as soon as i get an amp :/

thanks for the advice :)

eeldip - will do, thanks!! :D
 
trim said:
i have a sonic image of it sounding like horrendous, scratchy, feedbacky noise.
Click to expand...

and that sounds bad to you? i believe there are many many people who make a living doing this (example: merzbow)


actually it doesnt sound anything like that. although you could get it to do that if you wanted to.

amps tend to roll off the top, accentuate the lower mids and upper lows, smooth transients.... basically make it sound "thick".



another important aspect of amping a keyboard is that it puts it in a "real world psycoacoustic space". makes them mix with acoustic instruments a little better.

otherwise you often get that: sounds like a drummer in a room and a keyboard player playing into my brain sound.
 
eeldip said:

otherwise you often get that: sounds like a drummer in a room and a keyboard player playing into my brain sound.
Click to expand...



bwahahahahahaah! I love that sound
 
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