What makes your sound unique ?

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grimtraveller

grimtraveller

If only for a moment.....
Do you have a signature sound ? What are the things in your music that say "This is unmistakably you" ? What would you say are the ingredients that make you or your band unlike any other ? If you handle most of the elements, how do the contributions of others add to the whole ?
Do solo singers and 'singer/songwriters' have a signature "sound" or is the signature their voice or their voice and the instrument they play ?
 
Dude....ONE question per thread.
Wadda you.....a newb or something? :D

Most songs are identified by lead vocal.....
 
Not many people can pack as much awesome all by themselves into one song as I do, so there's that.
 
I manage to pack an insane amount of ungodly mistakes into my songs, so that's my signature!!
 
mjbphotos said:
My 'signature sound' is my crappy voice! :listeningmusic:
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Mine too! :laughings:

I don't class myself as an artist, just a songwriter. I don't have a style as such, I just write songs and if I like them, I try my best at recording them. I do perform live to people but I wouldn't say I have a signature sound. I do have a signature song though, called Snapshots. It's the song I get asked to play the most and the song I've played the most since I wrote it back in 2005.
 
My signature sound is drum loops & repetitive guitar playing......
 
I just compose melodies and in the event that I such as them, I attempt my best at recording them. I do perform exist to individuals yet I wouldn't state I have a signature sound. I do have a signature melody however called Snapshots.
 
I think it's easy to be unique if you are not activly trying to copy anyone else.

I'll read what other people are doing, but ultimatly I just do it the way I like.

Sometimes what I like sounds like crap though... so there is that. :facepalm:
 
My signature sound is unfortunately for me, no sound. I tend to take on the vibe of the players around me and channel that sound (whatever it happens to be at the time).
 
Miterjohn said:
I just compose melodies and in the event that I such as them, I attempt my best at recording them. I do perform exist to individuals yet I wouldn't state I have a signature sound. I do have a signature melody however called Snapshots.
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What?????
 
There are a few things that make my production "me" and i've been trying (and still am) to hone them for years. a lot of them come from my songwriting, more than production, though. for instance, i love sus chords so you'll hear those a lot in my songwriting, as well as ascending/descending progressions, and the like.

as far as production goes, i tend to enjoy layering things and big production in general.

i also have never had an industry standard DAW on my computer until recently, so my signature, or calling card i guess you could say is making the best possible sounds out of the least amount of technology (IE: garageband). and i did that simply by listening to productions i like and then trying to mimic the parts i like with my DAWs.
 
I think most of my recordings sound the way they do because of my room. I can't change physics, no matter where I put my mic.

It's roughly the size of a one car garage with a narrower end. All the walls are non-parallel, except for about a three foot section at the narrower end but the room, in certain places, still exhibits a bit of a bump around 122Hz. This is what it looks like:

395866_247453522001047_2133073152_n.webp

The drums are in the narrower end of the room and the pic is facing the opposite end (the wider end).

It's been well treated with Auralex, as you can see, so there aren't any problems in the mid and upper ranges, but the low end can sometimes be a problem, depending the key of the song, how loud the amp is, or where I put the kick drum. 700Hz can also jump out on some singer now and then. Any bass instrument is a potential cause of this particular problem, which is why I started taking bass direct. By the way, that side of the room is the 'deader' side. Back by the drums (behind the perspective of this photo) is a lot less Auralex. It was intentional in the design of the room.

I dunno, the room just has it's 'sound', ya know? It definitely makes it's mark.

I've found a dynamic EQ to be the best option for inconsistent room tone, though. I use it a lot to correct it.

Otherwise, yes, I have a certain sound because I do the things that I know work in my room. It's not perfect, sure. But hey, work with what you got, right?

Cheers :)
 
Mo Facta said:
Otherwise, yes, I have a certain sound because I do the things that I know work in my room
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Do you reckon your entire sound would be different if you were in a different space ? Or if you tracked different elements in different spaces ? Would others playing a similar kind of music sound like you if they recorded in your room ?
I tend to think of a person or band's collective sound/style being something so intrinsic to them that
it would always bear their distinctive feel/sound. But I'm curious as to what it is that makes a sound unique. For example, Led Zeppelin's first album was recorded in 30 hours in the same studio. Despite the musical variety on the album, Zeppelin had an unmistakable sound. That sound was evident on the second album. But it was recorded in several different studios across America during 1969 as they toured incessantly. their 'sound' was due to the fact that they were playing together every night, improvising, rocking heavy. And they were well rehearsed. So putting an album together was part of their playing together and the studio didn't matter so much. When they did their 4th album, they did all the basics in a house in the country while using a mobile recording studio and Jimmy Page overdubbed almost all of the guitar parts at Island studio afterwards. But there's a remarkable consistency of sound, a band stamp, if you like.
For us home recorders, I wonder if we recognize our own unique sound and have an awareness of what goes into creating it. I'm fascinated that you gauge the room as being instrumental to your sound.
 
grimtraveller said:
Do you reckon your entire sound would be different if you were in a different space ? Or if you tracked different elements in different spaces ?
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Almost certainly. In fact, every recording I have ever done at another venue/studio has sounded different to what is produced in my studio. It's just that most of my recordings come out of my studio so they all have sort of a sonic signature to them that is a result of the sound of the room.

grimtraveller said:
Would others playing a similar kind of music sound like you if they recorded in your room ?
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It depends. If they come in and use my drums, my amps, and my VSTi's, then yeah, there may be an element of "sameness". But of course, the source material ultimately dictates what the final sound is. But I'd have to say that the projects I've done with singers with unique voices have given the resulting sound the most "mojo". If I pick up your drift, I would have to agree that the source - the inherent "sound" of the performers is the most influencing factor.

grimtraveller said:
I tend to think of a person or band's collective sound/style being something so intrinsic to them that
it would always bear their distinctive feel/sound. But I'm curious as to what it is that makes a sound unique. For example, Led Zeppelin's first album was recorded in 30 hours in the same studio. Despite the musical variety on the album, Zeppelin had an unmistakable sound. That sound was evident on the second album. But it was recorded in several different studios across America during 1969 as they toured incessantly. their 'sound' was due to the fact that they were playing together every night, improvising, rocking heavy. And they were well rehearsed. So putting an album together was part of their playing together and the studio didn't matter so much. When they did their 4th album, they did all the basics in a house in the country while using a mobile recording studio and Jimmy Page overdubbed almost all of the guitar parts at Island studio afterwards. But there's a remarkable consistency of sound, a band stamp, if you like.
For us home recorders, I wonder if we recognize our own unique sound and have an awareness of what goes into creating it. I'm fascinated that you gauge the room as being instrumental to your sound.
Click to expand...

I think in the case of Led Zeppelin, their sound was a result of the technology of the time and their overall sound as a band. Glyn Johns probably had a hand in it too.

In terms of my room...

I think I've just come to know it's shortcomings and the tone it imbues on the final sound. No matter what I do, the same overall sound is there. It's actually quite frustrating but it*keeps me creative.

Cheers :)
 
miroslav said:
Dude....ONE question per thread.
Wadda you.....a newb or something? :D

Most songs are identified by lead vocal.....
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LOL Whatz Up Wit Yu Bruh Answer Da Man Question And Keep It Movin...OneQuestion Per Thread If yoiu Got Problem With IT Dont Answer....Simple
 
Greg_L said:
Not many people can pack as much awesome all by themselves into one song as I do, so there's that.
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Boy Stop Your Music Is Trash Honestly....Checked Yu Out On Reverbnation...No Nickelback Sir
 
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