Need inspiration! How do I come up with some new sounds?

[lavalamp360]

I'm in a bit of a rut here. I haven't produced substantial in months. I always just tend to open up Ableton, fiddle for a bit, then exit out. I think my main problem is that I just cant come up with any new and interesting sounds. I guess it doesn't help that all i have are freeware synths but I dont really feel like dropping the cash on something like komplete for what i feel is just a hobby right now. How do you guys make new sounds and find ways to modulate them and whatnot?

[Genevieve]

Stop fucking around and just do it

[Benji]

Stop fucking around and just do it

Pretty much, experiment

If you're really stuck, watch some videos on Youtube about basic synthesis and how synths work, or just search for tutorials involving the synths you've got

[Crimsonghost]

1. Make shitty noise
2. Resample - make slightly less shitty noise
3. Repeat step 2
4. ??????
5. Profit.

[fragments]

It's not the synths, it's you. Plenty of good freeware synths. Also, you wouldn't even have to buy komplete...instead of worrying about the sound design circle jerk why don't you actually concentrate on writing music.

[titchbit]

move on from subtractive synthesis to something new (if you're at that point, that is). I found subtractive synthesis to be very uninspiring. It got old pretty quick. All of the sounds sound the same. It seems like everything is SAWS, maybe some squares and sines here and there, but I got pretty sick of saw waves. Now I'm learning FM8.

I'm starting to realize what people mean when they say all music these days sounds the same. I think it's because everyone's using subtractive synthesis, and specifically saw waves. Couldn't tell ya how many times I've heard someone say "thick detuned saw wave".

[Genevieve]

I didn't mean to sound as nearly as much of an ass as I prob's did, but I wanted to get the point across

always just tend to open up Ableton, fiddle for a bit, then exit out.

How can you expect results like that?

I was the same way. I knew how to do things, but I did them half-heartedly and then got frustrated about my results. I knew I had to modulate the filter cut-off, but when I just did it randomly and it came out not sounding exactly like I wanted, I got bored and stopped producing. I was like that for years. When I sat down and decided to just DO things, my production improved tenfold in a short period of time. Don't expect it to come easy. This isn't like playing guitar where you can shut your mind off and just play (I'm a guitarist too btw, so no disrespect. I just believe the approach and skillset is different). This is calculated thought work. Not necessarily on some deep genius level, but still thought work.

It's not the sounds or the synths, it's what you're doing with the sounds. And you don't seem to be doing anything with them. Make some time and just try to get something out of the session

[fragments]

^I don't think it get's said enough in a blunt fashion. This shit ain't easy. And there are a ton of people who say they want to do it who aren't really willing to put in the time and effort. That's why shit like the Waves One Knob series and genre oriented VSTs and sample packs are so popular. People think it's Beatport Top 10 in a box.

People watch too many tutorials. You only really need some basics on anything (sound design, mixing), experience and practice are where the ah-ha moments come from (at least for me).

If you can't be bothered with more than a few clicks in your DAW you are in serious trouble.

[StratosFear]

Write a track before you worry about the sounds. Just use saw waves or something simple--I tend to use sounds that are close to what I want but not perfect yet. Then put down the whole track. Once you're done, THEN worry about the sounds...it'll fall into place.

Alternatively you could sit down and just have a designated sound design session. No arrangement, no track creation, just sound design. Basically you just have to sit down and do it.

[Triphosphate]

Write a track before you worry about the sounds. Just use saw waves or something simple--I tend to use sounds that are close to what I want but not perfect yet. Then put down the whole track. Once you're done, THEN worry about the sounds...it'll fall into place.

Alternatively you could sit down and just have a designated sound design session. No arrangement, no track creation, just sound design. Basically you just have to sit down and do it.

I think this might be my favorite response thus far... If I find I'm getting frustrated with sound design I skip it and try and produce a song using placeholders. Saw waves and presets that sound alright are enough to get me started, and then I'll go back and replace things after I've got a decent start.

Other times, I'll be noodling around with some sound design and it will become the focal or starting point of the song, and the inspiration flows from it. It really depends.

If you're really having a hard time listen to some music and pay attention to any chord progressions that you like, then replicate it (the progression, not the song) and modify it and then make your own song around it.

[nameless133]

Listen to some music you previously didn't know then obtain some samples or turn knobs on your fav synth and experiment!

[Rufio310]

I've been having the same problem for the past 2 years of producing. I always turn on Ableton spend a hour trying to find a sound close so what sounds appleaing or spend hours trying to manage the freq with the eq on my drums and try to anaylze with spectrum.

I really like this thread because it's true. most of the songs that i wrote were on the days where i said "F*** it* and just started jamming and didn't really worry about all the technical stuff because of my lack of knowledge . I know it will come in time but I can't force it.

[Mr 50]

Obviously everything is COMPLETELY individual (as is most things in life). However, something I noted a while ago (and something that's really paid off for me) is that after reading interviews on some of my favourite producers, most seperated every studio session into either patch/sound design or composition/arrangement, rarely doing both in one session (to any great length at least)

There will always be instances where you need to create a sound to fit on what you're working... but having a nice library of awesome pre-made patches to hand will work wonders. You can grab a few and sketch out an idea without having to think to much, and inevitably you'll adapt that sound into something new to fit that track. What matters is that the source (the patch) is good so you'll always be working with good material in the first place (muy importante).

Importantly, if you set out on a 3/4 hour (or whatever length) studio session and your aim is purely to make cool patches then you will a) get better at it quickly rather than just fiddling for a short while then moving on and b) make the actual process of making a track much quicker. Think of some of the best songs ever written - most are done quite quickly (and I'm betting your best ones were too). Think back to before electronic music - being able to grab the sound you want quickly (piano/rhodes/acoustic guitar/drums) put the emphasis on what you were playing and the feel of the track rather than taking 3 hours to programme a perfect sound before working out what note should come next. We live in a world where we can create hugely complex digital sounds, but the creation of these is probably best left as a seperate task!

Another gem I was once told - when you're learning synthesis (everyone, at every level is always learning) it can often help to have a deliberate goal in mind. Now, let me first say that there isn't anything wrong with experimentation and twiddling a knob just to see what happens, nothing AT ALL. But you'll understand how something works and if you have a deliberate goal. So think of the sound you want to make first, then force yourself to work out how it's done. Next time you want that element in a sound you want, it'll be way easier as you've already worked out how that part can be done.

You could argue that the preset libraries on a synth are doing this for you and I won't knock presets as they are damn useful (inspiration/layering on top of other sounds/reverse engineering/sketching/sometimes the exact sound you want). But I would say that most are made to show off what the synth can do rather than work in tracks and due to the amount you get with any synth, you spend too much time preset surfing. Much better to spend that same time working out how to use the synth! It'll also help you develop 'your sound'

Layer, layer the living shit out of things (with good EQ work) and you'll get something cool in no time.

Wow, long post. Please note that this was as much a reminder to me as it was advice - they say teaching is the best way to get better at something.

I reckon I practice what I preach about 60% of my time, working on making that 90%

peace!

[123kidd]

Extremely guilty of this as well. But as many have mentioned, you just have to experiment. I agree with what others have said with regards to just writing music. One thing I would suggest is that you experiment with presets. Break em down and see how new sounds are made.
Also if you're using soft synths which you said you are, try bouncing down to audio. Opens up way more possibilities for the sound. Take the better sounding parts of the sound, stretch it, maybe reverse it or pitch it.
Another option is to start sampling. There are times when electronic music sounds too just that, "electronic". Sample acoustic instrument sounds, heck just sample whatever. Add them to your productions.

[Mexztah]

Im sort of in the same situation, my main issue is my "studio" is rather volitile
I run my DAW of a really unstable laptop which is prone to crashing aand is generally rather slow, which really puts me off actually trying to write anything
Im currently saving up for a PC more suited to work and production though, Dual monitors and all that jazz, Gonna be the shit

[AxeD]

Check out the 'how to record poopy farts in the toilet bowl' thread.