Electronica!

[too cool for hyphens ed]

Anyone here into any kind of electronic music? I'm just getting into making it, and am becoming really interested in it.

[Disease]

I'm not into any music based solely on electronics. I do however love the work of Moby and NIN.

[too cool for hyphens ed]

sweet, i don't necessarily mean music based entirely on electronics, but any music with electronic stuff in it, can be fun.

One of the main reasons for this is that i am a little sick of just bass guitar drums, you know?

[Grumma]

I'm pretty sure there was already a thread on this.

Talk to Ben (Private Eye). He'll be able to tell you the most about electronic music.

I'll suggest Pendulum though; they're good

[Colezy]

Yup, Pendulum are good! :)
That's about all I know about this sort of music though. Oh and Moby :) He's pretty awesome.

[Grumma]

As far as more rock(y) sounds go for electronic music.

Static-X's Wisconsin Death Trip is pretty industrial.
Otherwise Rammstein and Ministry are both industrial rock/metal bands

[Jonesie]

I'm a big fan of Aphex Twin.

It's really weird stuff, Glitchy Electronica

[Grumma]

Another couple of bands:

www.myspace.com/mechanicalorganic

www.myspace.com/funkerfunkerfunker
if you find their song "This World" that's a goodun

[Grumma]

Ooh Gein are also goodly ^_^

[damo0945]

do motion city soundtrack and the killers count (synth rock)?

[Grumma]

Killers certainly don't.

All the bands I've mentioned use some form of computerised sound

[Johnny_Wah]

Killers use alot of synth and stuff. Heaps.

But they're too poppy.

[Grumma]

If anyone called them a synth or industrial band I would slap them

[Neo]

I like Synthesizers, and that's about it. Not a fan of electronic drum machines.

[too cool for hyphens ed]

Yeah, nice stuff. Does Anyone here on the boards make electronic music? Speak up, kiddies!

[Grumma]

My friends do.

www.myspace.com/thedaveexperience listen to either Chuck Norris or Jims Mowing.

Ive got another couple of friends that also make more drum n bass stuff but they havent uploaded it anywhere

[Incognito]

Yeah, nice stuff. Does Anyone here on the boards make electronic music? Speak up, kiddies!

I do. ...........

[Armistice]

Eiffel 65. I like them

[Neo]

I'm blue da ba dee da ba daa

[too cool for hyphens ed]

I do. ...........

what do you use? any tips? i'm just getting started...

[Incognito]

what do you use? any tips? i'm just getting started...

Elektron SFX-60
Roland V-Synth
Yamaha Motif rack
Roland Juno 120
Yamaha FS1R
Roland JD990
Nord Lead 2 rack
Ensoniq DP/4
Roland R-880
and a bunch of software.

Tips? I dunno, it depends what type of electronic music you want to get into. Its probably a good idea to learn the different types of synthesis. Each has its own purpose as far as the type of sounds and timbre it can create.

[Johnny_Wah]

Fruity Loops all the way!

[kempos2112]

Dont forget to chek out the Prodigy along with moby and pendgy,
oh and daft punk are prety cool, i like the wya they mix clasical, rock, and strange 80's pop into electronic music.

[too cool for hyphens ed]

You have a pretty mighty collection of gear there dude, i'd like to hear some of the music you make. Do you have any recordings i could hear? If you don't want to broadcast or whatever, you could PM me a link...

[too cool for hyphens ed]

Fruity Loops all the way!

Are you any good at using it? I'm just gettign started using FL, i'm not great yet.

[Incognito]

You have a pretty mighty collection of gear there dude, i'd like to hear some of the music you make. Do you have any recordings i could hear? If you don't want to broadcast or whatever, you could PM me a link...

I have a couple of new pieces almost finished. I'll throw them up then they are done.

What kind of electronic music are you interested in making?

[Armistice]

I'm blue da ba dee da ba daa

No, Playstation is the best one. I also have one of their CD's that's all Italian. Very cool

[too cool for hyphens ed]

I have a couple of new pieces almost finished. I'll throw them up then they are done.

What kind of electronic music are you interested in making?

I was thinking maybe ambient electronica stuff, kinda like thievery corporation. BUt i wanted to ad my own vocal and guitar lines as well. That's one of the options.

I could just use loops or synth whilst playing in a live band, for more interesting noises.

Or i could even just make breakbeats, dance music type stuff.

Kind of broad, but i'm only just entering into this world.

What do you make?

[Incognito]

Cool stuff. I write two types of music, in some cases they kind of get abruptly smashed together. One is microhouse (minimal house music) and the other is called postrock. Both very wanky genre names but anyway. I use a combination of electronic instruments, samples that I make myself and live instruments like drums, guitar, Electric and acoustic piano, etc. I am trying to arrange a recording session with a chamber orchestra which would be hella exciting. I don't perform with anything other than a laptop though, running ableton live.


I don't know how Thievery Corporation write their music, but its very smooth like lots of samples and loops (which you can make yourself if you wish) of real instruments and some analog synthesis. Its certianly not fruityloops or reason and any of those all in one solutions but if you are just starting you they are a good starting point. It will atleast get you use to the concept of sequencing and loop based music. Its hard to escape the trancey nature of the sounds though.

If you are looking for hardware, thats where is gets expensive. Perhaps a good starting keyboard would be an Alesis Fusion. It has a good set of basic sounds that model both live, analog and electronic instruments. It also has a built in sequencer and 8 track harddisk recorder. If you want to jam with a band a keyboard will be handy. There are a few "standard pieces" in electronic music, usually a Korg Trion or Yamaha Motif and an AKIA MPC series sequencer/sampler... usually an MPC2000.

I dunno, there are so many approaches to electronic music that it really depends on how you want to do it.

[too cool for hyphens ed]

hey, where are you based dude? Or dudette, 'Incognito' makes it kind of hard to pick.

[Julian]

Cognito, I think

[Incognito]

Cognito, I think

Thats funny :D


I live in Sydney.

Another addition to the list if you want to jump straight in the deep end of analog synthesis is to try and grab a Roland Juno 120 keyboard off ebay. That way you will be quickly acquainted with the signal flow of synthesis and the sounds it can produce. They can usually be had for $400-$600aust and appear pretty regularly. Just make sure it is a Juno 160 and not a Juno 60. A juno 60 has no Midi I/O which means you cannot control it with a sequencer. Or you could go to a music store and try some out. Allans have all the main contenders, if you are willing to put up with the staff. Stuff like Roland Juno-G and Alesis micron and ion for straight synthesis, or workstation stuff (usually combination synthesis & rompler) like korg triton, yamaha motif, roland fantom, alesis fusion keyboards.

[kempos2112]

how F***ing useless are Allens staff, i recon i spent a good hour in allens one day looking at amps, was the only one in the shop, 3 guys behind the counter, and i got offered no asistance at all. any who...that my rant...back to the point of this thread.

[too cool for hyphens ed]

that's retail for ya. If you really want some help, go ask em.

[kempos2112]

well i figure if they dont wanna help me they dont want my business, so..i just got to the friendly fokes at billy hyde and derringers, i only use allens to try and beat othere people prices. any who...electronic music...i dont mind it...even like soem of it..but i cant help in making it, dont have a clue.

[Incognito]

Thats why I like allans. I don't want some sales dude trying to help me... I know what I want so let me find it myself. :) I usually call them before I go and ask if I can bring my headphones in and try out some synths, etc. They don't mind...

[Johnny_Wah]

Are you any good at using it? I'm just gettign started using FL, i'm not great yet.

Haha. I just stuff around on it. nothing serious.

Ooh, and sorry for the late reply

[too cool for hyphens ed]

i've been listening to al lthis psy-trance and breakbeats and a whole lot of stuff, and i need to go and see somebody actually make/play this stuff. It is so much harder for me than 'real' instruments. I guess it could be the other way round for a lot of people though...

[Grumma]

I reckon making computer generate stuff wouldn't be anywhere near as easy as people think . ..

There's so many sounds to choose from, but if you don't get a good mix it will sound like absolute crap

[too cool for hyphens ed]

I reckon making computer generate stuff wouldn't be anywhere near as easy as people think . ..

There's so many sounds to choose from, but if you don't get a good mix it will sound like absolute crap

Yeah, you're kind of right. My theory is that some people have a more mathematically minded brain than me, and also spend a lot more time than me on a computer. My understanding of electronic stuff is changing the values of certain things (wave shape, etc.) to create different sounds. It is a lot more intuitive for me to make a different sound by hitting the strings on a guitar harder, or hitting a drum with a brush to get a softer sound, as opposed to working it out all like a mathematical formula.

hand rigidity + wrist rigidity + pick type + pick angle + fretboard position + a million other things affect the sound you get when you play a guitar. We don't have little graphs in our head, we just do it.

Do you see what i mean?

[Incognito]

Thats the joy of electronic music. It allows you to create totally unique sounds that aren't associated with any other instrument. Ironically (and sadly) most see electronic music exactly the other way around, as a form of music designed to imitate acoustic instruments which is quite wrong. It would be just like judging all music on the top 40 charts.

[Grumma]

Yeah, you're kind of right. My theory is that some people have a more mathematically minded brain than me, and also spend a lot more time than me on a computer. My understanding of electronic stuff is changing the values of certain things (wave shape, etc.) to create different sounds. It is a lot more intuitive for me to make a different sound by hitting the strings on a guitar harder, or hitting a drum with a brush to get a softer sound, as opposed to working it out all like a mathematical formula.

hand rigidity + wrist rigidity + pick type + pick angle + fretboard position + a million other things affect the sound you get when you play a guitar. We don't have little graphs in our head, we just do it.

Do you see what i mean?

That's pretty much what I was getting at :p

[Incognito]

this place is a little quiet innit?


Anyway, my Studio Electronics ATC-1 arrived yesterday. Here is a little thingo I put together last night... its not quite finished, I've already added a few more sounds and I still have to add the vocals. Every sound comes from the ATC-1 which is an analog monphonic synthesizer, except for the Snare which is triggered by an electronic kit running Drumkit from Hell. I'll post the finished track in a coupla days but here it is as is:

http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=check_download&ufid=E907BB3729866E89&key=09684cfa895d7d1b0677fc6b1cea90921f50a7ff

If that don't work try here and click "download now":

http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=E907BB3729866E89


So far I am really digging this synth. I have an urge to buy a polyphonic version now :(