lunes, 31 de octubre de 2016

The Legendary Synth Sounds of John Carpenter

In this video, Reverb.com’s Justin DeLay demonstrates how to recreate iconic synth sounds from three of John Carpenter’s classic horror films.

Legendary filmmaker John Carpenter has been a master of horror, suspense, and science fiction for over four decades. He is famously known for writing and directing countless cult classics such as Halloween, The Thing, Big Trouble in Little China, The Fog, and many others. What many people may not know is that John Carpenter is also the mastermind who crafted the eerie soundtracks for nearly all of his films using some of the most recognized synthesizers of the era.

John Carpenter has played a major role in defining the classic style of horror and sci-fi film scoring. His iconic soundtracks have become synonymous with horror and suspense. However, he has a reputation for being somewhat elusive about the synth sounds he created, often leaving much to be desired in his interviews on the subject.

To help us explore Carpenter’s sound design approaches, Justin DeLay, Director of Digital at Reverb.com, demonstrates how to recreate three classic Carpenter themes while sharing tips and suggestions on how you can be inspired to experiment with different sounds.

Featured Synthesizers

Ensoniq ESQ-1
Roland Juno 106
Sequential Circuits Prophet 5
MiniMoog Model D
Ableton Live
Roland 606

Download a John Carpenter MIDI clip pack that includes Drums, Bass, Synth, and Piano transcriptions for “Halloween” and “The Fog” at Reverb.com here.

About John Carpenter

While attending the University of Southern California’s School of Cinema, John Carpenter began work on DARK STAR, a science fiction comedy short that was later expanded into a feature length film and released theatrically in 1975. His second feature, ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 (1976) was partially an homage to his idol, Howard Hawks, and basically reimagined that director’s RIO BRAVO in an urban setting. Carpenter’s breakthrough film was HALLOWEEN (1978), the seminal horror film; made for $300,000, it was the most profitable independent movie of its day, and to date has spawned several sequels.

Following HALLOWEEN, he further established his reputation with such genre hits as THE FOG, THEY LIVE, PRINCE OF DARKNESS, the psychological horror film, IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS, CHRISTINE, and THE WARD. His rank as an action director on a wider scale is also evident in such productions as ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, VAMPIRES, THE THING, GHOSTS OF MARS, ESCAPE FROM L.A. and BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA.

His motion picture credits also include the comedy-thriller, MEMOIRS OF AN INVISIBLE MAN, the sci-fi love story, STARMAN, which earned Jeff Bridges a Best Actor Oscar nomination, and VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED, the terrifying remake of the classic 1950s horror story.

For the small screen, Carpenter directed the thriller SOMEONE’S WATCHING ME, the acclaimed biographical mini-series, ELVIS, and the Showtime horror trilogy JOHN CARPENTER PRESENTS BODY BAGS. He also directed two episodes of Showtime’s MASTERS OF HORROR series.
He won the Cable Ace Award for writing the HBO movie, EL DIABLO.
In the gaming world, he co-wrote the video game FEAR 3 for Warner Bros. Interactive.

In the world of comics, Carpenter is the co-creator of the award-winning bi-monthly series, “John Carpenter’s Asylum” and the acclaimed annual anthology collection, “John Carpenter’s Tales for a HalloweeNight.”
On Halloween 2014, the director and composer introduced the world to the next phase of his career with “Vortex,” the first single from Lost Themes, his first album of non-soundtrack material. Carpenter’s primacy and lasting influence on genre score work was both rediscovered and reaffirmed. Lost Themes achieved numerous international milestones, including NPR First Listen; features in dozens of press outlets including the Los Angeles Times, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and The Guardian; three magazine covers; and Top 200 chart success in the U.S. and the U.K.

John Carpenter was born in Carthage, New York. His family later moved to Bowling Green, Kentucky, where his father was the head of the music department at Western Kentucky University. He attended Western Kentucky University followed by the USC School of Cinema in Los Angeles. WKU awarded him an honorary doctorate in 2007. He lives in Hollywood, California with his wife, Sandy King, his frequent collaborator.

Sound Design Komplete Program

Finding the right sound can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Learn the fundamentals of synthesis and sampling and gain the depth of knowledge to shape sounds the way you want them or make your own sounds from scratch.

About This Program

Become ﬂuent in the language of sound design and synthesis with this comprehensive program. This six-level Sound Design program uses Native Instruments’ Komplete as a platform for learning synthesis and sampling techniques. Starting with an introduction to the properties of sound, this comprehensive series of courses covers the major techniques used for contemporary sound design.

You will learn to create your own sounds with a variety of techniques and add a personal sonic signature to your tracks. We introduce you to the latest synthesis and sampling technologies and show you how to use the world’s largest and most diverse sound library. In the advanced levels, you will acquire total control over all aspects of the Komplete instruments while practicing genre-based sound design.

What’s Included

Sound Design Level 1: Introduction to Komplete
Sound Design Level 2: Synthesis with Massive, FM8 and Absynth
Sound Design Level 3: Sampling with Kontakt and Battery
Sound Design Level 4: Advanced Sound Design
Sound Design Level 5: Reaktor Ensembles and Production Techniques
Sound Design Level 6: Reaktor Programming and Instrument Building

Additional Information

Visit the Music Foundations course page for detailed information on this program here.

If you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.

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The post The Legendary Synth Sounds of John Carpenter appeared first on Dubspot Blog.

LinnStrument 128, versión compacta y económica del controlador multi-dimensional de Roger Linn

Roger Linn ha presentado LinnStrument 128, una versión más compacta de su conocido instrumento de control multi-dimensional orientado a expandir las posibilidades de expresión en el entorno MIDI.

http://bit.ly/2fnojcc

Los nuevos Macbook Pro van a interesar poco a los DJs

A pesar de que Apple introdujo en la presentación de los nuevos Macbook Pro la demostración de un software para discjockeys que aprovechaba la nueva Touch Bar, no está nada claro que los nuevos portátiles de gama alta vayan a cuajar entre los pinchadiscos, fieles clientes hasta ahora de los de Cupertino.

http://bit.ly/2dQMYVb

Voxengo Span 3: el popular analizador de espectro sigue siendo gratuito

Voxengo Span es uno de los analizadores de espectro FFT más utilizados, en entornos profesionales y en home studio. Su última versión no incluye grandes novedades, pero mantiene su carácter de plugin gratuito, lo que siempre es muy de agradecer.

http://bit.ly/2eNeCQ5

Pensando la música electrónica (1): Diez consideraciones fundamentales

Comenzamos una nueva serie de artículos dedicados a pensar la música electrónica. La primera entrega expone 10 consideraciones fundamentales sobre la música electrónica actual, inspiradas por ideas de Curtis Roads.

http://bit.ly/2eX13hc

iLok se renueva sin despejar las dudas sobre su practicidad

La compañía de administración de licencias y control anti-piratería PACE ha anunciado el lanzamiento de la tercera versión de su llave iLok, ahora más pequeña, resistente, rápida y capaz... pero igualmente engorrosa.

http://bit.ly/2fcaYmU

Nuevos MacBook Pro con Touch Bar, trackpad de gran tamaño y puertos USB-C

La renovación de los portátiles de gama alta de Apple nos trae Touch Bar, una barra multitouch que sustituye las teclas de función por teclas virtuales personalizables. También encontramos un trackpad de gran tamaño y conectores Thunderbolt 3 en formato USB-C.

http://bit.ly/2efWAVH

DJ Player Pro llega a la versión 9 y renueva su aspecto

Aunque DJ Player Pro ha sido desde su llegada a iOS la más potente y completa aplicación móvil para DJs, siempre ha arrastrado el lastre de contar con una interfaz muy pobre. En la versión 9 su único desarrollador ha contado con la colaboración de la comunidad de usuarios de la app para renovar totalmente el aspecto y el resultado ha sido bastante positivo.

http://bit.ly/2dMrt82

Combina y automatiza efectos en Traktor con sólo un botón

¿Te gustaría disparar varios efectos a la vez en Traktor con un solo botón y que los parámetros varíen automáticamente y luego vuelvan a su posición original? No sólo es posible, si no que te lo explicamos en un sencillo tutorial para que vuelvas loca a la pista de baile.

http://bit.ly/2dPzVOZ

Surface Studio: Microsoft tienta a los creativos, pero faltan guiños a la música

Microsoft dio ayer pasos importantes para cimentar una reputación , algo que nadie se hubiera creído hasta hace poco. Eso sí, entre todas las referencias a los profesionales gráficos y diseñadores, cuesta encontrar algo dedicado a los músicos.

http://bit.ly/2eJ0REJ

Microsoft presenta una "actualización creativa" de Windows 10 y el controlador Surface Dial

La próxima actualización de Windows 10 lleva nombre propio: "Creator's Update". Incluirá Groove Music Maker, un software para producir música. En este giro creativo, Microsoft también ha presentado un controlador rotatorio para tabletas Surface, que bien podría tener aplicaciones musicales.

http://bit.ly/2dJBfYs

Korg y Novation presentarán novedades el 1 de noviembre

Korg no da más pistas que una imagen con cinco bandas de colores. Novation es más explícita: se trata de la "evolución de Circuit", la caja de ritmos que presentó hace un año.

http://bit.ly/2dISTvx

Learn how to create, mix, and layer sub bass in this guide. Included is a FREE Sub Bass Instrument Rack for Ableton Live.

Sub Bass Explained

The audio spectrum is an audible frequency range that spans from 20Hz to 20,000Hz. The full range can also be divided into seven different frequency bands: Sub, Bass, Low Mids, Mids, Upper Mids, Presence, and Brilliance. Sub bass sounds typically exist in the sub frequency band that spans from approximately 60Hz down to 20Hz. More often, sub bass will inhabit your mix in the 40Hz to 60Hz range. You can try to go lower than 40Hz, but most speakers won’t be able to accurately articulate frequencies that low. In addition, human hearing is not very sensitive to frequencies under 20Hz, so sounds in this range tend to be felt more than heard which provides a sense of power. Sub sounds that extend below 20Hz are called infrasound. Most sound systems often feature subwoofer loudspeakers that are dedicated solely to amplifying sounds in the sub bass range.

Creating Sub Bass

The most common approach to creating sub bass is using a basic sine wave an octave or two below your fundamental bass notes. A sine wave will give you a pure tone without all the harsh higher harmonics that saw or square waves produce. A triangle wave produces a subtle amount of higher harmonics and will work better on small laptop speakers or earbuds. You can also layer waveforms to create a thicker and more powerful sound. Sine wave subs are single harmonics that are very clean-sounding, but don’t necessarily push the low-end to its full potential. You can achieve more weighty sub frequencies by subtly mixing in a square wave with a sine wave to produce a more heavy sound for example. Additionally, if you are using an FM synthesizer, you can add another sine wave to modulate the first oscillator to create some extra punch.

Mixing Sub Bass

Treating your sub bass sounds is also essential to achieving a solid low end. You can get more out of your sub bass with some simple mixing techniques that will help control and enhance your sub frequencies. First, it’s important that you are using decent speakers or headphones to hear your sub bass adequately.

Sub bass can be overpowering and can quickly use up a lot of headroom making it hard for other sounds to cut through the mix. It’s extremely important to control your low frequencies to achieve clarity in the overall mix. Below are some typical sub bass treatment moves that will help shape your speaker rumblers.

EQing is a crucial step in shaping your sub bass. It’s highly recommended to cut higher frequencies above 100Hz to 200Hz to create space for other sounds in your mix. The goal is to focus on low frequencies and remove any high frequencies that may clutter the mix. In addition, you may want to remove any infrasound frequencies that the human ear cannot hear which uses up an unnecessary amount of headroom as well. An EQ roll off below 40Hz can help achieve clarity and punch. In most cases, removing ultra low frequencies will actually make you sub bass sound louder. Also, it’s important to be aware of any additional EQ moves. Boosting the sub bass range can make the sound overly powerful and quickly use up your available headroom, whereas cutting too much of the sub bass range will weaken and thin out the sound. It also crucial that you remove any low frequencies on all your other sounds in the mix to make room for your sub bass.

Applying saturation is another common treatment that can beef up your low end by introducing additional harmonics. It is often recommended to apply saturation before you cut frequencies with the EQ to ensure you remove any unnecessary high frequencies that your saturation/distortion plugin creates.

Compression is another move that is essential for controlling your sub bass and giving your sound some additional punch. Medium-fast attack times and medium-fast release times will ensure your sub bass is smooth and consistent while controlling any spikes that may cause clipping. There are no magic settings, so it’s crucial that you use your ears and judgment to dial in the right amount of compression that suits your needs. Additionally, a second compressor setup to sidechain from your kick or another sidechain source is also highly recommended to quickly attenuate the volume so your kick can cut through the mix. Both the kick and sub bass will occupy some of the same low frequencies, so it’s important that you make space for these frequencies to achieve punch, presence, and clarity.

Lastly, it is extremely important to ensure your sub bass is mono for several reasons. A mono signal will have more punch and presence than a signal that is spread across the stereo field. Also, most club speakers are mono, so you will lose a lot of your low-end power making your track sound weak when played alongside commercial masters. It’s also wise to check your mix with a frequency analyzer and a stereo analyzer to visually inspect your sub bass.

Sub Bass Layering

Keeping the sub bass separate from the other bass parts is a common technique used to achieving a powerful and clean low end. Simply, copy the MIDI notes or record the same notes from your other bass parts to create a separate sub bass track. However, it’s important to be aware of the envelope settings on your sub bass track. If the envelopes don’t closely match the other bass parts, you may hear that two sounds are off and that they sound awkward. You may also hear unwanted clicks or pops. One approach to ensure your envelopes match is to duplicate your bass part to create another instance of that same bass sound on a new channel with the same patch settings, and then change the oscillators to a basic sine wave. This way you will have a clean sub bass with the same envelopes and dynamic characteristics that layers seamlessly. Finally, make sure you remove any low frequencies from the main bass part that overlap the sub bass to ensure clarity and presence.

Ableton Live Sub Bass Instrument

For any Ableton Live users out there, we put together a simple Sub Bass Instrument Rack that generates low frequencies with Live’s Operator Instrument along with some extra processing effects to enhance your low-end boomers.

Pitch: Transposes your MIDI notes up or down as low as -36 st.
Knock: Modulates Oscillator A to introduce a short transient boost at the note onset to help the sub bass cut through the mix.
Over Tones: Introduces a square wave that runs parallel with the sine wave generated by Oscillator A.
Drive: Applies saturation to introduce additional harmonics.
High Cut: Sets the high-frequency cutoff point. The range spans from 60Hz to 250Hz.
Low Boost: Amplifies or attenuates the low frequencies below 100Hz.
Comp Thresh: Adjusts the Compressor’s Threshold control.
Level: Increases the Limiters Gain control to boost the overall level and protect your speakers from any sudden surges.

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Ableton Live Producer Certificate Program

At Dubspot our world-class instructors provide the most complete and cutting-edge Ableton Live learning experience. The Ableton Live Producer Certificate Program is the flagship of our music training. After completing this program, you will leave with a portfolio of original tracks, a remix entered in an active contest, a scored commercial to widen your scope, and the Dubspot Producer’s Certificate in Ableton Live.