Sound Design - EDMProd: Recent Episodes
None
The Arturia Pigments synth is a monster in the world of sound design. To be frank, it has features that I have never seen in any other synth. However, it flies a bit under the radar compared to other options like Serum or Phase Plant. This might be due to the fact that Arturia is […]
The post Arturia Pigments Synth: Here’s Everything You Need to Know (2024) appeared first on EDMProd.
Ableton Drift is Ableton Live’s brand-new analog-modeled synth. It’s capable of producing incredibly warm, comforting sounds. This makes it perfect for genres such as LoFi Hip Hop or Organic House. So what makes Ableton Drift unique? And why should you check it out? That’s what we’ll cover in this guide! Together, we are going to […]
The post Ableton Drift: 6 Steps to Master This New Killer Synth appeared first on EDMProd.
Introduced in 2019, Massive X is the successor to the famous synth Massive. It features a modernized look and more advanced capabilities. But how does it fare compared to behemoths like Serum or Vital? This is what we are going to find out! In this guide, we are going to cover: And hopefully by the […]
The post Massive X: Is It Worth the Upgrade? An In-Depth Guide appeared first on EDMProd.
Sidechain compression is the hallmark of electronic dance music. It’s that unmistakable pumping effect when you hear the kick hit and the bass duck. But it can be a bit daunting to approach – especially if you’re new. So to help, in this guide you’ll learn: If you want to get those tight, controlled mixes […]
The post Sidechain Compression: 5 Simple Tips for Tighter Mixes 🔥 appeared first on EDMProd.
Phase Plant is (possibly) the most powerful synth out there. Modular by nature, its capabilities are limitless. However, it also has a steep learning curve. And its complex workflow can discourage some. Being a modular synth (more on that later), Phase Plant relies on YOU to do a lot of the work. Luckily, we’re here […]
The post Phase Plant: The Last Guide You’ll Ever Need (2023) 🔥 appeared first on EDMProd.
It’s impossible to deny – the OTT plugin is synonymous with modern electronic music. Yet, you may have wondered how it actually works? And why it sounds so good? For these reasons, you might not be getting the most out of this simple but important tool. In this guide, we’re going to cover everything your […]
The post OTT Plugin: Why Does It Sound SO Good? + Free Download appeared first on EDMProd.
Hi hats are synonymous with groove in EDM. Actually, this might be one of the reasons your music sounds robotic 👀 It’s easy to overlook hi hats, and focus instead on kicks and snares. But human-sounding hi hats will give your track a professional shine. That’s what we’ll explore in this guide! Together we will […]
The post Hi Hats: 7 Tricks to Make Them Sound Insanely Better 🤯 appeared first on EDMProd.
Synplant is a unique synth. Quite simply, there is no other synth like it. Don’t take my word for it. Flume has repeatedly praised it, and written dozen of tracks with it. In a nutshell, “Synplant is a software synthesizer with a genetic approach to sound creation”. Curious to learn what this means? Keep reading! […]
The post Synplant: 5 Reasons Why This Is Flume’s Favorite Synth 🌱 appeared first on EDMProd.
FM synthesis might sound like a scary topic to you. Or you might think that it’s only good for those Brostep bass growls. However, FM synthesis is an essential building block of sound design. And although it might seem overwhelming initially, it doesn’t have to be that way. This is why we’ve made this guide […]
The post FM Synthesis: The Beginner’s Guide to Crazy Sounds (2023) appeared first on EDMProd.
Synth pads are what give our tracks their density and their fullness. Without a good pad, your track will sound thin and empty. Besides filling up the frequency spectrum, a pad also gives movement to our track. So it’s worth knowing different methods to create them. That’s what we’ll cover in this guide! Together, we’ll […]
The post Synth Pads: 9 Crazy Ways to Create Lush Atmospheres (2023) appeared first on EDMProd.
An LFO is one of the most common tools used in sound design. Load any preset in your favorite synth, and there’s probably one active. LFO stands for Low-Frequency Oscillator. And it’s what gives our tracks movement and variation. With LFOs, you can modulate any parameter of your choice. Which makes it an extremely powerful […]
The post LFO Like a Boss: The Complete Beginner’s Guide (2023) appeared first on EDMProd.
The ability to process samples uniquely is a foundation of modern EDM. After all, pretty much every track you’ve heard of has samples in it. But being able to transform a sample so you don’t recognize it is an art! After all, there’s nothing worse than building a track around one sample… Only to find […]
The post 9 Unique Ways to Process Samples Creatively 🎨 appeared first on EDMProd.
Distortion can be a game-changer for producers. It’s an effect that can range from the subtle warmth on your mix to the extreme crunch on your leads and basses. Yet most producers get lost when it comes to the different types of distortion, when they should use them and how much to dial in. In […]
The post Distortion and Saturation: The Complete Guide (2023) 💣 appeared first on EDMProd.
The kick drum is the most essential part of any EDM track. And so, knowing how to EQ kick drums is crucial. There’s simply no getting around it – pick the wrong one and your track loses all energy. Think of your track as a house. Maybe the vocals are the front door and the […]
The post How To EQ Kick Drums: The Complete Producer’s Guide (2023) appeared first on EDMProd.
Harmor is one of those synths that just doesn’t get enough praise. With some truly unique features, Harmor could become your new favorite weapon. And while everyone is busy with Serum, Harmor might just set you apart. But what makes Harmor different? In this guide, we will go through everything you need to know to […]
The post FL Studio Harmor: Your Secret Sound Design Weapon 🔥 appeared first on EDMProd.
A vocoder is one of the most recognizable effects in popular music. If you ver heard a robotic-sounding voice in a tune – chances are it was a vocoder. Even if you haven’t heard the term before, you’ll know what I’m talking about: Made popular by bands such as Pink Floyd and Daft Punk, a […]
The post What is a Vocoder: The Ultimate Guide 🎤 appeared first on EDMProd.
“When I hear them 808 drums, It’s got me singing…”🎵 From Madonna’s “Girls Gone Wild” all the way to Kendrick Lamar’s “A.D.H.D”, 808s are part of popular music culture. But maybe you’re still not quite sure what this so-called “eight-O-eight” is… In that case, you’ve come to the right place! In this guide, we’ll cover: […]
The post 808s: How To Make Them Slap Hard 👊 appeared first on EDMProd.
You might not have heard of bitcrushing before… But you might have seen words like “downsampling” or “bit reduction”. In a nutshell, bitcrushing reduces the quality of an audio sample by lowering its resolution and/or sample rate. This adds distortion, grit, or warmth to your sound depending on the settings. In this guide, we’ll cover […]
The post Bitcrushing & Downsampling: How To Add Grit To Any Sound 💥 appeared first on EDMProd.
Chorus, flangers, and phasers… You’ve surely seen these effects in your DAW before, but can you tell what they do? They’re much less common than, say, reverb of delay – but they’re powerful effects for sound design. And they all work in a similar way, but with subtle differences. So let’s explore what sets these […]
The post How To Use Chorus, Flanger & Phaser Effects in EDM appeared first on EDMProd.
Reverb is one of the first effects producers learn to use. And why wouldn’t they? Reverb instantly adds depth and emotion to any sound. But if you’re not careful, you can fall into the trap of “just adding reverb” – which is the quickest way to destroy your mix. So it pays to understand it […]
The post Reverb: The Ultimate Guide For Music Producers (2022) appeared first on EDMProd.
The delay effect is probably the most famous effect of all. Its echoing result is instantly recognizable and can add depth and emotion to your music. But apply it too much or with the wrong settings and it can destroy your mix. In this guide, we’ll cover the basics of delay. We’ll look at the […]
The post The Delay Effect: A Powerful Tool For Electronic Music appeared first on EDMProd.
Bass sounds are one the most important pillars of electronic music. In fact, entire genres have been defined by certain bass sounds. And the number of sounds out there is literally infinite. But there are a few ones that have stood the test of time. In this article, I’ve gathered some of the most popular […]
The post Synth Bass: 9 Crucial Bass Sounds You Need To Know appeared first on EDMProd.
Phase cancellation is a problem every producer will run into someday. You may have phasing issues in your music and not even realize it. It’s more subtle than “too much reverb” or “not enough bass”. It can be hard to hear and even harder to fix (if you don’t know what you’re doing). And it […]
The post Phase Cancellation: How To Avoid Weak Mixes appeared first on EDMProd.
Vital has been a game-changer synth since its arrival in 2020 – but finding presets can be tricky. Unless you have a paid tiers, your choice of presets is limited. And even though we encourage people to design their own sounds, sometimes you just want some good presets to get you started. In this post, […]
The post Vital Presets: The Best Free & Paid Packs in Any Genre (2022) appeared first on EDMProd.
Ever come across the term ADSR, but weren’t sure what it meant? ADSR stands for Attack-Decay-Sustain-Release. And it forms the basis of all synthesis and sound design techniques. Although it can seem daunting at first, the concepts are really simple to grasp. If you are just starting your sound design journey, you have come to […]
The post ADSR Envelopes: How To Creatively Sculpt Your Sounds appeared first on EDMProd.
For all the talk about compressors and limiters, noise gates are a lesser-discussed topic in electronic music. But a noise gate could actually be the key to unlocking a cleaner mix. Although they are mostly used during live recordings, they can also help remove noise and muddiness in your productions. In this guide, we will […]
The post Noise Gates: How To Clean Up Your Mixes (Like A Pro) appeared first on EDMProd.
Some have called Vital the successor to Xfer Serum. Released in November 2020, it is one of the most intuitive synth plugins on the market. And it’s free. You read that right. So what makes Vital so special? In this guide, we will go through everything you need to know to create the most amazing […]
The post Vital Synth: The Last Guide You’ll Ever Need (2022) appeared first on EDMProd.
Subtractive synthesis might sound like an obscure concept to you. Yet, it is one of the essential building blocks of sound design. And although it might seem overwhelming at first, it doesn’t have to be that way. This is why we’ve made this guide for you. Together we’ll run through: What subtractive synthesis is How […]
The post Subtractive Synthesis: The Complete Guide for Music Producers (2022) appeared first on EDMProd.
Audio filters are one of the most essential tricks in the producer’s toolkit. When used efficiently, they can provide clarity and space to your mix. However, it can be easy to over-complicate the use of filters and get lost in the terms. In this guide, we’ll tackle: What an audio filter is The basic parameters […]
The post Audio Filters Explained: Low-Pass, High-Pass and Beyond appeared first on EDMProd.
Whether you are into house or jazz, chances are you’ve heard of the terms drum breaks or breakbeat. A drum break is a short instrumental (often percussive) section of a song, aimed at building anticipation. It can also function as a separation between parts of the song. Drum breaks were especially popular in both 70s […]
The post Drum Breaks: A Guide To Injecting Character into Your Music appeared first on EDMProd.
So, you want to know what the Haas effect is? Let’s start with a better question. Do you ever feel like elements in your mixes sound too thin and lack any depth? I know I have in the past, and no amount of EQ or gain staging could help me. Enter the Haas effect – […]
The post The Haas Effect: How To Make Any Mix Sound Huge appeared first on EDMProd.
You know that floor-shaking sound you hear in a club? That’s the sub-bass. If you’re making electronic music, sub-bass is integral to powerful low-end and professional sound. But how do you get it sounding good, without overpowering, distorting, or ruining your track? That’s why you’re here. So in this guide, we’ll answer: what actually is […]
The post Sub-Bass: How To Get Thick Low-End In Your Music appeared first on EDMProd.
Pitch shifting and time stretching are two of the most commonly used sound design techniques. Typically pitch shifting is used to change the pitch of an audio sample while keeping the duration of the sample unchanged. Time stretching on the other hand is used to change the duration of the sample without changing its pitch. […]
The post Pitch Shifting + Time Stretching: 9 Unique Tips To Transform Your Sounds appeared first on EDMProd.
Vocal chops… they can make or break a song in modern electronic music. But how do you make them? Do you just use samples, or do you chop your own vocals? In this guide, we’re going to be looking at how to create vocal chops in any major DAW using an acapella sample. You’ll need: […]
The post How to Make Vocal Chops in Any DAW (The Simple Way) appeared first on EDMProd.
Resampling audio is potentially the most underrated sound design method out there. You can rinse and repeat different types of processing on any sound, ending up with millions of creative possibilities. So why aren’t people using it more? Because it’s confusing, and there are so many ways that you can approach it. In this guide, […]
The post Resampling Audio: 7 Fun Ways To Create Brand-New Sounds appeared first on EDMProd.
Granular synthesis is a super fun way to create never-heard-before sounds. But the interfaces on many granular synths are confusing, and you can feel overwhelmed. So in this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about granular synthesis and FX, including: Understanding the basic controls so you can make sounds with confidence The importance […]
The post Granular Synthesis: A Unique Tool For Creative Sound Design (2021) appeared first on EDMProd.