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Author Topic: Chord Vocings/super saw sound design  (Read 10443 times)

tmp123

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Chord Vocings/super saw sound design
« on: August 22, 2016, 08:01:09 am »
Hi, been trying to make supersaws for melodic dubstep like culture code seven lions etc. When I make supersaws they always seem to either be to low and muddy/lack clarity or to high/thin/harsh. Even with layering multiple supersaws/synth layers still seem to have the wrong problem and I feel like it could be chord voicings. Can some please give some advice tips on chords for supersaws and how they process them, thanks :)
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led

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Re: Chord Vocings/super saw sound design
« Reply #1 on: August 22, 2016, 02:41:40 pm »
Quote from: tmp123 on August 22, 2016, 08:01:09 am
Hi, been trying to make supersaws for melodic dubstep like culture code seven lions etc. When I make supersaws they always seem to either be to low and muddy/lack clarity or to high/thin/harsh. Even with layering multiple supersaws/synth layers still seem to have the wrong problem and I feel like it could be chord voicings. Can some please give some advice tips on chords for supersaws and how they process them, thanks :)

Have you been EQ-ing properly?
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Lydian

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Re: Chord Vocings/super saw sound design
« Reply #2 on: August 22, 2016, 03:01:29 pm »
Quote from: tmp123 on August 22, 2016, 08:01:09 am
Hi, been trying to make supersaws for melodic dubstep like culture code seven lions etc. When I make supersaws they always seem to either be to low and muddy/lack clarity or to high/thin/harsh. Even with layering multiple supersaws/synth layers still seem to have the wrong problem and I feel like it could be chord voicings. Can some please give some advice tips on chords for supersaws and how they process them, thanks :)

Making melodic dubstep supersaws that sound good is about being able to hear what needs to be added/taken away and doing that. If your supersaws are muddy then how about removing the 200hz with an EQ or lowering the layer that takes up those frequencies? If they're too thin then why don't you try added one more layer that specifically takes up the 60hz -100hz range?

Don't just stack a bunch of random layers. Each layer must have a purpose to fill out the frequency spectrum.

When it comes to chord voicing try to avoid small intervallic distances between the bass note and the middle voices. Having the two at least a fifth a way from each other well help keep the chords from getting blurry in lower registers.
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Rige

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Re: Chord Vocings/super saw sound design
« Reply #3 on: August 24, 2016, 03:36:07 pm »
I think spreading out the chord a lot can help... Having a the root of the chord at the bottom, then an octave up start putting in the rest of the chord. The third is really important because it determines the type of chord it is(minor major/something else?). Start to fill in from there.

Honestly just experiment a lot I think... I good thing I haven't tried but I just thought of would be to have a bunch of voicing for the same chord lined up in a row so it just changes voices. You can have really wide super saws spreading a few octaves or small ones that is just a triad. Try adding in some color by adding in the 9th or 11th on some of them.

Then when you have that all lined up you can try adding some sound design stuff. Add in some saturation, play with the reverb and delay a bit maybe. I think it would be a good way to experiment. Might try it when I get home now that I'm thinking about it :P
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Miles Dominic

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Re: Chord Vocings/super saw sound design
« Reply #4 on: August 25, 2016, 07:30:16 am »
Quote from: Lydian on August 22, 2016, 03:01:29 pm
Quote from: tmp123 on August 22, 2016, 08:01:09 am
Hi, been trying to make supersaws for melodic dubstep like culture code seven lions etc. When I make supersaws they always seem to either be to low and muddy/lack clarity or to high/thin/harsh. Even with layering multiple supersaws/synth layers still seem to have the wrong problem and I feel like it could be chord voicings. Can some please give some advice tips on chords for supersaws and how they process them, thanks :)

Making melodic dubstep supersaws that sound good is about being able to hear what needs to be added/taken away and doing that. If your supersaws are muddy then how about removing the 200hz with an EQ or lowering the layer that takes up those frequencies? If they're too thin then why don't you try added one more layer that specifically takes up the 60hz -100hz range?

Don't just stack a bunch of random layers. Each layer must have a purpose to fill out the frequency spectrum.

When it comes to chord voicing try to avoid small intervallic distances between the bass note and the middle voices. Having the two at least a fifth a way from each other well help keep the chords from getting blurry in lower registers.

You definitely don't want your supersaws going down to 60 hz. Most of these large saw stacks are lowcut anywhere between 150-350 hz. Then a mid-bass is used to layered the low mids and a sub for the lows 40-120/150'ish. Sounds much cleaner, more powerfull and you have less phasing in the low end than if you were to use a supersaw for the lowend.
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Lydian

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Re: Chord Vocings/super saw sound design
« Reply #5 on: August 25, 2016, 03:39:22 pm »
Quote
You definitely don't want your supersaws going down to 60 hz. Most of these large saw stacks are lowcut anywhere between 150-350 hz. Then a mid-bass is used to layered the low mids and a sub for the lows 40-120/150'ish. Sounds much cleaner, more powerfull and you have less phasing in the low end than if you were to use a supersaw for the lowend.

Thanks for correcting me! I agree actually. Must have not been thinking deeply when I wrote that post. Just figured 60hz is where the low end resides and forgot that it doesn't actually come from supersaws.

When I make my melodic dubstep drops I actually do exactly as miles says. I have two bass layers. One to take up the low 40-60hz area and another one to take up more of the mid range. Having the two layers separate helps when it comes to setting balances.

The catch is that the fullness actually comes from that one mono sub layer. The actual supersaw layers are generally in wide stereo with the exception of a few layers which I sometimes like to keep mono. I usually low-cut those supersaw layers that way they aren't getting in the way of the bass/low end.
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bst148

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Re: Chord Vocings/super saw sound design
« Reply #6 on: August 30, 2016, 01:09:44 am »
Having fat mid bass can really make your supersaws sound "Fat" or whatever ,then as being said most of the HUGE EDM DUBSTEPY SAWS you can hear from people like Seven Lions etc. comes from the actual notes that are being played. just download some midi and see for yourself :)
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