RTP

Hi Okay, first of all I'm a total noob in electronic music making. I just rediscovered some music software I once - already years ago, but age doesn't matter when it's about elementary basics or does it - obtained. I already wanted to make music years ago and got myself the stuff, but had no clue how to use it properly and still haven't. Now, here's the thing: I have a synth, the Pro52, a virtual Prophet 5 synth. But I just can't get anything out of it that sounds at least a bit like I would like it to sound, like for example, a warm ambient sound. The problem is, I lack experience. Well, to tell the truth, I am a total noob and have not a clue what to do - I just randomly twist knobs and shit, but I don't know what they're for, I don't know what they manipulate, I don't know anything! I can dig through the effects bench, but what's in there I don't really like. I tried to seek for information, but couldn't find any proper one except that I now know how the hardware thing works in deatil (that there are two Oscis, a noise channel, a filter and whatnot), but that doesn't really serve me to get anything proper out of it. I don't want to become a pro in music making. In fact I don't even really consider making music anymore anyway. But I want to get some experience in playing a synth, creating effects. And I have no clue where to start, so I guessed it would be somewhat good here. Maybe the Pro52 is not the right synth for my purpose (ambient soundscapes), but it could be at least enough for some basic skill, could it? So the question I have is: where can I get started? What can I do? Just random shit knob twisting without me knowing what I'm doing does not satisfy me. And please don't recommend me getting another synth now (except if the Pro52 is really crap for my purpose), I'd have no clue about operating it properly as well...

I saw Magnetrixx & Morganixx live. I don't think I have the professional ear, but what I can say is it was good music, no major flaws in mixing, a little re-arranging of the songs done (Gluonball had the synth part in the middle somewhat differently arranged for example) and a few unreleased ones played, but it had somewhat the air of "laptop live" as you put it. No knob twisting, just the two of them looking at their screens. I still enjoyed it greatly though, because I love their sound

Hmmm ... I think live sets are quite interesting and should not be looked down when it's a real live set, that means the artist himself performing and enriching his own tracks on the flow with different arrangements, other synth melodies and a bunch of other variations especially adapted to the mood the whole place is in at a certain point. That is a very good thing and I have seen artists performing different versions of their own tracks live that you can never get on any CD because they are arranged differently and have different melodies - and they sounded more awesome than their originals! So that's why I like live sets very much! And about the DJ booth being in front of the people and all ... I think it's quite nice to see some knob twisting of some skilled person ... I mean, I agree with you on the "artist worship"-issue, it has becoming too much and a DJ booth in front of all people adds to this without doubt, but anyway, I think it belongs there... And man, Synogen, your narration of that drum session sounded very cool

Good luck for your compilation release, Nhjo

I think the first half of the song is really pretty good (apart from the pepper in the bass). But what the freck is happening after 4:30??? That really sounds like somebody's DJing two songs together. The mood is so different afterwards - and I also don't like it very much anymore. It fits to the title "something's wrong" ... but it kinda sounds like techno (seriously ... it's just more twisted) ... and I don't like techno, especially when it's twisted up like in this song So ... first half really good, second half ... mediocre... You should keep up the good work though, the first half was nice!

FP, this is not psy. That's noise/dark ambient music ... has not very much to do with characteristic psy IMO ... if you want to hear such music you rather go to the Wave Gotik Treffen than to a psy party. A completely different world. The only fact I am wondering about is that Wirikuta has this stuff you normally have to seek in deep underground metal and occult music stores ... cool Anyway, the promotional texts can be indeed somewhat accurate (okay, a LITTLE overdoing every promotional text contains, that's a fact) if you are a true listener to the music!

Hehe, I also find it kinda cool how many individual answers people have of this actually simple question ... interesting Yes, yes, this is somewhat what I think it could be. That it's not fully live and you just get a chance to "see the artist performing" ... sorta ... I mean that he does a few things such as overlay synths or re-arranging a few things live, but that much stuff still comes pre-arranged from his lap/DAT whatever... As it is actually with most one-man appearances anyway, because one man can simply not perform everything live, impossible - even if some do make serious efforts to at least make the effects live (and I honour this!), everything live is impossible doing it alone. I mean, it also depends how you define live actually! Is it just the arranging of the tracks layers at the mixer board or does the term "live" mean that also synths are played live?

Good Answer, Jikkenteki

so "PA" means personal appearance? wtf? is there a live set without personal appearance too ?

S-Range - Another Theory ... hope this will come out in Feb And Carbon Based Lifeforms new album ... "will be released by Ultimae early next year" (and that news is still from 20.10.2005, so I hope it's coming soon!).

okay so I feel a bit dumb now having started a thread about two terms that mean actually the same

Oh... Hmmm... I have been told though that "live PA" is something different than "live" ... that it's something not fully live or whatever. Also I think I have seen that on a flyer too where one artist was stated as live PA and the other was stated as live...

Yeah, what does "live PA" mean? We got Kindzadza coming to Vienna in March ... "live PA" What the heck does live PA mean? Is it some mid-thing between live and dj? One song live, one song from DAT? Or does it mean that the artist does only add a few live elements to his songs and mixes them from CD completely? Or is it just a DJ set? I mean ... I think I'm going to that gig anyway, but I'm just curious as I have read that term somewhere else before too and don't know Anybody can enlighten me?

My recommendation would be: Neoris - Last Mission Of Atomic Submarine that was the very best recommendation I got here when asking about a somewhat similar subject Saikosounds sample here: http://ip23.dyn181.pacific.net.hk/29105.m3u

Cool! It took me approximately 1,5 years here on the new forum to get 1500+ posts, so in approximately another 1,5 years (a bit less maybe) I'll have my custom title

oh no... you, know ... this video reminds me of my trance times back then where I was an ignorant prolet shithead ... all normal trance music nowadays reminds me of it and I don't want to be reminded, you know? That's why I'd blow my head off myself if I will once land again in such a trance environment - even if they play psy it would be very shit for me. Just a psychological issue

*head shot* ... *head not found*

Well ... music-wise it's kinda " " ... But samples are good. And I liked the video! As a soundtrack the music is not even thaaat baaad... The political and conspiracial statement I like

It depends so much on the situation and the mood. For me in my everyday life the rather slow tacks are more suitable ... okay, not too slow, but around 120 to 135 bpm kinda. Makes some progression and pushes gently. Ideal for running this is. I really love the stuff that is not so fast, I guess it's just my biological rhythm, there are tracks which have so great non-fast bpm I could run forever to them (sadly they are rare for it's not only the bpm that counts). And at home I also prefer the more housier and progressive stuff, not too fast but just progressive, that's ideal stuff for me! Sometimes I'm not at all in the mood for any beaty stuff too! Sometimes I just want to hear chill out stuff. Or sometimes metal! At parties the music can be faster. On some occasions I really want to get into a kind of trance and not just shaking to the rhythm if you know what I mean - although for that I'm sometimes also in the mood. Depends. The mood on a party sets itself not in minutes but rather hours and many things can happen in that time. The Nommos for example - I do not or only very very rarely listen to that stuff at home (too fast and too much "screaming sound" at you), but if they came here I'd probably go to the party, because for party this could fit.

this is a joke, right?

Goa trance. Where it stands now? It's torn to pieces. Now it might be called psychedelic and merged with other musical styles, but overall seen it's like that: There's a "full-on" part, a "dark psy" part and a "prog psy" part. Somewhat. Yes, I know that is a very rough classification, but if you want to come to the root of the goa-plant of nowadays you must take this approach somewhat. Full-on is liked by the young generation that is new to the sound (if I would be a n00b right now and would not have found this forum here (thank god I found that in the past, otherwise I'd probably have ended up listening to Skazi and Arsetrix and ... )) ... other people like progressive (where I think the age is pretty balanced, young as well as old) or dark ... the advantage of both of those is that you don't get it thrown at your face like Skazi Fullon when you're new to the scene, that is good as new listeners of these styles already have a little of a basic knowledge of what's out there. And then there's the oldschool - and rather the older generations prefer this oldschool sound (exceptions there are several of course, but I'd describe the trend like that), which does not exist anymore today. Yes, you can twist it and turn it and argue, I don't think oldschool exists anymore in a big manner (so that I would count it in as a "part" above) - and there are too few people making efforts in the direction of re-vitalizing it, so it won't reach major audiences soon. Of course there might be labels (Suntrip) and producers and parties ... but it does not qualify to name for we don't have to look at psynews, we have to look at everything in the scene and you might like it or not, oldschool is not represented much. So far to the state of Goa Trance today.

indeed ... that is very much the right style, fits well ... thanks Ode To Arcadia's darkness is too "massive". But WAIT! I HAVE FOUND SOMETHING MYSELF! Talla 2XLC - Is Anybody Out There (DJ Taucher Remix)!!! Man, I had already forgotten this track ... this was such a long time ago. LOL, I think this was one of the first trance tracks I got over the net as I got internet! Man ... but it's perfect. Perfect! These synths are absolutely what I want - not scary, but lonely, abandoned ... and yet peaceful! Yes, yes, yes! These are the synths I want! It's a bit cheezy-touched towards the end, but very good! That's what happens when you dig through old files

thanks again for recommendations Yes, this is kinda what I want! Especially Beilon Pepti ... rest is again not quite as synth-melodic as I seek... Didn't blow me away so much like Neoris, but still, pretty good and definitely in the right direction with the synths ... aaah, finally no mad effects, but peace, that is gooood And now, to top it all, that Beilon Pepti track is on the Refresh Comp too! Man, this compilation is getting better and better, seriously Yay! That is somewhat what I look for indeed! This has the dark "post-nuclear" music synths ... even a bit creepy ... good stuff! Although I won't be able to run to it for it lacks the progression, hehe ... but nevermind, still very good dark nuclear stuff for late night creepiness at home! Thank you Xenomorph's Qlippoth I have already on my checklist And the dark ambient I will check when I'm in the mood...

Yes, yes, the Neoris one was the best recommendation so far I also checked the comp ... looks promising with Setherian, Human Blue, Blue Planet Corp., Nuclear Ramjet ... and some of the other samples sound promising too! Silent Hill I know ... and I love the game because of the soundtrack The Pig stuff isn't my cup of tea though

oh yes, I am already a little sorry somewhat, you good guys giving me so many recommendations and I'm so picky ... but I know I am ... very picky and also very picky in little details all the time, I always was, it's hard to satisfy me, I so know But Penta is also not what I'm looking for Penta is dark, but also far too driving. Less beat and effects and more synth melodies would do the trick... Well ... this kinda industrial stuff might be good when I'm in the mood, but it's already too industrial-ish. I mean, I know some other Skinny Puppy that are kinda dark ambient-ish ... but ... it does not quite do the twist. Some songs are ok, but generally it's too industrially deranged and I hate that screaming singing... Could it actually be that this style I seek, with dark synth melodies without being too psychedelic or having too many effects but still being progressive is somewhat of a hole in the market? There's either the driving dark stuff with the weird effects or the harder prog stuff. Or you go completely for dark ambient. But in between there's only very very few? Because that would be a point to start with own projects ... if I could make music