JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Musician Message Forum Where are sounds created?

As i think more and more about the music business, it seems that artists and bands, with a new "sound" or a great sound are the ones that stand out.

Then those sounds become available to the general public via software and even hardware.

The problem is when you use those, be it in band in a box or some other sample libraries, you are not doing anything new.

Even back in the day, you could tell what artist was on the radio by how they sounded.

So the question is, where do u create sound from?

Even players themselves, have distinct sounds that become their brand. Think of Mark Knopfler, Clapton, Van Halen.

Or I hear somebody like Jason Mraz on the radio, i say to myself, if this guy didnt have this production and sound how different would he be than any other artists trying to make it?

I dont think you can do something big using pre boxed sounds.

Just wondered, where these artists get the sound from? How do you create a sound? Something i have rarely thought of

The problem is when you use those, be it in band in a box or some other sample libraries, you are not doing anything new - Fdemetro

Hey FD, a good sound is a good sound. I've been using a piano sound for over a half century. What's important is what you create with the sounds. New sounds? Easy enough to take a sound and alter it into something new with different FX's and EQing..

Best, John

Good point John, but how are theses sounds created in the first place? Who creates them. Not that im a big rap fan, but id say at least 50% of a rappers success comes from the sounds they use. If not a bigger percentage.

Just came across this article...

https://www.izotope.com/en/blog/music-production/dont-blend-in-9-ways-to-create-unique-sounds.html

They can come from any sound source. Record a bang on a can, then process it in different ways - new sound. I'll use an existing sound in my arsenal as a base sound, then I'll alter it.


John

I guess the trick is knowing what is actually a cool new sound, and what is not going to take off...

I have useable sounds and non-useable sounds. Sometimes the non-useable ones can be edited into useable ones. I don't care if they "take off", as long as they work for me.

John

Yes, i think receycled sounds can be used for alot of things. The one thing mostly NOT, is for original artists music. Nobody wants an artist who uses the same drum and guitar sounds as everyone else.

That "sound" generally comes from the player's hands in terms of guitar and such. People would pick up knopfler and evh rigs and not sound anything like them respectively.

When general sound from certain bands, I think it's just the collective players and the way they play together......one could get lost in the rabbit hole of gear used, studio used, rooms ect.......and still not find that "sound" ....though one is using the exact gear in the exact studio room and even standing in the exact spot.

I think it's just artist mojo and gear combined.

Nice topic.

Yeah artist Mojo i suppose leads to the sounds be generated. it's like, how did so and so come up with that guitar solo, could say, how did so and so come up with that sound.

I guess trial and error and just "knowing" when you hit on something good.

Remember the band Everclear? Not a huge fan but they had one of those "sounds" instantly knew it was them

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W05cPXpUHGI

Humm,
I thought I covered this some time ago. Sounds is tuned to the vibrations of the Universe. Measured in Metrics, I believe. It's either that or rubbing two sticks together. I can never remember.

A great jazz Trumpeter....who i met at a supermarket here in Jersey LOL, serious, once said that your sound is everything. He is a world class musician so he wasnt talking about rock music, but what he said made alot of sense to me. People hear sound, thats what they respond to. However your sound is put forth, your playing style, your singing style, the rhythms you use, your technique, but also the sound you use in your gear, and your production.

People dont hear music, they hear sound. They buy recordings of songs, not songs, So im starting to realize that production is just as important as the song, probably more.

Yes,
Would agree Production is as important as the Artist. For a fantastic production, from the 50's I believe Google WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL by Johnny Mathis.

and back then not just anybody could produce tracks. It took very good engineers and producers to do it.