Elektron-Users

I'm looking for some sound design tips

I want to synthesize some atmospheric textures that sound like samples played backwards. I want it to sound layered --- in other words, not like just a single sound or loop played backwards, but a texture with many elements simultaneously. Quite a good example of the kind of effect I am trying to get is the MicroQ sound called "The Two Towers" by Holger Steinbrink, which you can here on the Waldorf soundcorner page: http://support.waldorfmusic.de/soundcorner/sound_list.php?page=2. Actuel has some of these kinds of sounds in some of his pieces too, but I don't know how he made them.

I know I could just use samples, but I want to do this as an exercise in synthesis using MnM II or MD.

Obviously the envelope of each element in the texture should have long attack and short decay / release, but there is much more to it than that. I also don't know how to get the effect of several layers simultaneously (maybe with delay?)

Any tips?

The UW Ram machines come to mind.

In the MnM you can make sounds sound like they're reversing with a couple of tricks:

Filters: slow ATK, DEC (set to desired sound), mess with the BDRS, and WDFS to get the desired effect. essentially we're just opening the filter really slowly, then it opens up fully. you can also get this effect by setting a slow ATK then parameter locking the Base/WDTH.

also, using the built-in Track delay is great for helping with this effect. set a very low time, go negative the DSND, and set a high DFB. also, with long delays and then slow ADSR you can the overlap effect which in some cases can be desirable.

the filters are the key. even a subtle slow attack on the ADSR can make it sound this way. lastly, don't forget to use the LFOs. sometimes i use a LFO to trig a filter parameter, delay feedback, or ASDR to animate a sound and keep it from being monotonous. you can have a slow ATK then set a LFO to trig that ATK and it will fool the ears.

one other trick is to have two tracks that are the same. take the second one an really fck it up! add panning, etc.

those are my methods. i'm sure there are other ways. hope that helps.

Cool tips, thanks! Will try it out. Actuel : if you have an example sysex, that would be great, if not, no worries, I'll see how far I get on my own.

I can do that. You have a MKII, right?

on the MD:

Put one step from where you want the sound to begin playing backwards, then another step where you want it to fully sound/burst then param. lock step #1's decay to the max and volume to 0 and *bam* backwards!

like this:
0=empty
Y= param. locked step
X= regular step
>= "morphing sound slide"
00Y> >>>> X000 0000
get it?

actuel wrote:
I can do that. You have a MKII, right?

MKII MnM, MKI MDUW. Actuel, if you do have time to do this, I'd really appreciate it! I love this forum: talented ego-free sound designers who appreciate other peoples work and share their own knowledge

Hageir: yeah that works excellently for backwards 'single hits' (I use something like what you recommend quite a lot ). What I'm trying to achieve is more like a 'pad' or 'atmosphere', or 'texture', or whateveryoucallit 'soundscape', with many layers of ..... ssssdddrraawwkkcaB

I got some evil 50s B-movie drones out of the DoubleDraw last night. Time on full, Release on full, poly mode, slow LFO to hit different waves .. .. .. ..

I think you can make some backwards sounds if you play around with the ARP on digi beatbox on the Mnm.

Use an lfo on the sample start parameter, and lfo on amp. Combine this with some fancy filter moves, and it can work out pretty good. Set the arp to one of the fastest settings. Oldschool reversed timestretch.

A while back i posted a song i did with that "effect" under monomachine sounds on this site.

do you mean with retrigs running? or does this work because of the arp? I have try this out!

Thanks for the tip.

You dont have to use the retrig function, since the sample start doesnt change when using retrig.

The arp does all the work. hehe. You gotta play around with the settings. And remember to turn the volume down! or you can get an unpleasant surprise.