Recording live arrangements

Electronic Music Production // Dark Arts
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Martin
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Recording live arrangements

Post by Martin »

Hi!

My arrangements usually becomes very flat, with really rough automations when i record live.

I realise i need to practice more, and things will sound better with time, but im interested to hear about your process/thoughts/ideas about recording your arrangements live.

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Críoch
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Re: Recording live arrangements

Post by Críoch »

I'm the worst person in the world to give advice..

but when I'm setting stuff up for a jam / rough arrangement.. I like to have a few things running at odd time signatures or definitely looping over odd bars.

recently I've been experimenting with a tonal or noisy loop.. in the background unsynced or at a slightly shorter than a couple of bars or whatever. it gradually goes out of sync. sometimes I'll render it drifting over 3 or 5 bars etc.. & loop that. works nice sometimes. underneath soundbed stuff.

I find that these things help make the usual volume fades & kick vaccums sound more interesting. for me anyway :)

if you are talking about the quiet / loud sections of a dynamic arrangement..

sometimes I like to make a long loop of 16 - 32 bars of percussion or hats .. whatever/ different sections, coming in & out every 8 or 16 etc.. bars. frees up the hands & let's you control other things to add intensity, be it a melody, filter or bringing in additional elements. can lead to happy accidents. one section stretching out over to another etc..

doesn't always work out like that.. but there you go.
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ggroove
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Re: Recording live arrangements

Post by ggroove »

2 quick tips

1) if movements are too jarring and changes non-destructive (e.g automation) use your daws function to lower the span between max and min values

2) use unsynced lfo’s with live recorded automation it’s crazy how alive a basic synth can get if you record basic filter cutoff but also have lfo’s controlling subtle envelope movements, pwm, tune (in cents), anything really (same goes with drums). But not all the instruments, think in contrasts.

Oh and try nudging a few things slightly off grid if possible and experience if that helps the groove and overall performance (regarding transients). Could elevate over processing with eq and dynamic processors.


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