Making Sweeps in Ableton (w/ Rob Papen Blue)

Sweeps can be a super important part of a good dance track. Its really easy to just jump into your sample bucket and pick out a nice matching one, but, if you just know a few simple tricks, they can be really easy to make too. This little tutorial will show you how to make sweeps using Rob Papen's BLUE. Its a nice little synth I like because it has six oscillators. This can be really handy when synth building. You can also use other synths using this method, but I will go into detail on how to do it within Blue. You can take bits and pieces of this tutorial and apply them to any other synth, because the science is still the same.

The first thing you will want to do is open a new session of live, and insert 1 (or 2 or 3 or 4) midi tracks. Make a new clip and draw in a note anywhere on it. Make it the length that you want the sweep to be... like this -



Then drag your clip into the compose view for better use of envelopes. You have more options there than within clip view (however you can do it within clip view if you like by clicking the little envelopes button. Blue will be an option in your envelopes (with ableton 8).

After that, choose your synth. Again, I am using Rob Papen's Blue. Toss that into your midi track. Choose a nice sound that you like, anything steady will do really, because we will be destroying the dynamics of it. Even a simple tone is fine.

Now within blue, within OSC A, you should see a little button that says SEMI. These are your semi tones (or notes). There is a VERY large range considering it is a synth. Within another synth, you just need to find the parameters for the semitones. Just use your mouse to move that little knob, and then jump within your compose view, and your envelope for the semitones should be showing. You need to make a nice straight slope envelope UP or Down depending on which way you want the sweep to go (up or down). In this case I chose up, and in this picture, I am building 2 sweeps on top of eachother for a more unique sound.


We will use this photo for further reference too. In my case, its an 8 bar loop rising. Now click play on your sequencer (within ableton). You should hear the sound rise from its LOWEST note to its highest. You can also define a different distance simply by changing the slope of the envelope if you would like a less dramatic change or a certain key to start or end on. By doing this way, you are doing the full range of the synth, from its lowest tone to its highest.

This is nice and all, but its time to make it sound really freaky. Referencing the same picture, you can see I chose the LFO tab on BLUE. Within that, you have many different LFO options. Turn one of them on. My favorite is the Tremolo, which makes a really nice pulsing LFO effect. Change the parameters to your likings. I like to make my sweeps in the same BPM speed as the tracks I am making (in my case, usually 128) and then sync the rate of the LFO with the BPM. That way, when I go to use the sweep within a track, it will match with the beat. Some important parameters within the LFO are as follows -

Speed (the speed of the LFO. It is really nice to also automate the speed just like you did the semitones for a nice speed up effect of the LFO)

Smooth - Very important to round off your LFO so it isnt so drastic. It may sound nice to have a drastic sweep all alone, but when you add it to a track, it will seem like to much. Smooth over your sweeps.

Attack & Decay - Also help to smoothen out the LFO. Play around with them. I always add at least a little bit to the attack.

Type - Defines the type of LFO. If you dont know about Waveforms...YOU MUST LEARN THIS! Search google, crucial to understanding synthesis.

Now, you have a nice wobbling sweep at this point. If you dont want wobble, shut off the LFO. It is just an option.

The next step is to add some really nice effects to make this more dynamic.

What you will want to do, is choose where your ocolators are pointing to (in the case of blue, you have the options of FX A, FXB or both). In my case, I am using both. Go up into the DEST part of OSC 1, and send it to FX A, B, or both. If you are using more than one oscolator, point them accodingly.

Then click on the little FX tab at the bottom of the blue like this -





Now you have some options for some effects. In my opinion, these are some of the best effects to use for sweeps within blue

Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, & Autopan. You can try some others if you like too.

In the case of the Phaser & Flanger (my 2 favorites in combination with a chorus), it is really nice to automate the speed. In the case of a rising sweep, make it go faster...in the case of a declining sweep, make it go slower. It really adds to the fact that you are BUILDING UP the song, or BRINGING IT DOWN. You will have the play around with these effects to get a nice sound. It is always nice to use them in combination with a chorus to give your sweep some warmth.

Also try auto-panning it to add some stereo dynamics to it.

Make sure your have the FX MIX A & FX MIX B parts up within blue if you want the effects to take place.

These are obviously not ALL the possibilities, but you can play around within the synth to find out what you like.

Aside from the in synth sweep building, another key to a nice sweep is the use of filters. I like to use abletons built in filters, or the CAMEL PHAT plug-in (for another blog all together). Toss on a nice high pass filter to a sweep and automate it within ableton on top of your made sweep for a very nice fading effect. Remember to make your sweeps disappear within the same tonal range as the hit or upcoming part of the sound to make it sound as smooth as possible...unless you are looking for something more abrupt.

Remember to build one sweep on top of another for more unique sounds, and maybe even bit crusher one of them and destroy the fuck out of it. Sweeps are a place in music to let out your more crazy side. I like to think of them like a plane crashing or taking off...both very uneasy times for me in the real world.

Well thats about it for sweeps. There are millions of possibilities, I just showed you some of the fundamentals.

Peace!

FroBot

TIME IS YOUR ENEMY WHEN MAKING TRACKS

(My session today above)

So....for the last year...I have been practicing exclusively DJ skills with ableton live. I said when I started into it, that it would be a good idea to play around with other peoples music, learn the effects and improv elements to DJing, and then it would be good to apply that to track making. I was SO right. After learning what I have in the last year....i'm ready to stop Djing (just too time consuming)....and get deep into the track making process. For my birthday, my wife bought me the Novation Launchpad....and its a perfect addition (well not perfect, ill explain in another blog all about midipipe) to my setup. I now use the VCM 600, Launchpad, Trigger Finger, Microkontrol, and a little nano kontrol while making tracks. Each have their functions, but that is for another day.

What I didnt realize until recently is that my improv set, containing fixed up samples, huge drum kits with youtube pulled samples, and having all the most used effects....all prepared, has made the track making process a breeze....which brings me to the topic of this post.

TIME SPENT ON A TRACK

Up until recently, I thought it was a good thing to spend 60 plus hours on a track. Working out tiny little details, so you had a track that stands out against the rest....this is not the case. When you spend so much time on a track, hearing that same 4 bar loop over and over....not only do you get sick of hearing it, but your ears do not hear it the same as when you started....or as the ears of a first time listener. Your brain hears it in a whole different way. Now theres the scientific idea that you are hearing it different...which I do not know much about. But what I do know, is how I come to HATE every song I ever finish...by the time I finish it. (up until now) A good electronic track is NOT about how technical you can be....its about a good funky bassline, some nice high frequency percussions that stand out in their own frequency range, and a nice side chained kick. Tuning everything is important too, that is why ableton 8's new frequency shifter tool is a godsend. I have my VCM all mapped out to the 6 main channels for all my improv beats, and then the left side which is normally for effects, programmed to elements of tracks. (Kicks, Snare, 1/4 HH, 1/16 HH). Each has a frequency shifter right above it, so I can easily improv a nice beat, and then find the perfect frequency of each of the elements to match the light percussion...and WALAH! Its like the backbone of the track can be created in minutes.

Now some might say...thats a REALLY lazy approach to making music....you should take more time and pride in making a UNIQUE sound....ok, ok....i get the purist approach to it....but the bottom line is, you can either love your song when you finish or hate it....so get it done as quickly, and with the most talent as possible. That does not mean to make a shitty track....it still takes a couple days to really get a track finished up (not including EQing or Mastering....which I never like to do anyways because I prefer other ears to do it over mine, and its so damn BORING!!!)

Ableton, used with the right controllers, and right template set (handmade to your controllers) can make all the world of difference when making tracks quickly and efficiently....and as a producer....being signed....labeled...managed....you gotta make them funky beats...and fast.

Another key to speed in making tracks is to dedicate a few weeks, months (or even a year like in my case) preparing everything ahead of time. I made many drum pad kits (drum tool within ableton) filled with my most common used samples. For instance, I have 5 full pads (matching my launchpad)(500+ samples) of only sweeps. These are nice samples I have made, found, or purchased. I never know which one i'm going to like, but, I am 100% sure that every track is going to need them. So, just drag in my saved pad (by clicking the save button after making it...the little icon on the right of the pad). Now I can reuse that pad of samples over and over. Having the pads mapped out the the launchpad is great for switching through them before using them...and much more efficient than searching my 700+ gigs of samples and using the mouse. Using abletons transpose button (mapped out of course) is nice to change the key on the fly to match the song i'm making. Now I dont just have sweeps, I have full pads dedicated to chinese instruments by using the "slice to midi" feature. Ive sampled out arhu and dizi instruments in traditional progressions (even from youtube) into nice playable pads...which I can come back to at any time. I dont even want to get into the number of kicks, claps, and snares I have prepared. These are not just samples like ones in your library....these have all been sampled from songs where I liked the kick, cleaned up, and ready to be used on the fly. All helping to maintain speed during the music making process.

You dont want to waste your time on the simple elements of a track....especially when dealing with funky house or tech house like I am doing. They always have a steady kick, always have a nice sharp snare or clap, always have a nice rolling HH....so have those ready to go, and easily swapable.

Another little tip is to have sample making sessions....where you solely make basses for a whole day, or make nice chord sounds..etc. Once you get deep within a synth or soft synth, that is when you find the best sounds. Take extra time preparing nice loops that you may or may not use in the future....but, you HAVE THEM. You never know when that funky bassline you forgot all about just might be the perfect match for that beat your making. Dont just jump into a synth and pick the first sound that comes. Have a session dedicated to sound making, especially basses and melodies. Toss on a nice background beat without many tones, and JAM AWAY. Record one, after another....funk around with the settings....and record more. Thats when you will find your best sounds. NOT EVERY sit down has to be about MAKING A TRACK...you can't go from point A -Z in the music world without going through B,C,D etc (unless your avril lavine or something)....we all just wanna hear some bad ass beats anyway.

Well, all that being said...remember, time is your enemy. Too much is bad. Keep tracks coming, and dont over do it...especially if you are making a living off of it. Its bad enough being in the club night after night and hearing shitty beats over and over in your head...let alone listening to the SAME ONE over and over at home. Keep it fresh....and your soul will be happy with you...and your musical spirit will come into the track rather than being forced. Stay happy while making tracks, and dont make it a job. The more you prepare before hand, the funner your making session will be.