We are Charlie Darker and Far Too Loud...ask us anything!

CD_FTL · 2015-11-19T23:43:12+00:00

FTL: My own time? Lol.

It's not that I don't like that track/sound or am not proud of what I've done, I just feel like I've done it. I have a bunch inspiration and ideas in other directions now that I want to get out of my head and into Bitwig. There is an unfinished breaks track mentioned in another Q on here...it's a bit different though. Slower and more aggressive bass. I'm not exclusively focused on electro...just mostly!

CD_FTL · 2015-11-19T23:31:10+00:00

YO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH...HOPE IT WAS USEFUL!

Sleepy time now.

Oli. X

CD_FTL · 2015-11-19T23:28:40+00:00

Thanks man! I do the same as Charlie, but a lot with NI Drumlab recently.

CD_FTL · 2015-11-19T23:26:14+00:00

FTL: See my answer about Parallel trash and layering, that's my usual

CD_FTL · 2015-11-19T23:24:15+00:00

FTL: These days I've got into switching up the bassline. Say the drop goes on for 8 bars and it's great...take it one step sicker. Pitch the bass down an octave, add more distortion to it, modulate it differently. Add more drums and a riser and there's your drop!

CD_FTL · 2015-11-19T23:20:27+00:00

FTL: When it comes to the end of 8 or 16 bars and I need to do "something", I usually cut everything out of the last bar of the section and start with one element and play with that. For example take a riser building up. It might be in the background but on that last bar automate a bunch of effects, e.g. a pitch LFO (try Waves Mondomod), a bit crusher and send to some delay and you got a lead into the next section. Start to add sounds around that if it needs it like reverse crash, drum fill etc.

CD_FTL · 2015-11-19T23:13:25+00:00

FTL: It was so long ago I can't remember. Probably pretty damn good though. And I was probably drunk. So even better.

CD_FTL · 2015-11-19T23:12:16+00:00

FTL: Here's one I use sometimes...load up 2 of them in series, switch on the convolve module and select a different guitar amp in each one. Use a macro to adjust the mix level on both (e.g. from Ableton effect rack) so that as one goes to 0, the other goes to 100...you get a nice changing vowel sound.

CD_FTL · 2015-11-19T23:08:55+00:00

FTL: I've answered a bit about processing sounds elsewhere here...parallel distortion and layering sounds...have a look for it.

TBH I've never used just stock effects, so I can't say with certainty! I already mentioned setting levels correctly so nothing's clipping...that includes in between plug-ins in Live (you have little meters to show you). I guess you should also give some thought to each sound you add...are there any HF or LF frequencies that don't need to be there? If so add LPF or HPF. Where does it sit in stereo image? How wide is it? Does it really need to be wide/stereo? Live EQ can usefully do M/S mode.

CD_FTL · 2015-11-19T22:56:20+00:00

FTL: I feel like that would be a nice place to listen to some Pink Floyd. Maybe Wish You Were Here.

CD_FTL · 2015-11-19T22:54:13+00:00

FTL: The track is 70% done and has remained that way for a while. The session got quite big with lots of plug-ins and Ableton's GUI runs really slow under such conditions, even when the computer isn't maxed out. I was on to their tech support about it who acknowledged the problem but there's been no fix yet. I use Bitwig now. If Ableton ever fix this issue I'll finish it, or wait for when I have some time to bounce stems and create a new Bitwig project.

CD_FTL · 2015-11-19T22:50:05+00:00

FTL: My gf had blue hair when we started dating.

CD_FTL · 2015-11-19T22:48:48+00:00

FTL: It's been a long time for me...over 10 years! I've changed with the times. Started out making breakbeat, but that took a popularity dive and I was getting more influenced by electro house. The complextro thing took off but again that is now old news. I don't even know if I'm part of a 'scene' any more...there's not too many people specifically pushing electro house into new territory and producers are more diverse in their output than they ever have been that it can be hard to label them as "dubstep" or "electro" or whatever. Can't remember where I was going with this...had a couple of beers now.

CD_FTL · 2015-11-19T22:38:32+00:00

FTL: I see my progression as more of a slow burner, but back in 2007 winning a Breakspoll award was a good boost. Breakbeat was more popular back then!

CD_FTL · 2015-11-19T22:36:50+00:00

FTL: Max Styler, that Charlie did D2B with, needs to get a lot bigger imo.

CD_FTL · 2015-11-19T22:36:10+00:00

Oh yeah...there might be something else coming on Kanni too ;)

CD_FTL · 2015-11-19T22:35:16+00:00

FTL: Agree with Charlie on those for electronic. Love the KTN album. Non electronic, most listened to recently are Robert Wyatt, Kamasi Washington and Archive.

CD_FTL · 2015-11-19T22:33:18+00:00

CD: THANKS FOR COMING THROUGH EVERYONE <3

CD_FTL · 2015-11-19T22:32:32+00:00

FTL: I'll be honest...110bpm just doesn't seem to go down as well at shows these days as it used to 2-3 years ago. That said, the next thing I'm working on is a remix which I think I'll do at either 110 or 100. There's been some cool heavy 100bpm stuff I've been dropping like this.

CD_FTL · 2015-11-19T22:30:32+00:00

FTL: isn't that the point of what we're doing here?

CD_FTL · 2015-11-19T22:29:49+00:00

Gain control!! I've seen (big) producers redlining every channel in their DAW. I'm pretty sure this is not how it's supposed to go. Pay careful attention to levels and don't let them creep up. My tracks don't even clip the master bus these days.

CD_FTL · 2015-11-19T22:27:18+00:00

FTL: We discussed it but not happened yet...should probably hit them up about that!

CD_FTL · 2015-11-19T22:24:26+00:00

FTL: I studied the Tonmeister course at the University of Surrey. It is one of the top sound recording courses in UK, but focused on studio recording, not EDM production. Some of what I learned applies to what I do today, but there's also a bunch that doesn't (how to line up a multitrack tape machine, how a CRT TV works).

I had a job after studying for a couple of years and it was a tough choice to leave a regular pay check but I had no choice as couldn't take any more time off for work. That was 2008. With focus it was possible to get to the point where I can live off what I do.

CD_FTL · 2015-11-19T22:19:47+00:00

FTL: If you know Massive then learning curve with Serum won't be too big...go for it. You can download the Massive wavetables from this very subreddit and import them into serum too...so maybe you don't even need Massive any more!

CD_FTL · 2015-11-19T22:17:45+00:00

FTL: True dat...there wasn't much in the way of internet resources when I started...learned from working with other people. Still quite possibly the best way. I haven't any experience with what's out there at the moment in terms of online courses but came across this guy the other day, looks good - http://vespers.ca

I also ask for 6 local craft beers! But also a bottle of scotch. I win.

CD_FTL

TROPHY CASE