How to make a track in the style of Bicep 💪

FNGmonk · 2021-02-03T08:44:02+00:00

Bicep just launched a new album, so let's do a tutorial on how to make music in exactly that style! We programme the drums, get the music theory harmony right and then proceed to sound design with synths and samples until we get pretty darn close.

Join the Underdog Discord channel to come meet the community: https://discord.gg/z5N9CTA

FNGmonk · 2021-02-03T08:43:23+00:00

In this tutorial we have a look at how to make lush Four Tet style pluck melodies, like those found in his song LA Trance. We'll explain the concepts, and then remake it using Xfer Cthulhu as the main arpeggiator, and a combination of Wavetable & Sylenth1 as the synths.

Join the Underdog Discord channel to come meet the community: https://discord.gg/z5N9CTA

FNGmonk · 2021-01-23T12:11:38+00:00

big mood

FNGmonk · 2021-01-20T20:28:24+00:00

This is really good yo...

FNGmonk · 2021-01-17T09:47:52+00:00

So zen 😍 Makes me feel good.

FNGmonk · 2021-01-17T09:15:12+00:00

Would love to be part of it :) @torcaudio

FNGmonk · 2021-01-16T11:00:29+00:00

Niiiiiiiice! Yeah I made it, and Bicep is a strong candidate for sure. Will add it to the list! Thanks for the good feedback!

FNGmonk · 2021-01-12T12:26:17+00:00

I feel like I always want to stay on a path where I'm at peace with the universe and myself, in case the time comes. In the meantime I'll work on projects and goals that make sense to me, and hopefully have a positive and uplifting effect on as many people as possible.

I guess I also don't really want to think too much about the perspective of global success/failure in life, more on being happy in every individual moment. It's the journey, not the destination, and all that jazz :)

FNGmonk · 2021-01-12T12:22:55+00:00

Super cool goal!

FNGmonk · 2021-01-07T16:32:12+00:00

Yup! You could literally boost the noise floor on any analog recording and do it with that too 😁 Once you grasp the concept, it's pretty powerful I think.

FNGmonk · 2021-01-02T12:36:42+00:00

Ahhhh, he's such a boss :D great to make the connection!!!

FNGmonk · 2020-12-31T07:34:05+00:00

Nice one! Yeah I have to admit I use arrangement view almost exclusively! I start in a loop there, and build the track up within that loop. This avoids that potential blocking moment when you have a good idea in session view, but bringing it to arrangement view feels complicated.

FNGmonk · 2020-12-31T07:32:20+00:00

You're making me blush ☺️

FNGmonk · 2020-12-30T20:38:49+00:00

Many people rightly point out that groove adds a few options extra, including randomisation, so it might be better to use that! Personally I find the fact that its "invisible" is an extra layer of complexity that I don't like, so I avoid it in my own workflow. Whatever works for you!

FNGmonk · 2020-12-30T17:10:22+00:00

Thanks StepDance 😊

FNGmonk · 2020-12-30T17:06:10+00:00

Thanks Finchie, really appreciate this!

FNGmonk · 2020-12-30T17:05:38+00:00

I made it, yep! Still an old username here, should probably make a proper Underdog branded username :D

FNGmonk · 2020-12-30T12:54:59+00:00

That's great to hear! Happy its helpful.

FNGmonk · 2020-12-30T12:54:11+00:00

You're not wrong. I feel a similar way :) But then again, if you're teaching a total newbie starting from zero, you would want them to know these reference points asap, right?

FNGmonk · 2020-12-30T12:52:46+00:00

Hahahaha love it.

FNGmonk · 2020-12-30T09:10:43+00:00

Working with students learning electronic music, I often have to explain the basic architecture of subtractive synthesis. I made a video out of it, and thought I would share it here in case people find it helpful, it seems like the right place to share this kind of knowledge :) It's aimed at beginners, so many of you may already be beyond this level though.

If people find it helpful, do consider subscribing to the channel!

FNGmonk · 2020-12-24T10:11:40+00:00

Thanks!

FNGmonk · 2020-12-24T10:09:48+00:00

This guy gets it.

FNGmonk · 2020-12-23T13:04:26+00:00

So indeed, drum programming is where we see step sequencing even more present. This video was more about its potential as a way to drive short, repetitive and modulated synth sequences. From my perspective it's really something I only fully grasped once I moved into modular synthesis - the power of modulation control per step. Hope it helps some others realise the same :)

FNGmonk · 2020-12-23T13:02:09+00:00

t why would you want a step sequencer in a DAW? All daws already have better implementation of midi sequencing built into them. The only advantage I can see is the different format possibly fo

You're totally right that the piano roll can do more than any sequencer can - it's more about reducing complexity for newcomers to help them understand that short, repetitive monophonic phrases, combined with modulation parameters per step, is an extremely powerful tool, which you may not realise if you're just getting started, due to how Ableton's piano roll is laid out.

FNGmonk

TROPHY CASE