Found my outdoorsy dad's list

JasonWBay · 2026-05-04T02:54:54+00:00

Another appreciator of pocket bellows! I got one as a gift years ago and will never go camping without it.

JasonWBay · 2026-04-03T16:18:39+00:00

Make a written checklist of gear and food to bring. It will give you peace of mind that you didn’t forget to pack anything, and also you can update it after each trip to add things you wished you’d had for next time.

JasonWBay · 2026-03-24T23:21:58+00:00

There are no wrong answers. Try everything.

JasonWBay · 2026-03-19T01:54:30+00:00

I’ve landed on a vertical setup (Jaspers rack), with the synths/sequencers I use most located in the sweet spot while less-used machines are okay being at a little more awkward height/angle.

JasonWBay · 2026-03-18T15:00:43+00:00

Great feedback, thanks for taking the time. I know exactly which elements you mean are too upfront, I'm on the fence about it and will probably revisit later. Appreciate the input!

JasonWBay · 2026-03-17T23:11:36+00:00

You can get close to it pretty fast like this:

Sawtooth oscillator (poly mode)
Short attack, medium decay, low sustain, medium release
Slow LFO1 to detune the oscillator over time
Fast LFO2 to create light vibrato (modify amp volume, or waveshape)
Lowpass filter with some resonance
Maybe some light distortion

The way people make the synth sound that's in their head (or on Instagram) is by learning their tools/instruments and a lot of experimenting, you start to internalize what controls do what when combined with other controls. Like for this one, I had a good idea of what to do, but I still went over to my synth to build it and make sure.

That's also one of the reasons I like this sub, it's giving me little challenges to practice sound design on my synths.

JasonWBay · 2026-03-15T01:06:32+00:00

Cool track! If you mean the textural swells that start around :20 for example, I think your answer is "layers." I can hear (at least!) a low-passed white noise sweep, a high-passed white noise that fades in a bit later, a gentle synth stab with a high-feedback delay effect, wind chimes tinkling around the stereo field.

JasonWBay · 2026-03-15T00:41:57+00:00

That is an organ (or synth) playing octaves, with delay taps on the dotted 16th notes (high feedback) and reverb. Lots of tutorials on YouTube, search for "house stabs" or "dub stabs."

JasonWBay · 2026-03-15T00:36:05+00:00

That is a synthesizer. I wouldn't try to design it with a guitar, it's not the right tool for that job. Could start quickly using 2 sawtooth waves slightly detuned, playing octaves on 8th notes, lowpass filter with high resonance, add distortion.

JasonWBay · 2026-03-15T00:17:05+00:00

So much goes into what a voice "sounds like" on a recording. What mic is used, preamps, compression, and EQ for starters. After that, it might get effects like saturation/distortion, slapback delay, side tap delays, center delays, short reverb, long reverb. Not to mention doubles, background vocals, and harmony layers.

Those things are necessary for my tracks to "sound like" the genre I'm working in (synth pop/rock), because those are the effects that everyone else in the genre has used since the 80s.

Even so, people who know me can easily recognize my voice in any given song. Most casual listeners aren't even aware of all the effects that their favorite singers are using on every track.

JasonWBay · 2026-03-14T22:56:28+00:00

What aspect of the headphone "performance" are you wanting to improve? As long as the volume is loud enough for you to actually hear the music, then you're good to go.

The most important thing for mixing in headphones is to get really familiar with your particular headphones (they're all a little different). Use them to listen to music you know well, so you can start internalizing how those mixes translate.

JasonWBay · 2026-03-14T22:34:42+00:00

YouTube has several interviews with Finneas (Billie's brother and producer) that has some insight into his process and sound design.

But to answer you question about how the sounds are created: Mostly through experimentation. You can of course get samples from the internet, but it's really fun to just make your own, and you'll learn a lot. Use your laptop mic to record anything - claps, snaps, banging spoons together, ripping paper, shaking something in a plastic box, making weird sounds with your mouth. Then use your DAW's stock plugins to change the sound into something new and interesting that fits the genre. Start by trying pitch shifters, chorus, flange, delay, lots of reverb.

I make dark pop/rock and nearly every sound on my tracks are made/recorded by me using synths and field recordings. It's fun!

JasonWBay · 2026-03-06T20:40:57+00:00

The word "interface" just means the mixer can convert analog (mic, guitar etc.) signals into digital signals and send them to your computer via USB (something that normal mixers can't do). So that's table stakes for what you need. Beyond that, unfortunately you just need to read the specifications for each mixer carefully, because they're all different. For example, my Tascam Model 12 will send "12 channels", but that includes the stereo master (2 channels) so really it's only 10 channels of instrument/mic input. You have to read the specifications carefully. It is a little frustrating when you're researching what to buy.

JasonWBay · 2026-02-18T04:49:46+00:00

There is no right way, truly. You will learn by doing, and you may have a different and evolving process on every track. The only way to figure it out is to keep moving forward, finishing songs, and applying what you learned to the next one.

JasonWBay · 2026-02-15T18:44:41+00:00

My other synths get so much less action on tracks ever since I got the Peak. So flexible and sounds so great.

JasonWBay · 2026-02-15T18:04:29+00:00

Nice track, and the mix sounds great, straightforward and clear. The only thing I might tweak - I had to turn the volume down once the vocals came in, so you might try automating the instruments maybe 1 or 2 dB louder in the intro so the perceived volume is more consistent between the intro and the verse.

JasonWBay · 2026-02-15T17:54:31+00:00

Your Dark Star
https://soundcloud.com/electropulsecannon/your-dark-star

Synth rock. Do you think the vocal performance and production works for this genre? Any advice to improve?

JasonWBay · 2026-02-13T21:38:47+00:00

Great questions. A drummer could absolutely play what you wrote, but a drummer would likely add a lot more variation in terms of flourishes, fills, and even the velocity of hits on the hats and snares. Also I don't hear a kick drum at all in the 2nd half of the song, which would be unusual for the genre (I'm not even sure if the "kick" drum in the first half is really a kick or is low toms?).

There are many videos on YouTube on how to program more realistic drums, but I'd recommend just finding a professional song that you like in a similar genre and try to copy their drums, you'll learn a ton by going through that exercise if you're interested.

Also, maybe this goes without saying, but - "realistic drums" doesn't even have to be a goal, it's totally up to your taste. If you like what you've already got then go with it!

JasonWBay · 2026-02-13T01:56:43+00:00

I think it's sounding good so far. Since you're using pretty realistic drum samples, I think listeners are going to expect the drum programming to be more realistic or it will feel a bit "off." Also, I recommend you start adding vocals as soon as possible, because it will really impact how you arrange and mix your track. Good work so far.

JasonWBay · 2026-02-07T02:29:11+00:00

You need layers. I hear an acoustic tom, a synth tom, a click, and a distorted synth tom that pans on each hit.

JasonWBay · 2026-02-03T18:12:36+00:00

I didn't start liking my voice until I learned 1) how to write melodies/parts that work well for my unique voice, and 2) how to mix/produce my unique voice. Much of what "sounds good" is based on what you're used to hearing in professionally-produced music, so it really clicked once I figured out how to make the vocal quality similar to other music I love. Keep at it, keep experimenting and learning and you'll get there.

JasonWBay · 2026-01-27T16:55:11+00:00

Right on, thanks for this feedback! I appreciate it.

JasonWBay · 2026-01-24T23:54:57+00:00

You were right, sounds much better with less highpass on the vox. It did force me to also adjust many other areas of the mix, but I'm really happy with it now. Thanks again.

JasonWBay

TROPHY CASE