yes please help me guys im desperate thanks

 

I ad harmonics to a synth with multiband saturation. Only effecting the desired frequency ranges. (I use Fabfilter Saturn)
It will change the colour and tone of the sound. Needs some tweaking tho.
And parallel compression is an easy way to ad weight and body without adding more harmonics. Also great on snaredrums.
Don't forget to EQ those unwanted frequencies.

 

Rbass, harmonic maximizer, saturation, distortion, layering, quadrafuzz....

 

guys you dont understand.
I dont want a list of plugins or software suggestions.
i want a small insight in how to give synths more harmonics.
I can fiddle all day with all the knobs in a plugin but that will not tell me how to do the job I need to get done.
please tell me HOW YOU DO IT

 

can you share a sample so we can give advice on that piece ? you know you can only boost harmonics which are already there

 

The one simple advice I can come up with is not what I would recommend on the topic..
The best advice would be; Try all the saturation plugins you've got! In other words, experiment with different types of distortions.
Synths (or bass, drums and percussion) can benefit from a preamp, stomp box, other guitar effects, tube, tape, lo-fi, desk saturation, channel strips etc.
But maybe you'll only need a modelled EQ to boost some mid-lows, or heavy parallel compression as mentioned earlier. And layering is also very helpful for a richer sound.
In short, character,or warmth, or 'fuller', whatever you name it, its not a one trick pony.
Putting all that aside, I like this parallel saturation technique for more character.

1. Duplicate the channel
2. Insert a saturation plugin
3. Ad a bandpass
4. Sweep the bandpass to find the sweet spot
5. Mix the channel in with the original

 

Last edited: Sep 17, 2018

That's ... pretty much how most people do it. Mess around with the knobs in a plugin (or hardware processor) until you get the desired effect. If you're not interested in figuring out how this stuff actually works, why are you doing it?

 

First @MMJ2017 is correct; don't buy the Fill-The-Spectrum crap. I don't even know where that started, but it *is garbage (he is also on-point with the stacking layers of analog goodness, each doing *only a tiny bit of work.) As mentioned somewhere above, a lot of what you're going to have to do is experimenting. That being said, like @Majestic , I'm a big fan of Kazrog's True Iron, ISM's Aroma and Overloud's Scupltube, but I've even found strange ways to mix and match random plugins to bring out or thicken tones, like screwing around with Sonible's Frei:raum along with some of the plugins mentioned above. I personally have endless fun mixing and matching and seeing what kind of effects chain I can Frankenstein together. As so long as you stay focused on your goal, I recommend setting aside some time to explore your plugins and begin experimenting with them. Also, find a reference track and use MtM's Reference, or something of the sort to try and deconstruct (reverse engineer?) what you're hearing in a track that has a sound/tone you are aiming for.
@Amirious - Do you know my buddy Mark? He loves to watch people play 1st person shooters and when they die, he shakes his head and mutters "That's not what I would have done," yet, when asked what he would have done, his answer is always, "I dunno..."

 

I have to agree with MMJ... although I'm a newbie and a hobbyst, I've noticed something. Using too many high pass filters on too many sounds is NOT a good thing. I was always obsessed with "OMG look at this synth ahaha so much low frequencies, I need to cut these out!" oh how much was I wrong. sometimes a hi pass is needed, sure, but if you don't do it right you risk to make the sound thin and lifeless.

of course it depends on many, many factors, but the general idea is always the same: you don't have to do it because others told you to do it. you should do it only if it makes the song better ;)

on plugins (which I know you didn't ask, but didn't see it mentioned), I want to recommend RC Retro Colors. it has something special in it, at least for MY ears

cheers, my two cents.

 

Interesting @MMJ2017 ...But under 35 Hz and upper 18KHz,we don't hear these frequencies,do we?
Too much Hi pass/Lo pass filters kill your song,sure.
But I use Hipass/Lopass until I listen the effect,and go down a bit.These unnecessary frequencies are useless,I think.
.

 

those frequencies are useful, human cant hear those frequencies but body can, it also has musical/psycho acoustics effect, and the converter use different method to delivering better audio result which analyzer cant noticing
and yes we can use new rme's product to get over to 768khz content for increase audio quality, but in some other playback system it can cause unpredictable negative effect

 

yes i am positive, and it is demonstrable . every number 1 song you have heard uses it, in fact every pro song after 2007 uses it. if you have a big name producer and big name engineer they use it. pick any track in last 10 years that you have heard about , it uses it. its just the way sound engineering works.

 

i have a experiment for you to do your self to demonstrate this.

take any hit song which has a mastering limiter applied ( a ceiling which transients cannot go past)

import into your daw
NOW
take a eq plugin and cut everything from 5hz and below ( dont change volume levels on the track)
now play it back A to B
that is comparing before and after

what you will find 100 percent of the time is a destructive impact on the transients of the sound
anytime you cut lows or highs out you are damaging the transient response of the audio track being manipulated.
test this out for yourself.
if you think it sounds good then use it.
(some people have such poor speakers that damaged transients sound good on their speakers)
just remember if you do that method you will never get results that million dollar studios get.
YOUR songs will never sound the same as big name songs.

If you have say a vocal or snare tack or cymbal etc. there is nothing there at 35hz to begin with leave it alone!

you only need to adjust frequencies in a track which contains them to begin with.
say 808s yes there is something there but adjust gently . kicks yes. hihats no, vocals no.

a true professional understands that there is a nano level of detail in audio , say with tape or tube at the nano level you have grain and fluctuation.
carving holes in your audio is bullshit it is ignoring the reality of the situation as far as how it impacts the actual sound in the nano scale.( destructive transients)

 

Last edited: Sep 17, 2018

This is the secret to making audio adjustments.

you spend a lot of time listening before you do anything, next listen for what change needs to happen focus on only one change one tiny improvement. then you grab a tool that can accomplish that. ( it only took me 15 years to perfect this process, maybe for you 1 week who knows)

 

@MMJ2017, I've been using hi/lo pass to affect placement in the mix (depth). Closer things need less high end and lo end detail. Are you saying that this practice is destructive to my tracks?
I've never been a fan of the so called swiss cheese method, but sometimes I'll eq the bass differently than I normally would if I want the kick more prominent, or guitars to occupy more lo end, etc.

 

for the piano however is good and to other instruments in a way ;)

 

I certainly cut lows from things and do it all the time and certainly will certainly continue to do so. Why have all those decibles piling up on things like high hats, shakers and even vocals, guitars and absolulely anything that I deem superfluous. It is all done in the context of the mix. I cut until I hear the difference it is making and then bring it back in until it is just right. Headroom is precious and things that eat it up are wasteful and unnessessary. Everyone has their own recipe that works for them. Saying that every hit record doesn't have the mix engineer cutting low frequencies is far, far, far from the truth and is very misleading of anyone to say that. Back it up or back it off...I feel that you are misleading those that might think that your's is written in gold and must be adheared to with the absolutes implied. If you could reply in 100 words or less minus the charts, videos or other distractions, keeping as simple as humanly posiible would mightily appreciated.

 

MMJ2017 his ego went rouge. Meaningless drivel was the consequence.

 

Last edited: Sep 17, 2018

Sure,the difference between a greatest mix and a great mix is in the subtle details.
I don't understand how a Lopass/Hipass at 25 Hz and 18 KHz will affect the transient response...
If I overdo the Hipass/Lopass,yes.But if it's light...
I hear it if my snare losses his punch,in this case I use a linear phase Eq.

 

Last edited: Sep 18, 2018