pre-dub sound design, controller setup + the actual dubbing

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q´mar
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pre-dub sound design, controller setup + the actual dubbing

Post by q´mar » Mon Apr 05, 2010 4:40 pm

Hey! I am new to this forum, and Id say a little new to dub also. I am raised by reggae music... almost all the Bob´s creation + Steel Pulse, Toots & the Maytals and so on...
what took me to dub was Thievery Corporation, I think its like a mixture of lo-fi fusion and dub...downtempoish.
I have long experience in producing music and mostly I know how to do everything that I can think of... now introduced to the aspects of dub, I find it like a new challenge.
Basically what I would like to get some tips on, how much time is spent in designing the sounds and arrangements before the actual dubbing process... I know that it is possible to set up the whole dub song just by arranging the parts and doing the special fx with automations and such, but I see that this is not the real thing... someone wrote that he plays a loop where all the tracks are playing throughout the whole song, and simply messes around with fx´s and mutes etc...
is it reasonable to do any build ups for like drums ..and then after 4 loops a new instrument bar comes in , or is all done by using faders and mutes?

I dont have a real mixing board, but I can acchieve mostly the same teqchniques by using controllers (for what I have learned, where there is lack, innovation comes in...) I guess that when I do something like, send the skank track to SEND1 which has a delay in it, then when the delay starts playing I turn down the original skank or kill it completely...shit like that, should acchieve something close to the dub flow... and play with muting drums, bass maybe , skanks...for snare use delay sends and reverbs.

any tips welcome, mostly on - what to do pre dub process, how much effort in designing the sounds, and what to do when it comes to the actual dub process... the first experiments I ripped too much fx I guess beause it was like a mess
٩͡[๏̯͡๏]۶

Zutao
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Post by Zutao » Mon Apr 05, 2010 8:10 pm

Greetings and welcome to the forum.

What you're saying about loops is something I agree with 100%. You need to find a way to put the right feeling, the right swing, the right funk, into the music. The easiest way to do that is to play the various parts individually. Dub reggae is in the feel, not the timbre.

Where to start/how to prepare? You have to take a step back before you start, and think about what you're trying to achieve first. If you want to have rootsy instrument sounds that sound like old-time reggae, start with buying those instruments or getting the musicians in. If that's not possible, you have to search for samples (e.g. on reggaedubwise.com) for things like drums. Personally I don't like to use samples, but many people do. Among other techniques, some people are triggering segments or phrases by hand using the computer keyboard or a MIDI controller. Preparation of the sounds in the tracks is a matter of planning in advance. Looping is not the way IMO. Better to have a gritty sound of your own than a sequenced lifeless melodica or something like that.
You have to know the right sound in your mind first, before you start. Only you know the kind of sound you want.

Good luck.

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Neil C
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Post by Neil C » Tue Apr 06, 2010 7:15 pm

Zutao wrote: What you're saying about loops is something I agree with 100%. You need to find a way to put the right feeling, the right swing, the right funk, into the music. The easiest way to do that is to play the various parts individually. Dub reggae is in the feel, not the timbre.
.
Yes.
At first 70's dub sounds kind of like a straight beat. But in fact in the good stuff there is amazing groove. It's a groovy as funk.

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JahNice
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Post by JahNice » Wed Apr 07, 2010 12:59 pm

Greetinx!
any tips welcome, mostly on - what to do pre dub process, how much effort in designing the sounds, and what to do when it comes to the actual dub process... the first experiments I ripped too much fx I guess beause it was like a mess
Well for me, the more traditional way works best. You make a Tune, mix
it and finish it up. So when you're done you have a Song (or maybe a
instrumental riddim if you dont have singers)! So you take that song and
now you can go make a DUB version out of it. Making a good tune
(before the dub process) is the most difficult part, the dubbin action can
be done within 10 minutes (if you have the knowledge/experience and
everything is set up properly), whilst the creation of a good tune needs
much more time and effort!

How much effort in designing the sounds in the riddim production? Well
thats up to yourself, i would say take as much time as needed, keep on
until you're happy with the sound, there are no standards or limitations to
this.


Also dub for me is not only about fx. The fx are to support the feeling of
the tune or even give it another dimension. But a real important thing imo
is the
remix mentality.

To think:
what can i do to this tune to make something new, exciting out of it? What
can i do to support these elements of the tune that i like? What can i do
to hide some mistakes or some elements that i dont like?

In my opinion you can also make dub versions without using fx, just by
taking some elements out of the tune or by adding some new sounds.
Muting or fading the tracks in and out is a great exciting dub ting, using
various filters on some tracks can be another.



I come to think that the most important thing for Dub is to listen carefully...

Yiannis

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