Production Q&A No.1 - Lethal

[Lethal]

Hey Lethal, nice to have a chance to ask you some questions!
1.) how did you came to that Jawbreaker drums ? Just a messin around or did you have particular idea ?

Me n Khan just made a main drum pattern, then processed it in wavelab with various different effects, we then started experimenting with it and Jawbreaker was born... we didnt plan it, it wrote itself.

So in general do you do your layering then resample the new break and processes as a whole, then slice the whole thing? or do you usually have all your layers in the project,
haha
Basically what im trying to ask is do you make a break with layers then just reasample and arrange it within one audio track
or..
do you build the break/layers inside the project? so they are on diferent audio tracks when you get to the mixdown

It really depends on the tune and the direction it takes... if youve heard the majority of mine and khanages tracks (and my own solo tracks) you will notice that the drum sound does differ from track to track. I like to experiment and not bound myself to a set procedure... but most of the time the break is built in the track/project and thats where it stays until mixdown when it may get exported into parts (depending on what its wrote in)
But if I want an effected drum sound I would normally bounce it out and process it rather than do it in the track... just to save on CPU though to be honest

[natura43]

... just to save on CPU though to be honest

oh..... i feel ur words. this mornin i was working on some breaks, and EQing kicks WHILE PLAYING but suddenly Ableton refused to reply.... so after staring to monitor and listening to 2 bars of break for a while (very very boring ) i said "fuck that" pressed stop button and gone to shower...




.....and guess what do i hear after i came back after 30 minutes 

[djruffian]

so you've recently moved the studio to the domicile...do you have any acoustic treatment on the walls, or do you just keep the near-fields volume low enough to not matter?

also - what was the sequencer you and khanage used for bitter trouble? (one of my faves from you)...still ableton back then?

[Lethal]

so you've recently moved the studio to the domicile...do you have any acoustic treatment on the walls, or do you just keep the near-fields volume low enough to not matter?

Yeah I dont have it loud enough to have a bad affect to be honest... Im in a rented flat so I cant just go drilling and installing this and that though.
But I get round it by being used to the sound in comparison to other tracks Ive produced and also by making sure that I sit in the right position in relation to the speakers when mixing down. When writing tracks I rarely get involved in the mix of the track, I try to get my sounds right before they get put in the track.

also - what was the sequencer you and khanage used for bitter trouble? (one of my faves from you)...still ableton back then?

that was made in Cubase VST5 then mixed down in Logic Pro... glad you like the track
Ableton was nowhere to be seen then...

[blakelight]

First off, great tunes man.  A couple of questions here

1) How do spectrum analyzers figure into your production process?  For example, I use them to make sure that my sounds kick in at certain frequencies (kicks at 100, snares at 180-200, etc) and I use them to look for the other fundamentals in a sound... makes it quicker to figure out what to cut in a sound without killing the character too much...

and one more pregunta...

2) what's your favorite non-dnb, non-totally electronic music these days?

[friscko]

He has worked on varied genres stretching from Acoustic Ambient through to Hardcore Punk, so feel free to question on just about any production subject you want.

any tips on how to produce a rock band then? some friends of mine are in a band and they got hold of a whole bunch of studiogear and they asked me wheter i'd like to record and produce their tracks from time to time. I know how to make electronic music, but i have no clue what so ever how to produce a recording from a band..

(this is the band btw: http://www.myspace.com/svouverthis those clips were recorded live btw, and i wasnt involved in that..)

[teddyhardcor]

hi mate ,sorry my bad english ,¿do you  make masters of your tunes or  use a professional engineer? ¿really you dont like motu soundcard?i love motu sound card is really clean and power  lol

[Dead Kat]

i may have a question or two then fotr ableton ..

in ableton , do you sometimes find ideas by playing around with samples in live mode , recording , resampling or do you have an idea on what you'll bring out ?

do you use the provided FXs in it like EQ , Auto filter , chorus and so on ?..

what's the part that made you choose ableton rather than the way you worked for years ? is it a question of being able working fast ?.. interface ?. collabs with friends made easier for you as more producers are switching for ableton ? ..

do you have anything planned for a live like chris ? .. lethal and khanage live each on a computer or will it just stay for the production ?

[natura43]

i may have a question or two then fotr ableton ..

in ableton , do you sometimes find ideas by playing around with samples in live mode , recording , resampling or do you have an idea on what you'll bring out ?

do you use the provided FXs in it like EQ , Auto filter , chorus and so on ?..

what's the part that made you choose ableton rather than the way you worked for years ? is it a question of being able working fast ?.. interface ?. collabs with friends made easier for you as more producers are switching for ableton ? ..

do you have anything planned for a live like chris ? .. lethal and khanage live each on a computer or will it just stay for the production ?

i hope he'll answer ALL OF THESE, cos i'm really curious about how real dnb producers deal with Ableton

[Lethal]

First off, great tunes man.  A couple of questions here
1) How do spectrum analyzers figure into your production process?  For example, I use them to make sure that my sounds kick in at certain frequencies (kicks at 100, snares at 180-200, etc) and I use them to look for the other fundamentals in a sound... makes it quicker to figure out what to cut in a sound without killing the character too much...

Yeah basically the same mate, I mainly look for bad frquencies, if i think something doesnt sound quite right I look for where its peaking. The peak of the sound isnt always the element you want the most of.
But that and checking the overall sound of the mix too, theres a shape thats considered to represent the "perfect mix" (I will post a picture at some point). I dont stick to this shape religiously but I do use it as a guideline.

and one more pregunta...
2) what's your favorite non-dnb, non-totally electronic music these days?

Do you mean whats current? thats a hard question... Im a big fan of Kasabian, think their a wicked band, and exceptional live. Im a huge hip hop fan and would say thats what I listen to the most (well when im driving), but not too much current stuff, although Busta Rhymes last LP was sick (bar a couple of tunes) and Im looking forward to the new Wu-tang LP.
I listen to so much music though (too much to list), I love old 70s funk and soul, as well as Dub.. and can also happily sit and listen to Brian Eno or Marilyn Manson.
I believe in giving anything a chance, as long as its got a bit of funk to it im down!

[Lethal]

any tips on how to produce a rock band then? some friends of mine are in a band and they got hold of a whole bunch of studiogear and they asked me wheter i'd like to record and produce their tracks from time to time. I know how to make electronic music, but i have no clue what so ever how to produce a recording from a band..

(this is the band btw: http://www.myspace.com/svouverthis those clips were recorded live btw, and i wasnt involved in that..)

Well tbh electronic or rock music the same rules apply, the most important thing is to try and get the sound right in the first place when your recording. (dont believe the hype it cant be fixed in the mix!, well not totally..)
Ideally you want as dry a recording as possible, so if you got reflective walls put some curtains around the drummer or hang some coats... anything that will absorb the sound.
Same goes for the guitars if your miking up cabs, if your going DI then its not so important, though I would recommend going for something analogue to go through... preferably valves, especially for Bass.
Also play around with the mic position when recording, and make sure you use the correct mic for the correct job (i.e. dont go sticking a condensor in a kick drum)
Vocals again you want as dry as possible and keep the volume reasonable when recording and never compress the vocal as its recording... you can always compress it after but you cant undo compression thats recorded. Make sure you have a good pre-amp for the vocal, and try to use the best mic or the singer as different mics bring out different frequencies...

When it comes to mixing the track down the same rules apply as anything, but dont fall into the trap of mixing all the tunes the same... look where the energy is in the track and give it the focus, also look where the vocal sits and make sure it has the room to breath by cutting frequencies in the other instruments.
Also dont forget about the drums, I know this sounds silly but alot of people mix a rock band and all the focus is on the lead guitar and the vocal, when most of the time the energy sits with the drums and the bass. When it comes down to it rock and dnb arent that different.

[Lethal]

hi mate ,sorry my bad english ,¿do you  make masters of your tunes or  use a professional engineer? ¿really you dont like motu soundcard?i love motu sound card is really clean and power  lol

If I was doing a CD release then I would master tunes down for CD. But for vinyl I leave it to the experts... too many ppl these days go mad with mastering programs they dont understand and squash their tunes down into non-dynamic turds!
But I was taught how to master and Im comfortable doing it for a CD/Digital release, anything like that I would do myself.

yeh the MOTU is good quality, just not my personal favourite... the built in preamps arent the greatest either.

[sketchone]

interesting that you use live,(im bit of a production noob) i was warned against using live to produce a whole track because i was told the live engine is shit with audio. do you make a tune from start to finish then mix down using another programe or do it all with live? is there any truth to what i was told?

[Lethal]

in ableton , do you sometimes find ideas by playing around with samples in live mode , recording , resampling or do you have an idea on what you'll bring out ?
the production ?

tbh I havent really played too much with the live mode, i have messed around with it from the building a set point of view, but with production i still use the same methods Ive always used, building 8-16 bar sections and experimenting with arrangements.
I will say though that the audio warping engine in Live has inspired some sounds and creative ideas, and yes I am resampling a bit more, but not as a rule... the easy automation in Live means you can be quite a bit more conservative with your strain on the CPU.

do you use the provided FXs in it like EQ , Auto filter , chorus and so on ?..

I use the EQ eight, I think that works quite well for most EQ needs, except the low end roll off is a bit shit, but you can always use a high pass filter.
I quite like the auto filter I have to say, its good for standard filter effects, and when used in conjuction with other effects like the saturator which I also like. the only other effect that Ive found myself using qite a bit is the grain delay which can give some really good effects depending on what you put into it.
the other effects are pretty stock and get used here and there... the only thing I miss is the tape delay from logic, which i loved and probably ranks as one of my favorite delay plug ins ever!

what's the part that made you choose ableton rather than the way you worked for years ? is it a question of being able working fast ?.. interface ?. collabs with friends made easier for you as more producers are switching for ableton ? ..

I think tbh it was the first "new" sequencer that I actually liked... I wasnt going to switch to a Mac for Logic and sorry SX users but I really dont like SX. I think all the editing was made longwinded and the sound engine more like Logics than the saturation engine they used in VST. I know alot of ppl use SX and get good results out of it, but for me personally it lacked the creative intuition (for the user) that was present in VST and Logic... I found that same intuition in Live, although the one thing I hate with live is the use of multi-timbral instruments is ridiculously long winded.
I do find it fast to work with but I was faster with VST, but that was due to the multi-timbral instruments!
The interface took a little getting used to tbh, getting used to all different shortcuts when the ones I'd been using for years were 2nd nature, especially as Logic and VST basically had the same.
I think the Live pack idea is excellent, and yes collabing with other ableton users is a piece of piss, but tbh this I discovered after I'd made the switch and was a bonus.

do you have anything planned for a live like chris ? .. lethal and khanage live each on a computer or will it just stay for the production ?

For the future its definitely in the pipeline, but for me to do a live set I would want it to reflect all the music I produce and all the styles, I like the freedom a live set inspires though, and I am considering it (lol i need to get a laptop first)...
But I think it is something maybe in the next couple of years were gonna look into doing properly, but Khan is like myself and also has a wide musical taste, so it really will be anything goes. We are working on something atm that will just be for kicks but more news as its ready.

[Lethal]

interesting that you use live,(im bit of a production noob) i was warned against using live to produce a whole track because i was told the live engine is shit with audio. do you make a tune from start to finish then mix down using another programe or do it all with live? is there any truth to what i was told?

Absolute rubbish! the live engine was built for audio, it does have its own sound to it yes but if its shit someone better tell jarman coz his latest tunes are some of the heaviest sounding hes ever done!
I have to say that my latest tunes have been written, mixed and finalized in ableton and im really happy with them, and they sound really good in the clubs too.

I think too many ppl are quick to blame their tools for their own lack of skill. personally I dont like Reason, but I used to teach Music using Reason at college and have to confess that for some things its very good... Id never use it for my own music (although I did make some hip hop beats with it) but the fact is some people can get the results out of it.
At the end of the day you only get out of something what you put in, and you have to put the time in to get the best out of anything.