SonicTransfer

VST Distortion Tutorial on Ableton Live, Mixing, Return Tracks, Boogex. Distortion is used by electronic music producers on basslines, synthesizers, drums, and even entire songs. It is a vital tool that can give your music a much rougher, louder sound. While distortion is often used during mixing, this SonicTransfer.com tutorial will focus on using distortion during music production. To follow this tutorial you will need:

• A VST Host (e.g. Ableton Live, Cubase, Pro Tools, etc.)
• Voxengo Boogex - Free VST Distortion Plugin. Click here to get Voxengo Boogex.

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Compression, Mixing, Side Chain Compression, House, Tutorial, Oscilloscope. In the old days, mixing engineers would study the volume meters as they danced along the console. By playing back well-mixed songs, these early pioneers learned how to read proper song dynamics. This skill is invaluable when trying to understand and utilize compression. This article discusses a modern approach to developing the same talent cultivated in the old masters: the ability to create pleasing dynamic compression. For this tutorial you will need:

1. A VST Host (Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase, Digidesign Protools, etc.)
2. S(m)execope VST/AU Oscilloscope. Download S(m)execope for Windows / Mac OS X.

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If you are a Mac OS X user and need a free Universal Binary vocoder, VoCodex is your solution. This AU vocoder has good control over its output and will do a great job turning your voice into a robot Click here to visit the VoCodex home page to download it.

Finally, free sidechain compression for Mac OSX producers is now available! Get that house music pumping sound using Teragon Audio’s DualComp VST Compressor.

UPDATE: The SSS Side Chain Compressor is now available for Mac OS X. You should definitely check it out, because there have been complaints about the DualComp’s sound quality. Click here to download the SSS Side Chain Compressor.

Learn how to Install the DualComp Compressor on a Mac

You can download the DualComp Compressor using the links below.

Download DualComp Compressor for Mac OSX

Download DualComp Compressor for Windows

VST, Plugin, Free, Mixing, Oscilloscope.A good oscilloscope is useful in many contexts: synthesizer programming, understanding phase cancellation, compression, etc. Lucky for you, there is a fantastic free digital storage oscilloscope from Bram at SmartElectronix. This plug-in can be dropped anywhere in your DAW’s signal path for quick and easy analysis. You can use this tool to fix all kinds of dynamics-related issues.

Download the S(m)exoscope VST / AU plugin for Windows & Mac OS X.

Vocoders make voices sound robotic, drums sound melodic, and everything else sound really hypnotic. Vocoders are used by almost every major electronic musician. So how do they work and how can you use them? Read on.

To follow this lesson you will need:

1. Ableton Live (or any other VST Host if you are familiar with its audio routing features)
2. Orange Vocoder - An excellent VST vocoder. Click here to get Orange Vocoder. Alternatively, you can use a free VST vocoder from MDA-VST. Click here to get the free MDA Vocoder. A free Mac OS X Universal Binary vocoder is also available. Click here to download it.

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Sidechain Compression Tutorial, Sidechaining, SSS Side Chain Compressor. The whole french house scene is practically defined by a signature sound. While the music itself is very different, every track seems to have this really loud sound. Some DJ’s call it a “push, pull”, “breathing”, or “suction” sound. It isn’t just artistry that creates this signature sound, it’s a lot of studio magic. That magic has a name: Sidechaining. After reading this SonicTransfer.com tutorial, you’ll know exactly how to do it.

To follow this lesson you will need:

1. A VST Host (e.g. Ableton Live, Cubase, Pro Tools, etc.)
2. SSS Stereo Side Chain Compressor - Free VST Compressor (now for Windows and OS X). Click here to get the SSS Stereo Side Chain Compressor.

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Electronic Music Production Tutorial on Synthesizer Vibrato. With electronic music production, the difference between aweful and amazing is determined by thousands of subtle audio effects. One of these effects is vibrato. When used appropriately, it has the potential to dramatically improve your basslines, leads, and vocals. This tutorial demonstrates several ways to use vibrato in electronic music production. To follow this lesson you will need:

• A VST Host (e.g. Ableton Live, Propellerhead Reason, Cubase, etc.)
• A VST Synthesizer. (e.g. Synth1, click here to get Synth1)

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If you just want to dabble with vocoding and the Orange Vocoder is out of your price range, then you should definitely give MDA Vocoder a try! It is a very nice free vocoder with good control over the output. However, it lacks a user interface so it isn’t very pretty You can download it from MDA-VST in their plugin pack (Mac & Windows plugins available). Click here to visit MDA-VST’s website.

Electronic Music Production, Plugins, VST, Melodyne. Celemony Melodyne is about to release a revolutionary tool for producers and remixers. It’s called Direct Note Access (DNA) and it allows you to separate polyphonic audio into adjustable MIDI data. It can take an audio loop that plays chords, separate out the individual notes, and then adjust their pitches, volumes, onsets, and durations. The software is truly jaw-dropping and will no doubt be as useful and prevalent as Antares Autotune. Before seeing this in action, I would have told you that this feat is mathematically impossible.

• Click here to watch the promo video
• Click here to watch the presentation of this software at MusicMesse 2008

Thanks to Chris from RTHM for telling me about this one!