Stim93
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Spokane, WA

Heyo.

My name is Stim. I've owned LSDJ for about three years and only recently had the patience and the attention span to be willing to learn in depth on patches and actually making stuff that isn't spazzy, unlearned jibber. I really like National Broadcast Network, Anamanaguchi and Love Through Cannabalism. I've been wondering if there is anyway to emulate the punkier sound of NBN on a gameboy and transpose for a four-piece band in the same vein as anamanaguchi. For LSDJ users: Is there anyway to make a full drumkit using pulse drum and noise channel so I have my Wav channel open while still being able to utilize both of the pulse channels for other uses? Also, general band question... Is there any recommendations from anyone about how to maximize productivity with the band that has worked personally for you?  I'm sorry I've weaving multiple thread topics. I'm just really excited to be part of the community and improve myself as a musician.

Thanks everybody.

defPREMIUM
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shawn phase i bet has tips on band stuff, i'll send him this thread :    )

Stim93
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Spokane, WA

Thanks man! smile

DeerPresident
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South Korea

Get a drummer that actually shows up to practice, and ditch the LSDJ drums. As far as "maximizing productivity" within a band, make sure everybody is on the same page as far as sound and general influences are concerned. I went to a band practice once where the guitarist was into IronMaiden-esque harmonies, the drummer was into MASSIVE double-bass death metal, the bass player blues/punk, and the vocalist into nu-metal. If one bandmember doesn't "fit in" with what everybody else is doing, be honest and tell them, then write/play without that instrument until you find somebody else. Also, practice at least every second week as a whole band, or you'll be wasting your time.

Stim93
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Spokane, WA

So it's difficult to mesh genres together and still be productive? And while searching for drummer it's okay to practice with the drumkit plugins for the recording program we use you think?

DeerPresident
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South Korea

It's not difficult to mesh genres, in fact my favorite bands/groups/artists mix seemingly unmixable genres (noise/hiphop, swingjazz/boombap, black metal/sludge). But, everybody has to have a general idea, and agree on the overall sound of the band. I personally don't like working with drummers (sorry if I offend anybody, I've had mostly negative experiences), so yeah, I think it's a good idea to practice with software IF it is synced to your LSDJ.

sleepytimejesse
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Youngstown, OH

A band is only as good as the sum of its parts. Bare in mind if you are going to end up doing all the work, you don't need other people. The other people are there to work with and to thrive through one another. When you get that mix of personality, talent and vision between people, writing interesting music becomes pretty natural smile

So my humble advice would be to assemble the right team, cast out any freeloadin' downers along the way, and keep things open and collaborative once you've got people as good or better than you to work with

Last edited by sleepytimejesse (Aug 13, 2014 10:49 am)

defPREMIUM
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yall making me want to be in a band again

herr_prof
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Stim93 wrote:

Actually making stuff that isn't spazzy, unlearned jibber.

You lost me.

Alpine
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UK, Leicester

Yeah, make sure that all of you are making the same thing, and that it fits. If you're the musically creative one, and the other members are either less creative/ just there to play your music then you're going to run into problems. As shite and corny as it sounds, you've got to be able to write music to be in a band, not just play an instrument with skill. Although this is non-chip, my band and I all have a lot of music in common, mostly punk stuff, which is what we try and write. It helps if you have more than one thing going on, don't get stuck in a JUST band rut. I write chip as well as work with the band, and because I'm not just doing one or the other, it means that I have different ideas, and can bring more to the table so to speak. If you're looking to write music for every instrument, then you're probably not going to have a good time, and you need to be able to make compromises. Don't control what other people do, and make sure you're familiar with the other isntruments in the band. I play bass, but I can keep a basic rhythm on drums, and play a few chords. I'm not sure if you're planning on adding vocals, but I find it difficult working with the singer, mostly because I can't sing that well, if you can then it's going to be a damn site easier. Also make sure you have a good drummer, incorrect timings are a lot harder to deal with when you have X bit of electronic kit with a perfect speed.

an0va
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Stim93 wrote:

For LSDJ users: Is there anyway to make a full drumkit using pulse drum and noise channel so I have my Wav channel open while still being able to utilize both of the pulse channels for other uses? .

For the longest time, I wondered how people made such full chiptune tracks, specifically in LSDJ. All of my stuff sounded so basic in comparison, and I was always running out of channels. I thought many people were using additional gear or post production tricks or something...until I started seeing people doing it live. I didn't get how so many artists were getting such a huge sound out of only four channels! I eventually learned how it's done by picking some brains, studying some source code, and observing great performances at a show (while also rocking out at the same time, haha)

So if you're interested in getting thick LSDJ sounds, check this out. This isn't just an LSDJ tip, but an advanced tracking tip in general. Try to fill up a ton of space and use multiple instruments on the same channel. If you get your hands on the source code of a super complex LSDJ song (or any module with limited channels, really), solo one channel and mute all the others. You may notice that a single channel might sound awful by itself - this is because the channel may be filled with kicks, bass, snare, chords, and part of the lead all in one pattern. Working with channel economy like this is a great start to making your stuff sound way more full. A single channel does not mean just one single instrument has to be on it.

So when you have all your channels doing this at once, it makes a huge sound! Many times it sounds like a track has more going on than there actually is - for example, you can definitely get away with placing a kick drum in the middle of a bassline (or even during a lead melody) without people noticing too much. If your song is busy enough, it might not even sound like the note is missing at all! Use all channels together instead of separating them based on "kick channel, drum channel, chord channel, and lead channel" and you'll find making this stuff isn't as difficult as it seems. Can't fit a kick drum in the pulse channel? Put one in the WAV. Can't fit your lead in the WAV? Put part of it in a pulse channel. Mix it up not just by the measure, but even per pattern...or even per note.

It may be a bit weird to start thinking this way though, especially if you come from a traditional audio recording background where each "track" has it's own thing - like for example the "kick track" only has kicks, and the "bass track" only has bass. Tracking in LSDJ isn't like that. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. smile

Last edited by an0va (Aug 13, 2014 6:56 pm)

Imaginary
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Whateverville, California

Hell yeah an0va, that's great advice. I wish I'd had that explanation when I first got started tracking.

Being in a band is all about finding people who actually want to play music. Not people looking to get laid, not dudes who want to "rockstar out bro!" not that guy who wants to be the coolest kid on the block, but people who are musicians because they have an honest drive to make music for it's own sake. If you can find four people in your area with this attitude, who share genre preferences, consider yourself very lucky. (When you add other limitations like "Not an egotistical asshole" or "can actually play an instrument" it becomes more like three, or even two in all honesty.) I have been in bands with some amazing people and some absolute turds. Sometimes it's easier to keep the hardworking, dedicated musician who has nothing in common with you than the totally awesome guy who never practices and just shows up to look cool to his non-musician friends.

After personnel is sorted out, the band dynamics will form themselves in time. Usually one person will emerge as the principal songwriter and the others will either jive with that or bail. Sometimes that can be messy and uncomfortable, but it's a natural part of the process. I have been on both ends of that situation a few times, and sometimes bowing out gracefully is the best option. It really helps to be flexible and open minded in that situation. In very rare circumstances one might find a person that they can fully collaborate on writing with. I have only found that once in my career as a musician, and it made for the best band experience and the best music I have yet to produce. If you find that person, cherish your relationship and give it your all to keep it as friendly and informal as possible.

As far as writing better music, preforming well and progressing as a unit, there is no secret at all. You can take lessons, read books on your instrument, spend money on better/more reliable gear and get the collective effervescence of the band going by being truly into it. All that stuff is great and will help in superficial ways, but the truth is, none of that shit matters at all if you don't practice. Practice every day you can possibly imagine practicing. Make a schedule and write it out on calendars for each bandmate... At the height of my best live band we were practicing 5-7 days a week. 2-4 hours a day. We made this work because we had a dedicated practice space, the three of us had 9-5 jobs and lived within 45 minutes bus-distance from each other. Did we get sick of each other? Yeah, but not to the point of violence. Did we get bored to death of the same setlist? Yeah, really quickly, actually. Was it all worth it to go on stage and absolutely floor audiences every time? Yup.

TLDR: Q: How can we be more productive? A: Practice as much as possible.

n00bstar
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Montreal, Canada

NBN > Life & God & Bacon

Stim93
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Spokane, WA
DeerPresident wrote:

It's not difficult to mesh genres, in fact my favorite bands/groups/artists mix seemingly unmixable genres (noise/hiphop, swingjazz/boombap, black metal/sludge). But, everybody has to have a general idea, and agree on the overall sound of the band. I personally don't like working with drummers (sorry if I offend anybody, I've had mostly negative experiences), so yeah, I think it's a good idea to practice with software IF it is synced to your LSDJ.

I've had bad experiences with Drummers as well the one time I was in a band. I'm currently pulling one together but it is kind of difficult to find one locally and my previous experience has made me a bit leery about playing with people I don't fully know.

Stim93
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Spokane, WA
sleepytimejesse wrote:

When you get that mix of personality, talent and vision between people, writing interesting music becomes pretty natural smile

This. This is exactly what I'd like to achieve.

Stim93
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Spokane, WA
Alpine wrote:

As shite and corny as it sounds, you've got to be able to write music to be in a band, not just play an instrument with skill. Although this is non-chip, my band and I all have a lot of music in common, mostly punk stuff, which is what we try and write. It helps if you have more than one thing going on, don't get stuck in a JUST band rut.

I guess I've had problems with this in the past. Especially with feeling like I had to goad some input or interest out fellow musicians who were in the band but weren't really into the band. If that makes sense.

Imaginary wrote:

As far as writing better music, preforming well and progressing as a unit, there is no secret at all. You can take lessons, read books on your instrument, spend money on better/more reliable gear and get the collective effervescence of the band going by being truly into it. All that stuff is great and will help in superficial ways, but the truth is, none of that shit matters at all if you don't practice. Practice every day you can possibly imagine practicing. Make a schedule and write it out on calendars for each bandmate... At the height of my best live band we were practicing 5-7 days a week. 2-4 hours a day. We made this work because we had a dedicated practice space, the three of us had 9-5 jobs and lived within 45 minutes bus-distance from each other. Did we get sick of each other? Yeah, but not to the point of violence. Did we get bored to death of the same setlist? Yeah, really quickly, actually. Was it all worth it to go on stage and absolutely floor audiences every time? Yup.

Did you ever have a situation where there was difficulties in setting up regular practice times due to how unstable and busy everyone's schedules were and were you able to solve it at all?

an0va wrote:

Working with channel economy like this is a great start to making your stuff sound way more full. A single channel does not mean just one single instrument has to be on it. So when you have all your channels doing this at once, it makes a huge sound! Many times it sounds like a track has more going on than there actually is - for example, you can definitely get away with placing a kick drum in the middle of a bassline (or even during a lead melody) without people noticing too much. If your song is busy enough, it might not even sound like the note is missing at all! Use all channels together instead of separating them based on "kick channel, drum channel, chord channel, and lead channel" and you'll find making this stuff isn't as difficult as it seems. Can't fit a kick drum in the pulse channel? Put one in the WAV. Can't fit your lead in the WAV? Put part of it in a pulse channel. Mix it up not just by the measure, but even per pattern...or even per note.

Awesome. That is exactly the kind of information I was looking for. I guess I've been a little nervous about using multiple instruments on a single channel because of the instruments interfering with each other or not blending properly so it's nice to be encouraged to fit multiple instruments in a channel.