Mastering iconic sounds and effects found in artists like Prodigy and Skrillex using just Logic's built-in plugins: A guide on generating fame-worthy sounds
In the realm of music production, experimentation with sound is key to creating unique and captivating tracks. Today, we'll delve into two techniques that have made their mark in contemporary pop and electronic music: formant shifting and distortion.
Formant shifting is a technique that alters the resonant frequencies and timbre of a sound, particularly effective for changing the character of vocals. By automating the high-pass filter cutoff with fast rising cutoff changes on note attacks, we can create a dynamic and interesting effect. This technique, popularised by artists like Billie Eilish, can be used to create distinctive harmonies, as demonstrated in her hit song "Bury A Friend."
For those seeking a more focused approach, formant changes can be applied to specific words or phrases of the lead vocal, a technique particularly effective in contemporary pop genres. Celemony Melodyne, a commercially available software, is considered excellent for formant shifting, although most Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) offer this feature in some form.
Another technique that adds grit to your sound is the combination of distortion and a resonant high-pass filter. The drive for the distortion is increased until the desired dirty sound is achieved, and the clip level is then reduced. A clipper works well for this, and in this example, we'll use a Bitcrusher.
The effect of chopped or manipulated reverb is commonly used in music genres such as dubstep, drum and bass, and breakbeat. To create this effect, one can set up the reverb, trim the ending, and add it to a block sound on the 4th quarter note. Automation can be used to create a more complex cut-up effect with the reverb. If you have a Flex Pitch style editor, as demonstrated by Cashmere Cat, this technique works particularly well.
In terms of setting the mix, the chorus mix is set quite low, while the reverb uses a chamber style setting with a medium decay (1.0s) and a low mix blend. This effect can be achieved with any stock reverb plugin. Another approach is to automate the reverb wet mix level, blending it in as required.
For those working with vocals in Logic Pro, Vocal Transformer is a real-time plugin that is great for quick and more extreme changes, while Flex Pitch is the tool for more surgical changes. The plugin version of Celemony Melodyne, developed by Celemony, the company behind the Melodyne software, is also an excellent choice for formant shifting.
Lastly, a screaming dubstep bass sound can be created from scratch using stock plugins, specifically a virtual analogue synth instrument. With these techniques in mind, you're well on your way to crafting unique and captivating sounds in your music productions.
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