How To Start A Dungeon Synth Project (EP 1: Creating Music)
Vložit
- čas přidán 4. 12. 2020
- In this series, I'll start a DIY Dungeon Synth project from scratch!
I'll try to detail the ENTIRE process, including mistakes and challenges. I'll do my best to verbalize my thought process so you can have a window into the creative process behind this project. Obviously I can't capture everything so please let me know in the comments if you have any questions!
This project is called "Astral Cauldron" and is available on Bandcamp at astralcauldron.bandcamp.com/
Support my music and streams here:
francisroberts.bandcamp.com/
oldmanwizard.bandcamp.com/
kinggorm.bandcamp.com/
open.spotify.com/artist/2b9nb...
open.spotify.com/artist/354fG...
open.spotify.com/artist/6Glo6...
For all other inquiries, go to my website:
francisroberts.us/ - Hudba
I recently did a livestream approaching this topic from front to back with a different approach and free VSTs; It might be a better starting point for some of you. Watch it here:
czcams.com/video/Z7kPwpX_KtI/video.html
damn dude this is exactly what i was looking for. no frills or excessive explanations, just a somewhat guided demonstration of an individual's personal process behind making a song. great!
Rad I'm glad to be helpful! I'm thinking of doing these in more genres too. Hit me with requests if you got em
Thanks for this series. I just started dabbling with DAWs for the first time specifically with dungeon synth in mind and it was very fascinating and informative to follow your design process.
Awesome! Glad to be helpful. I'm going to try to do another series soon that's focused less on sound design and more on composition. I know lots of people are less excited than I am about designing their own synth sounds.
Ho god thanks ! I just discover your channel and was struggling so much, it will help a lot. Used to record guitar and programming drums but synth is a totally new world to me ! Looking forward to your others videos ! Thanks !
Rad! Glad to be helpful!
Thank you brother, never made music before and super excited to learn so much!
I picture myself visiting some sort of odd dark wooden merchant shop getting a tour around the backroom with elixirs and strange artifacts.
Potion sellers always have dungeon Synth on in the background 🧙♂️
This is really great, considering that there is very little information on making dungeon synth. Thank you!
You're welcome! If you're looking for more, I know Erang has some info on his channel as well, in addition to some good sample libraries for it.
Thanks for 10k views on this, everyone! Here's a newer series using hardware synths and audio editing: czcams.com/play/PLiPoTWDj-oeFDOYvp0WzCYst3PsgmQ27a.html
And expect a series on hardware performances that have no edits/are recorded live! Getting to work on that already, hopefully it'll be here in the next month or so.
Thank you very much!
of course! I hope you can get something from this.
Awesome! I'm currently getting into dungeon synth and thinking about buying my first keyboard and start to experiment with this type of music. Really nice choir sound! Cheers m8🧙♀️
Good luck! It's a fun type of music to create.
This channel deserve more🔥
Appreciate it!
Hails! And excellent work!
Thanks so much!
I'm feeling very inspired to make some dungeon synth right about now
Do it! It's even more fun if you find a cool cheap thrift store keyboard, but making it like this in a DAW is great too!
@@f_c_r_ I think my old Korg electribe would make some cool spooky sounding stuff but I'll have to use a DAW until I get it's power jack fixed
@@DeedeeDirt korg electribe could be cool! Get that thing fixed haha. I let broken power cables stop me from making music for months sometimes, it's a bad habit lol
Best video on the internet
Lol I'll believe you when you drop your first dungeon synth tape ⚔️
Sawesome video
Thx!!!
Only took me about five minutes but I finally realized where I recognized that pad from! It’s super similar to the Temple of Time theme from tLoZ: Ocarina of Time
Wow it is similar! What a cool song too. I never played through OoT all the way but all the music I've heard from it is super exciting.
My life is now complete, time to get to work on a new project!
Get it done and post it in the comments! I wanna hear it!
Actually thinking of getting Xpand 2. After some reviews it looks to me like a one stop shop for making this style of music.
@@ColtimusDoomicus It's one of the good ones for an all-in-one approach!
For some alternative ideas, Erang has a video on some of the stuff he uses here: czcams.com/video/0jiwvCt5uq4/video.html
And Kontakt Player is a great free option that has TONS of sounds and libraries you can find for it (I have a bunch on my website, for example)
Cool Slough Feg shirt!
Thanks! They were one of the bands that really got me into playing and writing music!
What software are you using? I'm starting my dungeon synth/black metal project and I don't know what to use, any tips?
I'm using Reaper here. Follow along with these videos and my livestreams for dungeon synth tips; if you're also doing black metal I recommend using kvlt drums from ugritone. Well worth the price tag for classic black metal drum sounds. I do some streams on metal but black metal isn't really my specialty so I'd feel disingenuous making tutorials on it.
I'm from Tunisia north Africa and i'm new to this this genre and as someone in the recent years start mostly listening to instrumental chill ambient music i stumbled upon an album calls "Mountain Realm - Grayshadow Ruins" and the first piece is it called "Temple Halls" reminded me of old RPG, CRPG OST music ,And it became my favorite piece of the album, probably in the whole genre to be honest to this day ,and the art cover of the album it's just 10/10 . and that led me to seek and search more of this genre like an adventurer exploring a dungeon seeking the rare and potentially legendary items hidden deep forgotten and sealed away for it to be only claimed by the worthy.
I love that this stuff feels like old rpg soundtracks. Also how rare some releases are makes it fun to explore like you said! Cheers
Hi Francis, what's the software you use on this video ? Great video, thanks for sharing.
Hey! I'm using Reaper. You can try it for free from reaper.fm and I have two CZcams channels featured on my channel that are devoted to learning the functionality and workflow (reaper blog and reaper mania). I strongly recommend it, although it is a bit challenging/complex if you don't already have experience with an easier audio software.
@@f_c_r_ Thank You !
Nice video man. what is the name of this DAW tho ?
Thanks! This DAW is called Reaper. You can download it at reaper.fm and I have links to a few good channels that teach it on my featured channels. It's quite popular for sound design but lots of people (like me) use it for music, too.
Hi Francis. Thanks for making this tutorial. I'm playing around with Reaper now. What programs are you using to get your sounds? Various instruments, etc. I'm coming into digital music making as a complete newcomer, but heard you say something about Xpand. Is this where you get your sounds? Thank you again.
Also, how are you bringing up the keyboard UI so you can enter notes, etc?
In this series I'm using Xpand!2 and the built-in synth in Reaper (called ReaSynth; my older series "Dungeon Synthesis" covers sound design on that, and I have a free preset pack for it on my website, francisroberts.us/downloads). Xpand is a decent all-in-one instrument; I don't think it's the best at anything but it has some kind of a basic sound for almost everything. I think it's good at sounding like a 25-year-old videogame soundtrack.
If you're looking for more high-budget type sounds, Kontakt is really good, but Reaper will run any VST instrument. Feel free to drop by my livestream tonight (or another time; I do these on Tuesdays at 8pm PST) and I'd be happy to answer any questions or go into more detail.
To bring up the piano roll UI to enter notes, you can double click on a MIDI item in your arrangement. If you don't have a MIDI item yet, you can use ctrl+click&drag (cmd+click&drag on a mac) or Insert - New MIDI Item.
@@f_c_r_ hmm. Thanks for replying. I'm not seeing the option to insert a midi item, but I honestly don't even know what midi is how to get an "item". I'm that new. I've never made music on a computer before, just with "traditional" instruments.
@@thewal1ofsleep Gotcha! Yeah it's a HUGE learning curve if you've never done this stuff before, because it's hard to even know what to look up when stuck. The short answer to those questions is: 1. MIDI is the way the computer tells the software instruments what notes to play, so when I'm drawing notes into the grid window with the keyboard on the side, those notes become a MIDI sequence that plays back whatever sound I put in the "FX" section of the track, and 2. "Items" are the things that show up in each lane of your arrangement to represent MIDI or audio information that will play back (plays at the same time if it's stacked vertically with stuff in other lanes, or chronologically from left to right if there's only one track lane).
Reaper may not be the best place to start if you're a beginner because the amount of options you have in it can be overwhelming, but if you're finding your way around okay, check out the "Reaper Mania" CZcams channel; Kenny's videos are more focused on specifically learning to use the audio software, and mine generally assume existing proficiency (I'm thinking of making a series for absolute beginners, but I haven't gotten to it yet). Hopefully that all helps, and like I said, feel free to drop by for any of my livestreams if you learn better from visual demonstrations. Good luck, this stuff can be really fun once you get into it!
Hey, can you do a video on how to play dungeon synth live using hardware and loops; also I love your work specially atral cauldron and would love to see something live even a livestream. It would be great If you did that. Also can I have a link to your discord server if it exsists;
Sorry for the bad English. I'm greek
Yes, I'm glad to see interest in such a thing! I'm preparing for either a series or livestream on live Dungeon Synth using hardware. I'm still learning the equipment I got for it but I'm hoping to have it ready in the next few months.
And my discord isn't super active but it does exist, here's an invite: discord.gg/5m37pvDB
*Mozart violently jots notes*
😅
can someone comment on the links to the vst instruments?
I'm using Xpand!2 and reasynth. Search online for Xpand because it changes in cost all the time, so make sure you spend less than $20. ReaSynth is the stock synth in Reaper (the daw I'm working in)
hey i've never tried something like this and have no idea what's going on but its super cool so i want to try. What is that program ? I'm thinking its not free, so can u recommend a program like this but free ?
This is Reaper, and it has an excellent free trial and currently has free temporary licenses available during the pandemic. As of now you can download the full version at no cost at reaper.fm
A couple of solid no-cost alternatives would be bandlab (browser based) or GarageBand (this one is Mac only, unfortunately)
I'm meaning to do some videos on bandlab, this was a good reminder
@@f_c_r_ ooh gr8 news then heheeyy :D i turned on the notifications and im waiting for that. Also thank u very much for all the info and replies. im definitely gonna take a look at what u recommend.
@@emircanaslancan3100 if you go with Reaper I put some great educational channels in my featured channels. Reaper Blog and I think Reaper mania. You can learn the software really well from these. Good luck!
What scale and stuff to use in dungeon synth
You can find ways to make any scale work, but standard Minor scales and Dorian seem to be most popular. For chords, the best to start with are the i and VII (so like, Am and G if you're using an A minor scale, or Dm and C if you're using a D Dorian scale, etc)
@@f_c_r_ okay thanks so much for the help :)
Quick question here. If i have never done music editing in my 46 years , should i be doing some amateur course first before diving into a project like this? I am at the stage where i dont know what i dont know.... Thanks
This might be a little heavy if you don't have experience on a modem DAW. Before doing this series I'd consider looking for some basic videos in Reaper (or whatever DAW is on your computer). I actually have a couple of more recent videos that assume a more beginner level (the featured one that's like four hours is a better starting point than this)
Hello, thanks for making this series, I even have started making my own dungeon synth tracks and composed 3 tracks , However , I feel like the tracks are not that great and not considered as dungeon synth, I have used Band lab to make these tracks. I also enjoy your Dungeon synth tracks as well[ I tried to put one of my tracks but it deletes my comment every time, if this comment has occured more than once, I apologize]
Bandlab is a great free program for this stuff! I was thinking of doing a video on making a track on that platform. Would that be helpful to you?
Yes please, thanks for replying
Okay here's a part 1, the rest will go up over the weekend. czcams.com/video/bUy3ZJp36kI/video.html
What's that program you are using
I'm using Reaper. You can download it here: reaper.fm
Do you need to know music theory to make music? I feel like it’s just a suggestion and if you just clicked notes long enough you’d find combos that sound cool enough times in a row you’d eventually end up with a song that sounds cool
Common misconception about theory is that you either know it or don't. Music theory is really just the act of talking about and engaging with music. Knowing what a note is called and identifying stuff you like or dislike by ear is music theory. There's basically an infinite amount of music theory you can learn and it's important to make music you like while you learn it. So from my perspective, the act of making music itself represents a basic understanding of theory, and developing that serves to grow your vocabulary when you describe what you do. You don't need to know any specific subset of music theory to engage with it, but it helps to learn about theory that supports the styles you enjoy, that way you can recreate sounds you like with less work.
what was the website for the name generator
To be honest I don't remember. Knowing myself, if I used a name generator I probably looked up "words related to sorcery" or something and then picked two words to put together. But I'd just do an online search and you'll find all kinds of stuff. DnD character name generators are great for this type of thing also.
xpand 2 gang reporting in
Sick lol. It's the best plugin for like... Late 90s sounding instruments. I was thinking of doing a series with like, hi fi sounds, but those are expensive haha
@@f_c_r_ If you want a great alternative if you go the hi fi route, I've been loving the Spitfire LABS plugin. Download every free pack they have. Dulcimer and strings are
@@iamerror45 yeah their free libraries are great! I actually have the full version of kontakt and some really embarrassingly expensive libraries to do film scoring work so I haven't dug deep into the free spitfire stuff but I have friends who get great results with it!
why art thou other video's privatized!?
Not quite ready yet! I batch upload and fix up stuff like end screen, tags, thumbnail image as I go and usually have to reload some part of the batch. Next one is pretty much ready and going public tomorrow morning!
My goal is to get one or two new ones up each week
@@f_c_r_ My dudeee, that's music to my ears! I bugged you about this on your announcement video as well. Forgive me, I am ashamed of this, but understand that I am a desperate creature seeking such knowledge as you have to offer! I stand as your 313th subscriber, the channel is small, but not unimportant! Do not forget this! Keep up the good work. Gratitude and Hails from the ancient Germanic swamplands of Noord-Brabant!
can i take your samples my friend? it's very interersting
Yeah you can sample my stuff. I have some one-shots that are supposed to be sampled you can find on my website but if you want to chop up and flip one of my tracks, go for it.
What the program?
I'm using Reaper. Many of these strategies should work on any daw
RIP headphone users 11:48
Oh gosh I saw this comment and thought it was on one of my more recent videos, I had a really bad accidental loud sound on a live recently
@@f_c_r_ hahaha at least it was on an old video. Great vid btw! Thanks for showing the process.
I don't get it. It's Dungeon *Synth*. Where exactly DAWs come in the play?
I'm not sure if I understand your question, but in this particular release I'm using digital synthesizers that are controlled from my DAW. Some of my releases use hardware synths; it all depends on the sound we're looking for. Everyone has a different approach and what I'm showing here is just one of many. I plan to do another series like this that focuses on using out-of-the-box hardware units.
@@f_c_r_ It's called Dungeon Synth IMO for a reason. DAW feels heavily like cheating. I recently started to approach the genre through my own project and it's almost completely done without a computer, I only have a digital mixer - Behringer XR 12. Other than that I create the sounds with 3 synths and 2 samplers.
I think this should be taken into consideration, when thinking about the genre. Dark Ambient, or Dark Medieval Ambient are more proper terms when various programs or virtual synthesizers are added in the mix.
@@sanakassara If you'd like to hear some examples of my hardware approach, I do that too. I don't have the camera equipment I'd need to do tutorials on DAWless recording, though, so I don't create educational content on that yet.
Here are a few:
czcams.com/video/uW_F6K9hq8s/video.html
czcams.com/video/nmOEtTCxNAc/video.html
czcams.com/video/-yKYc20MjI0/video.html
Anyway, I'd love to hear the music you're making! Thanks for stopping by my channel.
@@sanakassara Mmmmmm, music elitists, my favorite.
@@ThePluralApostrophe I'm sorry, I don't seem to get your context. Did you confuse the term "elitist" in the term purist? Because I would see the reference in that context. But I'm not either a purist, or "elitist". Not a purist, because I use hybrid and digital devices as much as I use analog synthesis - but I don't use digital audio workstations. And I'm not an elitist, because I'm two new and unfinished as a musician - but only play Dungeon Synth with synthesizers, like the genre name leads listeners to think.
I hate this so much. Whittling it down to a step by step with a 'formula', sucking the soul and creative freedom out of it. Nothing genuine here. Just creating a product. Instant dislike
Appreciate the feedback (and surprised I haven't had more people saying things like this, since I probably would have thought something similar when I was a teenager). Like it or not, there are step by step formulas to writing, recording, and releasing music. This is an example of that, not something I'm forcing on anyone. I personally learn best from watch and learn videos like this, but I just change all the components so I end up learning the skill (recording with software) without copying the product (the music someone else filmed themselves recording). My other viewers might disagree with me but I hope you have a great day and channel some of that hate into something creative.
It shows an example of how to approach the process of doing "dungeon synth",start to finish, and judging by lots of comments aiming at that topic,there is demand for this. Visual learners and the "help,i can't even try and fail without someone holding my hand" type of people can utilize it to take it from there and do their own
The genre is going downhill since reddit found it anyway