I recently discovered Luma Audio plugin and it’s blowing my mind with the possibilities of sound design being endless. I know it’s not an effect plugin, but do you people have any recommendations of plugins that can make a simple sine wave or saw wave sound into something really complex in terms of sound design and texture? Drop your reccos.

I released my first professional track almost 30 years ago and I've done almost every style, every way and every medium since.

As a female producer, I was constantly underclocked and condescended to, and so I grew up in the industry with a really stubborn chip on my shoulder, determined that not only would I do all my own mixing (because that was always the first doubt) - but that I would go nuts and learn EVERYTHING and be an ENCYCLOPEDIA.

As a full-time touring artist for years, I cranked out tracks for the dancefloor. I wasn't officially diagnosed with ADHD until my late 30s, but it made so much sense. I always had to work on multiple tracks at once, and I often drove my collaborators crazy jumping from task to task, channel to channel, sound design to recording to mixing and back again. But that, combined with the constant deadline of gigs, plus that pressure of being a superstar tech god, plus of course being full-time was enough to make it work.

Now I'm in my 40s and I have a grown-up sound design job. So I don't have dreamy 12-hour-days to browse cat pictures and mess around for hours, and indulge myself to "get into the flow", and then stay up all night sweating the mix so I could get on the plane to my next gig with it.

And I'm a little lost without my deadlines, without even the motivation of my current audience listening to it (as I can see my releases being drowned by bots and algorithms, even my own mother doesn't get the notification). Music for me has always been motivated by sharing it - not the fame, but the connection and the meaning you can create with strangers across the world.

-So I'm not sharing it, really.
-I got no deadlines, since I live in the middle of nowhere and only take very rare choice international gigs (and of course, those are more rare as well).
-I used to be inspired by new plugins and tech, but it seems we've peaked and everything coming out is either just fancy macros/UI or analogue emulators.

Now I've got ideas piling up all in the "messy arrangement" stage, and I could really use some new tricks to help myself want to finish things.

Hoping some other old cranky producers can offer advice:

1. got any hidden gems of new plugins or tools that actually ease the more menial finishing tasks for you? (I'm open to AI as an enablement/menial function, but not as a push-button generator, so no AI mastering services please)
2. any mental exercises or other rituals that help you "get into the mood" fast, when you maybe only have 2 hours in the studio? When you have other responsibilities, how do you come back to the zone and the laser focus and make every minute matter?
3. Other practicalities - have you come up with methods of organizing, file management, workflow process, sort of "administrative best practices" that cut down a lot of dreadful stuff?

Any other general advice or even venting and sparring is appreciated. As I said, I live in basically outer space as far as people are concerned, so another thing I'm struggling with is the lack of other seasoned producers to spend time with. We used to congregate online and trade tunes a lot more, but in this economy, it doesn't seem like people have that kind of bandwidth anymore.

Big love, hope you're all having a great week. <3

Hi, Im newbie, i need your vocal and track to mixing and mastering. All free to train my skill. Thanks for read.

I can't get this type of texture. I figure it's something along the line of automating through a wavetable maybe? but im really confused how to go about creating this texture. I just looped the sound a couple of times. help would be much appreciated

I'm a huge advocate for clippers and use them in all my projects to maximise headroom and tame naughty transients.

StandardCLIP has been excellent for all my clipping needs. That said, it is also the only paid clipper I've used.

KClip 3 gets a lot of love on the interwebs. Yes I know there's a demo available. Is it really a superior clipper to StandardCLIP? Anyone care to weigh in with their experiences?

I am a fan of Kazrog, however don't wish to spend extra on a plugin just to satisfy possible FOMO when that money could be spent on essentials like groceries and beer.

Hello,

I have a pair of Event TR8 monitors. One of them randomly makes clicking sounds, even when the audio cable is unplugged.

You can hear the sound in this video:

https://youtube.com/shorts/ofjPNocYGfU

Does anyone know what might be causing this? And how can I fix it?

ive been trying to figure out how mall grab makes his kick drums for a while now and can't get it down. the low end always hits heavy and the noise layer or whatever it is always helps it appear and hold a presence in the track. anyone know anything? track examples: LIFE, Love Reigns, Long Season Intro Edit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zzi3pODxO0&pp=ygUbc29saWQgZ3Jvb3ZlIHNpbmRlbiByZWQgaG90

In serum 2 for example

Hello all!

I'm having some trouble understanding the concept of a dynamic compressor.

Is it just a normal compressor but with settings for specific frequencies?

I use the one on Ableton a lot for my guitar EQ and it sounds wonderful, but I'm honestly at a loss for what exactly is going on "behind the scenes," per se.

Help would be appreciated!

- SPCG

Recorded a 10-min interview and the camera was left on autofocus, there's a constant mechanical "breathing"/whirring noise from the focus motor bleeding into the mic. Not hum, not hiss, it's the AF motor moving.

Thinking about iZotope RX (Elements vs Standard) just for this one project. Anyone dealt with this specific noise? Does Spectral De-noise/Repair actually handle it well, or is there a better/cheaper tool for this exact problem?

Thanks!

Hey guys,

Here is a 100% free synth one-shot kit for you. No drums inside.

I designed these sounds to evoke a mix of nostalgia, late-night driving vibes, heavenly moments, dark tension, and raw feeling.

What’s Inside (144 Total Sounds):

· Leads (31) - Sweet, nostalgic, and aggressive.

· Keys (34) - Melancholic, divine-sounding, and emotional tones.

· Basses (31) - Aggressive, heavy, and analog-style low end.

· ARPs (32) - Ethereal, panic-inducing, heavenly-sounding and rhythmic patterns.

· FXs (16) - Atmospheres, transitions, impacts, and experimental soundscapes.

100% Royalty-Free Throw them into your sampler, stretch them, reverse them, and have fun!

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1c1xIx5zxl8fTJvkU1aYLJAWGqyA0nZ1k

This is a hybrid audio/midi effect plugin I have built as an experiment to test the syncing of audio with instrument controls. It's main function is to convert audio (through sidechain routing) into a midi cc data, this data can than be used to control various parameters in its internal effects or control parameters in other effects and plugins, effectively syncing sound movement with source track. It is an envelope follower on steroids with the ability to manipulate midi cc control on the fly.

It is experimental in nature, offering some unexpected sound design possibilities especially in following one audio track amplitude with a synced movement in another through audio effects or synth parameters.

The plugin is free (pay as much as you want). Links in the video description.

Hey y’all,

New to the forum. I’m looking for some resources that could help me master my projects more effectively. I’ve been using Ableton 12 Suite to produce, along with Ozone 10 for a lot of my mastering needs, but I’ve been noticing some limiting/arrangement techniques that I don’t fully understand yet. Would love any advanced Tech House/House advice, tutorials, workflows, or tips you all recommend.

Also looking to connect with other producers/collaborators. Feel free to find me on Instagram and DM me — u/thedj4ualways

I’ve got a ton of tracks in the works and would love to meet some of y’all, hear feedback, and learn more about what plugins/workflows you use.

Big weekend love and vibes

I keep hearing people (mostly on YouTube) talk about ‘mud’ in the low-end frequencies. When they’re cleaning up kicks or mixing low-end elements, they often mention removing the mud. I can follow tutorials and cut the frequencies they recommend, but I don’t really understand what I’m listening for. In other words, I don’t have a general sense of what ‘mud’ actually is, so I struggle to identify it on my own in different situations. I’ve tried looking for videos that explain it well, but I haven’t found one that really clicks for me.

Could someone explain what mud is in technical terms? I know it sounds more polished with the mud removed, but I want to be able to identify it if that makes sense. And what should I be listening for? Even better, does anyone know of a good audio-visual example that demonstrates muddy vs. clean kicks/low ends?

FYI: I try to make fast paced, dark-toned techno.

Im thinking max for live but my blood is type an FL and my body might reject. Or maybe the Soundtoys Tremolo does this?

To be more clear in case Im not making sense. I want to trigger and even with the transients in an audio file. The event being like a tremolo meaning with each transient i want the audio recording to hard pan left the right then left ect.

Hey everyone, i am new in the production world and i wanted to know if anyone knows what elements do i need to replicate a rolling percurssion like the one in this set, is hit hi hats? snares? (basically modern SNTS industrial percurssion) can anyone help?

One for the wavetable geeks. I came across a free wavetable library from Echo Soundworks. 400 wavetables, free download.

There is some cracking good content inside such as wavetables based on hardware synths such as Prophet, Roland, etc. I've been using it to create some killer sounds in Serum. The tables are very musical and I have found them excellent for melodic house, soft sounds, and analog basics.

https://www.echosoundworks.com/eswcorewavetables

I make music but also play video games on my PC, and was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for the best headphones to use. I was looking at the Audio Technica ATH AVC500 since it's got both a 3.5 mm and 6.5mm for my interface, and has nice reviews overall.

If anyone can let me know their recs, I would appreciate it!

I'm looking for perspectives from experienced producers on arrangement and cohesion.

I've been producing for around 10 years and am currently finishing a 3-track electronic EP that sits somewhere between Big Beat, breakbeats, IDM and house.

A recurring piece of feedback I've received is that the tracks contain a lot of ideas and strong moments, but could benefit from greater cohesion and more focused pacing. One producer described them as feeling closer to "sound collages" than traditional tracks.

My question is:

When you're working on arrangement-heavy electronic music with lots of transitions, themes and evolving sections, how do you decide what to remove versus what to keep?

Are there specific approaches, listening exercises, workflows or decision-making frameworks you use to identify which ideas are genuinely contributing to the track and which are diluting the impact?

I'm particularly interested in hearing from people who work on longer-form electronic music rather than minimal club arrangements.

Thanks.

I have enough instrument plugins. Where I am falling down is a lack of good mixing and mastering tools that aren't a magic one-button affair.

Any recommendations on decent plugins that won't cost me a kidney?

Amongst other things I need is a decent EQ. I've been using the free version of TDR Nova - solid plugin but it seems to either colour the sound or just boost the gain in a way my stock Ableton EQ Eight doesn't. Earlier it was causing distortion issues even without gain compensation. I can't afford PRO Q4.

I also like nifty toys such as Kazrog True Iron, which when pushed gives a sweet amount of sparkle to my tracks.

I've used all the Ableton stock stuff already. If you feel strongly enough that I should revisit one, please chime in.

https://youtu.be/6AVg02kKApI
I use reaper and audacity, any help is appreaciated!