Hello! :) Happy New Year everyone! :)
I have always been interested in the synthesizer music from 80's which they also sometimes call italo-dance. I wanted to ask if any of you know of good tutorials on how this music is put together and how certain elements are created? I know that there are lots of Youtube videos out there, but still would like everything in one piece, so to say, and with the same platform where it is applicable.
Also, not limiting myself, if you know of any good tutorials for early trance / eurodance music that you came across, I would be most grateful if you could share your thoughts, links with me.
One of my problems is that I need to invest more time in learning all of the DAW functions and how it all gets recorded and put together. I am usually a live player and I create music in those rare moments of time when I can while the inspiration is almost always there. So I turn on the keyboard and play my heart away. Now when things come to getting it recorded the right way and put it all together, I often get shy and nervous and start thinking of all the technical aspects and it sort of "chains" me. I believe that any good tutorial which could be just like a reference would help me. What do you think? And how do you overcome situations like that? :)
Take a good care and stay safe!
Denis
Any good 80's synthesizer music tutorials?
Re: Any good 80's synthesizer music tutorials?
Hey Iceman,
You might like reading "The Dance Music Manual."
While it doesn't go into Italo dance or disco more than for a few words, it does go fairly deep into discussing the form and sound creation of Trance, House, Techno, and a few other genres.
It also has a neat section on basic synthesis if that's of any interest, though you probably already know enough about that to where the chapter won't be too eye opening, it's a good reference tool.
Along with these forms it gives solid advice on how to stick to a pattern as a science, which can be useful when recording.
I find more and more that it's easiest for me to write with just one or two instruments and MAYBE a drum track on my workstation, until I have an overall framework (which is most often based on an existing form plus or minus some of my own ideas) and then I work it out with instruments that are close to the sound I want, and then I take it to the daw and play with all the finer details.
It is just too much for me to do at once to compose music in a daw. Simplify, simplify. The more simple I can make things during each part of the process, the more efficient my work will be.
Hope it helps a little! And Keep it simple :) (then go crazy with detail later)
You might like reading "The Dance Music Manual."
While it doesn't go into Italo dance or disco more than for a few words, it does go fairly deep into discussing the form and sound creation of Trance, House, Techno, and a few other genres.
It also has a neat section on basic synthesis if that's of any interest, though you probably already know enough about that to where the chapter won't be too eye opening, it's a good reference tool.
Along with these forms it gives solid advice on how to stick to a pattern as a science, which can be useful when recording.
I find more and more that it's easiest for me to write with just one or two instruments and MAYBE a drum track on my workstation, until I have an overall framework (which is most often based on an existing form plus or minus some of my own ideas) and then I work it out with instruments that are close to the sound I want, and then I take it to the daw and play with all the finer details.
It is just too much for me to do at once to compose music in a daw. Simplify, simplify. The more simple I can make things during each part of the process, the more efficient my work will be.
Hope it helps a little! And Keep it simple :) (then go crazy with detail later)
Re: Any good 80's synthesizer music tutorials?
Dear Macska,
Thank you so much for the reply, words of support and amazing recommendation! I finally could get my hands on a book you recommended and I shall start reading it soon. It looks like a very interesting read and it's good when you have a chance to refresh your knowledge or get some gaps filled. I am usually a live player, sort of a singer-songwriter approach or something what some would call a rock'n'roll approach. However, when I was just starting with the electronic music, it was Scream Tracker, later Fast Tracker software with patterns and very much alike to the modern MIDI sequencing when you are not really playing live, but put a note after note, stick it all together and there you go. It taught me a lot about creation of electronic music. I was a kid back then and it was a great time and helped me to get through the difficult times. Then I got into guitar music and now I am back into the world of synthesis, but this time trying to approach it scientifically, get all the knowledge sorted out and applied on practice.
Thank you again for your kind words of support! We are much alike because I also try to keep things simple and it always helps because it allows you to focus on the foundation. Yesterday I took three instruments and tried to create a 80's like track from scratch. A pad, a bass and a lead line. It does bring you back to those old times when you keep it simple and work on each part. It is hard for me too when I try to make complete song in a DAW. I find it much better to split the keyboard zone for bass + pad and lead and go on from there. In other words, I try to make it so... that I can perform it live (more or less). Even the drum parts - I always try to perform entire drum track myself. I did try to quantize things once and then add some variations, but it takes away the feel. :)
Thank you again for all of your help and for sharing your workflow with us all! :) Take a good care and may the inspiration and power to create music always be your guide! You are the best! :)
-- Denis
Thank you so much for the reply, words of support and amazing recommendation! I finally could get my hands on a book you recommended and I shall start reading it soon. It looks like a very interesting read and it's good when you have a chance to refresh your knowledge or get some gaps filled. I am usually a live player, sort of a singer-songwriter approach or something what some would call a rock'n'roll approach. However, when I was just starting with the electronic music, it was Scream Tracker, later Fast Tracker software with patterns and very much alike to the modern MIDI sequencing when you are not really playing live, but put a note after note, stick it all together and there you go. It taught me a lot about creation of electronic music. I was a kid back then and it was a great time and helped me to get through the difficult times. Then I got into guitar music and now I am back into the world of synthesis, but this time trying to approach it scientifically, get all the knowledge sorted out and applied on practice.
Thank you again for your kind words of support! We are much alike because I also try to keep things simple and it always helps because it allows you to focus on the foundation. Yesterday I took three instruments and tried to create a 80's like track from scratch. A pad, a bass and a lead line. It does bring you back to those old times when you keep it simple and work on each part. It is hard for me too when I try to make complete song in a DAW. I find it much better to split the keyboard zone for bass + pad and lead and go on from there. In other words, I try to make it so... that I can perform it live (more or less). Even the drum parts - I always try to perform entire drum track myself. I did try to quantize things once and then add some variations, but it takes away the feel. :)
Thank you again for all of your help and for sharing your workflow with us all! :) Take a good care and may the inspiration and power to create music always be your guide! You are the best! :)
-- Denis
Re: Any good 80's synthesizer music tutorials?
Didn't see your reply until just now!
Glad you found the book useful. Hope it's all going well for you :)
Another tool I discovered in the past 2 months is taking a track you like that another artist has done, figure out the BPM, and import it into an empty DAW project.
This way you can analyze the whole piece on an exact measure by measure basis. you can sit there with a notebook and a daw controller and pause it every few measures to take notes. I have learned so much analyzing in this way! I can't think of a better way to break down the form of a piece.
Heck if you really want to learn a lot using that strategy you could recreate all of the parts beneath the original track using simple yet similar sounds. Now that would be tedious but it would give you a deep understanding of the track for sure.
Glad you found the book useful. Hope it's all going well for you :)
Another tool I discovered in the past 2 months is taking a track you like that another artist has done, figure out the BPM, and import it into an empty DAW project.
This way you can analyze the whole piece on an exact measure by measure basis. you can sit there with a notebook and a daw controller and pause it every few measures to take notes. I have learned so much analyzing in this way! I can't think of a better way to break down the form of a piece.
Heck if you really want to learn a lot using that strategy you could recreate all of the parts beneath the original track using simple yet similar sounds. Now that would be tedious but it would give you a deep understanding of the track for sure.