![]() ![]() The expressive, evolving pads of the Arturia CS-80 V are featured prominently on many of the 80s-inspired productions that I’ve worked on recently. While the Yamaha CS-80 was released in 1976, it was used on many important recordings in the 80s - notably in Vangelis’ score for Blade Runner. The rich pads, the intuitive arpeggiator, and the ethereal leads - all the qualities that made the original one of the most widely used synthesizers of the 1980s are recreated to near-perfection. While the V Collection (now up to version 6) can absolutely be used on more modern-sounding productions, I’ve found it to be especially effective for creating music with a bit of a retro vibe.Īrturia’s emulation of the Roland Jupiter 8 is stunning. If you’re looking for plugin versions of vintage synthesizers, this is the most comprehensive and authentic collection of virtual instruments I’ve used. Virtual Instruments The Arturia V Collection Here are some of the virtual instruments and plugin processors I used to do so, with insight as to how I used them. On an album I recently produced for SIGNALS, I was tasked with nailing the 80s aesthetic, while maintaining the punch and presence common to modern mixes. From the prominent and multi-layered synthesizers, to the punchy electronic drum sounds, today’s music listeners love the sounds that were common to popular music in the decade of decadence. If you’re looking to produce more prototypically ambient music, consider using a groove shadow all by itself to lend a barely-there rhythmic undercurrent to your synth pads and reverb washes.The 1980s are in style, again. ![]() Plus as a further option, take the effect further by rendering the reverb as audio for slicing and processing. Tweak the timing and response of the ducking with the compressor or gate’s threshold, along with attack and release controls. Now insert a compressor or gate into the reverb channel and set its sidechain input to the main beat to get the reverb ducking and pumping in time with the audible beat. At this point, the drum loop and reverb should sound interesting, but still too disconnected for meaningful usage. Set your main drum loop as dry as possible on one track, then put a rhythmically contrasting loop on a second track with a 100% wet reverb, and balance the levels of the two as you would with a reverb mix control. ReverbĪ groove shadow is the reverb from one drum or percussion-part placed underneath another, and it’s just the thing for adding ear-catching otherworldliness to your beats (yes, we’re playing fast and loose with the definition of ambient here – but genre-bending makes everything more interesting). REPLIKA XT for instance offers a comprehensive selection of delay types, with filtering and modulation options expanding the plug-in’s functional remit to take in phasing, chorus, frequency shifting, and more – all good stuff for turning dry synth sounds and samples into atmospheric gold. High-feedback echoes are equally evocative. But don’t just reach for those standard rooms and hall reverbs, find a plug-in built with out-there sound design in mind, such as Blackhole by Eventide. ![]() Applying a huge reverb with the mix level set towards the dry end of the scale immediately gives sound spatial context and vibe. Let’s start with the obvious, in that reverb and delay effects should be among your first ports of call when you start making ambient music. This isn’t a definitive list, but it ought to serve as an inspirational starting point for your own explorations into atmospheric music. Of course, there’s no one formula for writing ambient music, but read on for seven of our best tips and tricks, along with some specially created audio examples. And that something is often what we loosely refer to as ‘atmosphere’ – the intangible X-factor that infuses a particular mood, vibe, or emotional direction into your track, turning it into something greater than a sum of its stems. All the building blocks of a great track are there, but if you’re trying to create ambient music that’s more memorable than missable, you might still find yourself missing a certain something. Synths are done, basic effects are in, and you’ve even manage to sneak in a toe-tapping rhythm? Check. ![]()
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