Part 7 - Effects Modules

Hi Guys,

Here is part 7 of the course, download it with the link below.

enjoy

Mark


Effects

This video is strictly focused on the FX and covers all of Zebras possibilities.. I found the video to be helpful and informative.. Video quality is good so are the sound levels... No complainants from me

Mark,

As I go thought these videos, keeping in mind that they are for the beginner, I am left a bit disappointed. I see that you are just explaining each element, being filters, fx, sound sources or whatever. Maybe because I am a big zebra user, I feel that you are just reading the manual to me. I feel that when you go through these examples you should find the right sounds to show the elements with. You consistently use a saw wave which is pretty much what every one will start with. I feel it would have been alot more interesting if you demonstrated each element with a useable source creating presets not only giving the client a tutorial on how to add elements together, while you explain what it does, it would also leave the course with a preset bank making it more valuable.

I understand in the beginning videos when you say "just play around with it" makes sense when you show how to build a synth. When you get deeper I feel you should be creating fresh sounds with the use of all the different elements. Giving a better starting point for the user. You know the old saying "Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day, but teach a man to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime." I feel you are showing to many what they already know and not enough of how to apply it.

You videos have defiantly grown, production wise and quality wise. I still like that you make mistakes and correct yourself. Humanizing the teacher.

In this fx section you describe all modules in great detail even beyond the manual, but now... what to do with them?

I know you're release date is coming very fast. Please don't take my comments the wrong way.

Oh and also please change all the copyright dates to 2010 (from 2009). Since it will be released in 2010. Keeping it fresh.

I know alot of sound design comes to experimentation but if you used more useable sources like more of a pad sound instead of a simple saw when you explain the phaser or popcorn when you explain the delay, I feel you would not only be creating a useable preset but also teaching and showing, making the customer feel more of "know I know how to use that" then "I know that element does that, but I don't know how or where to use it".

BTW, where is everyone else? I thought there were 10 of us.

Matt

Hi Matt,

Thanks for your feedback.

I think one of the biggest mistakes i have made with this course was not giving the beta testers the full plan for the course.

Part 8 of the course, the final part shows you how to put everything together and create more complex sounds using Zebra (and maybe Predator and Reaktor if i have enough time) and how to bring all the different elements together.

I was planning to create some of my own sounds and show you how to create them and also take a few of my favourites from the Zebra banks and show you how to build these also.

As with everything I do I am a firm believer that if you do not know the tools you are using inside and out, then you cant get the best from them. I ALWAYS go into detail, no matter how boring it may seem then once i know the student/user has a firm and full understanding of the tools I am teaching I try to show them, in a constructive fashion how to use them creatively.

I didn't start out to make a sound source bank, my primary gain to is to give everyone who uses the course a full and deep understanding of what a filter is or an oscillator or an LFO, i deliberately stayed away from the "well if you use a saw wave, add a filter, then some lfo modulation you will get this" so as to try and get the user to concentrate on the, yes your right, boring stuff, so that they grasp it and are able to utilise it to its fullest.

If it sounds like the manual to you, your right, i got express permission from Urs to use the manual text in the videos basically to save me from typing it all out. Also as i changed to Zebra 2.5 there will be sections missing from the course as there are no details about them as there is no 2.5 manual, however, i have tried to figure out, to the best that i can, what they are and how they work and have given my views on this.

So i understand your frustration, especially if you have read the manual all ready and are finding the course tedious, maybe what you are waiting on is what is in part 8 of the course, we shall see.

With regards to your question about everyone else, i have no idea, it seems its just you, Anthony, Labros, Spacewalker and John who seem to be left, its not a problem just a little disappointing but no matter i shall continue as normal.

Anyway thanks for your comments and i hope the final part of the course matches up to your expectations.

Mark

I'm a day late and a couple of quid short (as usual).

My Windows XP install is finally crapping out (I've been putting it together with band-aids for about 6 months and it's finally telling me.. "you better back up or you're going to lose everything". I had another hard drive for my laptop, and I bit the bullet and installed Windows 7. Mind you, this is my work laptop, and not my music production machine. I'll get to review part 7 in an hour or so.

However, besides what I mentioned in the previous thread, I have learned TONS, and I'm more comfortable turning real and virtual knobs and pretty much know what to expect when I turn it. There are a few suprizes, but that goes with the territory of learing.

I will recommend this course to any inspiring musician that wants to get a grip on synthesis and sound design. I'm looking forward to the next part!

BTW: Outside of what has already been said about FX, Filters and Oscillators, I'm pretty much in agreement. Nice catch on the 2009 date!

John

Hi John,

Windows 7 rocks - i am using a totally 64bit system at the minute on my laptop and its Tickety Boo

The 2009 date change has been done.

Thanks for the recommendations.

Part 8 will be exactly what you guys are looking for, hopefully it may even surprise you

Mark

@ 3:15, when you talk about sending delays, are you recommending using the EXACT SAME DELAY settings for 10 channels??? Would you discuss on this point a little bit? Is this good, bad, standard practice? How does that affect the sound of a track?

@ 3:22, you say, "you really wouldn't have a compressor on a send effect, simply because of the type of device it is"... Well, what are good for sends and why? And, what aren't? reverb\delays good for sends I take it?

@ 6:00 you keep playing with the 'mix' knob... What EXACTLY does that knob do? What are you mixing in? Is that the level of effect?

@ 6:40: real stupid question: What's the difference between reverb, delay, and chorus? I mean, I know the difference, but may be helpful to mention at this point. Then, you may discuss the difference between flanger\phaser... Though I may be getting ahead of myself - I'm sure you cover this later on in the video?

@10:15: FUN SOUNDS!

@ 14:40: sounds like, "FUCK YOU! I'M NOT TEACHING YOU ABOUT COMPRESSORS!"

@ 16:00 WE CAN LOW PASS\HIGH PASS DELAY! WHAT A SYNTH!

@ 29:00 or so: Why's everything at -24 and -12? What's the explanation for these magic numbers if there is any?

@ 35:00 onwards - Shapers explained well... Haven't figured out EXACTLY what shape shapes, but probably will when I start exploring Zebra instead of just watching you play around, eh...

@ 40:00, I'm starting to feel overloaded with too much information (you just started Ring Modulation). Fortunately, this video is almost over!

To only repeat what I think everyone else has said, I really am interested in seeing how everything is gonna' come together to make cooler sounds now, from the oscillators, to the filters, and finally the FX. I'm waiting to purchase my own copy of Zebra to really start exploring. I have a feeling I'm gonna' return back to these videos very often. You should ask the Zebra people to include links to your course on their website, eh....

Question: What does 'mix' do??? Does it only come up once, or multiple times within the program (I think I keep seeing it all over the place)?

I Look forward to part 8 - that is, after I review part 5!!!!

And speaking of replication of manual material, I noticed the synth example we create in Reaktor is the same one that comes in the Reaktor manual! apparently, all the NI stuff come with video instructions, so I wonder if they've got a video demonstrating the same stuff you do regarding setting up that basic synth in Reactor?

Which leads me to another question, probably not belonging in this thread: What happens if we use multiple Oscillators? More than 2... like 3, 4, or even 5??? Does that fatten the sound? I think you covered this already in the Oscillator video. Guess I need to review it. But, I guess this come down the question I had in the current video: How do you control the 'mix'? Is it that mix knob?

I apologize for asking very haphazard questions all over the place... I'm just trying to grasp more than my tiny brain can hold for now... And, I haven't quite sat down with Zebra and played, yet........

Thanks for the feedback Spacewalker.

The Reaktor tutorial is from the Reaktor manual. I will put up a bubble to say this so that the users of reaktor have something to follow also.

Native Instruments have video tutorials for Massive, Absynth and Battery i think but nothing for the others. These may be on my list for future tutorials.

thanks again,

Mark

Call me shree...
Thanks Mark!

NP Shree