Creating Ambient music...

[frostbite1]

Ok, recently I've been keenly interested in ambient music, I was just wondering, does anybody have any suggestions as to how to create ambient music? I play guitar but some of the sounds I hope to create need to be electronic, any programs/ other instruments I could look into getting?
Any help will be appreciated.

[SineRider]

Ambient music eh? Well there are plenty of ways to make it. Remember one thing though, there is no right or wrong way.

You say you have a guitar. Guitar is a great way to create ambient music. With the right effects(delay, reverb, etc.) you can make wonderful soundscapes. For a more electronic feel any basic synth will do. Setting a slow attack and long release is perfect for a nice pad sound. You can find many great free VSTs with a little search. If you're willing to spend some money, I suggest looking into Absynth 4. It is a really powerful VST, perfect for ambient music.

[frostbite1]

At 8/17/09 08:43 PM, SineRider wrote: Ambient music eh? Well there are plenty of ways to make it. Remember one thing though, there is no right or wrong way.

You say you have a guitar. Guitar is a great way to create ambient music. With the right effects(delay, reverb, etc.) you can make wonderful soundscapes. For a more electronic feel any basic synth will do. Setting a slow attack and long release is perfect for a nice pad sound. You can find many great free VSTs with a little search. If you're willing to spend some money, I suggest looking into Absynth 4. It is a really powerful VST, perfect for ambient music.

Hey, thanks for the reply and suggestions! Well I have a few ideas for some ambient guitar tracks(which I may upload here!) but electronic is my main ambition. I'll definitely have a look for some good VST's(free if I can find them!).

[Skela]

Just play random piano notes with a long attack delay, now your making ambient music!

[SessileNomad]

At 8/17/09 09:12 PM, Skela wrote: Just play random piano notes with a long attack delay, now your making ambient music!

lol ok well we all know not to ever listen to anything that mr. Skela here is saying

hitting random notes=/=ambient music(i dont care how nice your pad is)

[SineRider]

At 8/17/09 09:12 PM, Skela wrote: Just play random piano notes with a long attack delay, now your making ambient music!

...also get your hands on one of these

[Steak89]

At 8/17/09 09:31 PM, SineRider wrote:

At 8/17/09 09:12 PM, Skela wrote: Just play random piano notes with a long attack delay, now your making ambient music!

...also get your hands on one of these

Now THAT is stunning technology!

[SessileNomad]

At 8/17/09 09:43 PM, Steak89 wrote:

At 8/17/09 09:31 PM, SineRider wrote:

At 8/17/09 09:12 PM, Skela wrote: Just play random piano notes with a long attack delay, now your making ambient music!

...also get your hands on one of these

Now THAT is stunning technology!

i thought the same exact thing xD

[FatKidWitAJetPak]

Ambient music can be stunningly brilliant... but sometimes it is hard to make them sound that way. There are multiple ways you can play them. They way I always do it is by playing one pad, then making another layer and playing another pad to that pad.. then finally add a bass layer and play the bass. If you are talented enough to add electric guitar, play small guitar notes every now and then with a very long reverb and add a drum if you feel the need to.

Here is one i made, I used 3 different layers of different pads.

(::Falling Clouds::), by FatKidWitAJetPak Type: SongGenre: Miscellaneous

[DJ-Chilvan]

At 8/17/09 09:31 PM, SineRider wrote:

At 8/17/09 09:12 PM, Skela wrote: Just play random piano notes with a long attack delay, now your making ambient music!

...also get your hands on one of these

ROFLMAO! Wow, and the funny thing is, it makes perfect sense lmao

lmao

[btriangle]

Anything that resembles the word Ambience, you can use, to create, ambience.

For starters, use reverb.

[SineRider]

At 8/17/09 10:29 PM, btriangle wrote: For starters, use reverb.

*to a minimum please. Anything overly drenched in reverb sounds bad

[btriangle]

At 8/17/09 10:39 PM, SineRider wrote:

At 8/17/09 10:29 PM, btriangle wrote: For starters, use reverb.

*to a minimum please. Anything overly drenched in reverb sounds bad

depends on how you use it in my opinon.

[Back-From-Purgatory]

On the topic of reverb, personally... I absolutely LOVE the sound of a snare hit drenched in reverb with a little delay, makes it sound very... what's the word... pretty? I honestly don't know... but I love it either way.

[cornandbeans]

Much ambient music starts to sound the same because the first thing anyone thinks of when they hear the word is reverb. Although reverb is an important part of getting a smooth and spacial sound, use it more as a sonic adhesive. Experiment with odd fragments of recorded instruments and samples and twist them to your will. The genre is one of few with barely any rules, so don't feel afraid to experiment!

Also- I try to minimize my high frequencies when I'm making ambient music. Something about the mid/low range of tones is naturally soothing because it still allows room for harmony without exciting your ears too much.

[gregaaron89]

At 8/18/09 12:15 AM, cornandbeans wrote:

Also- I try to minimize my high frequencies when I'm making ambient music. Something about the mid/low range of tones is naturally soothing because it still allows room for harmony without exciting your ears too much.

Yeah tons of reverb, and then lowpass everything haha

But seriously, high attack, filters, reverb, try reversing samples such as piano and like cornandbeans said, some sharper more glitchy sounds thrown in minimally will be great, will sound verrry smooth ;)

[GamerMan7]

absynth, omnisphere, good reverb. Aether Reverb is expensive but beautiful.

[alanpgoodwin]

At 8/17/09 09:31 PM, SineRider wrote:

At 8/17/09 09:12 PM, Skela wrote: Just play random piano notes with a long attack delay, now your making ambient music!

...also get your hands on one of these

LOOOOOLLL!!! I'm still laughin' now! That's just genius!

[Mystery-Moon-Pie-Aud]

Basically, ambient is what it says, ambient. You want to find sounds that are not strong. That means techno/dance leads and hits won't be working for you. There is no defined way to make ambient, just a matter of being ambient. Any song can be ambient with the right tweaks.

Usually staccato'd and fast paced notes would create a huge offset with the mood, as well as hard or harsh sounds, like a hit, hard bass kick, or electric guitar. Just stay soft. Like a dick.