ahh thanks a lot quarl, that means a lot to me man <3

Ah, people growing up.

The phase of imitation. Everyone imitates. The reason they imitate is because they either do or want to identify with something that does not truly belong to them.

Know that when you achieve your own identity as an artist, you'll know the world truly is a big scary place, and it puts what you want to express into main consideration for everything you'll do.

At 8/9/08 11:51 AM, TMM43 wrote: Why are you bashing yourself for using presets?

/me uses presets :D

It's not like you've killed anyone.

Shit, why do you guys ALWAYS bring that up and try to make me feel bad?

It was only two families with children. >:(

I listen to hour and hours of professional DJ mixes (my train rides home from work are very long) and every-so often I hear presets that even I have.

And besides, if you didn't use Presets, what would reFX do? They'd be DOOMED!

It's really no big deal.

Truth. I often use presets because it goes "Oooh, that's an awesome sound, I should build a song around it!"

I search the internet for presets. I overturn rocks for presets. I kill people and their families for money.

...erm, for presets.

But just because you use presets doesn't mean you can't blend them with stuff you make on your own. And then there's always my beloved randomizer button. I will bet anyone here money that I use the randomize button more than anyone else here. Drum loop slices? IDM that shit. I love it. I love my randomize button. It's like free presets.

It's all dandy to say that using presets isn't a big deal, but I feel that it is, especially in that using them only hurts yourself. For the most part I use presets in my songs, and I edit them as much as I can, but that editing is usually not very extensive, and all this does is hurt me; by relying on precreated synths you limit your ability to make a song sound exactly how you want it to sound, which allows less creativity and keeps you at the mercy of the presets.

People give each other a lot of grief for using presets, but I find its usually for the wrong reason; most of the time, I see one person bashing another for using presets simply because he views that as a jeuvenile meathod of music composition. Really though, being able to create your own samples and sounds is a crucial part of making music, as the creation of your own samples allows you to pour more of yourself into a song and truly make it your own. Sure presets are a great tool, but I think its important that artists try to grow out of them as soon as they can, and I don't think it exactly wise to be defending the use of presets like people have been doing in the thread.

I dunno. I suppose the preset arguement will always be around, so no use arguing one way or another. All I know is that I'm not releasing another song until I've composed a piece entirely of synths created by me from scratch. It's a bitch, but I think at some point you just have to force yourself to evolve as a musician, even if it means leaving a component of your music which has been crucial to you, and hopefully I'll come out a little better for it.

BLOGBLOGBLOGBLOG go self hate somewhere else

But what about me? I use midi files and adjust them in fl studio and put a beat here and there trying to make a remix but to be honest i feel guilty doing this!! Like im basicly stealing some ones hard work and try to make it "better" i feel also bad about this...

I dont think presets were created so that we feel ashamed when we use them...

I have always used presets, it's a great beginner tool to use, and as long as I make music for myself and for fun, I dont plan on bashing myself for doing so. If you were, on the other hand, making music for a record label and felt bad about getting money for using presets, thats completely understandable.

But as it stands, you aren't... So have fun with creating music and use whatever presets or loops you wish as long as it makes your music creation more fun.

Srsly, chill out and have fun with it. Don't overanalyze the use of such things. And I also get mad when people ask me for nexus or something so they can make good music. But I see it more as, having presets wont make you good. If you use them right, sure you can get great sounding music.

But if you're a shitty musician, using a nice preset will only get you (as I call it) "A golden shit".

The quality will be okay, but still no one will like it because it sounds like shit.

So there's nothing to worry about bro, just keep using what makes your music sound excellent.

Thanx man you made my day!

At 8/13/08 04:58 AM, Gloudas wrote: It's all dandy to say that using presets isn't a big deal, but I feel that it is, especially in that using them only hurts yourself. For the most part I use presets in my songs, and I edit them as much as I can, but that editing is usually not very extensive, and all this does is hurt me; by relying on precreated synths you limit your ability to make a song sound exactly how you want it to sound, which allows less creativity and keeps you at the mercy of the presets.

well, i think that sure, the presets can affect the sound of the song, but once you get down to it, the creativity isn't in what kind of piano you use or whatever. its in the notes you put down. the modulation n' shit [for electronics, of course]. because thats where nobody could copy you. the only time when the sound of a synth really comes into play on the basis of creativity in my opinion is if you are truly trying to make some far-out sound that nobody has made before. which is unlikely for most amateurs. because it would sound like crap and they know it.

i mean, i see where you're coming, but i think that recreating synth sounds that are already available to you might be helpful to, say, a new composer as a way to practice or something, but once you have the concept in ur head, i dont think that using presets is a big deal.

Ignoring all the posts made after yours, I think you should use your fifth paragraph as lyrics for a song and sell it, you'll make millions, millions I tell you.

On a more serious note, I think we all started out that way. Hell, my first song is actually the outro of Pantera's "Floods". In addition to that, there's something about using midis made by other people that bugs the hell out of me (I used midis for my Zelda remix), so I try to stay the hell away from pre-made midis now.

Presets? I still use them, they're there for a reason. We're not sound engineers, we can't come up with wicked sounds on our own.

Great post though.

Thanks guys. This thread gave me a lot to think about and I really feal like I learned a lot. I'm not gonna post anything else in here, but you guys can keep discussing. Really though, thanks :)

On a side note, I'm gonna try to work now from only initial patches and so on. After coming to the realization about how much work, effort and knowledge goes into a DAW, I really can't allow myself to use presets any more. I feel like I know enough now to work from the initial patches, so I'll try to challenge myself more now then I ever have. No tweaking either. From now on it's ctrl right click, initialize patch. It's just more fun that way :P

Being pissy about presets never got anyone anywhere. As long as its not stolen from some band its fair game on this site.

I'm glad I have self esteem.

It's not about the preset you used. It's how you use it. I've seen people sample the same things I have sampled, but do it 10x worse than how I used it. At least you have enough knowledge to actually know to use presets CORRECTLY. Cuz when you look at anything, I'm sure we can all agree that nothing in this world is original. Though we may think it is, it can based off something else. No idea is original anymore. No harm done. If you really feel this bad, I suggest I spam your AIM with my love and concern.

I think its just our age, kinda going through some of the same shit you are, i don't think it has as much to do with the music you make but how you make it. Sitting on the shoulders of giants, such a beautiful quote and i didn't even know the meaning of it till just a week ago. But its not a bad thing, its how we learn, if we didn't take former knowledge from the past then our music would come out shitty. Anyways about this age shit with the hormones and what not i understand its pretty annoying, yesterday i just lied in bed like all day, just cause. But i think part of it (if im reading correctly) comes from a sharp sense of moral trying to break out. Your trying to be yourself but still worried about making friends or fitting in. So you lied about some pictures and made some presents, its ok just not you. I haven't really found a way to get over this but the best thing you can do is just be yourself, truly yourself. If someone doesn't like you well then fuck em, you don't want to have friends like that anyways ;D.

epic bump

lol. I forgot I was a hypocrite. Thanks for the reminder envy :P

dumb on my part to have bumped this

sorry

if the preset is the sound you want, who cares

I've submitted a few songs made with FLstudio, I know that the individual sounds were made by other people, but really, those songs were about the tune, not what the tune was made of and I invented that tune.

But you are right. I get annoyed playing my guitar just knowing that someone else made the distortions from my amp...

At 7/8/09 02:53 PM, MkieNedachi wrote: Good speech dude!

It has gave me some thought buddy. :D

Please, if you could make a comment for a survey I'm making. The topic is "How the fuck do people get to bumping these ancient threads?". I'd really appreciate your input on the subject.

At 7/8/09 03:14 PM, Hades wrote:

At 7/8/09 02:53 PM, MkieNedachi wrote: Good speech dude!

It has gave me some thought buddy. :D

Please, if you could make a comment for a survey I'm making. The topic is "How the fuck do people get to bumping these ancient threads?". I'd really appreciate your input on the subject.

I was thinking about asking too, but figures it'd be better to just leave it. But anyway, MkieNedachi, how the hell do you find these old threads? Do you intentionally look for old threads to bump them with a useless response? I don't like the way the few new ones around here are acting.

haha, actually I sent it to him. I don't think he realized how old it was though and bumped it. My fault.

oh yeah I"M STILL A HYPOCRITE :D :D :D :D OLOLOOLOLOLOLOOLOLOOLO

At 7/8/09 03:20 PM, Quarl wrote: haha, actually I sent it to him. I don't think he realized how old it was though and bumped it. My fault.

Great. Now I'm the regular asshole. Thanks a lot, you hypocrite. >:P

At 7/8/09 03:20 PM, Quarl wrote: haha, actually I sent it to him. I don't think he realized how old it was though and bumped it. My fault.

oh yeah I"M STILL A HYPOCRITE :D :D :D :D OLOLOOLOLOLOLOOLOLOOLO

LMAO. Dammmnnn this thread is OLD. I remember this.. ahh the good old days of my 15 year old mind.

Quarl, do you know I quit audio like 8 months ago? xD

At 7/9/09 11:07 AM, FatKidWitAJetPak wrote:
Quarl, do you know I quit audio like 8 months ago? xD

SORRY TO HEAR THAT!!!!! :D:D:D:D:D:

IF YOU LOOK AT THOSE SMILY FAICES THE OTHER WAY THEY LOOK LIKE FROWNS!!!

OLOLOLOLOLOLOOLOLOL.

Regardless of whether or not you produce audio, you still frequent the audio forum. Do you not consider the idea that voice acting is a form of audio? Or was it music you quit and not audio? In which case, what constitutes as music?

I like using this thread as a resource, but I think everything that needs to be said has been said. Rucklo? Pull the trigger. Make it quick. Never forget. I'm a hypocrite and this thread will always be worth a lol to me whenever someone points that out :P

All noobs here on NG use a DAW and presets.
Its ok Quarlie.

Well voice acting is a form of audio yes, but I quit making MUSIC. :P

I am much better at voice acting that I ever will be at making music, but whatever. We should talk sometime and set our differences aside. Lol we use to hate eachother.

At 7/9/09 01:02 PM, Quarl wrote:

At 7/9/09 11:07 AM, FatKidWitAJetPak wrote:
Quarl, do you know I quit audio like 8 months ago? xD

SORRY TO HEAR THAT!!!!! :D:D:D:D:D:

IF YOU LOOK AT THOSE SMILY FAICES THE OTHER WAY THEY LOOK LIKE FROWNS!!!

OLOLOLOLOLOLOOLOLOL.

Regardless of whether or not you produce audio, you still frequent the audio forum. Do you not consider the idea that voice acting is a form of audio? Or was it music you quit and not audio? In which case, what constitutes as music?

I like using this thread as a resource, but I think everything that needs to be said has been said. Rucklo? Pull the trigger. Make it quick. Never forget. I'm a hypocrite and this thread will always be worth a lol to me whenever someone points that out :P

At 7/9/09 01:59 PM, FatKidWitAJetPak wrote: Lol we use to hate eachother.

I still hate you? With a name like "fatkidwithajetpack" you clearly revel in the joy of other people's misery.

OP requested lock. i honestly haven't read through the thread, but it's alot of text, and i don't read very well lolololololol

lol.