help needed, is my music repetative ?

[Death]

I had a look and listen at my track in LMMS.

I noticed the main sound is made with 3 synths.

If I mute one specific, it already sounds quite different, even though its still the same melody.

I might also have to use the high pass filter even more / stronger.

Yes, It's easy to keep thinking you must add more and more but sometimes just taking something away can be what you need! It can be really nice when a song breaks down into something quite minimal and then builds back up. I feel like that's the sort of thing that could work quite well in your style of music especially.

Another thing I've been trying lately is when I have a complete song structure laid out with drums, bass and at least a couple of synths playing is to then find a sound/instrument that works nicely but only use it in a couple of sections - nothing more. I'll then repeat that with another sound until I have at least a few scattered around in there. They just add something fresh to what otherwise would've felt like the exact same thing repeating.

[Gps]

Have been thinking a lot about my music, and listened to a previous house track of mine, which judging on the feedback was quite good.

What that other track has, is 3 vocal samples.
These totally distract from the repetitiveness of the track.

One of the samples still makes me smile. I have no idea, what this person shouts, but it fits the track.

There is something to learn there for me.

About my music, I need to do two things.

Kinda make up my mind on that kind of music I want to make.
And learn more about how to mess with synthesizers.

Maybe start with synth1. This one even though you need wine, runs 100% in LMMS and all knobs can be automated.
Its probably also the synth I know best.

Still I only know how to modify presets instead of truly making my own sounds from scratch.
I already get lost on what waveshape to choose.

[tavasti]

Maybe start with synth1. This one even though you need wine, runs 100% in LMMS and all knobs can be automated.
Its probably also the synth I know best.

At least for me synth1 looks like unusable. Don't remember accurately, but UI was partially usable, maybe not updating or something, but I was not running it in LMMS. And synth1 does not sound so special to me. I suggest to pick Surge instead.

[barbouze]

Maybe start with synth1. This one even though you need wine, runs 100% in LMMS and all knobs can be automated.
Its probably also the synth I know best.

Odin is quite nice too

[Gps]

Found surge and Odin in the official repositories.

Doubt I can use them in LMMS.

Probably need Carla which I cant automate in LMMS.

[glowrak guy]

Maybe start with synth1. This one even though you need wine, runs 100% in LMMS and all knobs can be automated.
Its probably also the synth I know best.

Odin is quite nice too

Synth1 soundbank recommendations:
All of Mr. Wobble banks
The three Nolwenn banks
The four Pencilgod banks
The Tim Conrardy bank
The BigTone Bank
The many Kujashi and Feeltune banks
The many Thanks Ms Ichiro banks
The many Luck Now banks
The rsmus7 banks
The Lunatique bank
The Kaioti bank

Likely over 3000 sounds, so if you're picky, you'll find 300 sounds you like, and many of those
you'll want to record with, or modify for extra goodness.
Cheers

[tavasti]

Found surge and Odin in the official repositories.

Doubt I can use them in LMMS.

Probably need Carla which I cant automate in LMMS.

Trick with LMMS is to download win32 surge, and use it. Funny indeed that you need win32 plugin for linux

[Gps]

Maybe start with synth1. This one even though you need wine, runs 100% in LMMS and all knobs can be automated.
Its probably also the synth I know best.

Odin is quite nice too

Synth1 soundbank recommendations:
All of Mr. Wobble banks
The three Nolwenn banks
The four Pencilgod banks
The Tim Conrardy bank
The BigTone Bank
The many Kujashi and Feeltune banks
The many Thanks Ms Ichiro banks
The many Luck Now banks
The rsmus7 banks
The Lunatique bank
The Kaioti bank

Likely over 3000 sounds, so if you're picky, you'll find 300 sounds you like, and many of those
you'll want to record with, or modify for extra goodness.
Cheers

Thats what I like about Synth1, so many presets. But this is also why I not yet have learned to make my own sounds.
No need for it.

[Gps]

Found surge and Odin in the official repositories.

Doubt I can use them in LMMS.

Probably need Carla which I cant automate in LMMS.

Trick with LMMS is to download win32 surge, and use it. Funny indeed that you need win32 plugin for linux

LOL, that options I was overlooking, I could indeed download the win 32 bit vst.

The ones in the official opensuse repositories are off course lv2.

On the bright side LV2 support is being worked on by the LMMS devs, some already work.

There are 4 things I miss in LMMS, LV2 support, swing, humanization and time stretching. (and 64 bit vst support, but that has as far as I know more to do with wine)
I have learned to do swing and humanization manual though.
Maybe one day we can automate stuff in Carla, in LMMS.
I did have amsynth working in lmms through Carla, but no automation possible.

[Gps]

I did not want to start new topic for this, so here it goes.

I just learned, you can use Hydrogen inside LMMS with Carla.

So you can use the hydrogen swing in LMMS, now this is interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9NNKUY ... el=mrthraz

This might help me to learn, on how to do it better manual in LMMS.

Also just found out, they are working on automation of Carla in LMMS.

I am gonna try if I can automate Amsynth in LMMS now.
It seems we need LMMS 1.3.0 alha for this. But that is the LMMS I have installed. (thanks to the openSUSE pro audio repository)

It been my thought for a while that Carla fixes a lot of short comings of LMMS.
Ones had Amsynth working in LMMS through Carla, but could not automate stuff.

https://github.com/LMMS/lmms/pull/5846

[Gps]

After talking to an American who hurt my feelings , and watching a you tube vid on how often you can repeat something. (before it gets boring)

I might have seen the light.
99% of EDM, follows this rule and most old school house does.

To keep it simple, you can only repeat something, for one extra measure.
Then there needs to be something added or changed.

The American who asked in return when I asked about my track, asked if he could be blunt.
He might be the right person at the right time for my music, to progress.
Rumors have it he played in a (school) band, also has been mixing music. I know I still need to learn a lot on the mixing and composition part.
He also asked a few thing about music theory, to see what I already know.

After a lot of thinking, I started LMMS and listened to my last creation.
I need to start cutting frequencies, and or find other ways, like panning, to have room for certain sounds.
There is a lot of frequency fighting. zasfx and the bassline from a vst.

Baby steps, I might finally be starting to understand lfo's. (how to use)
I noticed a preset form zynaddsubfx doing something, and found out it was an lfo.

Am I finally starting to understand at least the basics of zynaddsubfx.

[Death]

Well good luck. You'll get there with practice

One more thing - Here's the most useful bit of mixing advice I've ever heard that changed everything for me: Think about the arrangement in terms of whereabouts things are sitting in the frequency range. If you have multiple things playing in the same octave it can be a nightmare to mix. Sometimes just moving something up or down an octave can solve a lot of problems. Once I started doing that, mixing got so much easier

[Gps]

I sometimes wonder what has improved most at my side.

Its probably my ears, while listening to music.

I am starting to hear details, I never before noticed even on tracks i played many times. Many means, at least 20 + times)

The DAC I bought probably helps there.

I also probably need to stop releasing tracks, just after I "finished" them.

Take more breaks while working on a track.
After this break, come back with fresh ears.

Its also very frustrating for me many times, but never give up never surrender.

[Gps]

Studying my hit in LMMS.

I had three instruments playing at C2. (fixed)

I am breaking my new rule, a change after two measures.

It is however already starting to sound better. Much easier now to hear the different instruments.

From an EDM perspective its rather simple, just mute some parts, here and there.

[glowrak guy]

This is an interesting question you ask. I see music as useful in doing several things, listed in no particular order of importance.
Whether purposeful, or by serendipity, having intentional timing, or blind luck, a given song can involve more than one of these at a time:

1. Tell a personal story.
2. Communicate one's personal feelings.
3. Tell the story of a particular historic event.
4. Create an audio musical environment
5. Enhance/effect a listener's mood.
6. Promote one's personal beliefs.
7. Brag about one's accomplishments.
8. Advertise some product or service.
9. Attempt to educate or indoctrinate.
10. Attempt to bring good old fashioned happiness to the listener
11. Provide some escapist comedic relief to the dark news around us.

Repetition can be used with a purpose, and helps the listener stay in contact with the intent of the creative presenter. Short songs on the radio-pop-clock', often have a chorus, bridge, an intro and reprise that tie thoughts/feelings together in short order. Classical music has a lexicon of functions used by composers to keep listeners awake and listening in a long performance/composition. I like to make some music that helps remove stress, aids in getting some sleep, or hopefully promotes more than casual thinking. Some of these are somewhat repetetive by design, (not just by copy/paste) and go on for quite awhile. Whatever the hoped for result, improving our knowledge and skills while doing our best, is the way to improve artistic endeavors.
Cheers