Easily create ambient violin textures – part 2

If the first part of this article inspired you to create some violin recordings, you’re probably now staring at a lot of tracks and wondering how to transform them into a piece of music. Let’s get started!

Processing

An important heads up for when you’re using these techniques; once you find a sound you like, bounce it immediately into a new track. It’s very difficult to re-find the exact parameters you used ten minutes ago after you’ve been fiddling with multiple manipulation VSTs, and it’s better to get the sounds rendered straight away so they’re definitely there. I find it helpful to give bounces expressive names to identify them, and to immediately add them to new folders with titles such as “bass” or “mids” (see the screenshot below for an example). It can be useful to colour code any sounds that particularly catch your interest as you go; these can provide a useful starting point when you start assembling the track. Don’t forget to immediately mute all unused tracks so they don’t interfere with the sounds you’re manipulating.

To start off, only apply one VST at a time to a single recording. It’s best to begin minimally and really explore every sound possible for that recording within the parameters of each VST you use. Once I’ve worked through a few individual VSTs, I apply multiple VSTs simultaneously and stack effects up. Once I’ve done this to all of the original recordings, I’ll then move on to the bounced tracks and repeat this process on them. Working in this way means you get the maximum amount of sounds out of the material. It’s up to you how much of the raw sound is retained during the processing. If you want it to be clear that the sound originated from a violin that’s great, but equally if you want to transform it into a sound that bears no resemblance to any instrument that’s great too!

VSTs

I’ll guide you through a range of VSTs and programmes I like to use, but ultimately, the choice is yours. You can add any VSTs you like, in any order you like, to create any sound you like. This is a very liberating and freeing process, and in the same way there were no rules when you made your sounds, there are no rules now you’re processing them. Generally, it’s most straightforward to begin with manipulating tools and to use more standard processing such as EQ and reverb as refining techniques, so we’ll work through in that order.

Paul’s(ExtremeSound)Stretch

Let’s start with an oldie but goodie, PaulStretch, which is a standalone programme rather than a VST. Look past the dated GUI and you can stretch your recordings and experiment with various parameters to create stunning textures. Once you’re done, add your rendered sounds back in your DAW session so you can use them later.

GRM

Primarily aimed at electroacoustic composers, these plugins are some of the most powerful manipulation tools on the market. My favourites are the bandpass (especially in stereo), pitch accum, reson, and evolution. They offer a free demo for unlimited time, though the sound will regularly dropout. To get started with them, add one to a track and flick through the extensive presets until you find something you like (don’t forget to bounce the sound straight away!) When you’ve fully worked through one of them, feel free to add additional VSTs in to refine the sound further.

Glitch

I’ve recently started running almost everything I record through various glitch VSTs and the results have been astonishing. I particularly love LiveCut and dBlue Glitch, both of which are free. These will work particularly well on rhythmic parts or on moving melodic lines. The results can either be used exactly as they are, or you can chop them up to create loops.

Pitch and time

I use ReaPitch, the inbuilt pitch VST in Reaper, to manipulate the pitch of my recordings. Other DAWs will have their own inbuilt options. You can experiment with moving the recordings a few semitones or even several octaves from their original range. As well as shifting the overall pitch, you can also play with the tuning within the recording by adding automation to the cent adjustment. I love using the cent adjustment to gradually raise or lower the pitch of a recording by an extreme amount. Often slowing or speeding the recordings whilst playing with the pitch can create interesting results. 

EQ

The easiest way to play with EQ is by using a parametic EQ (my favourite is Neutron 3). Use any parametic EQ to add high or low pass filters to your recordings, to create some epic top or low end sounds, or to search out interesting harmonics to accentuate. The usual rules of EQ, small amounts applied sparingly, are not enforced here- grab your frequency bands and pull them anywhere you like! I find that filtering out top and low end simultaneously, leaving only mids, creates some lovely pads.

Reverb and delay

Reverbs and delays are a great way to add space to the sounds you make. My favourite reverbs are Waves IR1 and H-Reverb. Every DAW will have inbuilt reverb VSTs to play with too. Experiment with every parameter to see what sounds you can create! When it comes to delays, I usually use Reaper’s inbuilt ReaDelay, but experiment with whatever your favourite is. Try adding taps and rhythms to your percussive sounds.

Distortion

Distortion can be a great way to add a touch of grit to your recordings. Gorgon is a powerful free plugin that can totally transform the timbre of your sounds. One of the most powerful distortions on the market at the moment is iZotope Trash 2, which is fully manipulatable via its exhaustive parameters. For a more subtle edge, I use Reaper’s inbuilt distortions to add a hint of grain. Any of the inbuilt ones in your chosen DAW will do.

Assembling your sounds

By this point, you should have all your original recordings, the sounds you made through your first round of manipulation, and the sounds you’ve made from the second round of manipulation. It’s a lot of material to keep track of, so make sure it’s all organised before starting to assemble your cue.

It’s helpful to think of constructing your track like a jigsaw. You have all your pieces, and now it’s time to find a way to fit them together. First, locate a sound you’d like to start with. It may help to drag the track containing the sound out of its folder and place it at the top of your session (just under the film if you’re scoring to picture). Add any further manipulation needed such as final EQs or additional reverb, then place the item at the beginning of your cue. It’s a great idea to add a pitch VST to each track you choose to use, as you can then use automation to change the pitch throughout the piece. The picture below illustrates one of my cues for feature film 5 South. I’ve used automation in ReaPitch to lower the pitch of this “Deep Chord Bass” (created by manipulating dialogue from the film) every time it occurs during the cue, providing a harmonic framework. I’ve also altered the playback rate of the item to create a deep, rich sound, and I’ve used volume automation to accentuate the natural dynamics within the item. Additionally, the item length is altered at several points, to create extra interest and to make sure that certain hit points are accentuated by the harmonic movement. 

Once you’ve got your starting sound, experiment with which sounds to layer against it. The sounds don’t have to be static; try adding filters that morph during the cue, adding and subtracting sounds at different points, Steve Reich’s phasing technique, layering sounds at the same pitch, creating melodies and bass lines- the list is endless! You can use your initial violin recordings too, to add another texture alongside the “electronic” sounds we’ve created.

I hope this has introduced you to the wonderful world of using live instruments to generate sound. Although it takes more time than other techniques, the end result is a rich and varied collection of sounds that are uniquely yours. These techniques, once grasped, can help you develop your own sound and to bridge the ever-decreasing gap between electronic and instrumental composition. For further inspiration, try podcast Excuse The Mess and the works of composers such as Jed Kurzel and Geoff Barrow/Ben Sailsbury. And please feel free to share the compositions you create using these techniques with me via social media. I can’t wait to hear what you create!