Be honest, do you use presets often?

[Oquasec]

Most people do not even bother with making their own presets. Which is 90% of the edm planet.
If you are one of the few who has taken any large amount of time sitting and twisting knobs, you are a very interested tweaker who knows a thing or two.

That is definitely not everyone's cup of tea. For some, learning their tools inside & out have huge benefits that may only matter...to them.
[Propellerhead & Uhe plugins are my main tools]

[Hauser+Quaid]

I use presets all the time. In fact you could pretty much copy & paste Selig's answer and that would be mine too.

I do like to build a bunch when I first get a synth so I know where everything is. That's why I like things like the synth challenges in the forum, they help me really get to learn a synth inside out. But I'm a writer & producer first, and I know there are a ton of folks out there who are way better than me at sound design, so I'll leave a bulk of that work to them.

[Wickline]

For some, learning their tools inside & out have huge benefits that may only matter...to them.

Hahaha probably so true

[ejanuska]

I use presets all the time. Sometimes I modify them. The Reason synths I can handle tweaking on. Massive is too much for me, I just use the billions of presets out there.
I'm not talking about just synths either. I use presets for mastering rigs, effects, Kong.
If I'm not using a preset for a sound I'm bringing in a sample for Noiiz.
I'm glad there are people out there making patches and samples. Make some more.

[PMans]

I use presets, but recently bought a Korg Minilogue and I am using a program called Syntorial to learn synthesis. I am only part way through, but it is great so far and I can definitely recommend it. www.syntorial.com

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[Jbvdb]

I was wondering if anyone uses presets to compensate for your lack of skill in synthesis.

I can't tell if you're intentionally trying to come across as antagonistic here.. I use presets all the time. The thought of programming a synth from scratch is one of the most mind numbing, and un-musical things I can think of. But I'm guessing I'm in the minority around these parts haha.

I agree 100%!
I ALWAYS start from a preset that's close to my idea, then change it and add effects.
Why would I ever want to waste my life resetting rack modules every time and starting from nothing?
That's why I paid for the content, take advantage of others leg work!
And it's not a lack of skill, I know my way around a synth, it's that I want to play instruments, not fiddle fuck with sawtooth fart sounds for half an hour!
And I don't make and can't stand edm btw!

[Oquasec]

Most of the time it takes longer to preset surf from scratch than to build .

[aeox]

not usually. although on a more recent track that i've done i used 2 presets. i was getting close to completion of the track(feeling really tired and lazy at this point) and decided it needed a lead and some background atmospheric chords. so quickly whipped out Zero synth and found a quick lead to fit what i needed.

at the end of the day, you want to be proud of the track you've created in it's entirety. i feel that creating your own sounds contributes a lot to that, and also makes you stand out from the rest of the people using the exact same preset.

people want to hear sounds they've never heard before and you should want to make sounds that would make someones ears perk up and make them wonder how it was created.

to expand on what i said earlier..

i feel that there is a huge difference between a musician/composer who is either playing live instruments or using sample libraries of orchestral stuff to compose and a strictly electronic synth producer. there is also the hybrid types who mix live recorded stuff with synth work, etc.

strictly electronic producers are more likely to be creating their own sounds from scratch in my opinion and really trying to take the sound design to the next level because that is just what they do. there is only so much you can impress upon an audience with musicianship and composition with presets that may potentially be heard many times. this all sort of changes when you introduce live instruments and vocals into the equation, where your synths aren't particularly suppose to be the star of the show anymore.

[raymondh]

This group could be "Presets Anonymous"

I totally understand someone feeling their music isn't really theirs when they selected the "1 note jam" preset or a music REX loop in their music. But it is a slippery slope if anyone suggests your music is not your own if it is composed of presets. Reminds me of the old days in computing when people who used a 4GL were clearly not real programmers, and if you were really worth your salt, you'd be programming in C or assembler (or microcode even).

Just because you can program a synth, doesn't mean you must.

Nobody should feel ashamed to use presets. In fact if presets inspire you to write music then they have allowed a creative process to occur that may not have otherwise.

Personally I use a mix of presets, preset tweaking and from-scratch programming. Also a lot of my sound design is by layering multiple synths. The area where I feel I need to dig deeper and learn and improve is mixing and sound design using EQ and compression much more effectively than I can do today.

[Oquasec]

Let the rest of the world care about how you make music [Follow challenge guidelines though]
Yo, three options.
Use presets.
Don't
Both.

[Ostermilk]

I think the only times I DONT use a preset as a starting point is when I feel like I've spent far too long going through them all in the process of hoping to find the 'right' one.

It's a perennial problem for me in that I fall foul of being seduced into getting more presets with the idea that I'm more likely to find one that fits then I end up with so many that it becomes easier to make one than it is to browse through and audition them all. I then end up drastically thinning them out and removing rakes of stuff I don't use only for me to end up getting hold of more...repeat ad infinitum.

Sometimes rolling my own works, and slowly I get better at it as a result, but quite often I don't know what the sound I want is until I hear it.

So yep I use presets often, in the constant process of trying to become decisive, ruthless and flexible in a sometimes seemingly futile attempt to keep my pallette manageable and useful at the same time.

If anyone has a better approach I'm all ears...

[TritoneAddiction]

I agree with many others here.

Using presets as a starting point is great. A little tweaking can change the sound dramatically anyway.

I do hate the overly complicated patches since I pretty much find them useless. Some sounds are so layered and drenched in effects that they're unplayable or take up way to much space in a mix. I get that patch makers want to show off a synth and have their patches sound big and impactful. It's just that in a mix you can't have everything sound big or be super wide.

I tend to remove all annoying effects and then add what I want myself afterwards. I do like shaping my sounds with effects, it's just that I want to pick the effects.

[aeox]

I get that patch makers want to show off a synth and have their patches sound big and impactful. It's just that in a mix you can't have everything sound big or be super wide.

i agree in most cases but for particular styles of electronic music( dubstep for example) there will be bass synth sounds that take up the entire frequency spectrum and stereo field.

[Wickline]

I big reason I (mostly) quit using presets is that I don't like most of what comes in refills / soundbanks. Got tired of scrolling through and not finding anything to use. Now if I do need a starter I'll last about 10 patches before I get frustrated and reset the device. The only thing I'll consistently use are piano and string sample sets on the nn-xt cause fuuuuck no I'm not building one of those.

[dioxide]

It depends on the synth. With a simple subtractive analogue synth I'm likely to use my own sounds. With something more complex or difficult to program I might use a preset and modify it for the track.

That said my music relies heavily on 303 / 808 / 909 / 707 and 727 sounds. All these devices are presets machines. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise just because they have a few knobs on where you can tweak the sound slightly. So maybe some of your favourite records were made using presets. A lot of mine were.

[dioxide]

The thing is that presets used to be terrible and any decent ones became classic sounds. These days synth presets are often better than an experienced synthesist could create themselves. Of course they don't always work well in the context of a track, but there are some great sounds out there. The problem is filtering out the dross.

[stratatonic]

Never use presets. I have all the time in the world to lovingly create every.single.patch from scratch. Because my fans demand it.
Everyone on the planet knows that a song is nothing without brand new sounds in it.

I am so pissed off that every synth - soft or hard - has presets. They should all come with nothing. And every musician should start from scratch. Every single time. This is why music sucks these days. Every one is taking the easy way out - it sounds the same. Create your masterpiece. START FROM SCRATCH! And for godsakes, don't save your new patch. It can never be used again. Everyone will KNOW.

I set my guitar amp and pedal knobs to zero every day. And every day I tweak for an hour to get it sounding just like it did yesterday. I probably should just write down the settings. But that would be, like, cheating.

[FLVZ]

I big reason I (mostly) quit using presets is that I don't like most of what comes in refills / soundbanks. Got tired of scrolling through and not finding anything to use. Now if I do need a starter I'll last about 10 patches before I get frustrated and reset the device. The only thing I'll consistently use are piano and string sample sets on the nn-xt cause fuuuuck no I'm not building one of those.

Agreed, out of all the synths I've bought I've found its only ReSpire & Predator that actually have presets I've used straight out the box. And these two are developed with dedicated teams creating patches for them. Otherwise the thought of diving through presets knowing like 95% of them are cheesy AF makes me want to just do something else like use samples and found sounds straight in the sequencer! The most useful refills imo are real analog sampled instruments, strings, pianos, exotic percussions.

[robthompson]

I use presets, almost exclusively. Occasionally I tweak them just a bit (usually removing reverb or adjusting cutoff/resonance a tad).

For me, it's a trade off between producing acceptable finished work in a timely manner and spending day after day trying to create usable sounds. I choose the former. I try to find a bunch of presets that work well together, including the making of interesting contrasts. I was trained in the 'classical' music tradition; you're presented with a list of instruments and you get on with it. There's no tweaking the violin so that it sounds 'dirty' or a bit more like a trombone, and I find that discipline useful.

But I fully understand the position of the 'tweakers' and creators. Coming up with original and interesting sounds must be great - as long as it leads to an original and interesting composition. I think there are also people whose only interest is the creation of these sounds, and I have great respect for them - because without them, where would my presets be?!

[ejanuska]

Never use presets. I have all the time in the world to lovingly create every.single.patch from scratch. Because my fans demand it.
Everyone on the planet knows that a song is nothing without brand new sounds in it.

I am so pissed off that every synth - soft or hard - has presets. They should all come with nothing. And every musician should start from scratch. Every single time. This is why music sucks these days. Every one is taking the easy way out - it sounds the same. Create your masterpiece. START FROM SCRATCH! And for godsakes, don't save your new patch. It can never be used again. Everyone will KNOW.

I set my guitar amp and pedal knobs to zero every day. And every day I tweak for an hour to get it sounding just like it did yesterday. I probably should just write down the settings. But that would be, like, cheating.

I wish I had that kind of time, but even then I would do something other than create synth patches from scratch.

[Oquasec]

You gotta be in that moog mindset to like it lol. Not everyone's cup of tea, they will move on to something else, it's that simple
Some guys...really like the inner workings of these modules and would dedicate a few moments of their precious time to learning as much as they can and develop their own sound in the process :]

I am a Sound Designer first and foremost, composer second, musician last.

[PeterP]

I use presets all the time.

I consider myself a composer first, musician second, mixer/engineer third and sound designer/patch maker a very distant fourth.

For me it's always the melodies and the arrangements that matter. I use presets to inspire me, but occasionally I tweak a few knobs here and there if it helps the song.

I imagine it would be hard to recognise the presets used in a full arrangement with effects etc anyway.

[Jmax]

Never use presets. I have all the time in the world to lovingly create every.single.patch from scratch. Because my fans demand it.
Everyone on the planet knows that a song is nothing without brand new sounds in it.

I am so pissed off that every synth - soft or hard - has presets. They should all come with nothing. And every musician should start from scratch. Every single time. This is why music sucks these days. Every one is taking the easy way out - it sounds the same. Create your masterpiece. START FROM SCRATCH! And for godsakes, don't save your new patch. It can never be used again. Everyone will KNOW.

I set my guitar amp and pedal knobs to zero every day. And every day I tweak for an hour to get it sounding just like it did yesterday. I probably should just write down the settings. But that would be, like, cheating.

No thanks, I'll stick with presets. Devs shouldn't create presets for their masterpiece synths? get real. You have time to tweak for an hour a day? not me. Sorta like to get to the music.

[Hauser+Quaid]

Coming up with original and interesting sounds must be great - as long as it leads to an original and interesting composition.

Worthy of being etched into a stone tablet.

[Oquasec]

Isn't composition half of sound design? Arranging the noise is sound design. You're literally just moving the noise with clips.