Sounds, effects, instruments that sound great for a bit but then sound passé very qui
- Thread starter bun-u
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oblioblioblio
Wild Horses
these sounds will never die. the reason they became 'passe' was because they had a period of overuse, where, after several forward thinking people found certain ways to exploit them to brilliant effect, many people jumped on the bandwagon and proceeded to rinse them to death.
But the reason they will not die is because of the sheer creative power of the original sound, technique or instrument. The lfo controlling filter cutoff (wobble), for example, has the most majestic rhythmic and otherwordly effect, the sound of a robot turning a knob according to a mathematically pure waveform... a sinewave controlling a sinewave. brilliant. The 303 as well, who'd have thought a such a small box could eat a 'real bass' for breakfast? And who'd have thought a computer could get so damn funky. People will be using 303s for years and years to come (albiet not the real boxes, but certainly software emulations), I know I will. Set the pattern length to non multiple of 4, add a couple of accents and slides, hit play and tweak the knobs a bit... instant polyrhythmic squelching funking madness. beautiful.
So I suppose what I'm trying to say is that if the person hitting the buttons or tweaking the knobs is doing it right, it doesn't matter whether the sounds they're (ab)using is dated or passe or whatever, it's all the in the intentions and execution.
my 2 cents.
But the reason they will not die is because of the sheer creative power of the original sound, technique or instrument. The lfo controlling filter cutoff (wobble), for example, has the most majestic rhythmic and otherwordly effect, the sound of a robot turning a knob according to a mathematically pure waveform... a sinewave controlling a sinewave. brilliant. The 303 as well, who'd have thought a such a small box could eat a 'real bass' for breakfast? And who'd have thought a computer could get so damn funky. People will be using 303s for years and years to come (albiet not the real boxes, but certainly software emulations), I know I will. Set the pattern length to non multiple of 4, add a couple of accents and slides, hit play and tweak the knobs a bit... instant polyrhythmic squelching funking madness. beautiful.
So I suppose what I'm trying to say is that if the person hitting the buttons or tweaking the knobs is doing it right, it doesn't matter whether the sounds they're (ab)using is dated or passe or whatever, it's all the in the intentions and execution.
my 2 cents.
oblioblioblio
Wild Horses
meh, not as cliched as the bitter guy standing in the middle of the dancefloor being all like 'this sound is totally cliched' whilst everyone else is jumping around and having fun regardless.
Slothrop
Tight but Polite
I get kind of annoyed with glitches. Not because the sound is played out so much as because it's become synonymous in some people's minds with 'cutting edge experimentalism' so they end up under the impression that they're making amazingly original futuristic headfuck music when in fact they're making something that sounds a bit like Autechre circa 1997.
OTOH, there's lots of good stuff where people do new and original things with glitches too, so it's not a played out sound per se...
swears
preppy-kei
Is it really too much to ask for something a bit more sophisticated?
oblioblioblio
Wild Horses
yeah you're right to a certain extent, but there is a lot to be said for people who can put aside these kind of considerations and enjoy music in the spur of the moment regardless. To be honest, personally I'm more often than not the guy whose standing there being pissed off about how the music shows little creative talent and is simply reusing an already overused formula, and not even doing that good a job at doing that.
And I suppose, even more hypocritically this is a thread for 'that guy' to actually voice his/her criticisms rather than just stand there being pissed off and everyone else thinking they're some kind of spoilsport, and in a thread full of people dancing to the tune of 'that guy who thinks about music, and so understands why this music is based on an overused, cliched and uninteresting formula' I'm standing in the middle looking pissed off about how that particular tune is overused and cliched, so err, I think I should probably stop talking right about now.
Guybrush
Dittohead
I am starting to get annoyed by porky kick drums on funky house tracks. I have been thinking about this lately because part of what gives ‘SexyBack’ its stompiness is the thin, bass-deficient, kick drum letting the mid-range shine.
The pizzicato-as-house-piano sound as used on ‘Insomnia’, ‘Encore Une Fois’, and others, sounds time-bound in retrospect, I think.
The pizzicato-as-house-piano sound as used on ‘Insomnia’, ‘Encore Une Fois’, and others, sounds time-bound in retrospect, I think.
Guybrush
Dittohead
Oh yeah, that’s a good one.
swears
preppy-kei
I think they've been gone long enough to warrant a comeback.
Reminds me of another - film dialogue and news/speeches samples
UFO over easy
online mahjong
Do you really think so? Your summary doesn't make much sense unless you think people playing actual drumkits sounds dated too, which I find difficult to believe. Amen and funky drummer sounding old doesn't shed light as to why any other breakbeats should be irrelevant - they've just suffered the same fate as any other sound that's been battered consistantly for 20 years.
I agree completely with oblioblioblio's comments. However, I can't resist two more: Bucephalus bouncing ball and heavy plate reverb on the snare.
However, what's interesting is what constitutes annoying fad and what doesn't. I mean, reverb, for example, is on virtually every recording and it is an effect, but no one seems to mind. However, certain uses of reverb become passé (plate mentioned above). What qualities make a ubiquitous effect acceptable and what makes one an annoying fad?
However, what's interesting is what constitutes annoying fad and what doesn't. I mean, reverb, for example, is on virtually every recording and it is an effect, but no one seems to mind. However, certain uses of reverb become passé (plate mentioned above). What qualities make a ubiquitous effect acceptable and what makes one an annoying fad?
swears
preppy-kei
Well I do find "real" drums annoying sometimes, because you have so many more rhythmic possibilities now.
Well I basically agree with the second post, all the sounds named in the original post are great sounds that i never tire of... maybe i can live without speeded up vocals....
Lots of things are very much "of their time" and sound reminiscent of an era but i don't think it's at all a bad thing or a reason not to use them again.
For example
TR808 cowbell - whitney houston etc.
linn drum pitched down rimshot - prince, ready for the world
RX5 gated snare - cameo, fine young cannibals
DX100 solid bass / lately bass - a zillion pop house records in the late 80s and then everyone who copied Basic Channel and Hood & Mills in the 90s
DX7 electric pianos, horns, bells - the mid 80s
amen / assembly line / funky drummer / impeach the president etc. - all great drum sounds in 80s hip hop and 90s jungle
orchestra stabs - 80s fairlight pop and early 80s hip hop
auto-tune vocal effect - dude by beenie man, cher, zillions of rnb and uk garage tunes
generally reverb on drums is very 80s - phil collins etc.
(most modern pop records have little to no reverb on anything.)
even more generally things recorded on tape with old mics and old mixers have a sound that is "old" but i think it's a great sound. you can't make a record that sounds like a 60s southern soul record on pro tools, nor a 1970s lee perry production. not easily anyway.
get the right old gear and it almost happens by itself.
apologies for my over-detailed musc production nerd tendencies.
Lots of things are very much "of their time" and sound reminiscent of an era but i don't think it's at all a bad thing or a reason not to use them again.
For example
TR808 cowbell - whitney houston etc.
linn drum pitched down rimshot - prince, ready for the world
RX5 gated snare - cameo, fine young cannibals
DX100 solid bass / lately bass - a zillion pop house records in the late 80s and then everyone who copied Basic Channel and Hood & Mills in the 90s
DX7 electric pianos, horns, bells - the mid 80s
amen / assembly line / funky drummer / impeach the president etc. - all great drum sounds in 80s hip hop and 90s jungle
orchestra stabs - 80s fairlight pop and early 80s hip hop
auto-tune vocal effect - dude by beenie man, cher, zillions of rnb and uk garage tunes
generally reverb on drums is very 80s - phil collins etc.
(most modern pop records have little to no reverb on anything.)
even more generally things recorded on tape with old mics and old mixers have a sound that is "old" but i think it's a great sound. you can't make a record that sounds like a 60s southern soul record on pro tools, nor a 1970s lee perry production. not easily anyway.
get the right old gear and it almost happens by itself.
apologies for my over-detailed musc production nerd tendencies.