One Rule I Should Just Learn

[chrisso]

Yes I like both.
I was listening to a track the other day (can't remember who now, but it was an American production). The clap came in, absolutely raw, no fx. It sounded great. Nice for a change.
On the other hand, I like the multiple delays and loud gated reverbs on the Exium stuff.

[ste]

really nice discussion. it's almost a classic question in techno imho. theres the raw-as-fuck-side of things where everything is based around a rhythm which carries things. some early surgeon tracks or also new ancient methods or iFormat or mpi3 stuff is really raw and i like it a lot. its raw and harsh sounds putted into the right places and this creates this massive but open space. then at the same time there is the spacey-far-out-everything-is-moving-side of things which i love to. kick reverbs and hihat reverbs an synth reverbs and even some automated reverb tail lengths and freaking delays which tun into stacatto stabs after the first 3/16th and synth sounds are folding to effect carets like in the music of xhin or truncate or suckut or kevin goram just to name a few. theres both sides and everything in between and that whats makes techno so incredible. the freedom to do whatever you want to do. the most simple track i ever did is 3 channels with 3 send effects and almost no insert effects. the most crazy automated tune is currently in progress and has 29 channels with a a serious amount of inserts on many channels (most of them automated or linked via sidechain)... perhaps if there is a rule or something like a rule you can say that too much complexity is hard for listeners to get into it. so if the rhythms are very complicated and you also add complicated multilayered fx it can be too much... and too much simplicity like 4to4 with hihats on offs and claps on backbeats without any special (or spatial) sounddesign is boring in 2012. but wtf? there also examples fo this kind of tracks which still work. do whatever works for you and do that with all the consequences. do things you like as ideas even if they sound crap (in the first place) just to explore the ideas. or do what sounds good even if theres no idea. just do it haha

[disparate]

I have found recently that (delay and reverb especially) when an effect forms an integral part of the atmosphere of a track,
things seem to gel better when they're put in place early on- so I can play through/ with them instead of try to make that effect fit around dry playing.
Seems to vibe more/ sound less "tacked on"

Yeah, to me effects are often an integral part of sound design rather than a mixing/sweetening tool like in the traditional sense.

[strawMan]

Yeah, to me effects are often an integral part of sound design rather than a mixing/sweetening tool like in the traditional sense.

Likewise. Sometimes I think it can help to separate those two aspects in the workflow.

[lahj]

IMO its more about the fx than the raw sounds.... you can twist anything with fx, even crap to start with...

My current favourite is the kurzweil rumour, although i really want a mangler as well.

[chocstclair85]

I find myself in that situation often where I get to about 90 percent and feel the bones of the track are there and sounding great but can't find that extra 10 percent. I've found that it is not a case of adding extra automation to fx and stuff but the actual sounds used are not right.

If I am in this situation I'd strip the track back and try something else.

Or move on