Create percussions with a noise generators?

Composition86 · Post by **Composition86** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 11:22 pm

Is it possible to use a pink noise generator to create some good (vintage) percussions? I tried, but the best result I have obtained is a weak hit, more similar to a wind blow than a percussion.

I also tried to use oscillators (I'm programming a waldorf pulse) , but the sound becomes "coloured", far from a sharp hit.
Can you give me some tips?

Post by **nathanscribe** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 11:34 pm

The thing with pink noise is that it's inherently duller than white noise - it's basically white noise through a low-pass filter network - so white noise is a better option for creater sharper sounding percussion - more bite to it.

Routing white noise through any filter shape - LP, BP, HP, Notch, or a combination, with a quick attack, immediate decay, no sustain, and a release to taste - is a good way to create a simple percussive hit.

Then add some filter sweep from an LFO and/or envelope, and bring in the resonance, and you're on the way to some good sounds.

Composition86 · Post by **Composition86** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 9:22 am

Thank you, I'll try this method.
The only thing I can't understand is that manual says that there is a pink noise generator, not a white noise one, so I don't know if the noise is automatically routed through a low pass filter.

Bitexion · Post by **Bitexion** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 11:11 am

I never figure out how to create a passable snare drum sound. I mean, a flat short noise burst is miles away from a real snaredrum impact.
You also hear the stick hit the drum skin. How would I make that effect in a standard analog sound?

Composition86 · Post by **Composition86** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 12:12 pm

I tried again: the result is quite near to a percussion, but again it lacks of something. I also would like to create a good snare drum sound.

mirt · Post by **mirt** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 12:31 pm

if you want create some good snare drum sound you should mix some short hit from oscilator with noise with longer release, it is goog to experiment with some envelopes. it could be hard to do with some synths. in analog drum modules there are independent envelopes for osc and for noise.

krushing · Post by **krushing** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 1:40 pm

See this article.

Post by **nathanscribe** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 7:52 pm

krushing wrote:See this article.

Indeed.

Or, put more simply, as mirt said, use a quick pitch sweep - just a blip - on an oscillator (sine or triangle perhaps) as well as a longer noise component. The 808 and 909 both use this technique, for example.

Count_Ecilam · Post by **Count_Ecilam** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 8:17 pm

I've done a bunch of synthesized drums, mostly in Max/MSP. I'd recommend experimenting not only with filters, but with layers of effects. Also the shape of the envelopes are going to have an impact on the sound. If you can get into a software program that lets you draw envelopes, I'd mess with that for sure. If you want a grittier drum sound, what I immediately think of is take down the bit rate and sample rate. Centering in the right frequency is also really important. For a snare, it depends how you like it tuned, but a center frequency give or take 1 or 2k would probably work. Make sure you filter out both the lows and highs either with a bandpass filter or a lowpass and a highpass, otherwise you bleed over into kick drum territory or hi-hat territory. A lot of it is a matter of fine-tuning a lot of parameters and getting the envelopes just right.

Composition86 · Post by **Composition86** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 9:33 pm

By using an oscillator I have obtained simply different results, not a dry sound but a bass+percussion for example, or something similar to a glass hit+percussion... always far from snare drum percussions, I will search again the right combo.
I'll read the article, but at this moment I think that the Pulse is very limited in these kind of sounds, no effects for example and the most important thing is that there is only the low pass filter, so I don't know if it would be possible to obtain a snare drum.

It would be better to get a software and try again, using your advices.

memo · Post by **memo** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 7:20 am

Do you want standard percussion like kicks, snares, hihats, etc? I can show you how to get those out of a Pulse if you like the example below.

http://www.coderedmedia.com/Songs/pro_one.mp3

I created all sounds on Pro-One, including percussion. A Pulse could create similar sounds as it has a similar architecture.

If you want more complex percussion than analog kicks and snares, you should probably look into FM synthesis. You don't need anything complex - the FM section on a Nord Lead is sufficient for quite good percussive sounds.

Composition86 · Post by **Composition86** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 11:17 am

Yes, I was searching also for the sounds in your demo. I don't have need of more complex percussions, I like these kind of basic sounds (typical of synth-pop music). I wish to know how you have realized them.

As FM synth, I own a dx7, but the best I have obtained are strange metallic hits, xylophones and so on.

Bitexion · Post by **Bitexion** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 1:04 pm

Indeed, share it please. It's not a "real" snare sound but it was nice anyway.
The bass drum I figure is just self-oscillating filter?

Composition86 · Post by **Composition86** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 9:37 am

Is the offer still available?

hollandturbine · Post by **hollandturbine** » Sun Aug 05, 2007 7:48 am

krushing wrote:See this article.

Good article.

I have made snare patches before, snap and fizz run into a compressor/limiter, they sound quite good but not realistic.

Apart from using actual snare drum samples I have found that if recorded under the right conditions you can get nice snare drum sounds with a rubber rebound pad (drummers pactice pad) with a plastic bag over it, place the pad into the plastic bag and play it like a regular snare.
Some plastic bags sound quite different to others.