YO, TELL US YOUR (FAVORITE) STYLE!

[Circuitfry]

OKAY. So this definitely should be a good reference place for y'all that want to talk about your style. Try to be more specific than "i do dubstep i guess" because CELESTIADAMMIT there's something SPECIAL about you! LEMME SHOW YOU HOW IT'S DONE.

Classic Circuitfry:
Go no further than 2:30 and mix tracks quietly. The BPM could be anything. Have a section in the song where everything is dropped to dead silence followed by a full four bars of sixteenths of kicks and snares. Synth solos are a must. Four-on-the-floor. Post the song on your facebook for your family to ignore and just watch it die alone. :c
Examples: Cartridge, Small, Powerfist

Hard-House Circuitfry:
Mix loud and focus on a repetitive four-on-the-floor hardstyle-esque beat. 120-140 BPM. Dedicate the catchiest synth to the solo that is always thrown in somewhere and the runners-up as the lead. Panning and distortion is a common trick. Lead synths are often clipped to distorted levels and then clipped again to bring them to an acceptable audial level while retaining said distortion. Spend time in audacity mastering the result out afterward if it seems a tad over-the-top. If the spectrum goes above -20k on the bassy areas, it's time to start hard limiting or lowering volume. I don't use compression plugins very often, but it happens if actually do need something punchy.
Examples: My Destiny is Deep in Her Eyes, Derpy Hooves Bestof Rap, Art of the House

Indie Synth Rock Circuitfry:
85-135 BPM. Pull out bigger guns for this style. iAXE393 usb guitar with Garageband. Combine natural and electronic drum kits. Add synths for bass and solos. Sing according to Versilaryan's instructions and challenge yourself by attempting to emulate your favorite bands' singers. Use pentatonic scales and whatever feels most natural, even if that adds atonal elements. The goal is a very warm kind of feel, like groove's style but with a lot more pop-rock like appeal to it. Very cute and cool friendship-centered lyrics.
Examples: Luna Swag Everywhere, Summer Wrap-Up, The AppleDash Grooves

Club-Complextro Circuitfry:
NEW WIP STYLE! 130-150 BPM! Get funky and groovy by manipulating classic, fabulous tracks of 60s/70s/80s and softly complextrofy them to give it that Circuitfry flair~!
Examples: Queen Twilight Sparkle

[Diss Order]

@OP: <3

I have a lot of music I'd like to make and a lot of ideas... I arrange stuff for my orchestra from time to time, I've been producing Dance/Club and I've been toying around with Hardstyle, but really sticking to 1 genre/style would be hard for me. I'm interested in too many things. I can appreciate pretty much all music as long as it's good (does that make sense?), so...

Sorry, I'm not being useful at all.

[Makkon]

I'll keep this simple:

Orchestral movie soundtracks.
Sometimes with some electronic influence. But I like my orchestral to sound like a real orchestra.

If this is for reference, I like to avoid the wall of text. :I



And it's fine to keep this here, last round we had a collab partner finding thread.

[Interrobang Pie]

CHIPTUNES. VIDEO GAME CHIPTUNES.

• All my pieces have the same drive - DECENT FUCKING MELODIES!!! (I often fail at getting them memorable though).
• I almost always have a melody line (with no harmony cause I can't make them for SHIT), a crazy arp, a bassline and a crazy drumline going on at the same time.
• Make sure the bass and percussion works with the melody!!! Can't have it going off beat or whatever.
• I often repeat myself in a song. That said, I don't like long repeating sections THAT ARE EXACTLY THE SAME ALL THE WAY THROUGH AND LAST FOR EONS. My songs change quickly. Not too quickly, but quicker than others, I think.
• I FUCKING LOVE ARPS!!!!!!!!!!!
• I FUCKING LOVE PITCH BENDS!!!!!!!!!!!
• I FUCKING LOVE VIBRATO!!!!!!!!!!!
• I FUCKING LOVE ENDING SOME NOTES WITH A PITCH BEND DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!
• I FUCKING LOVE MESSING AROUND WITH SEMITONES!!!!!!!!!!! (i have no idea what this means - just check around 1:08 of this song. (might need to jump a bit before that))
• I FUCKING HATE THE AUTOMATIC PORTAMENTO EFFECT IT'S A PIECE OF CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!
• I FUCKING HATE FARTING SOUNDS MADE BY EXTREMELY BADLY MANAGED LOW-PITCH SAWTOOTHS!!!!!!!!!!!
• I FUCKING HATE INACCURATE OR SCRATCHY WAVEFORMS (EG. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF KIL'S PIECES)!!!!!!!!!!!
  
  
• As for chiptuning specifics, the Badarse bass is done by duty cycle modulation, ranging from 6.25% up to 50%, then immediately back down to 6.25%. It's synced with each half-beat (so two 6.25%s occur in one beat). As a result, the duty cycle doesn't reset on each note hit or whatever. This explanation makes it sound way more complicated than it actually is.
• My epic arps have an extremely fast octave arp inside them. (They also switch duty cycle occasionally).
• Use the overlay two notes but have one fine pitch tuned down/up a little bit IN MODERATION. It is not good all the time.

Am I forgetting something? I know I am...

I would give you my instrument set .ftm BUT THAT WOULD BE CHEATING. The theme is EMULATION so you've got to EMULATE by YOURSELF.

But if you do emulate me that'd be really swell!

EDIT: OH YEAH I TOTALLY FORGOT!!!! 150, 180, 200, 210 or 225 BPM (but I use speed 3 in Famitracker so double these) and MAJOR SUCKS.

[Pustulioooooo]

Like Makkon, I too like...

Ze Magicz Orchestral Cinematic Soundtracks

But more in depth, I love trying replicate POWERFUL Orchestral compositions like Duel of the Fates (Star Wars episode 1), or Armored Prayer (Gears of War 2)

I just get an awesome sensation when I listen to these types of songs, so since I'm new to remixing (and now learning to compose) songs, I try to replicate that power!

[ArtAttack]

As for my dubstep, my style is something like this:
Fast, wobbly, glitchy, drop-oriented new-style dubstep. ("brostep" as grooves would call it)
[*]WUBWUBWUBWUBWUBWUBWUB
[*]Minor keys (D minor if you REALLY wanna be me)
[*]Heavy drums, with rides/crashes on every downbeat. Sort of minimal with kicks. I like triplet kicks.
[*]Progressive house stab buildups leading to a drop (think deadmau5 "Raise Your Weapon style)
[*]Starting out a "drop" with a 2 beat or full measure building "growl".
[*]Use of Gross Beat or other stuttering effects.
[*]Frequently switching synths
[*]Frequently switching from low to high octaves
[*]Frequent switching of triplets to eighth notes

Just listen to some of my stuff, you'll get the general idea.

[Aussie]

Oh boy I don't even feel like I have a "style" yet, but HERE WE GO

-Four on the floor kicks. I also have a thing for tribal drum patterns, like this.
-Since I have no originality, most of my synths are stolen from Youtube tutorial videos, or they're presets. So really, just go watch a nzmusic101 video or something, and there's your synth.
-Lots of synth pitchbending and octave changing.
-I've yet to make a song without wubs I think. I like to not use them too much though.
-I use dblue Glitch a lot. Mainly the Tapestop effect.
-Lots and lots of sampling. Transposing, cutting up, slowing down, speeding up, stuttering, whatever.
-For song structure, I usually ALWAYS have a intro beat going for a while (everyone thinks it's unnecessary <3), then: breakdown, drop, second breakdown, second drop which is slightly different from the first, then outro beat.

Um, shit, I can't think of anything else. I think I'll edit this later.

[penguindf12]

Ooh boy, my faaaavorite style is

PROGRESSIVE ROCK

So:

- obvious electronic elements, but usually in a rock style
- shifting time signatures & keys
- frequent shifts in texture
- contrasting styles within the same song
- use of "real" instruments (bass, guitar, drums)
- emphasis on detail & change

Yup!

[Versilaryan]

- I'm REALLY particular about voicing and texture. What notes aren't in the chord are equally as important as what notes are, and a song without texture can get really boring really quickly.
- I LOVE unusual chord progressions. Even if the progression itself is pretty standard, I will be doing something else with it that makes it unusual. On a similar vein, chord extensions (+2's, +7's) are sexy.
- I listen to far too much of the Brecker Brothers.
- I LOVE the jazz guitar sound. I also LOVE large amounts of crunchy, bass-y distortion. (Not that whiny Master of Puppets sound. Can't stand it.)
- That drum part had better be interesting. Even if you want a simplistic drum beat, find some way to make it interesting. Please.
- Think Porcupine Tree meets Pink Floyd, where all the band members listen to a lot of djent.

[DerpyGrooves]

I do STUFF (tripcoustic jazzhop with chipstep influences, maybe?):

On guitar, I love playing power chords but letting my open strings ring out. Consequently, the capo is literally my best friend, so everything stays in key.

Sometimes I play my lead instruments poorly on purpose. I really like giving a human element to my solos, and this can range from broken flutes to amateurish scalar runs on my piano.

I ADORE the sound of a wobbly turntable, and one of my favorite effects after bitcrushing is a vibrato on the master track, giving everything a bit of an 1960s disney soundtrack tone. I also really enjoy adding depth to my tracks by means of panning and ping-pong delays.

Even when I'm working instrumentally, I always have a distinct concept in my head of the prose going in behind a song.

I love portamento, and it's rare to hear me playing a synth without a certain amount of portamento. I always strive for a mellow, conversational tone with my music, and that really helps. Music that's too hyper/show-offy tends to bother me.

I try to focus on the GROOVE of a song. No drops, no breakdowns/whatever, I just like to get a good groove going and work with that in a creative way.

My favorite thing, though, is probably mixing acoustic instruments with electronic elements. It's fusion, man!

[JackleApp]

I like fun fancy things like GLITCHSTEP and IDM
that involve TWO-STEP DUB STYLE DRUM PATTERNS and GLITCHED SAMPLES AND NOISE
I love to employ ANALOG PADS and HEAVY KICKS with TIGHT SNARES and AMEN HI-HATS
I love working at either 120 BPM, 174 BPM or 105 BPM
I love to use MELODYNED SAMPLES as well as SINE WAVE BASSES
I'll occaisionally go back to ELECTRO HOUSE or AMBIENCE/CHILLOUT if I want to.
Unique CHORD PROGRESSIONS are a must
and ACOUSTIC SOUNDS such as VOICE, STRINGS, OR GUITAR are often used as well.
I'm not very good at DUBSTEP I HATE MAKING IT.
If my track requires vocals, I'll often use MELODYNE to create THREE PART HARMONIES to create a VOCODER EFFECT.
(for example see: My Destiny is a Rock, Roseluck's Plot Song)
Lyrics can range from POETIC AND MEANINGFUL to FUCKING STUPID

EEYUP.

[Diss Order]

~Taste the MF Rainbow~

Holy shit, that post!

[PinkieGuy]

My style? It's a bit of everything.

DUBSTEP
When it comes to dubstep, I focus heavily on writing at least 4 different synth patches before developing any actual patterns, so that I have a variety of different possible sounds. In particular, I've started using synth patches that run 2 seperate LFOs:
- The first is your usual low-pass for the wobble effects
- The second (set at a different rate) is on a high resolution comb filter, which totally changes the pitch effect that comes out. This means that I tend to avoid actually using more traditional wobbles cos I get caught up in all the cool combinations you can make with those two LFOs.

- Interestingly enough, my drops almost always hit on bar 42.

METALS
General a big focus on harmonic minor keys and rhythmic syncopation between the bass drum and the guitar lines. The lead lines over the top either provide a harmony or separate lead line to compliment. Chorus's are always happier. Big push on tradition I V VI chord progressions here too.

[Pinkie Cake]

1. I don't know what to say that is not obvious.
2. I don't think that somepony willl try emulating me
But I'll say something:

I love sawtooth wave bass
prefered LFO: from 1/12 to 1/2
Don't like square wave LFO, I use usualy saw, inverted saw and sometimes sine
136-142bpm for dubstep 175-181 for drum'n'bass
Usualy 4/4 time signature
I put dBlue Glitch in almost every track
I like Amen Break
I usualy cut up vocal samples to sound more random, glithy, fun
I like puting in silence in middle of the track
Well in dubstep I like extremely massive bass drops
EDIT:
REPETITIVNESSSSssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you can bitcrush, then why not?

Maybe I'll update this if I think of something to write here.

[Stars In Autumn]

I'm still trying to discover my musical cutie mark so to speak, but I'm loving big orchestral pieces. I would love to be able to make a lot more electronic music, but I'm kind of bad at it so far.

[sci]

Here's your checklist for a typical sci song:
-some sort of chopped break for the drums.
-A# major.
-sweet bassline and/or bass synth
-LFO-detuned pads
-Square wave arps
-some sort of lead with vibrato on every held note.
-add delay on everything. even the drums. ESPECIALLY THE ARPS.

and blam, your song is now sci.

but wait, you want a more advanced sci song? here are some pointers:
-sample someone playing a violin, trumpet, sax, something. toss it in the song randomly.
-find a random sample[/only useful link in this post] that you like and encorperate it into the song. bonus points if you autotune the sample.
-add a cumshot. (and/or really stupid, prolonged ending.)

blam. advanced sci music.

(note: ok maybe not 100% accurate all the time. but these are a few trends of mine.) ;p

(also this was fun to type up)

[Lethaargic]

Excuse my musical lingo illiteracy

148~175 bpm
medium hard Kicks
occasional breakdowns into exclusively bassline
sparse and bouncy bassline
noisy lead, think screams and zaps
atmosphere reflects rl situations (i.e. rain)
probably over use vocals
vocals are silly or crazy sounding during chorus and deep/profound during breaks
mix in samples from recognizable tunes
cant go wrong with arpeggios
reverb on high hats
bring stuff in on off beats, keep it unpredictable
-very important: To fall in hell, or soar angelic, add a pinch of psychedelic

unfinished examples

http://soundcloud.com/spacepsyakadoublevision/acid-synth
http://soundcloud.com/spacepsyakadoublevision/yours-mine-ours

[Dr_Dissonance]

This is a very difficult thing to describe with me, as my style is constantly changing...I started off classical to a fault, delved into more dissonant stuff and I keep getting worse...
I mean, 6 months ago, I was in the Spectralist Camp, I still use a lot of their techniques in my Uni works!

But if you want a list of stuff AT THE TIME OF THIS WRITING, then:

I love dissonance, whenever I get the chance, I will write dissonantly!
BUT, I understand the concept of 'musical expectation', so I know when it's appropriate to dissonant it up and when it's not...
This results in quite a diverse writing style!
Orchestral all the way, although I'm getting into electronics (in a classical concept)...
Quite partial to the cello (even before Octavia made it cool!)
I use odd time signatures, or big syncopations frequently!
If I can use extended techniques, they're getting used!
Anything remotely tonal is usually in A or D, strangely enough...
I like to change keys frequently, or not use keys at all and use tonal centers!
Augmented 6ths are cool, although I don't use them as much as I should...

(looking at this, some of this applies to my Uni music, which no one here has heard...)

[catmilly]

How to produce a quality track in seven easy steps, the Cat Milly way! Now it's your chance to work in the celebrated style of such hits as "Trixie has the Great and Powerful, Anyway", "Luna Swag Everywhere", "Art of the Dress (the Hip Clop Edition)" and "Buttering Up Party vs Pony Pokey".

Naturally, this tutorial assumes you have FL Studio open in front of you right now.

1) Pick a loop from the Breakbeat Paradise Sample kit - Real Oldskool Breaks (usually #20). Drop into Fruity Slicer and rearrange slightly. If I'm feeling fancy I'll double up on the same drum sequence and pitch the second one down, then pan the twin channels apart.

2) Add a layer of supporting drum samples to create the illusion that you're not looping the same thing every time.

3) Drop in some samples from other songs and things, maybe pitch them down an octave if you're feeling CREATIVE.

4) If you're REALLY feeling fancy, add some Wasp XT or other built in vsts to pad in the bass or add some extra buzzy lead support. (In Luna, we used guitars and Circuit submitted a larger variety of synths but still it largely conforms to this formula)

5) Apply Soundgoodizer, Fruity Fast Dist, Fruity Stereo Enhancer, Fruity Love Philter and Atlantis Filter at random to every channel in a liberal manner.

6) Sing in a somewhat husky voice maybe.

7) Produce a PMV of a MLP:FIM episode. Make sure to always cut from shot to shot on the kicks and the snares of the song, then filter the entire video with Final Cut Pro's Vignette and Bad TV filters.

[NotACleverPony]

<3 MY FAVORITESTESTEST STYLE! or The NotACleverPony "Formula" <3

- 111 to 135 BPM / cause anything lower sounds like hiphop and anything higher like happy hardcore.

- Always hide a severely distorted bassline in the mix / cry when your instruments dissapear in the final render.

- Catchiness is more important than technical skill / Aim for their hearts! <3 <3 <3

- Be shy and never write a song that hits +4 minutes. / Don't overextend your stay, its just not polite.

- Use some kind of arpeggiated synthbassline / because it will never give you up and never let you down.

- Take lots of breaks and mix at a low heaphone volume. / Your hearing gets tired and it only means you'll have more mixing issues later.

- The track needs to make you happy and make you feel pretty~ / If you're not excited about your own track, quit the session, start again till you feel THE MAGICKS one more time. Sounds harsh, but releasing a track is like marrying someone! Which means: No magicks, no deal.

[NightColt]

Making Death Metal the NightColt way!

- 7-String guitar tuned down 1/2 step, Eb or Bb minor
- Kick drum matches guitar line or spams straight 16th and 8th notes
- Hi-hat every beat, snare every other beat, toms applied as frequently and quietly as possible
- Rhythm guitar is straight power chords or pulse-y riff in above minor key
- Lead guitars harmonized in 3rds. Always.
- Cheap synth strings and pads layered on top.
- Toss in piano octaves as necessary
- DEATH GROWLING

- Mix ingredients in Audacity, with just a pinch of headdesk and procrastination to taste.

- Tell people how you write music
- Write heavy pop-rock ballad, 80's rock anthem
- Confuse the hell out of everypony else

[Kumquaticus]

How to churn out something vaguely Kumquat-related as of my current style!

-Typically set the bpm around 180
-Unusual time signatures are fun to play around with, but it's usually 4/4
-Absolute favorite key is G melodic minor, but G natural minor is often used
-Powerful, hard drums. We don't use wimpy little snares here at GQStudios, they have to slug you in the face!
-DnB breaks are awesome
-Gritty, dirty basses are a must all day every day. There are usually at least two distinctive basses in the song, but they are not wobbles, and modulate in slightly weirder, more interesting, or subtle ways.
-The subs are usually more complicated than a simple sine wave, usually with lowpassed saw or triangle waves as well

[FoozogzPepperBrony]

160+ bpm, unless it's from the calmer spectrum. That could dip to 90+ bpm.
Pick an emotion and fill your song with it(excluding emoness or self-loathing)
Pick a choice: Fun, cheerful track/DIABETES/DRUM SPAM
Insert heavy PM bass synth.
Insert a heavy bass drum and a snare that whacks hard, or a spliced drum sample.
Imagine how the track would sound in DDR.

Make sure the song has lots of energizing/catchy content.
Manage to get the song at 3:xx minutes. (SERIOUSLY, ALMOST EVERYTHING I MAKE DOES THIS WHATTHEHELL)

Draw picture/get google picture and scribble words on it, submit
??? PROPHET

[[voodoopony]]

I still don't really know what I do or what I'll be doing. I wouldn't mind trying out something I've never done before.

-I mostly do either hip hop or misc styles of music.
-I have a severe percussion and melody fetish.
-A lot of my songs are kind of short.
-Against making loops, e.g. ctrl+c, ctrl+v, x8
-Can make a Wookie sound on the ES2

[zorg]

I've got nothing.