ORGANIC MACHINATIONS
An all-new monthly class!
One of the most well-worn criticisms and shortcomings of electronic music, and indeed digital sound in general, is that it is too clean, precise and, well, just too damn cold for human ears. Luckily, today’s technology affords us producers a plethora of costeffective solutions to this conundrum; though as ever, properly diagnosing the issue and applying a little knowledge is the best route out of even the frostiest of musical tundras.
In this tutorial, kicking off a series called Organic Machinations – where we add humanity to a computer music world – we’ll take a look at just what a term like ‘warmth’ even means in a sonic context. We will explore a number of tools and tricks you will be able to readily apply in your productions in order to heat up those cold mixes quicker than you can switch the gas on.
As with most timbral aspects of sound and its relation to human perception, the spectral distribution of energy within a given sound is a key concern here; thus, the humble EQ will be our greatest ally in the battle against aural chill. A closely related device, the filter, will also play a role, with saturation and distortion rounding out my studio fire-starting toolkit.