Who uses presets?

[Freedombeats]

Just like using loops from a factory CD, presets are another way you become less invested in the music you do. This isn't a good thing.
Just like the advent of digital recording is a great thing, but also heralds the end of talent, so does using loops and 3000+ preset libraries.
There is nothing wrong with an artist using presets, loops, buying songs, never learning to play an instrument or program a synth, yet still making music, if that's the exception.
I'm getting the the impression it's the rule these days.

There is a massive difference IMO in actual investment of energy in the music you do when you use shortcuts. I think this translates in the music, if a person is creating a style that matters over substance, then of course it doesn't matter. Here's the clincher for me though, any day of the week, month year, any day, I would rather listen to a bad rock band than a bad electronic act, and I think that comes directly down to the level of artificial saccharine coated garbage there is in the electronic music scene.

I've sat there and created most of a song around a loop or obvious preset and it would sound pretty good, but at some point I would reconsider, and trash the whole thing, it's just not me to use shortcuts. Again nothing wrong with the occasional preset that sounds great in a song, but if you rely on them, and don't know how to use the synths and samplers you use, then you're missing out, and I believe it's affecting the quality of electronic music these days no matter what the genre.

Yea agreed

[macmurphy]

Just like the advent of digital recording is a great thing, but also heralds the end of talent,

i pretty much agree with what you're saying. i don't however understand the above statement.
digital recording heralds the end of talent? how, exactly?

[alex.the.forge]

Just like using loops from a factory CD, presets are another way you become less invested in the music you do.
.

I dont agree with this at all actually. Say you take a recording of a car going past your window then take a few tiny grains out of it and make a snare drum out of it - does it matter where the source sound came from?

It's exactly the same with presets and loop CDs. there is absolutely nothing saying you have to leave it exactly as it is and not do anything to it. We all have to start somewhere.

Some people who know how to program a synth might start with an INIT preset and make it from scratch, but someone else might not know how and start with a preset then just tweak the knobs a bit, then compress/eq/effect etc until it sounds completely different.

I use presets and loops, but they never end up being the same as they started out. And I also program sounds from scratch - usually with Operator because I know how to get certain sounds with it more easily.

I also think it depends a lot on how you started out. There would be plenty of highly accomplished producers who started out on an S900 with and atari and used to rinse the fuck out of samples, so they just carried on with a similar process even after learning about synthesis just because it worked for them.

In fact even Aphex twin used the amen break…..

I really don't get this dogmatic attitude that there is this pure way of doing things and anyone who deviates from it and doesn't make every single sound from scratch is in some way unauthentic.

There is nothing wrong with either approach, why do we need to take sides?

[The Carpet Cleaner]

Presets are awesome. I don't like Suites presets, only few are good

What about komplete 7 + kore 2. Is it the heaven of presets ?

[Ill Frequencies]

I love using presets, It makes a good starting point for what sound you might be trying to get instead of starting from scratch whenever yo start.
I don't get why people have such a big problem with using them, because in the end its all about the final product that matters and if it sounds awesome it sounds awesome.
People listening to a track in a club aren't gonna say "I think they used presets to make this track therefore I don't like it".
And a label isn't gonna say "That song is a hit, but they cheated and used presets. They should start from scratch".
I think not.

[pepezabala]

I always thought I should make a little project where I force myself into using a very samll number of presets only. Just like this one drumrack that I like, this one bass sound i like, and this one organ sound that I like. And then make a couple of tracks with it. Like this I would be forced to write good songs and make good arrangements, and the whole project would have a very unique, recognizable sound.

There is something very nice about records that have that. Like lets say, the first Doors album. It's the same organ, guitar and drums on all tracks.

Lately I listened a quite a bit to a new wave band called Young marble giants. They only use a guitar, an electric bass and a very minimal drummachine (it's actually more like a metronom). There is something I like about albums that have a very reduced sound-set.

[Der_Makrophag]

I always thought I should make a little project where I force myself into using a very samll number of presets only. Just like this one drumrack that I like, this one bass sound i like, and this one organ sound that I like. And then make a couple of tracks with it. Like this I would be forced to write good songs and make good arrangements, and the whole project would have a very unique, recognizable sound.

There is something very nice about records that have that. Like lets say, the first Doors album. It's the same organ, guitar and drums on all tracks.

Lately I listened a quite a bit to a new wave band called Young marble giants. They only use a guitar, an electric bass and a very minimal drummachine (it's actually more like a metronom). There is something I like about albums that have a very reduced sound-set.

Of course, minimal has its own charme. But this has nothing to do with the preset discussion. You can also use few of your self-made sounds.