Ableton Forum

I posted about Skrillex a while back saying this:

"Can anyone explain how the INTRO of this song was made? The way he remixed those vocals was crazy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpEOErRV-u4 "

Someone suggested that it was VOX cut up and put into a sampler. I tried putting some vocals in a sampler, but it didn't come out the way I expected. When I played notes that were a little bit higher than the original sample, it gave me a 'chipmonkish' sound. In Skrillex's La Roux remix, the notes that are higher than the original notes La Roux sang, are not 'chipmonkish'.

After going back and listening again, I started thinking that maybe he combined an instrument with the vocals so that it all sounded like vocals when it was really an instrument + vocals.

I think there is a lot to be learned here that everyone can benifit from so PLEASE, pour out your ideas on different ways he could have achieved this sound.

junqueira wrote: I think there is a lot to be learned here that everyone can benifit from so PLEASE, pour out your ideas on different ways he could have achieved this sound.

I don't want to benefit by learning how that awful sound has been achieved.

LeifonMars wrote: I don't want to benefit by learning how that awful sound has been achieved.

That's an ignorant comment homie...I could understand if you don't like the rest on the song, but you have to at least appreciate the intro

junqueira wrote:

LeifonMars wrote: I don't want to benefit by learning how that awful sound has been achieved.

That's an ignorant comment homie...I could understand if you don't like the rest on the song, but you have to at least appreciate the intro

What a terrible world would it be had I been forced to appreciate that god awful intro.

junqueira wrote:I posted about Skrillex a while back saying this:

"Can anyone explain how the INTRO of this song was made? The way he remixed those vocals was crazy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpEOErRV-u4 "

Someone suggested that it was VOX cut up and put into a sampler. I tried putting some vocals in a sampler, but it didn't come out the way I expected. When I played notes that were a little bit higher than the original sample, it gave me a 'chipmonkish' sound. In Skrillex's La Roux remix, the notes that are higher than the original notes La Roux sang, are not 'chipmonkish'.

Try taking more than one sample. For example instead of taking just her "C" note, take as much of the scale as you can and spread the samples across the keyboard accordingly.

the_planet wrote: Try taking more than one sample. For example instead of taking just her "C" note, take as much of the scale as you can and spread the samples across the keyboard accordingly.

So your saying sample as many vocal notes as possible, and spread them across the keyboard? GREAT suggestion, I'm gonna mess around with it some more

LeifonMars wrote:

junqueira wrote:

LeifonMars wrote: I don't want to benefit by learning how that awful sound has been achieved.

That's an ignorant comment homie...I could understand if you don't like the rest on the song, but you have to at least appreciate the intro

What a terrible world would it be had I been forced to appreciate that god awful intro.

Its only fair that each person is allowed to express their own opinion

Just guessing, but it sounds like he may have a synth part playing, then doing quick crossfades into the vox. If it is a synth part it has a quick legato glide on it which give the scooping sounds.

Another possibility is a vocoder, again the synth side with quick legato, then bringing the carrier (vox) part in at different points to 100%.

pulsoc wrote:Just guessing, but it sounds like he may have a synth part playing, then doing quick crossfades into the vox. If it is a synth part it has a quick legato glide on it which give the scooping sounds.

Another possibility is a vocoder, again the synth side with quick legato, then bringing the carrier (vox) part in at different points to 100%.

That's what I was thinking (he had another instrument going with it)... It also sounded like there was maybe some pitch bending going on. But, to me, it doesn't really have a 'vocoderish' sound to it...unless there is a way to make a vocoder not sound robotic?

At least 2 distinct Vox Lines
Imho
Lead Vocal (the singing)
Vocal Fx (melody behind the voacal - all the effected parts).

For the Lead - pitch correction (izotope Nectar - has a demo)

For Vocal FX - pitch correct the hell out of it. then chop & map out over a sampler
Pitch correct the entire vocal line to a single note (c, D, E ,F etc etc)
cut a few dif slices of each line (say.. the C line) and put that on all the C keys. So you can play the fx like a melody.
Repeat...So all the keys have a correstponding snippet of the vox on the right note of the sampler.
Use the beginnng of words on lower notes,, the end on upper notes , and the cool sounding slices in between.
Add a touch verb
Play that behind the Lead Vocal - sorta similar to the riddem - go crazy to start with..but let the Lead Vocal come thru - dont overpower it.
Use the pitch bend to glide the notes when you want.
Add some more glitch fx in fills (beat repaeat, grain delay, etc).

arafel wrote:
::: For the Lead - pitch correction (izotope Nectar - has a demo)

::: cut a few dif slices of each line (say.. the C line) and put that on all the C keys. So you can play the fx like a melody.
Repeat...So all the keys have a correstponding snippet of the vox on the right note of the sampler.

::: Use the beginnng of words on lower notes,, the end on upper notes , and the cool sounding slices in between).

Wow, great detailed ideas :::

Why did u suggest izotope? Is it the best or does it have a certain sound to it? Will melodyne or waves tune work?

When vocal correcting the phrases, were you saying to take the whole phrase that was going to be used, and pitch shift it to all octaves of C so that it can be played all across the keyboard?

Also, why did you say "Use the beginnng of words on lower notes,, the end on upper notes , and the cool sounding slices in between". What would you achieve by doing this? Sorry if I'm missing something obvious.
Thanks

Yes, you need a pitch correction tool, melodyne, nectar etc. all will work fine.

Speaking of Skrillex:

Backups, backups, backups, people.

Redundancy is your friend.

agent314 wrote:Speaking of Skrillex:

Backups, backups, backups, people.

Redundancy is your friend.

I back up my projects everytime I'm done with a session. I have 3 hard drives (1st: system/programs, 2nd: Projects, 3rd: Samples/project backups). I can't stand the thought of losing hard work.

I'm not sure about the vocal treatment, but as far as SKRILLEX basslines, SoundsToSample.com has an example of how to recreate it including a "supposed" response from SKRILLEX himself.

If interested look here: http://www.soundstosample.com/blog/how- ... -basslines


FYI

Eldon