The sounds are a mixture of synthesized, recorded, and samples. The drums and percussion are one hit samples that I layers and piece together into the beat I want. The guitars are recordings of me playing whilst the things like bass and keys are synthesized. I usually play them in using a midi keyboard. In that first track, the steel drum sounding instrument (actually a Hang) are one note samples which I played in real time with an MPC. Things like vocals are of course samples. I also use samples for textures atmosphere. I'll usually stretch them and add all sorts of effects to turn them into pads and ambiance etc. I did intent for the pieces to be somewhat relaxing so I'm glad they had that effect There's a screenshot of what the first track looks like inside the software; there's also another 10 layers I couldn't fit. For reference, all the blue blocks are audio (recordings, samples, one hits ) and all the green blocks midi parts for the synthesizers.
Jesus. How do you like Logic? Was thinking of investing in a copy. For how much stuff is in the track, it sounds incredibly tidy. I also like the sonic texture that's created from mixing all those media. Very physical sound.
Well thank you! It's all about EQing and layering to make sure there's enough space for everything in the frequency spectrum. Also, what might appear as one sound in the final product is potentially 3 different layers blended together, so it's not necessarily 50+ completely separate things happening simultaneously. I love Logic. The version shown is actually Logic 9 but there's a more recent version out, however it's had a mixed reception. Out of every DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) it's probably the most aesthetically pleasing and easiest to navigate. It's capabilities for recording/managing audio as well as its mixer are also top notch. It's just about finding the program that matches your workflow. I'd certainly recommend it.