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 Forum index » Discussion » Composition
How does one make "Space Music" ?
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Nawax



Joined: Jul 18, 2014
Posts: 7
Location: France

PostPosted: Wed Jun 01, 2016 1:07 pm    Post subject: How does one make "Space Music" ? Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Hi everyone, I'm a beginner in computer assisted music, and I've only produced one track. (you can listen to it there)

Anyways I've always been attracted to making space music, and as far as I've done my research, it's a term used to define a lot of different types of music. But I would like your advice and tips on how to make tracks that ressemble these ones (I'd like to understand how they are made before trying to find my own style):
-Jake Chudnow - Going Down
-Carbon Based Lifeforms - Terpene

I know these are two different kinds of music, but I like them both and I think they can be both considered as Space Music.
So, yeah, I'd be really happy to hear your advice, sorry for the bad english, and thank you !
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Grumble



Joined: Nov 23, 2015
Posts: 1294
Location: Netherlands
Audio files: 30

PostPosted: Thu Jun 02, 2016 12:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

lots reverb and lots of chorus
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Nawax



Joined: Jul 18, 2014
Posts: 7
Location: France

PostPosted: Thu Jun 02, 2016 10:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Thank you ! Any advice on which VST to use, or a link to something that could help me ? (I'm really a newbie so if you gave me all the instructions I think I'd still be lost, sorry about that)
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MusicMan11712



Joined: Aug 08, 2009
Posts: 1082
Location: Out scouting . . .

PostPosted: Fri Jun 03, 2016 11:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

JMO, but I think you hit the nail on the head--labels (such as "Space Music") are more useful for marketing and promotion than for creating music.

My advice is to listen to a lot of music, decide what you like, play around with as many tools and techniques you can get your hands on, experiment like crazy, and just start making stuff, refining it to your personal satisfaction as you go.

There may be some common elements to many pieces of music that belong to any specific genre or sub genre (or sub-sub-sub . . . . genre), but isolating those elements and combining them might not be the best way to proceed.

Just my opinion; if it helps, great! If not, I am sure there are other opinions around here.

Steve
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Nawax



Joined: Jul 18, 2014
Posts: 7
Location: France

PostPosted: Sat Jun 04, 2016 2:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Thanks a lot ! So as I see it, it's going to take a lot of practice and patience to get where I want, I'll try to !
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A E J O T Z



Joined: Aug 14, 2011
Posts: 423
Location: Griffith, Indiana, USA
Audio files: 148

PostPosted: Sat Jun 11, 2016 1:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I enjoyed the "Hearts of Space" radio show when it first aired. The term "Space Music" came to signify a certain kind of music mostly because of that program. But while all the music played on that show was pretty spacey, it wasn't all the same. There was a lot of experimentation by a lot of artists. After awhile a certain kind of "space music" became conspicuously successful and was increasingly imitated. The show itself became increasingly victim to this trend until the music became somewhat predictable and formulaic. Fewer experiments were heard per program until truly unique approaches pretty much disappeared. I stopped listening years ago for that reason.

The lucrative era of mainstream ambient "space music" is past. You aren't likely to become a star by imitating what has become mainstream space music. But if you enjoy playing that style, please, do so. I'm not putting it down. I've just heard my fill for now.

Personally I'd rather hear what you come up with just noodling around playing what you feel. Your appreciation of space music will influence what you play but your music will be something new; a synthesis of that influence and all your other musical influences combined, plus chance, plus experimentation.

Or you could bring up "Xenon Pad" on a Yamaha PSR-520 and let your cat walk on the keyboard. cyclops

(just kidding)

By the way... I just listened to your track and I really like it.

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Last edited by A E J O T Z on Sun Jun 12, 2016 10:40 am; edited 1 time in total
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DES



Joined: Feb 28, 2003
Posts: 794
Location: New Jersey
Audio files: 8

PostPosted: Sun Jun 12, 2016 9:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Another approach is to try and learn a song done by someone you like. Multiple benefits. For one you really learn how to program your synth(s). and effects to get various sounds. This helps you recreate the sounds that you hear in your head when thinking about doing your own music. Another benefit is you start building a vocabulary of chord progressions...or timbre progressions...that you can apply to your own music. The music isn't only about notes present, but those not present as well as the timbre/harmonic content of the music. As you listen to others music you know what you like and what you don't. Of course one particular pitfall of all of this is that your music may tend to sound 'generic'. This is where time developing your craft comes into play.

As for VSTs....There are some great freebies out there...Synth1 for example. If money isn't as much of an issue then something like Omnisphere or Absynth, or any synth that allows deep editing so you can manipulate your sounds. Also as mentioned, reverbs, delays. I'm kind of partial to Valhalla's Vintage Verb at the moment. Also use Glaceverb. KVRaudio.com is a good place to hunt the tools down.

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Nawax



Joined: Jul 18, 2014
Posts: 7
Location: France

PostPosted: Sun Jun 12, 2016 11:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

A E J O T Z wrote:

By the way... I just listened to your track and I really like it.


Thank you very much, you don't know how much that meant to me.
I actually have Omnisphere, but I've just been fiddling with the presets a bit, I don't have any clue on how to make a good-sounding synth with it, I'll have to look into that.

I know that Space Music is now kind of predictable, but some artists manage to produce really different songs, I've been listening to drone music as well, and I find some similarities in both genres. As for me, I don't want to reproduce what others have already done, but in order to experiment and try new things, understanding how "mainstream" space music is done would help me, I think.
Thanks a lot for your time !
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