I used to play guitar in a punk band in high school. Played some bass/did some vocals in a cover band in college. I’ve always wanted to get a synthesizer and some equipment to make some industrial stuff. Well now I’ve got some extra funds and some extra time so I’m looking to get some gear and start playing again. Anyone here know what would be the best way for me to get started. Specifically keyboards/synths I’ve already got a bass and guitar with amps for both and plenty of pedals, so I don’t need any advice on that, unless you know about any specific pedals that are made for industrial type music. By the way when I say industrial I’m just talking about Ministry, NIN, KMFDM, SMG…not Voltaire or Gristle, more the commercial stuff. What’s the best gear and what are the best computer programs for mixing and editing? Are there any good websites with tutorials and stuff. I can play piano fairly well, but I’ve never tried doing any sampling or anything like that.
Much appreciation to any responses.
a couple of years ago me and my friend tried to make a synthpop band which is kinda like industrial. We didnt know what the fuck we were doing we actually got one gig at a bar but we got booed off stage after one song and spit on by a bunch of rednecks i smashed my keyboard on sum fatkid and it wuz over 4 the one and done synthpop badboyz known as X-Ray Touch. i didnt do shit my friend did all the programming i just wrote lyrics and provided money.
I’m currently writing and recording a full-length album of Industrial (by my definition anyway). I grew up in the 80’s, so my music is very reflective of my influences - FLA, 242, Skinny Puppy, Cab Voltaire, Ministry, Wax Trax, etc. It’s a project I’ve been working on for a long time, and don’t really care how relevant it is in this day and age. I’m hoping to have it done later this year, so I can share it with everyone here.
The way I see it, you can go a few different routes:
- Synth/sampler workstation - this is how I make music, and am most comfortable in writing/recording. I currently have a KORG Triton Extreme (made in '03, now discontinued), which is LOADED with sounds, full onboard FX, onboard sampler, accepts USB and Flash cards, and is capable of recording guitars and vocals into the synth, with full FX/mixing capabilities. I can record up to 16 individual tracks, and even bounce them to make room for more tracks, just like on a real multi-track recorder. If you want, go to my site and check out the Puppy/NE/Ministry songs under “Cover Songs (2007)” or even the live Click Click show at the bottom of the page. All those songs were programmed on my KORG workstation, so you’ll have an idea of how “industrial” I can make these songs sound (and they’re more of the ‘mainstream industrial’ variety):
http://www.thecorrugation.com/downloads.html
Some musicians call it the ‘band-in-a-box’ approach, but I’m not much of a gear junkie, so for me, it’s less gear, less headaches (though I wouldn’t mind some more toys!).
- Load up on gear, and chain it all together via MIDI. I recommend going for the heavy hitter digital synths, like the KORG M1 or Roland D-50, produced in the late 80’s, and loaded with some really great sounds. You could go the more classic route, and track down a Roland JUNO-6, or ARP or Minimoog for some fat analog bass sounds, but then you’re talking $$$ on eBay. Some newer boards used for industrial include the Nord Lead analog synths (NIN uses them) or the Virus T1. If you want to get a good idea on what synths/samplers/drum modules to look for, check out the Vintage Synth website:
You get full reviews, the bands that used the gear, and how much you can expect to pay. It’s probably the best resource on the web, if you intend to stock up on older gear. That site has come in handy for me many times, and kept me from dropping hundreds on a piece of crap synth on eBay. If you just stick with the big names for synths (KORG, Yamaha, Roland), you can’t go wrong. It’s all personal preference (sounds and features) from that point on.
- Softsynths and software with a MIDI keyboard. I saved this for last, because I have absolutely no experience in this area. I’m sure someone else here makes music this way, and can tell you the benefits of writing/recording this way. I’m guessing that in 2008, you can get just about any classic synth in the form of a virtual synth program. I’ve seen some of the software you can create and mix on, and they’re truly incredible. I’m just so comfortable working on old synths and samplers, so I haven’t taken the leap into this new technology yet. I guess you’ll want to have lots of RAM and a good processor on your PC if you go this route.
Hope this helps, didn’t mean to be so long-winded. You may already know half of this stuff.
1002
I’ve been dicking around with industrial/electronic-based nonsense for a good couple of years. Unlike 1002’s Corrugation project (which fucking OWNS… “Lab Report” in particular!), I’m totally down with software and such, like FL Studio, AcidPro, and the like. Namely because I’m cheap and strapped for cash, but that’s beside the point. If you can manage to fork over some cash for FL Studio or acquire it… differently… try messing around with that. Sure, FL is pretty well synonymous with rap and hip-hop, but hell, what is industrial if not angsty, melodic, white rap? [:)]
Check out my nonsense if you feel… hasn’t been updated in forever, I know, but you can blame “higher” education for that.
[url “http://www.myspace.com/ms1010shades”]www.myspace.com/ms1010shades (IIRC…)
If I ever did anything remotely industrial, i’d assume it be gristlle-ish. I’d probably just want to make a bunch of programmed, synthy noise. Hell, i’ve heard you can almost do it all if not completely with a synth, a sampler, and a sequencer (to avoid using computers at all). I’d like to play around and if a computer were necessary at all, i’d only use it for recording/mixing, the production-type stuff, and nothing but. I wouldn’t mind learning how to go about all of that either, really.
I’m really just a hobbyist, but I did everything here http://www.myspace.com/thecryptids using an old ASR-10 sampling keyboard, Adobe Audition (Cooledit Pro for the older tracks), and a cracked copy of Reason (for the newer tracks).
If you like what you hear, your setup can be as simple as that. If you don’t like what you hear, you may want to invest in something more complex.
i make a lot. but i write a very heavy form of industrial. like ministry, or tin omen style skinny puppy.
i use a ZOOM 16 track recording deck, a computer interface, a WONDERFUL Roland Sampler, a Roland Effect box, a few drum machines, some midi keyboards, a Goth THunderbird Bass, and Schecter Diamond Series BlackJack (A La Joey Z from Life of Agony).
to just mix it all i actually use Acid. its easy to use and great if you are just using it to sync shit up. also has a good midi interface.
when im doing folk/blues stuff i just play an acoustic through the mic and use the same basic set up.
If you want, go to my site and check out the Puppy/NE/Ministry songs under “Cover Songs (2007)”
Dude, those are amazing, vocal-free reproductions of the originals. You could sell them as karaoke versions (which is not intended to be an insult - it’s a testament to their sonic accuracy).
Hy band-boss (hehe) makes all the music and he uses midi-keyboard with software-synths… works like a charm if you know how to.
I’ve been lucky to work with some really really really good music makers. … well 2 at least. And both have used Cubase on PC for recording.
Cubase is pretty easy to learn the basics in.
I’m only doing vocals, and do them in a way I would say is somewhat “industrial”.
I use distortion + chorus often on my vocals (pedals).
Lately I have been messing around vith cubase’s software vocoder, that I think I got so simulate a vocoder without signal input, that gives me a vocal-effect somewhat like Skinny Puppy - Tin Omen or Skrew - mouthful of dust.
I did the vocals for Audio Victim. www.audiovictim.com but didn’t have anything to do with the music. Joey who did the music used a Mac to do the recording and I’m pretty sure he was using Final Cut Pro as his recording program.
I’ve done lots of other music, probably not too much that qualifies as industrial in the way you’re talking. I did play keyboards for Avenpitch (www.avenpitch.com) for a few years. They do all their recording in Cakewalk and used mostly cheap synths and drum machines and lots of wave samples.
Back in the day, for Fadladder, I did a little music that would probably qualify as industrial. Mostly made on the Roland 505 and Ensoniq ASR10 sampler. I love the ASR 10. Recorded in studios or on Fostex 4 and 8 tracks.
I’m really just a hobbyist, but I did everything here http://www.myspace.com/thecryptids using an old ASR-10 sampling keyboard, Adobe Audition (Cooledit Pro for the older tracks), and a cracked copy of Reason (for the newer tracks).
If you like what you hear, your setup can be as simple as that. If you don’t like what you hear, you may want to invest in something more complex.
Shout out to the ASR10! If it’s good enough for the RZA it’s good enough for me!!
Dude, those are amazing, vocal-free reproductions of the originals. You could sell them as karaoke versions (which is not intended to be an insult - it’s a testament to their sonic accuracy).
Wow, thanks man, I appreciate it. I do want to convert them to MIDI/karaoke files, and get them out on the web, so maybe some other bands can use them. I can’t find any Puppy MIDI files online (I guess not surprisingly), and only found two Ministry MIDIs (Revenge and Bad Blood). I’m going to program a couple more cover songs this year for future live gigs - “Don’t Argue” by Cabaret Voltaire (I have the propaganda film with ALL the samples, so it’ll sound sweet), and either “Addiction” by Skinny Puppy, or “We Believe” by Ministry, depending on my mood.
I’ll have to check your tunes out when I get home from work. I had an EPS16+ for many years (the older demos on my site were written on it)…good to see another Ensoniq user here. I remember the ASR-10 came out right after I’d just bought the EPS, I was a little upset about that at the time!
1002
The fact that you chose “I Prefer” as your other Ministry cover is brilliant! Your Click Click covers sound good so far too. I only wish you’d covered “Yakutska” - that was always my favorite song by them.
Any chance of a “Ni Upanya, Ni Strahu (No Hope No Fear)” (I probably fucked the spelling, I’m at work) cover? Your avatar shows you as a fan.
Lots of help here. Thanks for all the advice. Everyone’s music is pretty good. When/if I get around to recording anything I’ll post a link here.
1002 great advice and great work.
The fact that you chose “I Prefer” as your other Ministry cover is brilliant! Your Click Click covers sound good so far too. I only wish you’d covered “Yakutska” - that was always my favorite song by them.
Any chance of a “Ni Upanya, Ni Strahu (No Hope No Fear)” (I probably fucked the spelling, I’m at work) cover? Your avatar shows you as a fan.
Funny thing - Yakutska, along with Mercy, was originally on the set list, but I literally ran out of time to program those songs. I had learned the synth parts, and planned to work on them, but finished the last song less than two weeks from the New Year’s performance date. Pretty much had to rehearse the set from that point on. My vocals are a bit cringe-inducing on that recording, but I hadn’t played a gig in 10 years at that point! Doing much better in the vocal dept. these days (that’s what I keep telling myself).
We must think alike, I’ve wanted to cover No Hope, No Fear for the longest time. I guess I would have to sing it in their native tongue, for it to sound right (shouting the chorus in English sounds weird, I tried it!). I’m definitely a big Borghesia fan. No Hope, Message, Naked Uniformed Dead, Discipline…love those freaking songs. I think the No Hope, No Fear CD is still my favorite.
I programmed I Prefer, mainly because I knew it’d be an easy one to crank out (2 hours, I believe), but always dug that song, and wondered how it’d sound live. I played it at a friend’s party, and everyone seemed to like it. I like the punkish-EBM style of that song. Nitzer Ebb could’ve recorded it on That Total Age, and it wouldn’t have been out of place.
1002
Also, I believe the best piece of equipment for ANY musician, industrial or not, is a handheld tape/digital voice recorder. The noises this crazy world makes, man…
Yeah “No Hope” is my favorite too and it would def. need to be in native language - the language is part of what makes that first EP so fucking awesome (and it really holds up 20 some years later).
I’m curious, did you perform the tribute to CLick CLick for an audience who knew who CLick CLick were? I can’t imagine there are too many of those around. The vocals sounded good, appropriate for CC material.
Love the guitars on ‘Headfuck’… Makes ya feel nostalgic about the 80s.