Ambient production OP-Z

OP-Z
#1

Hey guys! Ive been trying to figure out how some of these guys are making awesome ambient music with the OP-Z. I was wondering if any of you could give me some advice on the workflow, sample selection, and any other tips/tricks ambient related. Thank guys.

Wasn’t having any luck watching videos on YouTube because it’s hard to see what actually going on.

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#2

Well, I can’t teach you how to make ambient music, but some advice could be:

  • use lots of reverb/delay
  • use drone-mode on some tracks (holding track button and dialing green to the far right) and play with filter/resonance, to produce some evolving sounds
  • experiment with the envelopes (longer attack and/or release-times)
  • tune down some of the drum tracks. Tuning down the effects/percussion track can lead to interesting sounds. Reversing the Drum samples can also help to generate variations
  • turn down the speed of your project
  • use lots of step components to create unexpected variations
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#3

I’ve made a few ambient tracks using lots of external effects on a computer or ipad. Genereous helpings of delay and reverb, but still using the synth engines from the op-z.
Here’s one:

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#4

I did a track outside in the woods. Used the mic to record the birds and the radio provided a classical piano piece i used for a sample. Try backwards recording with reverb and relax.

#5

dinraum, I guess you are talking about the OP-1, not OP-Z? :slight_smile:

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#6

Haha. Yes sorry. Have both but the op1 is the better ambient machine.

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#7

Def use the step components - I like to start at a lower tempo (like 70 instead of 140, etc – for more space to vary a sequence).

But the real trick I think is sequencing the tape track – adding delay and reverb to that, sending select tracks to it creates a cool lagging of sound, almost like a monome / MLR style sample chopping but it’s like live sampling your current sequence. Really really special.

Sometimes I’ll even just leave one trig on so everything feeds into a buffer at half speed or something wild. With a touch of chorus and drive on the master track

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#8

How do you “send select tracks” to the tape? And how do you feed the buffer? Thanks!

#9

On the tape track , you just have to hold SHIFT and the LED turn yellow . Simply hit the corresponding button for let the tracks beeing mangled by the tape

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#10

Ah, so without shift selecting a track(s), the tape effect won’t work because nothing is being fed?

#11

yes .
you have to tchek wich track is ON or OFF by its LED turned to yellow on the tape track

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#12

Actually , pushing SHIFT on All the Instruments tracks introduce the step components and pushing SHIFT on all the control tracks introduce MUTE / UNMUTE

#13

So the shift feed to tape scenario isn’t correct?

#14

what ?

#15

@brandin Go into tape, hold shift and select or deselect which track you want to go into the tape. If it’s lit yellow it is going into tape, if it isn’t lit it’s not going to tape. No mute or unmute involved (which by the way you access by pressing the mixer button )

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