How to create weird effect ala "In Flames - Only For the Weak" afer the solo

[Davrinhatesyou]

Hi guys,

does anyone know how to create that weird sound effect that happens right after the solo in Only For The Weak? It's a strange digital building up thing, like it has a chopper on it...

[Guitarfreak]

Sounds like a guitar feedback track with a swooshing flange effect on it, and the chopping is created most likely by a tremolo effect of some kind. Or something else that emulates the 'killswitch' effect. Good song BTW, I love in flames.

[Metaltyme]

Originally Posted by Davrinhatesyou

Hi guys,

does anyone know how to create that weird sound effect that happens right after the solo in Only For The Weak? It's a strange digital building up thing, like it has a chopper on it...

Greetings Davrinhatesyou,

To get that effect, use a generic MIDI instrument like the Polysynth for example. You're basically going to program the notes to be sixteenth notes, but spaced at the interval of an eight note apart from each other. This produces that staccato-type effect that you hear (dut-dut-dut-dut instead of duhduhduhduhduh). Then, in your DAW, you can choose a similar sound using a soft-synth or hardware synth of your choice to make it more grand sounding. I use Dimension Pro as my sampler/synth module. With Dimension Pro (and others) you can automate a general EQ sweep starting from the lower frequencies to the higher frequencies at a consistent, gradual pace. You can basically think of it as how a wah wah pedal sounds...as you press a wah wah pedal downward, you begin to hear higher frequencies of the sound replace the previous lower frequencies. When I get home from work, I'll post an example of me utilizing this method to get that general sound effect you've mentioned. Of course, if you follow the steps above, you might be able to get what you're looking for before I can illustrate it with a clip when I get home. If you do, please, toss up a clip of your results if you get a chance (so that I can hear it while at work). Good luck, and have fun.

Peace,

[Metaltyme]

Good song BTW, I love in flames.

Yeah, that song is epic. Old In Flames kicked so much ass. I still like their new stuff, but it's still quite different to me though.

Cheers,

[Guitarfreak]

Metaltyme, you are correct, it is an EQ sweep. However, I am not 100% positive that I agree with your statement about the MIDI instrument doing 16th notes. Synth instruments tend to sustain for a while, I don't think that you would get that staccato effect without using some volume automation anyway. It does sound like a MIDI instrument, but I still believe that it is a held note being chopped by a trem effect.

[Metaltyme]

Synth instruments tend to sustain for a while, I don't think that you would get that staccato effect without using some volume automation anyway. It does sound like a MIDI instrument, but I still believe that it is a held note being chopped by a trem effect.

There are thousands of synth instruments that are designed not to sustain, as in when you let up on your keys, the sound cuts itself off instantly, or, programing the notes on a piano roll to 'not sustain'... I use them all the time. Such instruments can be used to reach that staccato sound without the use of "volume automation," as you call it. I imagine you're referring to transient-shaping instead...that'd be pretty tedious imho. Plus, we all know there are more ways than one to skin a cat, so...the method I originally described is how I've been able to produce the same effect. To each their own on how they'd like to do it, I say.

Cheers,

[String7th]

Originally Posted by Guitarfreak

Metaltyme, you are correct, it is an EQ sweep. However, I am not 100% positive that I agree with your statement about the MIDI instrument doing 16th notes. Synth instruments tend to sustain for a while, I don't think that you would get that staccato effect without using some volume automation anyway. It does sound like a MIDI instrument, but I still believe that it is a held note being chopped by a trem effect.

Metaltyme is correct. It's a synth sound. In Flames (friggin love them) has a lot of synth and keys throughout all their albums.

Synth sound just means fake, digital or synthetic. A snare hit could be considred synth if it was created digitally, like the Alesis DM5. There are millions of synth sounds and they found one that was short and quick enough to play repeated at 16th notes, and still sound choppy.

You could emulate it by having a constant low rumble and use automation to create the 16th note "dut-dut-dut-dut" sound

[String7th]

Oh, and this one for In Flames was probably programed then messed around with the filter and eq to get that "opening up" sound

[brandondrury]

Synth instruments tend to sustain for a while

Uhhh, this is inaccurate. Certainly pads and such sustain, but a staccato sound certainly won't. If you were forced to use sustain on a synth there would be no synth drums. Obviously, this isn't the case.

Synth sound just means fake, digital or synthetic.

Sorta. It can be analog too. Synthesize means "create" or "make". Synthesis in our case means they use a tone generator (called an oscillator) and apply all sorts of processing to it via envelop filters, EQ, ASDR, etc to turn it into a piano or snare drum. It's quite awesome that they can get so close this way.

It's anyone's guess as to what this instrument really is. It could be a snare drum slowed done to 1/zillionth speed for all we know. (Ever tried it? Cymbals sound like WW2 planes.)

It's either a sustaining instrument that has a tremolo on it or a synth use an arpeggiator or just manually entered notes. There is clearly an EQ sweep. This can be done by automating an EQ plugin, certainly flanger plugins (not all), or through various "auto-filters".

Yeah, that song is epic. Old In Flames kicked so much ass.

I love the entire Clayman album.

Brandon

[Guitarfreak]

Originally Posted by brandondrury

I love the entire Clayman album

+1

Clayman was one of their their best albums