Next Step Audio

Hecq Yes: Forging Music From Noise

LT — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 22:01:07 +0000

Our pal Hecq – who has awesomely collaborated with Trifonic a few times – recently did a video with Ableton about his field recording and processes.

Definitely worth a view!

Trifonic: Adding Character to Digital Sounds

LT — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 19:59:31 +0000

As a producer, one of the challenges of working with virtual instruments and digital recordings is that you often have to add character back to them to make your tracks sound right.

Digital sounds can be so clean that they lack warmth, depth, vibe, soul… whatever you want to call it, the bottom line is your recordings will fall flat without some work to add life into your tracks.

In this video, Brian demonstrates a couple techniques for overcoming this challenge using delay and vocal transformer plugins.

Trifonic: Ninth Wave “Producer’s Edition” Preview

LT — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 18:55:27 +0000

We’re very excited to announce that Trifonic has a new album, Ninth Wave, dropping tomorrow!

In addition to the album tracks, we’re making a “Producer’s Edition” of Ninth Wave available as well that includes full audio stems of all the album tracks, exclusive production tutorial videos about the tracks, and Trifonic sample kits for you to use in your own tracks. The “Producer’s Edition” will be available exclusively on Trifonic.com starting tomorrow.

Here’s a brief preview of some of the “Producer’s Edition” content. Enjoy!

Trifonic: Creating Compelling Pads (via Pyramind)

LT — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 05:39:34 +0000

Jesus it’s been a long time since we’ve posted a video here… that’s what happens when you’re heads-down working on a new release. (!!!)

Anyway, this drought-buster comes via our friends at Pyramind.

In this video, Brian digs deep into using reverbs and creative effects channels to create compelling melodic pads from any sound… include something as cheesy as a Titanic-esque Celtic panflute.

Trifonic: Enhancing Your Tracks With Melodic Counterpoint

LT — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 05:09:31 +0000

What do Bach, Stravinsky, and Trifonic have in common?

They all employ the technique of counterpoint to create kick-ass melodies and harmonies in their music.

In the video, Brian demonstrates how counterpoint works using examples from the Trifonic remix of Hecq’s With Angels.

Trifonic Interview with Electronic Creatives

LT — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 17:02:10 +0000

This is a bit of a departure from our normal tutorial format, but Brian recently sat down with our good friend Laura Escudé of Electronic Creatives to discuss the upcoming Trifonic EP (tentatively titled “City of Refuge”), his thoughts on the production and creative process, and the future of hi-hats (or lack thereof), among other things.

Parts 1, 2, and 3 of the interview are below.

Trifonic: Using FM8s Morph Square to Create Sweet Leads

LT — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 07:53:54 +0000

Building on some previous posts on FM synthesis (Pt. 1, Pt. 2, and Pt. 3), in this video Brian demonstrates how to use the Morph Square feature in FM8 to generate dynamic, rocking lead sounds.

Best of all, you can download the patch that Brian uses in the video below.

Also, if you like the drum sounds in the video, you can find the Wave Alchemy Drum Tools sample pack from whence they came here.

Trifonic: Layering Your Way to Awesome Bass Lines

LT — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 04:54:08 +0000

Great sounds in electronic music often do not stem from one killer source. Rather, they result from blending many small elements into what becomes a singular sound.

In this video, Brian demonstrates how Trifonic applies a “call and response” layering technique to create bass lines using multiple bass tracks.

P.S. The music you hear in the video is from Trifonic’s remix of Hecq’s forthcoming track “With Angels.”

Trifonic: Creating Twisted Leads with EXS24 in Logic

LT — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 05:40:38 +0000

In previous posts, Brian has shown how to bring the nasty using Massive, Malstrom, and other tools.

This time, Brian demonstrates some of Trifonic’s techniques for creating filthy bass and lead sounds using Logic’s EXS24 in combination with the old-school hardware sampler, EMu E6400.

If you don’t use Logic and don’t plan on purchasing an EMu unit, fear not – the principles here are surely applicable to whatever you’ve got in your studio…

Trifonic: Synthesis with Sculpture in Logic Pro

LT — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 16:05:22 +0000

Sculpture, the physical modeling synth in Apple’s Logic Pro, is one of the most powerful and unique synths available. It’s also one of the most intimidating to use.

Thankfully, Brian has created a video in which he breaks down the mysteries of this complex and impressive tool, demonstrating how to use Sculpture’s multiple parameters to create strong, unique lead sounds.

(For you Trifonic fan out there, Sculpture was a driving force behind the track Parks On Fire).