What are /r/ambientmusic's favorite Products & Services?

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Do yourself a favor and read John Higgs book "The KLF: Chaos, Magic and the Band that Burned a Million Pounds"

https://www.amazon.com/KLF-Chaos-Burned-Million-Pounds/dp/1780226551/

Totally bonkers story!

The first thing that came to mind with Stephan Micus' Music of Stones, but it is on ECM, not Windham. Not sure if this is it, but I thought of it when I read your question.

See http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-music-of-stones-mw0000200770

Edit: Typo

Mynoise has a specific sound generator called Café Noise that uses the babel noise of people talking. You can adjust the aspects of the sound to your liking. I'd recommend everything on the site actually! https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/cafeRestaurantNoiseGenerator.php

2 of my favorites are 'A long Journey', 'Mirror'

also check out this mix he did recently, some good stuff in there https://www.mixcloud.com/soundsofatiredcity/sounds-of-a-tired-city-30-chihei-hatakeyama/

Glad you like them! :)

For Burzum and ColdWorld, I'm heavily into black metal. So, when I first started listening to BM I naturally came across Burzum. That ColdWorld track came as a suggestion to me via YouTube.

For everything else, I discovered the material off of RateYourMusic. It's a pretty comprehensive music database! I just browsed by genre, and listened to the top-rated albums of each genre to discover new music. Each genre has a description, so it can help narrow down what you're looking for.

They're revamping the site, and adding a feature where you can search for certain qualities of an album/song (along with genre), so that might helpful for you in the future.

An open source project called zynaddsubfx has some excellent pads for ambient. The development team just released a polished commercial version for $59. I seriously doubt you'll find anything so versatile and layered for less. http://zynaddsubfx.sourceforge.net/zyn-fusion.html

I tried a few, and I think these two are the best, although both are not free:

https://soundiiz.com : An online tool

https://songshift.io : An app for iOS devices

The app tends to break between updates of the app, so I’m currently not too happy about it. As long as you are not shifting to Apple Music, you should be fine I guess.

Everything I do is improvisation based or is free improvisation. I use Ableton Live to record/piece together all of my works. I record from many different sources. Manipulating piano/guitar/trumpet/trombone/harmonium that I've recorded. Using samples in kontakt and manipulating them as well. I almost always use synth, either my analog synths or (generally) virtual analog synths in ableton. With synths I build from the waveforms up.

I very rarely have an idea of what I want to do when I record, so generally I'll open up a synth vst and spend anywhere between 4-10 hours creating a sound. I generally add 3-5 vst effects. Always use EQ,This usually becomes the base for a piece. Then I improvise a layer with that sound. Repeat this several times spending about the same amount of time building each sound. Improvising over the previous improvised layer. I usually end up with 3-6 layers with no loops and that's my song.

Live, I have a very large set up pedals and synthesizers (mostly analog). My Gear. Using a mix of 3-5 synths and my Rhodes Mark1. Generally I always use my Roland JX-10 modified so I can use a midi controller to control all parameters externally and my Polysix. Then whatever else I feel like at the time. Each synth has it's own pedal board with reverb/delay/compression/loop pedal etc... I set up sounds from waveform up on each synth and set the pedals, then just play. Every board has a loop pedal. I record generally 4-6 minutes per synth and loop it, improvise over the top of that, loop, repeat. I then slowly fade everything out while playing a final layer. I make everything from romantic era inspired piano pieces to heavy noisy ambient. I guess RIYL Tim Hecker/Chopin/Giuseppe Ielasi.

There are many different approaches, depending on the sound, or atmosphere you're going for. It also depends on what kind of gear you have access to, or can afford. Some people make ambient music using acoustic instruments, some use sampled sounds, some use hardware synthesizers, some use software synthesizers, and some use some combination of any/all those.

Personally, being a cheapskate, self-taught, hobbyist "maker of sounds" (I hesitate to call myself a musician), I use an open source DAW called LMMS, software synthesizers, software effects, and my ears and feels. I also use a little MIDI keyboard, and some relatively cheap studio headphones. I would like to start experimenting with acoustic instruments, but instruments aren't cheap, and I can't justify the cost at the moment. I do have a cheap electric guitar that I've had since I was a teenager though, as well as an old miniKORG 700 (the first Korg synthesizer), from the 1970s, which someone gave me. I may try experimenting with those in the near future.

Generally, and very basically, my process for making ambient music goes something like this:

1. Open up a synth in LMMS, and start twiddling knobs until I find/create a sound that pleases me, or strikes a chord with me (pun intended).
2. Noodle on the MIDI keyboard a bit, searching for some sort of melodic seed (idea), until I find one.
3. Build on that idea until I have a completed track.
4. Focus on mixing everything until it sounds acceptable to me, and then export the finished product.
5. Upload it to the usual places, and share.

Others may have a different approach. That is just how I go about it. Most people probably have a general idea for a track before they start making it, but I usually don't. My music is usually just based on my mood, and where my head is at in that moment. Sometimes I'll have an idea before I start, but not often. I just open the tap, and let it flow.

"Experimental" has a strong overlap with "ambient", so perhaps you would be interested in this radio show archive featuring "seven hours of women making electronic music (1938-2014)".

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Please check my youtube channel for more similar content, and much more to come soon!

INFO ON WORK:

A piece that uses many guitar layers, bass and programmed drums to create an ambient metal sound, with a melodious 80s pop twist. One of my personal favourite songs I've ever worked on as it attempts to bring together many different styles, primarily ambient metal, funk metal, pop metal, electronic music, and retro style music. Hard to put a specific genre on this, I hope someone out there digs it as much as I do!

LICENSE INFO:

Attribution CC BY Scott ARC

This license lets others distribute, remix, tweak, and build upon your work, even commercially, as long as they credit you for the original creation. This is the most accommodating of licenses offered. Recommended for maximum dissemination and use of licensed materials.

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

You can find mine on iTunes. Search for Post-Rock Paper Scissors. Don't be fooled by the name, it's more ambient than anything else.

More easily, all episodes are on mixcloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/babarm87/

mirror/archive: https://www.mixcloud.com/Jacob_Newman/silhouette-seasons-a-mix-for-shimmering-moods-records/

Adzuki - 夏 - Summer Darren Harper - Movement Two - Gradient Shift [11:05] Specta Ciera - Portasynth & Cellphone [21:09] offthesky - Wait, Then Wait [21:52] Kris Dubinsky & Warmth - Sammanväxta Toner [26:16] Castleview - Spirit [32:40] Andrew Weathers - Dusty Summer Ghost [38:40] Aurastore - Converge [45:00] Murkok - On a Hill [54:45] Exif - Sea of Fog [57:00] Jacob Newman - Invisible Autumn [68:50] Laura†Birdie - Your Embrace [73:38]

archived: https://www.mixcloud.com/Jacob_Newman/spectrums-ambient-mix-oct-18-2015/

1. Adzuki - Spring
2. Caught In The Wake Forever - Often Nowhere [07:00]
3. Darwin Raymond - Fading [12:48]
4. Darren Harper - 2-1-15~Drifting-White.Two [14:12]
5. Exif - Landscape of Souls [18:56]
6. Maps & Diagrams - Gnomish Twang [22:00]
7. Gallery Six - Warbling [25:16]
8. Kris Dubinsky & Warmth - Uncertain Horizon (Ambient Version) [27:35]
9. Murkok - Exhalation [33:30]
10. Specta Ciera - Well I'm not, wait a minute [39:02]
11. Autumna - Du er mit lys [42:30]
12. t e l e p a t h テレパシー能力者 - 最後にホーム [46:40]
13. Moss Garden - Ritual Solitaire [52:30]

Mirror/Archive: https://www.mixcloud.com/Jacob_Newman/spectrums-03-ambient-mix/

1. Beautumn - Blanket Short
2. Specta Ciera - Up Into the Corner [5:23]
3. Pillow Garden - Silence And Selah [8:22]
4. Robert Davies - Through the Narrow Glade [15:15]
5. Pjusk & Sleep Orchestra - Daithn [19:53]
6. Darren Harper - Pastorale Loop [22:46]
7. Darwin Raymond - Blue, Green And White [28:10]
8. Aidan Baker - Preclosure Operator I [30:19]
9. Swartz et - Curtains [36:04]
10. Adam Pacione - Warming Trend [39:45]
11. Alio Die & Zeit - Una Visione D'ambra [40:56]
12. Tetsu Inoue - Karmic Light [49:00]

So, all real info coming in late February (if you buy on steam or itch.io you get the update for free, hint hint), but you can both load your own loops into the game, AND record in game audio to a .wav. The big bit coming in Feb will be some legal language saying that you can officially sell the audio you make using the game, with attribution.

If you integrate your own loops with the provided in game ones (in the options menu), make sure you provide them using F# major. If you choose ONLY your own sounds, just make sure they're all in the same key - the game will randomly choose to forward/reverse then, and halve/double the speed, etc. 'Chaos' adds some simple effects. Place your audio in the CustomAudio folder alongside the game. DM me if you have questions of course.

Personally, as a musician. I'd probably just use this as an idea generator or fodder for remixing.

Have a look at MyNoise.

I really like it for white noise/background ambiance for work, but it's pretty customizable and the person behind it has added some RPG sounds which look pretty cool.

I have found https://www.pexels.com/ to be invaluable in the making of my music videos. Read the licence terms, though. Also you can search for 'stock video' on YT, filter it for 'Creative Commons' marked material, check that it actually is, download and use that also! (attribution is good to do, also)

If you haven't already, you should read Alex Bainter's article on creating generative music. Most of it is over my head, but it might be of interest to you and others in this sub. Plus his other articles are interesting, as well. His generative music website got posted on here a while ago and it's fantastic.

I'm a bit skeptical about your whole approach. There's not that much ambient music universally interpreted as light which would also be pleasing to you and/or other staff after dozens or hundreds of repeat listens. Hopefully you'll have at least 20-30 albums on rotation?

​

IMO the better approach is ambient sound, which can be listened to for thousands of hours sometimes without becoming annoying. Here's an example but I recommend anything from this website: https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/pebbleBeachNoiseGenerator.php

​

Site is heavily customizable too, to get the right sound.

http://nifflas.ni2.se/?page=Knytt+Stories

This game right here. Fantastic atmospheric pieces throughout; I still listen to its soundtrack a ton.

Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsDivxADiME

This piece was originally written as part of a series of tracks base around images created by the amazing AI over at Artbreeder.com and inspired by my visits to the Isle of Man.

The track was created entirely in Reason 10, without any particular adherence to the grid or the structure, and focusing on creating an airy, bright sound reminiscent of the feeling of bing completely lost in nature and happy with it.

Original artwork https://artbreeder.com/i?k=1ff123c203fc4614a359a93b

Youtube: https://youtu.be/4KWYqPX8bq4

Special shout out to LectricPanda LLC for creating some of the most batpoop crazy plugins sucj as Fritz and Torsion

You have to get lost in the sound. Create crazy atmospheres, send channels all over, add delays, crushing, verbs, etc. This might be a good inspiration https://www.discogs.com/%CF%80Ensemble-P%C4%83durea-De-Aur-Opus-2-In-Re-Major/release/3190730

Label: Not On Label (Terekke self-released)

Genre: Electronic

Style: Ambient

Year: 2015

Terekke on bandcamp

on discogs

Hey, you're welcome! That was the result the Shazam app gave me. I had a feeling it might not be right since it definitely didn't sound much like ambient to me.

However, Shazam gave me a different result when listening further into the speech: Condolences - Self-acceptance. I'd say that one sounds a little softer than the first result I got, but still not really droney/atmospheric. I then Googled around for a little bit and couldn't find anything else. I wish I could help further. Haha, I know it's frustrating when you can't figure out a song! Shazam is still really cool if you've never used it, though.

Have you tried going through your YouTube Watched History to try to find that video? If you haven't paused or deleted or disabled your history or anything, you should be able to see your history on YouTube, and in probably more specific detail on your Google account (if I recall--Google even breaks your history down by day and hour).

I pre-ordered the hardcover book on amazon for $25 bucks but the image they used was of the standard edition. Is there a chance I am going to get the standard edition?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RG2XJNM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

VS

https://shop.udiscovermusic.com/collections/brian-eno

Edit: I think I may have gotten really lucky, we will have to find out when it finally comes to my door

It's a nice track! I like the nature shots in the video too, I've been doing something similar lately myself. But unfortunatly, I think you are running into a similar problem to one that I've experienced myself with the mixdown...

Basically, don't forget to mix/master for iphone and laptop speakers! Sorry but your song is super buzzy on my macbook, it makes the speakers kinda rattle. I get something similar when I use gamelan samples, it's super easy to blow those tiny little speakers out with random frequencies.

Mixing (or a/b'ing) on these would almost certainly help if you have the means! But the simplest way to avoid laptop playback problems is to mix down, then test it on your own phone and laptop, and then on a friend's. You should probably check it out on at least one iphone and one macbook as well, they're so ubiquitous.