Producer Tag Sounds...

[Jackalope]

When the Transformer noises started up last night at Excision, the conversation drifted to producer tag noises.

For instance-
Excision's Transformers
Dylan's James' Brown "heh!"
Pendulum's Synths
Caspa's creepy sample from Kids (granted his is a little different cuz its his name)

Do you think that having a tag sound is a bad thing and put you in the pigeon hole (oh god here's the sound coming again...wait for it!...wait!..bam there it is...) or do you guys think as producers it's a good signature idea so everyone will always know it was you? (ego)

I'm kind of torn. The Dylan noise was just annoying. Pendulums huge synth sound is ..huge!.. I always just get creeped out when I think of the movie Kids, so that's just that.

Dunno. Am I the only one who wonders about this sort of thing in music production?

[DJ Hero]

The more we produce, the more we drift toward the sounds that make our style. I don't think there is anything wrong with tag sounds. I do think it's a good idea to keep pushing ourselves with every aspect of our production.

Tag sound: Huda Hudia's vocal stretching. The time stretched vocals of many of the old Kaleidoscope records definitely made people know the track was a Huda Hudia track back in the day.

[Fonzie]

I've been tossing this subject around all day, and I've come to the conclusion that a signature "sound," such as Pendulum's generic, trancey synth or Bass Kleph's plucky, bouncy tonal noise, will help people recognize your music, but it will also help your sound become stale and uninteresting in a short amount of time.

I find it a lot less lame when producers creatively work their name or signature into a tune or mix. Caspa and Rusko have done it tastefully, for example.

I guess my only point is that it's very, very easy for a signature sound or instrument to make your music sound stale. There are exceptions to every rule, though.

Just my .02

PS- Pendulum sucks ass for this very reason. :lol:

[Jackalope]

I guess my only point is that it's very, very easy for a signature sound or instrument to make your music sound stale.... :lol:

So: taking this route:

Is it a particular sample that gets stale?

or

Is it an Instrument / sound kit that does it?

Or since they are both "tracks" is there any difference?

[Fonzie]

Ehhh, I'd say that both samples and instruments have the potential to make a producer sound like a lazy, idea-recycling hack. Again, there's always exceptions to the rule, and some people have the ability to tastefully re-use samples and instruments without sounding lame, but it's rare that I hear somebody doing that and think to myself "wow, that's fresh."

Having that said; that trancey, siren-like synth that Pendulum uses in every fucking track they've ever put out is the reason I can't listen to their music. They're like the Nickelback of EDM

This, of course, is just, like, an opinion, man. :) I'm no authority on what's good or bad.

[Jackalope]

Nickleback vs. GooGoo Dolls vs Aphrodite

[dis=c0!]

IMO
using a signature sound, sample, effect, or even production trick/technique is a great way to immediately consign your music to the dustbin of history. way to easy to play yourself out that way.

OTOH
there is one signature "sound" that is always unique to the person using it, and can immediately make that producer's music timeless. no one can exactly duplicate it. it transcends whatever technology is currently in vogue, and if done well can ensure that listeners will be loving that music well into the future beyond whatever trendy sounds are currently dominating the top five tunes of the moment. it is used by such diverse artists as dubtribe, green velvet, and the horrorist. what is it? :p

[Erik Mitchell]

Meh it has its pros and cons. I personally am not a fan for the most part...