Introduction: Industrial Techno - FL Studio and Ableton Live Sound Design Tutorial

​

Industrial techno is a genre that's been gaining popularity at an exciting pace, creating a niche for itself in the electronic music scene. The broken, mechanical rhythms intertwined with relentless, eerie noise creates a captivating soundscape that entices the listeners. Today, you'll learn to recreate this haunting resonance, fusing FL Studio and Ableton Live's toolkits, reconstructing the nuances of industrial techno sound design. 

​

Before we venture into this tutorial, it’s crucial to comprehend two pivotal components that shape the soul of industrial techno: the kick drum and noise. They set the grounds and call the tune of this genre. Let’s dive deeper. 

​

The Two Fundamentals of Industrial Techno

​

Kick Drum

​

First off, we start with the heart of any techno production - the kick drum. It acts as the core rhythmic foundation, dictating the pace and establishing the mood. A powerful kick drum kick-starts the cadence that would subsequently be layered with harmonic elements. 

​

Coupling the kick drum with a lead synthesizer and auxiliary percussive elements introduces a dynamic feel to the rhythm. Your track starts to take shape as these sounds connect, and their interaction generates a fresh energy to your beat.

​

Noise 

​

The second fundamental component of industrial techno is noise. Noise, raw and unfiltered, adds a unique texture to the rhythm. It is used as a sort of rhythmic counterpoint, contributing unexpected, gritty flavors to the track.

​

How you choose to introduce, pair, and manipulate noise can be the deciding factor for your track's distinctiveness. Be adventurous with filters, apply effects creatively and experiment with pairings for rhythm and noise. Delight in the freedom noise offers and utilize it to bring a new dimension to your music. 

​

Process for FL Studio and Ableton Users

​

Creating Rhythmic Noise Textures

​

Begin by amalgamating drum loops or amen breaks to generate rhythm. These rhythmic patterns can be further altered and personalized using software like Slicex in FL Studio. Simultaneously, create noise within a synthesizer like Serum. This setup is the groundwork you need. 

​

The nuances come from careful fine-tuning. Spend time and energy to finish every sound, ensuring your track reflects your unique style and idea. The rhythm and noise you produce now are the primary colors with which you'll paint your track later. 

​

Combining Rhythmic Sound and Noise with Vocoder

​

The next significant step in our process is combining rhythmic elements with noise using a voice encoder or a Vocoder. A vocoder typically requires two signals - a modulator, which would be your rhythmic sound, and a carrier, that's your noise. 

​

Vocoder settings may vary greatly depending on your personal taste and the kind of track you are aiming for. For this, you can use FL Studio's Vocodex or Ableton's Vocoder. Fine-tune filters and adjust volumes until you find the sound that excites you and also aligns with your vision. 

​

Processing the Noise with Effects

​

The use of third-party effects like bitcrusher, reverb, and distortion can substantially enhance your sound. These effects can lend an edge of complexity to your noise, pushing everything to the next level.

​

A very important tip here is to keep a Limiter on your Master Track to prevent any unwanted clipping that can happen from the reverb or distortion and keep the overall level of your mix in check. 

​

Equalization and Rhythm Adjustment

​

Next, perform sweeping equalization with your EQ plugins. Control the low end so it doesn't overpower the rest of your mix while adding a bit of air to your sound to make it groove a bit more. 

​

After the EQ, the rhythm might still not sync perfectly with the rest of the track. In that case, you might have to adjust the rhythm slightly using a sidechain. Sidechain your sounds smartly and they will stand out while still playing along with the rest of the track. 

​

Conclusion 

​

In ending, remember that you must keep from straying into the schranz techno territory. Guard your output to maintain the subtlety and nuance of industrial techno. Automation adjustment could be a life-saver here. Keep the automated parameters in check and, most importantly, keep experimenting. 

​

And there you have it, the process for designing industrial techno sound in FL Studio and Ableton Live, broken down and explained. We've covered the creation of the kick drum and noise, rhythm generation, use of Vocoder, noise processing, and adjustments for rhythm and equalization. It's now your turn to implement these steps, add your unique creative spin, and create your signature industrial techno track.