How I make ambient synth music

[@jonaskuban5615]

Just finished my Psychology final, checked my phone and saw a notification that this was posted during it. Pretty solid reward for all my studying and stressing. Thanks for this 😅

[@user-iz2kk2fw4g]

The irony of reading about how bad total sleep deprivation is while being in total sleep deprivation for that final. I loved the sleep unit, hopefully I did well.

[@djzio]

I won't go into my 50+ years of being a wannabe musician and music appreciator but I watch *A LOT* of KZbin musicians (multiple 100s, nice to be retired). You are a standout. You are unpretentious, knowledgeable, articulate, and genuine which are all precisely the oppsite of 99.9% of the clickbaiters out there. You got my sub within the first 15 seconds of this video. Thank you for quality content. I'm hooked.

[@turbotambourine]

Dang! Incredible! Great idea using that little touch pad to vca the samples! That’s a great use for that!

[@sillykanji]

My favorite synth channel on the tube. Been a fan for yeeears, Jay. Thanks for all the great times and spotify car rides home from work!

[@Kumie]

Always a delight to see you work/talk through your process. Thanks for sharing this, Jay!

[@ElectroMagnetic_AmbientMusic]

great approach and wonderful performance at the end.

[@auberginebundy]

Brilliant, insightful, thanks for making this.

[@devinbelangermusic]

Incredible video man! Wealth of knowledge here.

[@JayHosking]

Hey thanks so much! We should definitely collaborate on some more ambient discussions. And the world is waiting for some of your tape and looping explorations!

[@devinbelangermusic]

@@JayHoskingyes to both! Chat soon and happy holidays Jay 🎄

[@InvertedPopesMusic]

Hey Jay, awesome work. Great to witness your work processes for this from start to finish confirms that I am not completely going wrong lol. Really enjoyed this and look forward to more.

[@neoaltima]

My favorite thing about this process is that my dude uses certified BANGERS as sample fodder. Legend.

[@DrLaemmerbein]

And that's why it works! I used the paulstretch workflow a few times and if the source material is good, you just layer a few tracks, chop it here and there and you've got a solid ambient track in a matter of ten minutes. The best thing is that you don't have to create new samples at all, just use something from a track you already have and put the melodic parts into paulstretch. But most of the time, I use an idea which I recorded which never made it into a full track, so it finally gets some use.

[@MichaelGaidamaka]

It's so unexpected to see your face for the first time! I watch your channel for a couple of years now, love it, and wish you a huge YT career!

[@birkaster]

You've been on my yearly list in KZbin Music, thanks for the content!

[@SuperRingoffire1]

Thanks Jay will listen to your albums all the best 👍

[@TimPennerMusic]

Absolutely stunning. Incredible explaination and walk through. Brilliant stuff, Jay.

[@Daddy_and_Mommy]

That was beautiful. Thanks!

[@Kung_Fu_Jesus]

Great video, the pull towards modular gets increasingly stronger each day. Must resist, muusssttt reeessisssst

[@rylok]

Just damn. amazing. You are an inspiration to me musically.

[@ultragorod7090]

Какая красивая музыка, это просто космос!!! Спасибо!)

[@IndividualName]

Very cool, thanks for the insight and also a nice performance at the end!

[@Truthasvictim]

This is just excellent Jay. Being articulate and literary really enhances your explanation of what, and how, you do it. I too struggle to explain what I do compositionally,, and often, like you, resort to using the term cinematic due to its more encompassing meanings. I've wacthed/listened to many of your videos and really enjoyed what you do. Great work.

[@LuisTorres-qz5kr]

Amazing work Jay. Thanks for sharing your process.

[@jon_gee]

Awesome video Jay!!! Love every minute. You have a great way of delivering the goods. Always learning. So cool to see this process.

[@Jin-Hu]

Always love your videos Jay, and as said by many, often, you have your unique tone and flavor, it's quickly apparent when a Jay Hosking track pops up in my playlist, given that I listen to a lot of highly varied genres that's quite an achievement. Thank you as always

[@timbabamusic]

Amazing! Your talk about the definition of ambient music is sample-worth ❤ Thank you, I like that format!

[@michaelkonomos]

Getting the Sloer for Christmas and have the Volca Keys so looking forward to this one!

[@JayHosking]

It's primarily on my sample-based approach (e.g. on my eurorack setup), but also looks at a few other synth/reverb combos (like Volca Keys and Sloer).

[@riseofthemachine2623]

I was thrilled to see this video, and I totally enjoyed it. I love your work, I'm happy I decided to search out videos on the NDLR those years ago, eventually finding the video that was your beautiful song, Whaletown Commons. I've watched many of your videos since. Nice to hear your mindset on creating your beautiful, captivating music.

[@fo76]

Great video, thanks... the simple setup is a good foundation for further exploration...

[@lesliemakin]

Nice ambient music - I had a bead but now use a Instruo Arbhar it’s a good alternative and also has memories for storing samples

[@bpsychoz]

Thank you for sharing!

[@RJ_Eckie]

Oh man that was incredible! I have to try that piano plugin thing. Overall just really impressive skills with the material and such a meaningful result. Thanks for posting 🙏🏻

[@AVCOME]

Thank you soooo much Jay, very very helpfull

[@idolbass]

awesome and inspirational for my midi bass creativity

[@tracyharms3548]

Interesting and useful. Encouraging. Illustrative. Helps me ponder what it is I might be doing with my peculiar pile of electronics.

[@dang48207]

Nice as usual.

[@Sousless]

Great video!

[@SpikesStudio3]

Great to see your process bro. Really educational. Ambient music is so much harder to do in a world thats so hectic. You really have to focus. 👍👍🤔

[@ilyandilymusic]

Your music has such an identity Jay. I listen to a lot of ambient and ambient-adjacent music and I can always pick out your tracks. I also simultaneously love that your channel is not a talking head channel but also love when you share insight as you are very good at demonstrating and teaching ideas. Thank you for the continued inspiration over the years. But just know that I’m blaming you for my eurorack accumulation! Haha

[@raktNewsletter]

Good video. Thanks for putting this out.

[@flounderguts]

Thanks. Seeing your process really helped me cement what I like about my own approach, and introduced me to a technique I might try out soon! You get a lot of mileage out of your skiff...makes me think I might be able to rearrange some modules to make a left-to-right processing chain for that kind of performance editing...I'm very attached to my mixer and its maze of send-returns at this point!

[@MusicLandria]

Awesome. Added to our MusicLandria TV playlist. Appreciate ya

[@jumblejumbo]

Great video, first time finding your channel. Within two minutes i had to go find your bio, because something inside me was screaming, if this guy isn't from BC, I'll eat my hat...

[@JayHosking]

Ontario originally, but the west coast is sinking into me. And thanks!

[@moolder]

Hi jay, good to see you🙂

[@nystlen885]

love it!

[@blackpatch-blatch]

bonne idée, de nous parler directement face caméra. Merci pour vos vidéos, elles sont toujours inspirantes.

[@foundatlantis]

inspiring stuff thank you for this. i make ambient too but its not as streamlined as this modular stuff. maybe one day i will build a modular. not sure where to start tbh

[@philipgahan9649]

inspirational

[@johnchesters81]

Great video! I’m currently making ambient music on the Ableton Move & Hologram Microcosm, a lovely pair.

[@JayHosking]

Oh I bet they'd be great friends! And thanks so much.

[@Tidestead]

Wow! This was very insightful and inspirational Jay! I'm currently working on a track that's got a similar feel to some of those sketches. Instead of Stratus I'm using NI Noir, and I'll be layering some synths on top. But your timestretching approach sounds great! I'll be checking out Paulstretch soon! Many thanks!

[@JayHosking]

Noire is really amazing! I love its inherent sounds, and also its arpeggiator. All the best in your music-making endeavours!

[@similette]

dammit ! goosebumps ! great !

[@theokingshango]

noisy heaven vibes👌 its crazy how everybody uses paulstretch tho when theres strings pads drones polysynths arps seqs even electric tampuras...

[@andreassphereo9468]

For me you are a master of melancholic soundscapes...this vid is no exception. Jay, what do you suggest personally as one unit to get an ambient machine providing the most possible intuitive workflow?

[@JayHosking]

My "one unit" recommendation is usually the Sequential Take 5. It sounds great and has an excellent panel/layout. And thanks so much!

[@sequencist]

Wanna make ambient? = Audio source + Walrus Slöer

[@satcomm8429]

I see you’re using Reason. Phenomenal DAW.

[@JayHosking]

My very favourite. Great update today, in fact!

[@williamlock2984]

NPR Hearts of Space got me in 1985 and up.

[@Velo298]

Awesome work. Can you please release your "high time" or just in general more of the ambience you make, on to streaming services so its not only on youtube? It's so good and I can't listen to it while my phone is off which is annoying. please?

[@JayHosking]

Hey, thanks! Low Tide and High Time (and my newest record of other cinematic stuff) are all available on my Bandcamp for purchase and download. Streaming doesn't do much to support me in comparison to Bandcamp, so I usually put them up on Bandcamp first and release to streaming later. High Time will be on streaming services in a 3-6 months, I imagine.

[@Velo298]

@@JayHosking fair enough

[@ItsLCi]

It’s there a way to make those granular FX (like in your eurorack jam) but using only synths/VSTs??? It sounds BEAUTIFUL

[@JayHosking]

Yes, there are a bunch of granular options in the box. In the box is probably easiest and most similar. In VCV Rack, which is free, you can get the MI Clouds clone, which is also free; Clouds is the predecessor to Beads, which does all the granular stuff here, and will act similarly. And you can use VCV Rack as a plug-in in your DAW if you pay for the "Pro" version. There are also other granular plug-ins, like Arturia's Fragments, but I've had less success with them.

[@DJPaulgee1]

Hi Jay. After watching your video about the Elta Music Solar 42F, I really would like to start creating ambient music. Unfortunately, the 42F will have to wait until funds allow me to purchase one. However, I have been using Propellerheads Reason for quite a number of years, and I was wondering if Reason is adequate enough to produce some amazing ambient tracks ? If so, what would be the best synth to use ?

[@JayHosking]

Hey, that's awesome! Reason is my favourite DAW by a long stretch, and could easily create amazing ambient music. I think Europa can sound really great if you initialize it and keep it simple. Here's a track that is primarily Europa: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sIitcnmkprONfac In terms of granular, I think Grain can produce really nice stuff. But many of the old synths sound really great, too. Thor is still fantastic, and there's even great stuff to squeeze out of Subtractor. It's a great DAW with a lot of great sounds. The only shortcoming (in my opinion) is that it doesn't have a reverb that matches the level of all its other sounds, so it's worth it to invest in a reverb plug-in you love. All the best in your future projects!

[@alleancore956]

how does that software slow down tacks five times, without introducing big artifacts?

[@JayHosking]

No idea about the how of PaulxStretch, I'm afraid. Maybe there's an article somewhere about it?

[@Schizomaniac]

Красава!

[@AVCOME]

Hi Jay, i’ve thank you already for this very help full video. For those out there, me include, that can’t afford this 3500$ + Eurorack. Do you think it we possible to complete this video with vcv rack replace this Hardware Eurorack. It would be very appreciate

[@JayHosking]

You could certainly use a variety of setups to achieve this! I've never found a VCV Rack sampler that quite works for me, but I'm under the impression that 4ms is eventually bringing their Stereo Triggered Sampler to the platform. But the other effects-filter, granular, reverb, compression/saturation/limiting-can all be achieved in VCV Rack, yes. Or honestly in any DAW. Just use the tools you like and that fit in your workflow and budget!

[@AVCOME]

@ then do you think its possible to combine vcv rack modules with eurorack module ?. If yes which one are irreplaceable . 4ms sampler, radio thing….

[@MusicLandria]

I also like to noodle around in the margins of my life 🤖

[@d4funky1]

$2600+ worth of gear

[@mustangsupersnake7848]

I was looking for a keyboard hero that would rip those synths and I found the guy... I actually found two! Matt Johnson, keyboard hero of Jamiroquai and Jay Hosking, both super talented at making those synths really talk. Great channels, great players, great synths. These guys have to be among the best sound builders and music gear architects I have seen. On top of that, they are composers too. True artists.

[@SONWU]

Great video!