Process: Nine Inch Nails (1/3) - Effects In The Studio

In the debut of Process, a new video series by Soundtoys, Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails talked to us about their creative process and the ways they use Soundtoys plug-ins Echoboy and Decapitator on their latest album, Hesitation Marks.
Special thanks to Trent Reznor, Alessandro Cortini, Ilan Rubin and Robin Finck.
Featuring music by Nine Inch Nails (by permission).
www.nin.com
www.soundtoys.com
/ soundtoys
/ soundtoys

[@Abrahamhamham]

"it's always a fun trip to go to the synth shop or the effects shop and come back with a box full of pedals". I wouldn't know.

[@siliconrockstar187]

+MrSatanochio You don't need money to loot ;)

[@petar5632]

+Andy Boyd Where the hell would you loot for synths and effects?

[@justanaverageperson544]

+Petar G A site for cracks lol

[@danielx15one]

Not in this economy, amiright or amiright?

[@prototek]

Who is Trent kidding?! I personally know 2 pedal makers and one modular synth company that shower Trent with all of their latest and greatest. Trent doesn't need to go to any fictional "synth shop or effects shop". BTW, where are these shops? I'm in NYC and the last "synth shop" we had (Dr. Sound) went belly up maybe 15 years ago. I want to go to this magical place where there are so many synth and effects shops he can't even remember their names! Seriously, I know for a fact that the 3 people with companies that I know have been giving stuff to Trent for a long time. It's a very common practice. If you make synths or pedals, you want to see (and have others see) famous & successful people using them. Only natural. It's just funny how Trent paints himself as this average Joe who goes down to Guitar Center and buys a bunch of pedals. Trent has a great sense of humor, don't you think?

[@skonystudio]

Trent Reznor Voice sounds like synth

[@jamesmonk28]

🤣

[@thenothing2786]

Trent Reznor’s synth sounds like a voice.

[@K.KILLORAN]

He needs to turn up his low pass a touch

[@K.KILLORAN]

And add Rezonance. Oh, see what I did there.

[@vdm1337]

he uses a pad made of his voice on The Frail

[@renouncedequation3923]

It's great to see him be a happy person...

[@lukasmagnusson6579]

J C he looks kinda depressed

[@airindiana]

I’ve always wondered how Reznor created the stunning background industrial tones in closer and hey pig. Not the lead synths and melodies everyone talks about, but those haunting industrial drone background noises. So unique to NIN. Real atmosphere.

[@Eloipo]

look into Waldorf's Microwave XT and Q Rack, I'm pretty sure he used them quite a lot for this kind of stuff. Wavetable synths in general are great for texture/ambiance sounds

[@moneyball8287]

nothing can stop me now

[@NobodyCaresALot]

There's a guy on KZbin who has been isolating sounds over the past year or two from the old stuff. There's also another guy who's been trying to recreate some of the sounds from scratch. I think he's only been at it for a few months or so. You should search these guys out, I don't have the links handy...

[@TheValueOfN]

@@NobodyCaresALot Goddamnit, Nobody! Have you found those links yet? :)

[@morningbell3690]

The bass from Closer is actually from an old sample pack called A Poke in the Ear with a sharp stick.

[@FunkMastaMegaFlex]

Gotta say Trent has aged very well over the years. Also I forgot how deep his voice is!

[@JAVIMETALL]

He looks like B.J. Blazkowicz

[@renesupersonic]

its a lot deeper than it was in the 90's since he's aged. Listen to pretty hate machine and downward spiral, "deep" wouldn't be something I'd describe his voice to be.

[@adamblister6005]

Trent's voice is really soothing and calming (maybe because his sentences are thoughtful and introspective and intelligent). Especially when your day consists of being battered over the head with taylor swift, one direction and all the shitty music and media we're accustomed to nowadays in the states. Trent and anything he says or does is a much welcomed and needed respite from the daily hell that is modern american culture.

[@godsstillbornson]

Agreed, he's a professor...

[@adamblister6005]

***** Are you kidding? taylor swift makes the most dumbed down garbage music ever. you can make great pop music, but that kind of pop that once existed doesn't exist today.

[@someghosts]

Pete Agassi Nope, it's not for me, but if you can't see merit or skill in her music or at least 1/20th of pop music these days than you might just be dismissive or elitist because it's pop.

[@godsstillbornson]

Wow, ''skill and merit''?.....We're all doomed

[@godsstillbornson]

***** I have my music posted on Soundcloud, the links are posted on my KZbin profile....What I do doesn't make me a trendy mainstream pop star, nor is it intended to, but talking shit to people via KZbin doesn't make you a man either son.. You really need to check yourself, by that I mean your soiled panties...

[@siskavard]

"How real artists make music" lol he's so humble. Love it

[@ElisandroDeLeon]

I love how gleeful they look while talking about pedals, effects and other musical hardware.

[@Manisora]

Alessandro´s mindset fits totally with Trent and viceversa, not only in the band -it must be a great feeling.

[@dharvell]

My wife accompanied me to the local music store, yesterday, so I could pick up a couple speaker cables for my studio monitors. It was supposed to be a simple trip, grab the cables and go. Nope. As I walked through the synth section, I stopped by every analog synth they had, "Ooooo... listen to this one!", as I twiddled around with the knobs. All the while, she looked completely unimpressed with any of the equipment. Nothing. No reaction, at all. Suddenly, I felt pretty much how our children must feel while walking through the toy section of a store. Except, the toys my children like don't cost upwards of $1500...

[@matthew_thefallen]

I feel ya.

[@Reprodestruxion]

Eurorack , Bobeats

[@halcyonzenith4411]

Money better spent on coach purses and Jimmy choos

[@dharvell]

@Walter B Just because she doesn't geek out over the tools, like I do, doesn't mean she doesn't support my passion. Kind of like when she bought a new, state-of-the-art stethoscope, for her job in healthcare. Healthcare is her passion. When she showed me the stethoscope, she was explaining every feature it had. To me? It was a stethoscope, no different than the $20 one she started off with... except this one cost upward of $350. Just because I don't get the tools of her trade doesn't mean she's less of a hero, in my eyes.

[@birberking6999]

@Dan Harvell god-tier reply your wife got a good mans

[@sigmundfreud7903]

Forgot how deep Trent’s voice has gotten from the 90s

[@seankent1807]

I could listen to Trent talk all day long.

[@hermangonzalez9654]

His/Atticus' social network soundtrack changed the way I produce. I loved how minimal it was.

[@adamblister6005]

Likes that he says the next thing he's working on will be made in the same way. Hesitation Marks was awesome!

[@jawnyb2]

Wow, this is the second video I've seen in the past two days that have inspired me to dive into my maschine some more!

[@klarineto_stin_priza1615]

LOL "it's always a fun trip to go to the synth shop or the effects shop and come back with a box full of pedals" The second I heard these words I started scrolling down the comments. I was sure it would be to topic of this video!

[@halloweeniris]

As a person who has a good amount of talent and intelligence but living in Southern Alberta, there has been a huge challenge finding other musicians to play with. I play multiple instruments myself beginning with the drums from a young age, so I'm versatile yet isolated. I've realized musick will never happen for me if I don't do it myself. This type of dialogue is encouraging and inspiring. Thanks.

[@amphitheatre]

agreed. you should watch the moog interview, he talks more about his childhood. i feel the same way; no one is going to do for me what i want, so its gotta be me that makes that kinda music.

[@s.gharavi1614]

Same here

[@ninfanforever1990]

incredible human

[@nuke97]

"It's never in 4/4 ....EVER" That's my kind of musician LOL.

[@truthfilter]

what does 4/4 mean ?

[@nuke97]

4/4 . When you see number symbols like that in music they are called "time signatures" which really means what rhythm the music is in. The top number or the number on the left represents "how many beats". Here we have 4 beats per measure. The bottom number or the number on the right represents "what kind of beats". Since it's a 4 that means we are dealing with "quarter notes". So those 4 beats on top are going to be quarter note style beats. EX: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and then back to 1 since we only get 4 beats per measure. 4/4 is super common especially on mainstream radio. So anything outside of that I love. For example 5/4. Same concept ...the left number is how many beats and the right number is what kind of beats. It's still 4 so that means the beats are still quarter notes. EX 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 and then back to "1" since we only get 5 beats per measure. A ton of musicians freak out going outside of a 4/4 rhythm but yet the concept is not that complicated.

[@truthfilter]

nuke97 thank you very much for your detailed and clear reply i appreciate you taking the time to do that i understand now Cheers :)

[@nuke97]

***** Cheers!

[@arlequingrey]

​@@nuke97 What if the mainstream were in 11/8 , or at least 5/4 :)

[@videoartduo]

glad to hear a mention of peter blasser his work is inspiring

[@ReginatorNet]

Super cool

[@jamisbillson4872]

Love the "It doesn't do 4/4" remark. True artists.

[@GoodVibrationsBoi]

good interview

[@thenailtechfiles7935]

I could listen to Trent talk for hours on end

3:28 Damn thats super inspiring

[@patrickgideon8584]

Wow, high praise for Maschine

[@andrewstanworth529]

That haircut is a strong look. A strong, insane look. God love 'im.

[@stinkyham9050]

How cool would it be if you're the guy at the synth shop when Trent Reznor walks in and you sell him a box of stuff. What did you do at work today? I help Nine Inch Nails find their new sound on their next album!

[@-NeonLizard-]

The drummer might as well said "I hit things that never get used".

[@bentyreman5769]

I hope they got time to use crystallizer, awsome plug-in, I really miss that one when my demo ran out, I've been lusting the sound ever since.

[@criscoso]

Master

[@gonziegram]

Someone make a video compilation of all the times Cortini mentions Buchla in interviews like the "synthesizer" of Legowelt, he is fucking amaizing

[@MartinDelCarpio]

cool

[@coondogtheman]

Trent if you're reading this thanks for Nine inch nails and all the sound effects in the first Quake game. Not sure if you did the sounds for other Quake games.

[@rudyroman5192]

coondogtheman1234 check their site. Vinyl pressing of the Quake OST coming soon

[@coondogtheman]

@@rudyroman5192 I have the OST on my quake 1 disc.

[@codenamedancerx]

I'm the one who did all the other Quakes i know they are appallingly inferior to quake 1

[@savoirfaire8979]

I will summarize for everyone: Trent used Maschine for the album.

[@NickyCsInnovators]

what's the effect company that uses banana cables and wooden boxes?

[@paulbatlan6584]

+James Smith Ciat Lombarde = aka Peter Blasser - see Control in Brooklyn or lineup

[@jonathanmcdaniel8926]

❤❤❤Maschine

[@WillieTaggett]

Thank you, Trent Reznor, for "Closer". Alot of crazy nights filled with that song, shameful sex, medievel weaponry, midgets, French dressing, and regret...

[@JPTyler]

Wait a sec...hold up... Did you say "French Dressing"?!?! 😕😱

[@juniper2155]

JUST A NORMAL TUESDAY

[@Eli_B3000]

Grandma, is that you?

[@codenamedancerx]

Call me bby

[@rennyzero420]

I have an awesome song / sound about Planet Nibiru in the event it actually exists.

[@brianhagge1112]

How can you make music if you don't know your synth!

[@Reprodestruxion]

Pigtronix philosopher king and the Ems Synthi-A . And a Space Echo.

[@Reprodestruxion]

And a teuffel/moog guitar

[@woz240]

does trent use a mac or pc to record his music?

[@mayi6871]

What's the name of the song of the beggining?

[@ensomelephant1864]

A certain lack of "room/space/depth" was my first impression of this album "Hesitation Marks". Also adverbs like "too clean" & "too 2D" sprung to mind. Maybe due to the fact that this album was, to some extent or primarily, created on headphones? Any thoughts ?

When he spoke about the headphones i thought the exact same thing.

[@dylanjantz1]

Yeah this is old now but whatever. I think it's a matter of taste. Maybe it was the headphones problem. But, Trent is an excellent artist. I don't believe he would be lazy like that and settle for a bad mix. I think it's more like what he has said before. He wanted a more minimalist approach to the album. It seems all his albums have their own kind of style. I think he just kindof appreciated the raw tension an anechoic song environment can present.

[@ChrisLee-lg2sh]

I dunno. I loved this album. From beginning to end. I found alot of depth in it and wonderful layers of sounds and creativity. This holds as one of my all tume favs from NIN

[@blahblah606]

I hate working with headphones unless it's to check a mix. I want to hear the sound resonate in a three dimensional space.

[@drummerguyron]

ilan Rubin, awesome drummer. Kinda looks like the love child of Mike Mangini and Rae Dawn Chong.

[@britaahonen1489]

Hright....

[@thefivepoints]

Miss the guitars Trent.

[@jessestrobel2]

Richard Patrick much

[@mariajoaosimoes5]

where are part 3?

[@DadaPoopoo]

Did you find it?

[@EirikH99]

Anybody knows what the outro song is?

[@EirikH99]

***** Thanks!

[@avschaves]

whats the name of the first song on video?

[@whosyodaddy13]

"Came Back Haunted"

[@GlitchComputer]

all Machine huh?

[@peggymonsterwihetmonsterbv5043]

Eating surge free no surge

[@EtcEtcAndEtc]

Banana-based...

[@takashikashiwase3461]

disclose the process is impossible in precise mean, but try close to it is meaningful for others, still mistakable though

[@coltranewashere]

Kylo ren has gained some weight man, what happened?

[@ohsoyoureawrestlernow9756]

Joseph Reisman are you serious lol

[@phyrestorm999]

Kylo Ren will be VERY lucky to look like this when he's 50+.

[@Reprodestruxion]

Alessandro and his rissoto

[@rolandomotadelcampo.5494]

Mmm He's hot

[@natancopeincraft]

Well if your drum machine isn't 4/4, then what is it, 1/1 or 1/2 or what? Every drum machine is always set at 1/1 or 1/2 usually, then you have to change it to 1/3 or 1/4 or 2/4 or 2/3...etc.

[@AdamsBrew78]

Probably an exotic time signature. 5/4 , 11/8, 13/8 , etc

[@NobodyCaresALot]

3/2

[@ashleygarnett2880]

ummmmm

[@holiosys]

rubin gained weight

[@nicknackpattywackshow5011]

Tool roes a better job at Putting you in the Word / Experience

[@SplotchTheCatThing]

This can't be Trent Reznor. He isn't taking through a guitar amp and he isn't shrieking.

[@DadaPoopoo]

You have a very odd idea of what art is.

[@johnnyappleseed856]

Alessandro must disagree. The beauty of the knowledge sound is knowing you can extract infinite possibilities. It's one's musician's goal to take a boundlessness offer and make something that people can attach to and identify. Your a young fellow and I see how you have the video game/internet generation ingrained in you. Quick new stimuli!

[@L33Br34k]

41 is a bit too old to be classed as 'the internet generation' isn't it? haha

[@gitbuh12345qwerty]

I guess we all eventually turn into our fathers one day :(

[@stinkyham9050]

No, mine is nice. I'm kind of a dick.

[@caseyrobertson3840]

They need to find a new guy to stencil those flight cases, that one on the right is super crooked. I could do that for you guys... just saying.

[@bananana2624]

talking about music without a sample of the music doesnt make sense

[@archologyzero]

His voice is heavily utilized in the music - think of it like a excerpt

[@howtomakeadoll]

Trent loops are killin the music! You are more than that - call Dave Grohl for another set ;)

[@Anonymous-bc6zl]

Reznor looked better with long hair he had a kick ass rocker look

[@adamblister6005]

Jake NA what are you, a fashion consultant?

[@thenineinchnailer5674]

If Reznor still had long hair and stuff, people would be making fun of him calling him the 'Snape of Rock'.

[@maximilianweling477]

I actually like his new look

[@bigguy1164]

His hair was thinning. He did the smart thing. He cut it off and got fucking jacked.

[@jamisbillson4872]

All these boxes, synths and plug ins have a song in them. That’s what he does isn’t it? He pulls the song from the outside world. Rather than writing from himself. Maybe? Or am I too stoned? Thank God for weed.

[@prototek]

I think his albums since Spiral are good in their own right. Problem is, they just don't sound like NIN though. The last album is a complete change of style. His label must be applying some *serious* pressure for him to have a hit. That's usually how/why bands suddenly sound like a neutered shadow of themselves. The label issues an ultimatum and if you want to stay on with them and have their support & money, you have to do what is popularly known as, "selling out". I'm not putting Trent down. In fact I empathize with him. To be in a situation like that with a label is often times stressful & humiliating because you have to basically go against all of your artistic principles. Trent's not ready to retire so he made that sacrifice. He's not the first, won't be the last. Greatest example of what I speak of can be summed up in one word (if you can call it a word) "Metallica". They shot themselves in the foot with the Black Album. Sure, it was a great album, but it showed the record execs that they were a bankable band worth spending a lot more $$ on and that screwed them. Sure they got more $$ support and started making millions, but they had to release a piece of $hit like "Load" just to play along with whatever label they were/are on. That was *not* a Metallica album. Sorry. Just goes to show who's really pulling the strings. Even when Trent had "Nothing Records" they were bankrolled by Interscope which meant that Jimmy Iovine had final say on what kind of NIN album NIN should make. "Nothing" indeed! That's the business in all of it's glory folks.

[@Exhonerated]

prototek he owns the null corporation. there is no "pressure" to do anything.

[@prototek]

+Exhonerated Thanks for the info. I had no idea what Trent's current label situation was. I just assumed he was with Interscope since he had a very long working relationship with them. I just checked out the Wiki entry on Null… Wow, it's an indie label. So yeah, you're completely right, Trent wouldn't have pressure coming from anywhere if not only he has his own label, but it's an indie, e.g. chances are that it's not bankrolled by a larger, major label. BTW, anyone know what became of "Nothing" all of those years ago? On an unrelated note… Trent continues to have *amazing* taste in gear. Dude loves his analog synths!

[@johnnyappleseed856]

Maybe that is why the music has slipped since Year Zero. I guess Rez is busy!

[@meedily]

Dear God he looks like Alan Rickman in the last Harry Potter film. Is he dyeing his hair black? Rock has been hard on him.

[@whosyodaddy13]

...He's also almost 50. People age. I think he's done pretty well considering all his hard-living!

[@KUPHSER]

2:42 cant stand musos who think they're too sophisticated for 4/4. all time signatures are great. great music doesn't have to be complex. its all about original creativity and bringing music to life, which work in and time signature

[@neovertigen]

+KUPHSER Not sure why that comment makes you think he's too sophisticated for 4/4. Cortino has released a good deal of 4/4 music on his own.

[@KUPHSER]

neovertigen It's like when they say, "read between the lines". Goodbye.

[@damienstanton]

I think you're reading it the wrong way. His point was likely that since it's a hand-wired unit, the clock might be a little out of sync which can make it more interesting/challenging

[@blahblah606]

My guess is they are using the odd time signatures under a 4/4 structure to create polyrhythms. I've never heard a NIN song that wasn't in 4/4. I don't know his whole catalog though.

[@boydang5415]

poor drummer

[@saintjabroni]

haha!

[@alexanderbrown3519]

I'm obsessed with Trent and NIN, but that last record was pretty crap. I know, it's subjective, but still.... it was.

[@alexanderbrown3519]

One of the few comments I actually don't feel the need refute... a lot of insults there. You have problems if what I wrote got you that fired up. Maybe read it again and and then go write "I need to relax" on a chalkboard as many times as it will fit, while listening to the track "Copy of a", which is pretty crap, but fitting nonetheless.

[@adamblister6005]

Alexander Brown Go listen to justin bieber or taylor swift. you clearly have no taste in good music.

[@adamblister6005]

Alexander Brown go fuck yourself.

[@dvorkru]

Pete Agassi enlightening conversation, can I join you sirs from here on?

[@IMIntaelligaend]

Alexander Brown Woah, I'm so sorry you get so much shit from all this douchebags down here. Frikkin' embarrassing to watch these mindless fanboys and -girls rant. And this come from someone who liked the album. If you don'tI can see why. It's pretty far away from what NIN have done before.

[@machismo5497]

Trent Reznor = biggest sellout

[@adamblister6005]

so sellout means take your art to the next level, get paid tons of money, and expose your name to more and more people?

[@whosyodaddy13]

He's living his dream...not yours. Sure, I believe every album after The Fragile has gone down in quality/meaning with each release, BUT he's happy, successful, and married. He's getting Oscar-level adulation for his Fincher collaborations, too. While I agree that I don't connect to Reznor's current work as much as I used to, I respect that his personal pursuits are far more fulfilling to him than they were back in his self-loathing days. That doesn't make him a sellout. That means he's thriving.

[@palbo4]

You have to be a troll, he's so far from it...after more than 20 years he's still super passionate about making/playing music, he gave away an album for whatever price people wanted to pay, and he does everything possible to make his live shows as mind blowing as possible (I even heard he barely made any money, broke even or even lost money from the Tension tour because of how much he put into it). He's one of the hardest working musicians in the world right now, I'm pretty sure Trent Reznor is the opposite of a sellout

[@Swampy14]

sellout? he gave away The Slip and Ghosts, and you can still get those for free. If he's selling out, why is he giving away his music? For me I believe he is maturing, besides, it's his music, he can do whatever he likes, like it or loathe it.

[@desktorp]

Reznor is OG sellout. He was flashing illuminacho devil signs back when these fools today were in diapers.

[@fuckgoogle8661]

Atticus Ross is the worst thing to happen to NIN. Trent needs Vrenna back. I’m very glad Trent is in a much better place but it’s terrible ironic he’s spent the last 15-20 years being the guy/thing he used to hate according to himself from all the years prior.