How to find your signature sound - 101 guide

Intro

Standing out in the music industry can be a tricky one with all the new music released every day. But one thing I’m sure of is that If you stick to a sound and build around that you will have a higher chance to be remembered.

All great artists have a distinct sound to their music. In the electronic scene, you see producers using specific synths or drum programming to get “their signature sound”. Consistency is key. If you jump around changing your style and tunes, your fans or followers might have a hard time identifying your sound.

This blog post will guide you through how to find your own signature sound in the music scene.

Disclaimer: These are just my thoughts on how to get a signature sound

Let’s go!

1. Why do we like certain sounds and styles more than others?

Your favourite Spotify playlist will tell much about your preferred music genre, instruments, style, and vibe. Why you like some songs more than others can be something going way back to your childhood. Maybe your parents listened to a lot of funk music. Maybe you got introduced to House music by a friend. Maybe music with live pianos in it appeals more to you because your grandparents played the piano.

Use this to discover what music YOU like to produce or compose!

Dissect the playlist with your favourite tunes:

What is good about them?
What instruments are used?
What tempo are the songs in?
What SFX are used?
How are the drums programmed or played?
Etc.

Here is how to find your signature sound in the electronic music industry - LÄMMERFYR

2. Save sounds and presets that you enjoy using

Using some of the same sounds is definitely not a bad thing. It’s actually a great way to take your songs on a specific path. It makes your music sound familiar.

Create a folder in your DAW with the sounds and presets you like:

Sounds from samples packs
Sounds from previous projects
Outdoor recordings
Hardware sounds bounced to audio

By that time, you will have collected a decent amount of samples for your own personal and unique sample and preset pack.

I have one in FL Studio called “LÄMMERFYRs samples”.

3. Grab a microphone (or your phone) and start recording stuff

This one is perhaps the easiest way to find and discover unique sounds:

Start recording stuff.

It can be literally everything:

Record pots and pans in the kitchen.
Play a riff on the table with a pen
Go outside and record some birds

Your imagination is the only limitation!

I was recently on holiday in the Canary Islands and decided to record some ambient sounds with my phone. Very practical and easy. But I generated some insane sounds that I can use in my songs.

Check out LÄMMERFYRs Canary Island Ambience

4. Create a specific processing chain for sounds (drums, piano, bass, etc.)

Ever tend to reach for the same EQ plugin when applying boosts or cuts to your hi-hats?

Do you always place Distortion, Reverb, delay and compression on your House synth pads?

I (almost) always use the same combination of plugins on my drum bus. It’s a specific sound that I have grown fond of. I think you should try to find your own favourite plugins for specific sounds.

The beauty of most DAWs today is that you can save mixer channels as presets. It’s a huge time saver!

Create a folder of mixer presets. You can organize them in the following way:

For drums
For pianos
For synths
For basses
For mix buses
For mastering
For creative purposes

Sticking with a certain chain of plugins in your mixer channel can make your track elements sound different and unique. It will give you a signature sound.

Also read: Tips on how to organize your sample library

5. Commit to a palette of sounds and develop them over time

In this digital age, we can get our hands on literally millions of sounds. The possibilities are endless. But this comes with a cost. For me, having access to so many different palettes of sounds can sometimes be a little bit overwhelming. I have a hard time focusing on the finished product or track production because I have to flick through too many sounds.

My solution the recent years is to narrow down my sound palette to fewer sounds. It makes me finish my music faster. But also makes me better at developing my signature sound.