Today we’ll finish up building the percentage boxes, and the last few elements needed to complete the scene. We’ll get into the early stages of keyframe animation, and talk about the best way to get the animation to match the video game.

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Tutorial

Additional Aetuts+ Resources

• Program A Fallout 3 “Pipboy” Touch Screen

In this Quick Tip you will learn how to apply the principles of Atmospheric Perspective within Illustrator. Using Transparency Masks, simple Linear Gradients and the Hue Saturation Balance color sliders you will blend flat objects to give a scene a sense of depth. Let’s get started!

Continue reading “Quick Tip: How to Draw Atmospheric Perspective”

A few times a each month we revisit some of our reader’s favorite posts from throughout the history of Vectortuts+. This tutorial by Jonathan was first published on November 25th 2009.

Handle color changes and variations with ease by following this intermediate level tutorial. This is a special tutorial sponsored by Astute Graphics that incorporates the use of their high-quality Phantasm CS range Illustrator Pugins. We’ll work with Phantasm’s color shifting tools: Hue/Saturation and and Shift to Color, while we learn to contrast shapes when composing natural, vector scenes!

Continue reading “Smoothly Shift Winter Colors, While Creating an Icy, Vector Landscape”

In the first example, we’ll use volume automation to make a flexible sidechain effect, and in the second example, I’ll show you how to use creative volume automation to give a track room to breathe. I’m using FL Studio, and these tips are useful for all DAWs.

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Step 1: Setup

First, let’s have a listen to what we have right now.

Download audio file (01volpad.mp3)

If you’d like to learn how to make a sound like this, check out the Reverse Glass Tutorial. But for this tutorial, we’ll begin by adding a volume plugin to the mixer track. I’ll be using FL Studio’s Fruity Balance.

Next, create an automation clip controlling the volume level.

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Step 2: Design

Now we have a volume envelope. Let’s zoom in on one bar and draw the shape so that it ramps up from 0 to 100 on each beat.

Download audio file (02volpad.mp3)

Let’s slice this bar and paint it across the playlist to save us the trouble of drawing this shape a lot of times.

Download audio file (03volpad.mp3)

Now I’m going to adjust the curve of our fake sidechain. Note that any alterations that are made to one of these automation clips will change the other sliced copies of it.

Download audio file (04volpad.mp3)

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Step 3: Getting Creative

One of the advantages of drawing a volume envelope rather than using sidechain compression or an LFO is that you have more freedom in adjusting the sound. You could have each beat sound a little bit different if you wanted. In this example, I had the third beat of each bar start later and I adjusted the curve dramatically:

Download audio file (05volpad.mp3)

In this next example I had a percussive shape on the first two beats and a sidechain shape on the second two beats. This would be quite difficult to accomplish through sidechain compression or an LFO!

Download audio file (06volpad.mp3)

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Step 4: Making Room in the Mix

Now that we’ve seen the basic idea, let’s apply it to another situation.

Download audio file (07volpad.mp3)

Right now the Pad is playing constantly and it’s big enough that it is distracting from the drums and bass. So let’s use a volume envelope to give us some space in the mix. I will open a volume plugin and create an automation clip like before, and I will have the sound fade down during the bass wobs and come back up.

Download audio file (08volpad.mp3)

One thing I’m thinking is that we can actually turn the volume up on the pad now because it’s not competing with the bass.

Download audio file (09volpad.mp3)

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Step 5: Adjustments

Lastly, I’ll make some changes to the shape. I wanted a sharper point at the beginning of each of the bars, and I wanted a more convex curve. I also wanted to move the pad out of the way of the bass.

Download audio file (10volpad.mp3)

It’s surprising how volume automation can really help a pad fit in with the track. This is useful in a variety of situations and the shape of your volume automation will be different for each song.

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Final Thoughts

• Automation clips can give us the same effect as Sidechaining, but with more freedom.
• This works great on Pads as well as other instruments like Bass Synths.
• If you’d like to hear how this sounds in a full track, you can check it out here.

At Audiotuts+ we regularly put up a reader track for workshopping and critique (find out how to submit a track). This is how it works: you upload your song, and every week or so we’ll publish one here and step away from the podium. The floor is yours to talk about the track and how the artist can fix problems in and improve upon the mix and the song.

This track has been submitted for your friendly, constructive criticism. They have put their track (and their heart and soul) in your hands to learn and get useful feedback.

• Do you enjoy the song or track itself? Does it have potential?
• Can the arrangement be improved?
• How did you find the mix? What would you do differently?
• What do you enjoy about the rhythm track? What can be done to improve it?
• Is the choice of instruments relevant and effective for the style/song?
• Are the lyrics (if any) effective? Does the style, arrangement and genre of the song suit them?
• Can you suggest any specific techniques that might improve the track?
• Do you have any other constructive feedback?

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Quiero Contigo by Cristian Deluxe

Artist’s website: www.cristiandeluxe.com

Description of the track:

I’m 23 years old from Spain, and I follow all your blogs (audio, graphic design…). I’ve released my first track.

I love Latin and electronic music and wanted to do something like Latin-House. I used Ableton and a cheap Leem mic to record the voice. All was made by me: music, mix, lyric, voice.

Tell me your pro opinion Thanks!

Download audio file (CristianDeluxeQuieroContigo.mp3)

Terms of Use: “Quiero Contigo” by “Cristian Deluxe” is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. The MP3 (320kbps) is free for download at www.cristiandeluxe.com.

Have a listen to the track and offer your constructive criticism for this Workshop in the comments section.

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Submit Your Tracks for Workshopping

Need constructive criticism on your own tracks? Submit them using this form.

Creating excellent product packaging is more than just producing a great design. To make great packaging you’ll also need to produce printer-friendly artwork that your printer can use to easily apply your design to print. In this Psd Premium tutorial, author Mark Mayers will demonstrate how to create a Blu-ray in-lay card for a fictional zombie movie and mock it up as an impressive 3-D Blu-ray case that you can present to your clients. This tutorial will walk you through the entire process and will use Photoshop as well as Illustrator to create error free, printer-friendly artwork.

This tutorial takes inspiration from the recent zombie genre revival, such as The Walking Dead, based on Robert Kirkman’s popular graphic novels – so get ready for some post-apocalyptic, flesh eating zombie mayhem! This tutorial is available exclusively to Premium Members. If you are looking to take your package design skills to the next level then Log in or Join Now to get started!

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About the Author

Author Mark Mayers is a talented designer and illustrator from the UK. He has worked as a designer and creative director for several design/advertising agencies and specializes in print, branding, packaging, and exhibition graphics. Mark began his career when the tools of the trade were markers, layout pads, and most importantly, the ability to draw, but he embraced the digital revolution in the early 90′s and swapped his drawing board for a Mac. Today, Mark freelances from his studio in Cornwall for such clients as American Express, BMW, Future Publishing, IDG Communications and Imagine Publishing.

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Professional and Detailed Instructions Inside

Premium members can Log in and Download! Otherwise, Join Now! Below are some sample images from this tutorial.

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Psd Premium Membership

As you know, we run a premium membership system here that costs $9 a month (or $22 for 3 months!) which gives members access to the Source files for tutorials as well as periodic extra tutorials, like this one! You’ll also get access to Net Premium and Vector Premium, too. If you’re a Premium member, you can Log in and Download the Tutorial. If you’re not a member, you can of course Join Today!