PREMIUM COURSE

Ryan Lott: Designing Sample-Based Instruments

Inject a new dose of creativity into your music by composing with your own custom-made digital instruments, with Son Lux's Ryan Lott.

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Piano, guitar, bass, drums — most artists turn to common instruments in an attempt to make uncommon music. But why not start with totally unique source material to write new songs? Discover what's possible with self-designed digital instruments.

In this course, Ryan Lott, composer, film scorer, and bandleader of Son Lux, will show you how to find and construct inspiring, unpredictable sounds, and turn those sounds into playable instruments. Learn to write music in response to instruments that emerge through experimentation, rich with contour and variation.

This course was designed for producers looking for more control in their sound design, composers who want to add evocative and otherworldly qualities to their music, and anyone in search of an inspiring new tool to drive their songwriting forward.

Ryan Lott

Son Lux, composer, producer

Ryan Lott is a composer/film scorer, producer, songwriter, and bandleader. In 2007, Ryan founded Son Lux, releasing music that “works at the nexus of several rarely-overlapping Venn Diagrams” (Pitchfork).

Watch the Trailer Video

Make music that's surprising and compelling by unlocking a limitless new world of musical instrumentation. Watch the trailer to see how Ryan approaches virtual instrument design and uses those instruments as creative catalysts.

Course Outline

  1. Getting Started
    • The Creative Potential of Sound
    • Meet Ryan
    • A Quick Overview
    • A More Honest Version of Yourself
    • The Discord Community
  2. The Pianist
    • Strange and Familiar
    • Recording the Piano
    • Anomalies and Inimitability
  3. From Idea to Instrument
    • Prepping the Sample
    • Filtered Sound
    • Looping and ADSR
  4. The Vocalist
    • A Familiar Voice
    • Looping for Inspiration
  5. The Drummer
    • Recording the Drums
    • Evocative and Evolving
  6. Time and Discovery
    • Your Brain, Retrained
    • Infinite Possibilities
  7. Endings and Beginnings
    • Reflections on Working With Custom Instruments
    • Course Resources & Credits

What will I learn in this course?

You'll learn how to identify sounds that can be transformed into instruments, to record those sounds, and build custom instruments to enhance your music.

Is there a specific start date?

You can start the course anytime. If you'd like more accountability and feedback from a professional, you can request to work with a Soundfly Mentor for guided support.

How long does this course take?

This course can be taken at your own pace, with roughly 39 videos, ranging from 3 to 20 min each.