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TranceAddict Forums > DJing / Production / Promotion > Production Studio > why does my mixing/mastering fail?
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utdarsenal
tranceaddict



Registered: Jan 2011
Location: San Diego
why does my mixing/mastering fail?

guys I REALLY need help on mastering. The only people I can really get help from are the people in the online community, I don't really have anyone in person who can teach me about this stuff. I've looked at many videos though, they havn't helped much, but at least have helped a little.. I'm trying to get my tracks to sound professional.

I purchased some JBL monitors (they're REALLY good), but I can't make much use of them since I just don't know much about mixing/mastering.

I'm going to post one of my tracks and show you a song I would love it to sound like (mixing/mastering wise); it frustrates me I can't get certain elements in my songs to really seem bright and stand out and such..

My track :
Hausen- Lieben (Original Mix) by HAUSEN

what I look up :



--
i'm not sure what i'm doing wrong.. hope you guys can give me some pointers+ tips . I don't know why when I listen to my track, then a well-mastered song- it seems like my track sounds muffled. I can't seem to make elements stand out as much like you can hear in well-mastered songs..
would love it if you guys can help - thanks!

Old Post Jul-14-2011 23:59  United States
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J.L.
Never gonna give you up.



Registered: Aug 2002
Location: Toronto, Canada

1) Bass has too much sub
2) Too many synths occupy the mid low range... (500 hz area)


You need to run some EQ through a lot of the synths. Roll off any frequencies below 30 hz. Cut a lot of the mid low frequencies by -3 or -6 db. That percussion drum thing that runs through your track also needs a bit of cutting of the lower frequencies.

One trick I do is I take the entire track and I run a notch filter and check every frequency to see how it compares with a "pro" track.

Your mix is way too saturated on the mid-low frequencies which is making the entire mix louder than it needs to be.

Old Post Jul-15-2011 00:11 
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utdarsenal
tranceaddict



Registered: Jan 2011
Location: San Diego

quote:
Originally posted by J.L.
1) Bass has too much sub
2) Too many synths occupy the mid low range... (500 hz area)


You need to run some EQ through a lot of the synths. Roll off any frequencies below 30 hz. Cut a lot of the mid low frequencies by -3 or -6 db. That percussion drum thing that runs through your track also needs a bit of cutting of the lower frequencies.

One trick I do is I take the entire track and I run a notch filter and check every frequency to see how it compares with a "pro" track.

Your mix is way too saturated on the mid-low frequencies which is making the entire mix louder than it needs to be.


what about all the percussion and hi's? are they all good? and the sound panning and everything..?

how exactly can you notice when you have too many instruments or sounds going on in the same frequency range that it's causing problems? Because I would've never been able to notice that

Old Post Jul-15-2011 00:31  United States
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derail
Supreme tranceaddict



Registered: Feb 2007
Location: Canberra, Australia

It takes time.

Keep producing, keep referencing your songs against great sounding songs. Listen to the intros of songs (which generally have fewer sounds playing) and compare them to your intros. Once you have those elements in place, listen to how the other sounds you then bring in interact with the sounds you already have.

Generally, all of us start off not realizing how important it is to cut away the parts of each sound which aren't important to that sound in the context of the mix. So we leave a whole bunch of sub, low and mid frequencies in there (and a few high frequencies) which aren't required, and that ends up muddying up our mixes.

It gets easier with time. It's all related to mixing, not mastering. Start looking at mastering when your mixes already sound clear, detailed, powerful. Mixing will help you get fantastic results, mastering can't help to anywhere near the same degree.

Old Post Jul-15-2011 02:10  Australia
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J.L.
Never gonna give you up.



Registered: Aug 2002
Location: Toronto, Canada

quote:
Originally posted by utdarsenal
what about all the percussion and hi's? are they all good? and the sound panning and everything..?

how exactly can you notice when you have too many instruments or sounds going on in the same frequency range that it's causing problems? Because I would've never been able to notice that


It takes time and practice. I just stated the most prominent things. Also, you want to leave your mixdown at a much lower volume and don't apply any master effects on it until you know the mixdown is great since it becomes harder to apply effects.

I tend to to compress a lot of kick drums and basses and apply lots of EQ, put some mild tube/saturation/distortion in the mid end, and leave the high end hi pass filtered while keeping the hats sparse, which have been yielding a much better mixdown for me.

Old Post Jul-15-2011 02:42 
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Beatflux
Rising Star in training



Registered: Mar 2006
Location: Planet Alf
Re: why does my mixing/mastering fail?

quote:
Originally posted by utdarsenal

i'm not sure what i'm doing wrong.. hope you guys can give me some pointers+ tips . I don't know why when I listen to my track, then a well-mastered song- it seems like my track sounds muffled. I can't seem to make elements stand out as much like you can hear in well-mastered songs..
would love it if you guys can help - thanks!


The solution is really simple: more high frequency content.

You either have add more layers or add more instruments.


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change your avatar for fucks sake.

Old Post Jul-15-2011 03:36  Trinidad and Tobago
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Subtle
Subreme tranceaddict



Registered: Nov 2002
Location: Urban Shakedown

It isnt the mastering, it isnt the mixing, its the sound design and choice of sounds.


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Old Post Jul-15-2011 04:49  Norway
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KilldaDJ
birth.school.trance.death



Registered: Sep 2001
Location: tranceaddict wants to know your location

run it through an EQ and have a look at where your mix sits in the spectrum, you'll probably find it sits in the lower half, pull some of them freq's out and boost the highs.

it looks like your track is squashed too..


___________________


Found Atlantis - Mixography [mix archive/mokumentary/my soul]?
i writed a song.

Old Post Jul-15-2011 06:17 
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NDi
tranceaddict



Registered: Aug 2007
Location: Oulu, Finland

If you're having trouble with the frequencies, consider using some analyzers like these: http://bit.ly/pcGSRJ

Those will hopefully get you started but in the end trust your ears


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Old Post Jul-15-2011 06:27  Finland
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Morvan
Senior tranceaddict



Registered: Aug 2009
Location: Zurich, Switzerland

I'd try to reference with a track that doesn't use vocals. Seems to me as you made something similar just without the vocals, thus your simplistic approach doesn't work out if you lack a hook. Your problem isn't the mastering at the moment, your problem is that your listener might end up not being able to remember your track at all if there is nothing to remember it by such as a hook.

Old Post Jul-15-2011 08:35  Switzerland
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OOPS!
Supreme tranceaddict



Registered: Feb 2011
Location:

I don't know where to start either with mixing. Really frustrating

Old Post Jul-15-2011 14:56 
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.JEKL.
Junior tranceaddict



Registered: Jun 2011
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii

quote:
Originally posted by OOPS!
I don't know where to start either with mixing. Really frustrating



Usually starts with the actual production of the song and choosing the right sounds that mend well with each other from the get go.

I recently started keeping that in mind from the very beginning of starting a new idea and it has been helping the loads.

Old Post Jul-15-2011 15:13  United States
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