quote:

Originally posted by EddieZilker Get Pro-Tools and mix in mono. 97.345354% of all songs played in dance clubs were made using PT and 92.34534% of all clubs use mono systems. Oh, and don't splurge on "pro"sumer gear. Just use the stock sound-card and HP Beats headphones. Other than that, just wing it. /Triple-Threat-Trollin'

Motherfu....GOT_TO_RESIST

Just being conscious of which sounds are occupying which frequency range and where they peak at really helps. Cognitively selecting sounds and hipass/lowpassing them. An example: a clap layer. A clap sample, with everything below 800Hz cut out. Then, a snare sample, with everything above 800 cut out. Mixing them together to get an overall sound. Being aware of presence in the mix, even if you have to do it visually. Choose instruments to occupy certain frequency ranges of the mixdown, and isolate them so they only play that general frequency range. Which is pretty easy, considering different instruments can occupy different octaves which would mean they are automatically in different frequency ranges, you just have to clean it up with some high and low passing. There's nothing worse than hearing the mud of 2 synths when they could easily be EQ'd to fit together. Compression is key, as well. Mixdown is an art, takes lots of practice.

Always on such threads the same advice comes out, and it's perfectly good advice such as high passing, but I suspect the OP is well aware of such things already but still struggling.

This problem is akin to being able to read a recipe book but still failing to deliver the dish as well as expected.

In my experience what this all boils down to is sound choices, and I mean beyond the usual freq diagrams which most people can pick up quite quickly.

Whether your own sounds or presets and samples, sound selection choices are of profound importance. I'd say some producers never get beyond a certain level, perhaps they don't even percieve a partiuclar difference in thier quality control compared to others.

I know I really struggle to get the sounds I want, and I grew up with analogue synths and knowing what all the dials do, but still I find I 'make do' and often do not realise this until later listening back to a finnished track after a while.

The best chefs never make do and they understand the starting point to quality is having the finest ingriedients, which luckily for us we can make ourselves without needing to buy expensive truffles every time.

So IMO based on what you say, you need to take much more care in sound selection and design and always keep asking yourself is this really as good as I could do - even down to a hihat. One wrong ingredient in a cake can spoil it. People who make do with things like percussion, never reach full potential.

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quote:

Originally posted by Richard Butler Always on such threads the same advice comes out, and it's perfectly good advice such as high passing, but I suspect the OP is well aware of such things already but still struggling. This problem is akin to being able to read a recipe book but still failing to deliver the dish as well as expected. In my experience what this all boils down to is sound choices, and I mean beyond the usual freq diagrams which most people can pick up quite quickly. Whether your own sounds or presets and samples, sound selection choices are of profound importance. I'd say some producers never get beyond a certain level, perhaps they don't even percieve a partiuclar difference in thier quality control compared to others. I know I really struggle to get the sounds I want, and I grew up with analogue synths and knowing what all the dials do, but still I find I 'make do' and often do not realise this until later listening back to a finnished track after a while. The best chefs never make do and they understand the starting point to quality is having the finest ingriedients, which luckily for us we can make ourselves without needing to buy expensive truffles every time. So IMO based on what you say, you need to take much more care in sound selection and design and always keep asking yourself is this really as good as I could do - even down to a hihat. One wrong ingredient in a cake can spoil it. People who make do with things like percussion, never reach full potential.

I've come to totally agree