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Couple of questions that ive gotten and need your help on answering.
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View this Thread in Original format
| Mazin_A |
Hi!
I am planning on starting a site with a friend that will provide people who are interested in musicproduction to get HQ facts on the subject and use it as a resource to futher developing their skills.
So a while ago me and a friend went out to see what people were stuck on and what they wanted to improve.
Here comes,
1. why is it that my synths can't be heard in the mix? i try to turn them up and when i do they are way to high, is it a matter of eq?
2.How do you get that professional sound on your productions, i use vengeance & loopmasters sample cds for my drums and various vst's?
3.In what ways can i improve my track with compression, what can it be used for besides as sidechain effect?
I will add more questions to this thread soon, i start with 3.
We want all your opinions and answers on these issues.
thank you! |
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| ken_lee |
1. eq+distortion(presence)
2. analog sidechain
3. avoid master compression |
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| EddieZilker |
| quote: | Originally posted by Mazin_A
1. why is it that my synths can't be heard in the mix? i try to turn them up and when i do they are way to high, is it a matter of eq? |
Compression, Complimentary EQ, Shelving, Roll-off, and High Pass filtering
| quote: | Originally posted by Mazin_A
2.How do you get that professional sound on your productions, i use vengeance & loopmasters sample cds for my drums and various vst's? |
Stop using Vengeance and Loopmaster sample CD's. See Answer to Question 1.
| quote: | Originally posted by Mazin_A
3.In what ways can i improve my track with compression, what can it be used for besides as sidechain effect? |
Question three is obviated by the first answer to question one. A more appropriate question would be, "In what ways can I completely suck the life out of a track with compression, including the over-use of side-chain?" |
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| EddieZilker |
| quote: | Originally posted by Eric J
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Well, that's one way of putting it but my answers were more concise.
Always have to one-up, don't you, Eric? Merry Christmas. :p |
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| ken_lee |
| oh and get better monitors. |
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| Mise |
| quote: | Originally posted by Eric J
Regrettably, the answers given above and not the answers most people want to hear. Most inexperienced producers don't want to hear that it just takes time to get good at this, that there is no perfect combination of settings that works every time. Making a track is not unlike painting a picture. How silly would you be if you asked your art teacher how much red you should use before even starting your painting? Every track is different, every situation calls for a different solution. Knowing what to do and when is the key to making better sounding music.
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I Totally agree, :)
Merry Christmas to all! |
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| derail |
I'll just use this opportunity to promote my site:
InsideMixes
It has very specific answers. I have a number of my trance tunes on there (my signature below has some of them). The song packs contain the full multitrack sound files and a PDF with images of all the plugins and settings used in the mix, as well as my mixing notes on why I made the choices I did. You can browse through the tunes and if anything sounds close to the type of sound you're trying to put together you can grab the pack and hopefully learn a lot!
If anyone wants a demo song pack (it's only 13 seconds long, most songs are a few minutes long), here it is:
Fabrik Europa - Metropolis
I've recently put one together which used only Reason. It includes the rns in the bonus materials, doesn't require any refills and uses minimal CPU.
Feel free to pm me or ask me questions in this forum!
Fabian |
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| Mazin_A |
Wow thank you for the contributions so far, really great!
Alright here comes a few more questions for you.
1. Logic vs Ableton:
Is there a difference in terms of audio quality between the two DAW's?
2. My mixes always goes into the red on the meters, i want a loud sounding mix but it seems like there is no more room for me to turn it up, please help.
3. I get feedback that my mixes are sounding flat (in a bad way), what does this mean and how can i approach fiddeling with them?
4. Is it always neccesary to keep my bass and kick in mono? if so why?
5. What is the difference in sound between digital and analouge, what should i listen for?
6. What makes a soundcard a good one? do i have to spend loads of money on it`?
Thanks! |
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| ken_lee |
1. both ableton and logic is good, dont worry about it.
2. lower the volume and start eq away stuff so different elements dont crash. avoid red!!!!
3. they are probably flat because they are clipping as you have the level on red.
4. everything below 70-80Hz should be mono. previously this was mostly to prevent vinyls to be shaking, but also to work good in a club, car stereo etc. also make sure your track sounds good in mono as it might be played back in mono in both clubs and radio.
5. dont think about it. analog is hype.
6. soundcard and monitors are the most important gear of all. use as much as u can on both.
you are welcome. |
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| Beatflux |
| quote: | Originally posted by ken_lee
1. both ableton and logic is good, dont worry about it.
2. lower the volume and start eq away stuff so different elements dont crash. avoid red!!!!
3. they are probably flat because they are clipping as you have the level on red.
4. everything below 70-80Hz should be mono. previously this was mostly to prevent vinyls to be shaking, but also to work good in a club, car stereo etc. also make sure your track sounds good in mono as it might be played back in mono in both clubs and radio.
5. dont think about it. analog is hype.
6. soundcard and monitors are the most important gear of all. use as much as u can on both.
you are welcome. |
Logic > Ableton
Clipping is perfectly normal.
Analog > digital |
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| ken_lee |
| quote: | Originally posted by Beatflux
Logic > Ableton
Clipping is perfectly normal.
Analog > digital |
:stongue:
no wonder todays edm suck |
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| EddieZilker |
| quote: | Originally posted by Mazin_A
1. Logic vs Ableton:
Is there a difference in terms of audio quality between the two DAW's? |
It's a trap! And SONAR is best at handling audio.
Seriously, throw questions like this out. Not worth it.
| quote: | Originally posted by Mazin_A
2. My mixes always goes into the red on the meters, i want a loud sounding mix but it seems like there is no more room for me to turn it up, please help. |
Stop confusing dBFS with SPL. Of the 90 to 120 decibels you have to work with, you're in contention with yourself over the top three. Jesus, you must be some kind of moron. Tell you what. The problem is with your computer. You need to put it back in the box and ship it back to the manufacturer with a note which reads you're too stupid to operate it.
| quote: | Originally posted by Mazin_A
3. I get feedback that my mixes are sounding flat (in a bad way), what does this mean and how can i approach fiddeling with them? |
You'll need four liters of vodka and a Shadow Hills mastering compressor for each track.
| quote: | Originally posted by Mazin_A
4. Is it always neccesary to keep my bass and kick in mono? if so why? |
Try panning it into a stereo channel, play it on a large format PA, and listen to the pain.
| quote: | Originally posted by Mazin_A
5. What is the difference in sound between digital and analouge, what should i listen for? |
There is no difference. What you heard was the light from Venus being refracted through the swamp gas. You're asking too many questions. We need you to sign this non-disclosure agreement and stop raising questions like this on the internet, of all places!
| quote: | Originally posted by Mazin_A
6. What makes a soundcard a good one? do i have to spend loads of money on it`?
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It shouldn't cost any more than $6.99 plus tax and ought to have a Hallmark logo on the back. It should also have a funny drawing and when you open it it should play the Beatles version of "Twist and Shout". There should be something funny inside like, "Your age may have limited your mobility but at least you're not too old to remember this song. Here's shouting a very happy birthday, Grandpa!" |
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