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Could I get some mixing advice? I made a downtempo techno track today, I'm really happy with it except I'm having a hard time mixing the kick so it has some dynamic depth (i.e. isn't flat and overcompressed), without it either getting lost in, or overpowering, the rest of the mix. Any ideas what I could improve with the kick's EQ or compression? http://discolingua.com/music/747-Tyrell_Cooperation.mp3 h_double fucked around with this message at 06:13 on May 22, 2012 |
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May 22, 2012 06:11
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Something you might want to try out is a very VERY careful application of multiband distortion. Another thing you might want to give a shot would be a very subtle use of multiband compression. Something to keep in mind with the EQ approach would be to cut away from the things that are masking the kick rather than boosting the kick. Try using mid/side processing. Compression can help, but don't overdo it. Usually a good mix involves lots of small incremental changes that add up to a big improvement. If you need more explanation on these concpets or ideas about what settings to try, ask me. What processing is the kick going through right now?
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May 22, 2012 06:33
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Thanks for the great and detailed suggestions! Right now there's some subtle compression on the kick channel (2:1, 1ms attack, .1ms release, about 2dB threshhold) followed by an EQ with a 100Hz boost, smaller boosts around 1.5kHz and 5kHz, and a bit of cut around 250-300Hz to keep it from getting too muddy. All of the drum channels are then bussed together to a submix with another gentle 2:1 compressor with a long attack and quick release. I'd thought about adding a bit of distortion but not the multiband part -- I'm familiar with the theory, but have only used multiband distortion for more dramatic tone shaping, and have done even less hands-on with multiband compression. How would you suggest going about the mid/side EQ? By shelving the low end on the side channel of the kick and cutting a bit of the bass on the mid channel of other stuff?
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May 22, 2012 07:53
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A little ambient thing I did a while back in reason.
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May 22, 2012 08:31
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h_double posted:Thanks for the great and detailed suggestions! The idea behind multiband distortion can be looked at as a kind of sweetening or accentuation of a specific frequency band. Unlike a boost with an EQ, which just raises the amplitude of the existing frequencies, a distortion algorithm will introduce new harmonics. The point of doing this in a multiband way is to bring out specific elements of the sound, like the click in the attack of a kick drum or whatever. If you mess with is for a bit, you should get the hang of it. It's fairly intuitive, from my experience. I think you'll find that this approach is very versatile, and has a plethora of applications in mixing and sound design. Multiband compression is going to work just like a normal compressor, a device you seem to demonstrate a convincing comprehension of, except that it breaks the frequency spectrum into separate bands. This allows you to control certain aspects of the sound that would otherwise be difficult to manipulate through other methods. I feel like multiband compression has gotten a bad rap recently as something that should be used as a last resort to rescue a hosed up mix, but that's just not true. It's a useful tool, and sometimes it's just the thing to really make something shine. If you feel like the dynamic range of a specific aspect of a sound, like the low end of a kick, is too wide, you can use a multiband compressor to tame it, boost it, and really make it thump. How else would you go about achieving similar results? An EQ? Nope. (unless you want to automate it). A broadband compressor? Nope. You need a multiband compressor. That's why they exist. You've got the idea with the mid/side EQing. That's exactly the way I'd implement it in this case. As with all things, the most important tools you have are your ears. They're the only way you can tell if what you're doing is helping or hurting your mix. What's your monitoring situation like? What's your room like?
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May 22, 2012 11:03
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Anal Surgery posted:Work-flow survey here: When I don't feel like writing actual tunes, I do "prep cook" stuff like creating a bunch of drum kits that I like and can just pull up later... but a lot of the time I end up just grabbing a new breakbeat and chopping it up instead.
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May 22, 2012 18:31
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Vector 7 posted:As with all things, the most important tools you have are your ears. They're the only way you can tell if what you're doing is helping or hurting your mix. What's your monitoring situation like? What's your room like? Monitors are a pair of of JBL 4326. Room could be better; it's a little 10x12' room with mixing stuff on one side, a small couch opposite, and bookcases on the other two walls. That's one thing I've been trying to get a better handle on -- I'll get a mix that sounds really tight on the monitors, but then either the bass will sound almost non-existent on laptop speakers, or else it'll sound way too overwhelmingly bassy on a car stereo. Part of it is just learning what to listen for and what works where, but I'll definitely experiment with some of the multiband + mid/side ideas in the next day or so; thanks again, some of that is things I hadn't even considered.
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May 23, 2012 05:20
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h_double posted:Could I get some mixing advice? 1. there's an enormous amount of energy in that kick that won't come through in an average system. Highpassing it at something like 35Hz will allow you to turn the kick up a bit more. You'll have to find a compromise there, even if it's just removing the subs even you can't hear on your speakers either. This is good practice and will help with the blubber on the car stereo system. 2. Subtlely layer another strongly higpass filtered kicksample on top that provides a clearer transient. On the laptop speakers, the brain will sort of fill in the missing bass frequencies when it is made aware that there is supposed to be a kick there. But it needs an anchor that can be reproduced by such speakers. Again, perhaps, a slight compromise is in order to accommodate those. Don't set your hopes too high, though. Laptop speakers are crap and will only ever give you the gist of what you were supposed to hear. You can't but accept that. I sort of like this (even though the bass sound is a bit basic), but I wouldn't call it downtempo. The kick may go at half speed, but the percussion and hats are pretty fast paced. It's not relaxing or anything. Not that is has to be. h_double posted:How would you suggest going about the mid/side EQ? By shelving the low end on the side channel of the kick and cutting a bit of the bass on the mid channel of other stuff? Flipperwaldt fucked around with this message at 12:45 on May 23, 2012 |
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May 23, 2012 12:25
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So my laptop took a dump about a month ago. I'm sure I didn't lose any of my project files, but I am currently not in a position to get a new drive. I did however get my first ever Android phone. So my question is: is there anything resembling a decent DAW for the OS?
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May 25, 2012 02:36
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freudorbison posted:So my laptop took a dump about a month ago. I'm sure I didn't lose any of my project files, but I am currently not in a position to get a new drive. a DAW for android?
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May 25, 2012 04:13
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I actually bought FL Studio Mobile while I was really trashed. I concluded it must be some sort of joke.
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May 25, 2012 06:08
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Wouldn't mind some fresh ears on this one: http://soundcloud.com/hostismusic/hostistastetouchfeel Bit of the ol' drum and bass again. edit: decided to make it public boxorocks fucked around with this message at 23:47 on May 26, 2012 |
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May 26, 2012 03:00
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Preview of a new track: http://soundcloud.com/wayfu/wayfinder-freak-wave Trance, naturally 
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May 26, 2012 12:40
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http://soundcloud.com/fastland/take-my-hand-ft-therese-hedl-v Dancepop track I was challenged to do in just under 3 days, that turned out all right, funnily enough. Didn't have time to really fix it up very well and the session where we taped the vocals took like 40 mins. 
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May 26, 2012 18:12
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boxorocks posted:Wouldn't mind some fresh ears on this one: Where did you conjure those intro sounds from? Lush!
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May 28, 2012 17:16
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wayfinder posted:Preview of a new track: I already commented but might as well attempt some actual feedback. That lead/pad sound (guessing Massive) is really great and the glass sounds on top are a nice touch. The melody is kind of weird for a song with a sparse arrangement, it could use a little something under it perhaps, but if it was more of a trance cheese sentimentality type of melody it could be that simple. I've seen you mix it up between complex and simple arrangements and be good at both, for what it's worth. For a minute long breakdown I might try and bring the bass back at the end and really make that last phrase scream. another thing to keep in mind with this track (and in general, maybe) is that you tend to favor bright sounds over warmer ones. It could be something as simple as adding a 2nd octave below that lead or just shifting down that might give it some presence that isn't really being felt other than the sub bass. But it could also just be part of the sorta commercial anjunabeats kind of sound you're going for Peter North fucked around with this message at 05:45 on Apr 16, 2013 |
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May 28, 2012 19:17
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Friction posted:Where did you conjure those intro sounds from? Lush! It was a few string samples cut up, mashed together, some reversed etc. Then the whole thing reverse, heaps of reverb applied and it reverse again for reverse reverb, then layered with the original cutup. Split both up into a couple frequency bands and apply some subtle stuff on each and relayer them. Finally I had a breakbeat running through a vocoder using that as an external input and dicked with levels/filters etc. Basically taking something simple and processing it and processing it till it sounds almost nothing like the original.
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May 29, 2012 04:58
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Hello guys! I have just recently wanted to start making some kind of low-fi-ish synth music that I want to sound similar to Legowelt and more importantly Squadra Blanco. There is just something about the sound of his synths that really appeal to me and I thought it would be nice trying to make some of my own music in that style. The plucky synth in this song for instance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hN1iHRBPzDY sounds really nice, but I'm having some problems replicating it. I'm currently dicking around a bit in Live and recently bought the animoog for the iPad to play around with and sample, but to be honest I don't really know where to even start! Have any of you guys got suggestions as to how to kind of get a sound like that, short of buying a room full of synthesizers?
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May 29, 2012 06:57
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waqii posted:plucky I'm not crazy knowledgeable, but I would guess that its a triangle wave fed through an adsr envelope with a short decay envelope fed through a arpeggiator and a delay module.
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May 29, 2012 07:48
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Some kind of high pass filter too, it sounds like. You can make that sound with practically any substractive softsynth and any set of built-in DAW features.
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May 29, 2012 07:57
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lil guy i whipped up: http://soundcloud.com/grandpa-ghost/02-track-02wayfinder posted:Preview of a new track: I replayed this about six times. Love it! Doctor Duckers fucked around with this message at 01:14 on May 30, 2012 |
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May 29, 2012 08:00
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I did a little mix doctoring to the track I posted a few days ago. Using mid/side EQ to shelve out the low frequencies from the mid channel of the bass synth helped the kick drum sit in the mix without sacrificing anything. Also I used a little multiband distortion on the low frequencies of the kick, which I think gives it a little more harmonic presence and gives the whole track a nice veneer of dirt. http://soundcloud.com/discolingua/747-tyrell-cooperation
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May 30, 2012 05:28
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Doctor Duckers posted:I'm not crazy knowledgeable, but I would guess that its a triangle wave fed through an adsr envelope with a short decay envelope fed through a arpeggiator and a delay module. I'm playing around a bit in Live and discovered that plugin, but it kinda doesn't make a lot of sense to me other than "ooh this knob makes the sound a bit weird-like". Edit: Oh and another thing (and please don't hate me for asking this one) Do you guys know of a good way to get the kind of tape-feeling that you can hear in a lot of the Washed Out songs? I'm talking about the warm tape distortion that creates a "round" sound, not the tape-hissing, and I don't really want to have to record audio onto a tape and then re-record that. I know it's been done A LOT and that a lot of musicians probably think its making up for poor mastering skills or what not, but I would love to at least play around with it and see what I can do. waqii fucked around with this message at 07:18 on May 30, 2012 |
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May 30, 2012 06:53
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waqii posted:Thanks! This might be a silly follow-up question, but would that be possible to do with the synth1-plugin?  Give this a try, just stick it on a track and hold down a minor chord (e.g. D + F + A) to trigger the arpeggiator. I couldn't get the same timbre from Synth 1's filter, but the plucky/echoey part is pretty straightforward. Experiment! quote:Edit: Oh and another thing (and please don't hate me for asking this one) That's a compressor. Compressors are a pretty big topic and you might not want to dive into the nitty gritty quite yet, but if you want something that's easy to use, there are a number of "tape saturation" plugins out there. Though if you have the means to bounce your tracks to analog tape and resample them, don't overlook that as an option. h_double fucked around with this message at 08:30 on May 30, 2012 |
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May 30, 2012 08:27
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h_double posted:INFORMATION Super! Thanks a lot! I'll try this stuff out and see what I can do!
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May 30, 2012 08:58
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Basically, if you learn enough about/mess around enough with EQ and compression, you will eventually have an aha moment where you realize what the Washed Out producer did. Both subjects are pretty much the most important things to get a broad perspective on, so you should just start tweaking knobs as soon as possible. E: Just remembered there's a VST compressor that's good for effect compression like Washed Out does, called Rough Rider - it's free 'n' poo poo. VVVV - why would I call it good and bad in the same sentence? SHAOLIN FUCKFIEND fucked around with this message at 11:50 on May 30, 2012 |
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May 30, 2012 10:26
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is that 'free and poo poo' as in 'free and good' or 'free and terrible'? Here's something that took way, way too long. Kind of a downtempo dubstep thing, not really swaggery or punchy like a lot of tracks: http://soundcloud.com/m-dubbs/md27052012 I'm really keen to get it sounding more 'polished', so I thought I'd see if anyone on here had any pointers on the mix etc? I'm learning a lot about EQ, compression etc but it feels like I need some advice.
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May 30, 2012 10:54
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It's really unfortunate that there isn't really an entry level hardware production thing (Maschine etc) available  .
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Jun 3, 2012 03:53
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A maschine mikro is like 350 isn't it? If that's not entry level you really don't want to know what this poo poo cost 10-15 years ago.
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Jun 3, 2012 05:02
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1024x768 posted:It's really unfortunate that there isn't really an entry level hardware production thing (Maschine etc) available I picked up an mpc500 from a pawn shop for $300; not entry level in the "$100 guitar with $25 practice amp" sense, but a lot cheaper than you might think. A lot of pawn shops have MPCs for way under retail or even craigslist prices. So I've been reading the sound on sound synth school articles, and it mentions the Fairlight CMI having a synthesis method which involved hand-drawing two waveforms and having the computer morph between them. The article (written in 1997) laments that the CMI didn't have enough power to do it live. So did anyone ever go back and make a modern version of this? It sounds way interesting. mrmanatee fucked around with this message at 17:09 on Jun 3, 2012 |
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Jun 3, 2012 17:06
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they're actually still making Fairlights: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fairlight-Instruments/130355727021330 http://fairlightinstruments.com.au/ There's an iPad app and everything. You could probably shoot them an email or FB message, they're good people. From my experience using one of the prototypes, the new models don't seem super-fast, but I'd never used the old timey ones.
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Jun 4, 2012 08:53
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I need to work in the saw better. Oh the adventure that learning is! updated a bit: http://soundcloud.com/wafflehound/minimal-2 WAFFLEHOUND fucked around with this message at 00:24 on Jun 5, 2012 |
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Jun 4, 2012 18:48
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1024x768 posted:It's really unfortunate that there isn't really an entry level hardware production thing (Maschine etc) available Even a main maschine is entry level compared to any other hardware... and good luck trying to get a start producing in the days before laptops and vsts.
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Jun 4, 2012 23:31
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colonp fucked around with this message at 18:03 on Mar 8, 2014 |
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Jun 5, 2012 16:08
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That's really beautiful.
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Jun 5, 2012 16:27
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colonp fucked around with this message at 18:03 on Mar 8, 2014 |
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Jun 5, 2012 16:52
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WAFFLEHOUND posted:I need to work in the saw better. The way it's all chained together is quite compelling, you just need to do a major overhaul of the sounds involved.
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Jun 5, 2012 17:00
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Awesome timbres. Rich and delicate. WAFFLEHOUND posted:updated a bit: http://soundcloud.com/wafflehound/minimal-2 Lots of promise here. In particular I like the snappyness of the kick but it does seem to overpower the other sounds in the intro. Edit: Some live boom techno I made yesterday in a frantic studio spree: http://soundcloud.com/ynohtna/aleph-null-surface-erosion
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Jun 5, 2012 17:02
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ynohtna posted:Lots of promise here. In particular I like the snappyness of the kick but it does seem to overpower the other sounds in the intro. Do you have a sub? Those are mostly in the sub-bass range. SHAOLIN FUCKFIEND posted:The way it's all chained together is quite compelling, you just need to do a major overhaul of the sounds involved. Explain?
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Jun 6, 2012 16:56
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A buddy of mine wanted a workout remix of Bloody Tears from Castlevania. This is what I came up with - http://soundcloud.com/gkchestertron/what-a-terrible-night-for-a
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Jun 6, 2012 21:50
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