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Mixing/Mastering / Re: Does Anyone Else Think This Mix Has Too Much Bass?
« on: April 14, 2016, 04:51:04 pm »
I think it's a pretty decent mixdown. But keep in mind, mixing isn't entirely formulaic. Each engineer has a taste/style.
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Inspiration/Creativity/Motivation / Re: Why do you do it?
« on: January 13, 2016, 05:14:05 am »
When I was about 15 years old, I found myself in the hardcore/punk scene and was surrounded by that for quite a long time. Over the next 7~ years, I spent all of my time in bands, going to shows, and hating everything that wasn't hardcore, including house.
To give a bit of background, I've been playing guitar since I was a small child, and have been using computers since then too. So I've always been a gear head/tech geek and never realized I could create such elaborate tracks all by myself until one morning a couple years back while browsing reddit, I came across a specific video (which I'm not gonna mention) that made me realize that all of this was possible.
When I heard the confinement of the 4x4 kick, there was an immediate draw to me. I knew what house was previously, but I never really took the time to analyze it until that morning. I realized that there was something so beautiful in keeping yourself strictly set to that 4x4 kick, and creating drastically different tracks with the same principal. Being able to make extremely dark and interesting tracks with a kick/clap/kick/clap combo was just far too enticing to me to pass up the opportunity, and I've been in love ever since.
To give a bit of background, I've been playing guitar since I was a small child, and have been using computers since then too. So I've always been a gear head/tech geek and never realized I could create such elaborate tracks all by myself until one morning a couple years back while browsing reddit, I came across a specific video (which I'm not gonna mention) that made me realize that all of this was possible.
When I heard the confinement of the 4x4 kick, there was an immediate draw to me. I knew what house was previously, but I never really took the time to analyze it until that morning. I realized that there was something so beautiful in keeping yourself strictly set to that 4x4 kick, and creating drastically different tracks with the same principal. Being able to make extremely dark and interesting tracks with a kick/clap/kick/clap combo was just far too enticing to me to pass up the opportunity, and I've been in love ever since.
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Mixing/Mastering / Re: Is panning necessary?
« on: January 13, 2016, 05:06:47 am »
Panning is absolutely necessary. There is a common question that I get asked which is: How do you make your track sound wider?
Well, to start - panning. Panning is usually one of the very first thing I do aside from rough mixing. It's finding that perfect balance, and where that effect/synth/drum sample/yada yada fits into the mix.
Keep the things that need to stay center, center. But play with your stereo field for the rest of your instruments, even if you're panning 7L/7R.
Well, to start - panning. Panning is usually one of the very first thing I do aside from rough mixing. It's finding that perfect balance, and where that effect/synth/drum sample/yada yada fits into the mix.
Keep the things that need to stay center, center. But play with your stereo field for the rest of your instruments, even if you're panning 7L/7R.
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Samples/Plugins/Software/Gear / Re: Good free Compressor/Eq plugins?
« on: January 13, 2016, 05:02:44 am »huge fan of the tokyo dawn labs freeware EQs/compressor:
http://www.tokyodawn.net/tokyo-dawn-labs/
This. I use the TDR as my drum bus compressor in every track I make. Can't stand by their products enough.
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Samples/Plugins/Software/Gear / Re: Mixing and Mastering with a Sub vs Without
« on: January 12, 2016, 11:05:43 pm »It's definitely better to mix with a sub if there's one available. I don't know of many studio monitors that go below about 50 hz
Mackie HR824's - 37Hz
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Mixing/Mastering / Re: Perceived Loudness
« on: January 11, 2016, 09:33:11 pm »Study multiband compression.... this way you can compress/expand different frequencies before limiting them to get a loud mix but also not destroy the track either.
Second this. Multiband compression is easily my favorite mixing/mastering tool.
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Samples/Plugins/Software/Gear / Re: Building a custom PC for music production. Halp.
« on: January 11, 2016, 09:25:27 pm »Hey guys!
I don't know how much at all about computer hardware and am pretty new to producing. Yet somehow, I did build my own PC in 2012 with the following specs: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/hsHMnQ.
It was a build for a gaming PC, but now that I have started producing music I'm realizing that although it still works great for gaming, I experience crashes when running more intensive plug ins like Serum (my CPU meter in Ableton says it uses 45-60% and then crashes, not sure if that should be happening either), and my samples load a bit slow (I'm thinking because of the low ram).
My question is; if you had around $500 to upgrade certain parts, what would you upgrade to improve my performance when it comes to music production? Or in general, if someone could explain what parts of a computer do what in relation to music production (for example, I think more RAM allows you to load samples and play them quicker or something). Thanks a bunch!
Curious, what version of Serum are you on? Steve's released some seriously great updates since launch that save a lot of CPU/RAM usage. I'd make sure you're updated if not. You already have a solid setup, though. Swap out your two dimm slots for four dimm slotted ram. (Four cards rather than two) and upgrade to 16gb+. Honestly though, update your serum. That's probably your issue. Also, if you're running a 32gb DAW, you're not fully utilizing your system.
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Samples/Plugins/Software/Gear / Re: KRK Rokits or something else?
« on: January 11, 2016, 09:20:00 pm »
When I first started working with audio, I hopped onto the bandwagon and purchased a pair of Rokit 6's. Of course this was a far superior sound from anything I'd heard before, but now that I've been doing this for a while, I learned quickly and grew out of the Rokits.
I was lucky enough to find a set of MK1 HR824's in my area, and have been loving them since day one. The low end is so perceivable, and clear. They're a bit warmer to me coming from the rokits, but my mixes were never the same. However, I am mixing in a treated room.
If you're in a small room, stray away from the HR824's as they are quite big, and really pack a lot of punch into them, but if you just so happen to find a set on craigslist or something, don't hesitate to check them out. They're older now, but they're famous for a reason.
I was lucky enough to find a set of MK1 HR824's in my area, and have been loving them since day one. The low end is so perceivable, and clear. They're a bit warmer to me coming from the rokits, but my mixes were never the same. However, I am mixing in a treated room.
If you're in a small room, stray away from the HR824's as they are quite big, and really pack a lot of punch into them, but if you just so happen to find a set on craigslist or something, don't hesitate to check them out. They're older now, but they're famous for a reason.
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Sound Design / Re: Sampling Kicks
« on: January 11, 2016, 09:12:37 pm »
All of my kicks are created using this method:
1. Before getting started, it's important to note that I route my kicks directly to the kick group, and then straight to the master, and all of the rest of the percussion elements, claps, snares, hats, and all that is routed directly to a sum drum bus where they're compressed/EQ'd.
2. I usually group roughly two/three different samples I wanna use for my kick. Low/sub frequency, mid frequency, and high/click.
3. After finding the samples I like most, I'll EQ each sample to taste, and mix each sample in. The kick mix is referenced both solo, and with the track as a whole.
4. Lightly compress the kick group to glue everything together.
Kinda hard to explain right now, but if anyone wants any other information, more than happy to help.
1. Before getting started, it's important to note that I route my kicks directly to the kick group, and then straight to the master, and all of the rest of the percussion elements, claps, snares, hats, and all that is routed directly to a sum drum bus where they're compressed/EQ'd.
2. I usually group roughly two/three different samples I wanna use for my kick. Low/sub frequency, mid frequency, and high/click.
3. After finding the samples I like most, I'll EQ each sample to taste, and mix each sample in. The kick mix is referenced both solo, and with the track as a whole.
4. Lightly compress the kick group to glue everything together.
Kinda hard to explain right now, but if anyone wants any other information, more than happy to help.
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Sound Design / Re: foley/field recordings
« on: January 07, 2016, 10:58:39 pm »instead of searching for them online, (which to be honest, defeats the purpose a bit), get a field recorder and do it yourself. It's way more satisfying and educational. Will be the best $200 you've spent in a while.
Was just talking about you in another thread, and how you build your atmospheres with foley, and such.
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Sound Design / Re: foley/field recordings
« on: January 07, 2016, 09:23:53 pm »I like to mix in foley sounds with my drums
What do you mean by mixing it with your drums? Do you layer hard impacts for transients?
Could be what he's meaning, however I use foley sounds as key percussion elements. Everyone uses a 4x4 kick with an off hi-hat. Make it interesting using percussion elements that you've sampled from foley packs/live recordings/the like.
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Composition/Arrangement/Theory / Re: Do you play an instrument (exept the piano roll :D)?
« on: January 07, 2016, 05:45:25 pm »
Yep. Played guitar for about 13 years before getting into production. I played in a bunch of hardcore-punk bands for 6 years or something.
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Sound Design / Re: Quick Tip: Using volume automation on your layers
« on: January 07, 2016, 05:28:27 pm »But when the melody was in the lower notes the lead had too much lows and in the higher notes the lead was very thin and bass lacking. So I just volume automated the lower layer with the notes.
This is most likely caused by your room nodes, and not your bass itself.
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Sound Design / Re: Synthesizing Drums for a Noob
« on: January 07, 2016, 04:34:31 pm »I want to be able to synthesize really unique drum sounds and effects (think Flume or Ta-Ku) but I have no idea how or where to start. I know how to synthesize a basic kick from a sine wave but it sounds very plain and generic. I'm not sure how I would even go about claps, snares, shakers, hats, etc. Or do people like flume just sample drums from other songs and run them through a bunch of fx? I would rather not use pre-made drum hits from sample packs as I understand you are very limited in the sounds you can create.
Sure you're limited in the sounds you can create, but get into the habit of layering those sounds. Take the high frequency content of one sound, and layer it with the low/mid frequency content of another sample. You'll create many interesting samples. I used to create a lot of glitchy percussion elements by processing loops through different randomized effects, and picking out what I liked, and what I didn't. You just have to experiment. I know how daunting it can be though, which is why I created a library for myself over the years, so I don't have to do it as much. I used to spend multiple hour sessions just creating samples/loops/progressions.
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Sound Design / Re: Dealing with "emptiness"
« on: January 07, 2016, 04:31:26 pm »idk man, sometimes empty space can be a good thing when you use it correctly. Theres a quote from a famous jazz musician, either miles davis or john coltrane i cant remember, but he basically says his solos aren't about the notes he plays, its about the space in between them. I think this mindset can be applied to mixdowns too
I think that most people consider emptiness when comparing tracks against heavy hitters like Lange. The way his atmospheres sit; they're huge. It takes a lot of time, a lot of dedication, and some serious creative energy to get to that level of production value.
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