yodey
  Artist
Topics: 16
Replies: 152
Registered: 06.Jun.06 |
What have you learned over the years?
Here is one i found out last night: if u mix similar instruments , the one with more reverb appears more back in the mix.
Volume/velocity has more impact than timing. If u are chasing that swing , play with velocity.
Since I've discovered computer music these two have been the great revelations to me.
So, if u know something, please share!
sorry for my english but i am not understend what i am writing |
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Tyr
Artist
Topics: 66
Replies: 1054
Registered: 04.Jan.05 |
Some kind of a lfo before a distortion can sound awesome, put a filter automation on and then distort  |
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bvanoudtshoorn
Artist
Topics: 10
Replies: 88
Registered: 27.Dec.07 |
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When you're writing orchestrally, make sure that
a) What you write is playable, and
b) You use interesting textures. Sustained strings are all well and good, but if that's all you've got... :/
Generally,
a) Don't be afraid to write something that's not in 4/4. Hey, don't be afraid to write something that's not in simple time (like 3/4). Give compound time a go (6/8, 12/8, etc.) or even try something a little bit more interesting, like 5/4 or 7/8. Personally, I absolutely love writing in 7/8. 
b) You don't always have to come up with the world's most original chord progression. Bear in mind that common chord progressions are popular for a reason. If you treat it well musically, you can still be highly original.
c) Use interesting key signatures! If you're writing in traditional keys, try using something that's not a sharp key (especially trackers). Use appropriate minor keys (melodic and harmonic), not just Aeolian mode. That being said, explore some of the other modes available. Dorian is fairly "standard"-sounding, but has a nice twist.
d) Make things interesting. Put (small) mistakes into your music, especially when you're writing something that's meant to sound performed. No performer performs perfectly, and no one ever hits the same note at exactly the same velocity. If you can, use a "humaniser" script, and tweak the velocities and timings yourself. Remember, 99% of the time, pianists will hit the notes of a chord at slightly different times.
e) Try to avoid repeating things verbatim (for example, patterns in a tracker). If you're repeating the same melodic phrase or musical fragment, change things slightly. Put an extra note in the accompaniment, or make the bass falter a little, anything. Even if it's not obvious, it will make your music sound much better.
f) Know your tools. Find a few "workhorse" tools, and play around in them a lot. Get to know exactly how they work, how you can do interesting things in them, what capabilities they offer you. Explore other tools, yes, but remember to come back to your main tool.
g) Use nicer chords, especially in pop tracks. Don't just play a C chord - make it a Cadd9, a Cmaj6, or a Cmaj7 (pop tracks sound particularly good with an add9). Use suspensions, augmented chords, and diminished chords, and don't necessarily resolve them. Something that I quite like doing (which my fiancee absolutely hates) is not ending on the tonic (root note of the scale). Leave your listeners hanging.
h) Don't be afraid to put in a key change. They seem to have gone out of fashion in pop music of recent times, but really, a key change can add a lot of energy to your piece, make it stand out, and ensure that it's interesting.
i) Don't over-compress your final mix. It'll make it sound weak and watery. Transients add "life" and "sparkle" to a track. People listening to your music do have a volume control, and do know how to use it.
I don't want to end up sounding pompous or arrogant with my tips. :/ These are just things that I've learnt as I write music, and I've still got a lot to learn. But hopefully some of these will be useful to some people.
www.barryvan.com.au - design & music
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LPChip
 Administrator
Topics: 39
Replies: 1261
Registered: 05.Jun.05 |
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Even though you might've learned a bit about FM synthesis in a VSTi, you can do the same with just samples.
Example: You want to make a deep chorus like strings. Pick 3 nice saw samples, and detune 2 of them. One going slightly up, one going slightly down. Play the 3 notes together, and bwam, a nice string like chorus sound.
As for EQing: if you want clear sound, use a parametric EQ, and make spikes with a Q of 0.100 or 0.200 and place them at 1k, 2k, 4k, 6k and 10k. Raise its volume to where you need. It'll make the sound very crisp and clean, but not very present.
This works on many frequencies, also in the bass, but overdoing will kind of render its effect useless. I usually use it on the final mix, and some instruments that just need crystal clarity, like a crystal bell sound that was sampled on a lower quality.
Making a simple bell or flute or other nice sounds. There's no rule that you must use the same frequency. Feel free to play C-4 together with C-5, or other notes togehter in an octave range. A simple bell can be done with a sine or saw waveform, just by playing C-5 on high volume and C-6 on 70% or less volume. This might be even possible in your VSTi, but otherwise using xlutop chainer you can use 2x the same VSTi and set the octave on one of them.
You can ask me hundreds "why don't you" questions, answer will be, because it works that way too. - xTr1m |
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kilon
Artist
Topics: 36
Replies: 614
Registered: 09.Jul.05 |
KILON (1.000.000 hits , 1 broken bone) |
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Kinetik
 Member
Topics: 11
Replies: 219
Registered: 03.Jan.03 |
The mixing tutorial by AndiVax.
clicky (191 hits)
This is a must see if you ever wanted to figure out 'how to actually make stuff sound good'.
Altough it mostly focusses on dance music it does contain some general tips and examples that are practical for other styles.
Life is only the ability to experience a waste of time. |
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John Marwin
Artist
Topics: 58
Replies: 1842
Registered: 30.Jun.03 |
Snare + Retrig = fart sound 
Signature. |
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Xtatic
Member
Topics: 27
Replies: 778
Registered: 17.Aug.03 |
when you add a bass and a bassdrum on the same hit, it easily sounds muddy, right? At least for me. But add the bass just a little tiny bit after the kick so that the peaking of the kick first gets to kick in and then the bass, this helps. Of course, you have to mix a decent bit as well to make it sound clean and good.
The 3osc in FL is underrated.
kvraudio.com for testing demo and sometimes free synths. You might find something you enjoy.
Try variating the offset of, for instance drums, to make them sound more organic.
Its all pretty basic stuff, but its pretty good for newbies.
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