Monthly Archives: October 2012
Mixing and Sidechain Compression Tutorial
I finally got my screen recording software to work, so I was finally able to make a video on mixing and sidechain comnpression. Since I am only able to record 15 minutes of video, I tried to cover as much as possible in that time frame.
Audio could be better, but hopefully it will show just enough to help you start mixing and using sidechain compression.
Remember, the best way to get good at something is practice, practice, and practice.
*Tip* – Make a song to fool around with, no boundaries or holding back. Don’t worry about creating a song out of it, just mess with sidechain compression and mixing in order to see what sounds you can create. You’ll never know what you can do until you expand your horizons and learn what all the different VSTs and effects do to your song.
Sometimes, the best music comes from mistakes and luck.
Cheers!
Armin van Buuren On Top of the World Again
So in case you weren’t watching and anxiously anticipating the DJ Mag Poll of 2012, Armin van Buuren is once again the top dj in the world after giving up the throne to David Guetta in 2011. This is amazing and I salute Armin to all the hard work he has consistently put into his music, record label Armada, and his radio show ASOT (A State of Trance).
Congratulations Armin!
What Does It Take to Get to the Top?
You know you want to be here in this picture, listening to the crowd shout your name. They anxiously await the moment for you to press the play button. As you do, the crowd screams and yells in excitement while the lights and people dance to the song…
If you want to make it here, you have to work for it; there’s no “shortcut” you can take. But as you expand your skills and fan base, you will, one day, be ready to make this picture a reality.
Cheers!
Compression: What is it used for?
In the world of electronic music, we know that the best kind of music is one kind of volume: LOUD. But, if you want your music to have depth and volume differences without clipping, then you may want to use a technique called compression.
Compression is a subject that I am not all too familiar with, but am educating myself (as well as you) through a program that I have discovered. I have been learning all about the different areas of a compressor and how to use it effectively.
From what I have learned about compression, it is a form of volume control. When the sound you are trying to make gets too competitive with the other instruments or is too quiet, you can use compression to bring its volume down or up. By doing this, you can create mixes that don’t cause ear fatigue and have substance to them. It is much simpler than you may think.
In a compressor, there are different knobs that affect how the instrument sounds and how the compressor works. The six different types of knobs on a fruity multiband compressor are: threshold, ratio, knee, attack, release, and gain. They each have a different purpose and significantly affect your mix in different ways. If you don’t know how to use a compressor, it can create a mess out of your mix.
There are a few different types of compressors to use in FL Studio, and in order to use them effectively, you must figure out where to use them and what your taste is in sound. The best way to learn how to use something is to learn how to use it yourself.
So go on and try out a compressor in your mix and see how much of a difference it can make in creating a sound you like.
Cheers!
No Videos??
As you may have noticed, (or not noticed), I haven’t put up any videos on sidechain compression or mixing. This is because of my computer.
For some reason, my computer doesn’t like me. It’s probably jealous because I’m so good at making music. That must be it. (Not.)
Anyways, when I went to record my videos, I realized that the screen recorder that I use needed to download some new plugins in order for it to work. Needless to say, my computer won’t download them.
So, I am temporarily taking a new approach to teach you about production techniques in FL Studio without videos. Should be very interesting.
Hopefully I can get my videos up and running again soon.
Cheers!
Tips on How to Create Better Mixes
In the world of producing music, there is nothing more satisfying than creating a good, clean-sounding mix. It helps exponentially to create a tight mix because it makes mastering (this will be left for another day) a track that much easier (plus it sounds AMAZING).
Now before we get into all of the technical jargon and techniques to use for mixing, I’d like to share a story with you about my plight with mixing in my early producing days.
When I first started to create Trance music, the only type of mixing I knew was DJs scratching and tearing up the dance floors with their mixing boards. I searched for nearly two years, browsing through websites dedicated to music production, only to find nothing. After countless websites searched, one of my producer friends told me about mixing. He told me that mixing was not only related to producing, but that it relied on mixing.
What I mean is, if you want a good song, you have to be able to mix well.
So, how can you start off mixing well? First off, you have to be able to identify all the mixing tools and how exactly to use a mixing board. I am in the process of planning a video explaining how to get started in mixing on FL Studio so that you can use these tools. After utilizing these tools, listen to your track go from a muddy wasteland to a colorful, contrasting work of art.
In the meantime, take a look at this website for some mixing tips you can use to get started before I post the video. Another great video to take a look at is this video, where a blond man with messy hair teaches you how to mix a better bass in your music.
Cheers!