Hi hope you are all well and dandy…..As you all know I teach at Icon collective and thought it may be helpful to share some knowledge to my ever hungry students as well as you out there….So take advantage!!!!
1.Use a high pass filter to remove 250 Hz and below on Lead vocals to make them sit better in the mix
2.Turn down your monitors to an extremely quiet level when mixing in hi-hats and shakers, monitoring at a much lower volume when mixing in short high frequencies allows you to better perceive their relative loudness in a mix.
3.Use changes in Velocity to give your hi-hat programming more life. Use higher velocities on the downbeats and lower velocities on off beats to create more of a groove
4.Use the same hi-hat sample twice with one pitched slightly higher to mimic a drummer hitting the hi-hats with different hands, The higher pitch works well with higher velocities and the lower pitched version with lower velocities.
5.For Deep basses, copy the track and run it through a bit of distortion. Then remove the low frequencies and mix it in with the original for a bit of bite and presence to the overall bass sound.
6.When recording background vocals, take two unique passes/recordings of the same harmony and pan one left and the other right. It will leave the center open for the Lead vocal and create a much better stereo mix.
7.When adding time-based EFX like Reverb or Delay to a track, do not use the inserts, instead route them to an auxiliary send where you can EQ and control the volume of the EFX separate from the source track.
8.When adding Reverb to Drums, Try EQ’ing out the high end of the reverb for a darker warmer reverb sound.
9.When mixing distorted guitars with a vocal try notching out a bit of 4K on the guitars with an EQ to create a pocket for the dry vocal to punch thru the mix.
10.When mixing in Reverb with a Lead Vocal try notching out a bit of 4K on the reverb with an EQ to create a pocket for the dry vocal to punch thru the mix.
11.Never copy a track and then pan them left and right to create a stereo image. It actually makes the track twice as loud in the middle of the mix and will remain mono.
12.In electronic music, sub bass should always be in mono. For the same reason, never put modulation effects such as phasers or chorus on your sub line.
13.Don’t hesitate to try creating larger synth sounds by layering multiple patches. It’s a great way to create dynamic patches.
14.Use EQ to CUT, not boost. When you boost with EQ you’re adding frequencies that don’t actually exist. It’s being “recreated” the EQ’s best ability to simulate what it would sound like.
15.Find the mono button for your DAW’s master out, use it. Mixing and creating sounds in mono can make issues more obvious. Heavy FX can cause mono compatibility issues, so make sure to check this by flicking in and out of mono monitoring.
Don’t forget to analyze your tracks individually for sub 40hz rumble and remove it where you find any. Your hi-hats don’t need sub bass! Used July 27, 2010
16.Find better samples, not more samples. When you find samples that work for you, organize them so you can quickly and effectively find them when needed. Time wasted looking for sounds is time not spent making the tune better.
17.My friend gave me a great piece of advice: “You have three different types of days as a music producer. 1. Studio maintenance and setup. 2. Sound acquisition and design. 3. Music creation. Don’t try the third day without the first two being sorted.
18.Don’t forget to EQ your effect returns. Reverbs in particular have a nasty habit of generating unwanted sub frequencies. A low-cut EQ after the verb on the return will solve this problem if the reverb itself doesn’t have low-cut options.
19.For super tight drum loops, try chopping them up and putting the loops into a sampler. This will allow you to have ADSR control of the envelopes of each drum hit, allowing you to tighten or soften the drum loop at will.
20.When recording external devices such as samplers and synthesizers, make sure to set your DAW’s buffer size to the smallest your computer can handle. This will ensure that your recording is as close to “on-time” as possible.
21.If you’re feeling “blocked” with your creativity try writing a few pages of stream-of-consciousness to prime the pump of ideas. Works every time!
22.Fear of judgment plays the biggest roll in artists failing to reach their creative potential. Don’t create what you think others may like, create what you need to express.
23.Average musicians create what they hear on the radio. However a true artist creates what they’re not hearing on the radio but wish they did. They must fulfill their own needs of expression.
24.Most of the creative process happens in the “incubation” period. Don’t be afraid to incubate and contemplate your ideas before executing them. Do you think Charles Dickens wrote “Great Expectations” on his first pass?
25.There is no such thing as “writers block”. If you’re feeling blocked it can only be one of three reasons: 1) Fear 2) Control 3) Empty Tank. So stop worrying about the finished product, stop controlling the destination and have an emotion to express.
26.Intuition: to ignore its presents is to deny its council.
27.The true goal isn’t to create something complicated; that’s an easy thing to do. The focus is to make something simple sound interesting.
28.Genera’s and demographics were created by corporations… don’t let those effect your creativity. Your expression falls under no “category”.
29.The less thought in the creative process the better. Your ego is the biggest killer of creative ideas.
30.Stop thinking in the studio and start feeling. What feels right?
Hope this helps you -Luv & Bass DjRap x
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