Production skills, tips, tricks and techniques

[mauricio]

If you already know this then sorry to post, but just in case someone was wondering the same thing. It took me piecing it together from a bunch of different places and hard listening today to figure it out.

The Sweeps problem.

So a lot of people recommend using a low-pass filter and automating the cutoff... but that makes the sweep less dynamic and you can't get as long of sweeps... I wanted to get at least 8 bar sweeps...

So instead I started using a bandpass/notch filter. Instead of trying to automate using envelopes I just used my midi controller and did it by hand... it sounds a lot more natural. The envelope ends up looking like a exponential curve. This was another problem I was running into... using an sine or saw LFO on the filter cutoff or a negative envelope just didn't give me that natural curve shape of a rise.

I set an EQ with a transpararent 48db LowCut at 200 Hz

Then the 2nd thing i noticed was the way the sound fades. The best sweeps I think are the ones that go sssssssssssssss s s s s
and instead of reversing the sweep and adding a sidechain compressor, I kept the same frequency with a slight sweep back... and added an LFO to the volume...

I also noticed that the sweeps I liked best had a special movement... the sweep up was directional towards you, and the sweep down was stagnant and moved away to the sides...

So I added automated reverb, and panning or delay. So the sweep starts slightly on the right and moves away slightly on the left or vice versa...

None of the sweeps I had from the sample packs had these qualities. and trying to mix and match them didn't work either.

[rudy]

Great tips Mauricio! Deffinatley will try them out!

[rudy]

If you already know this then sorry to post, but just in case someone was wondering the same thing. It took me piecing it together from a bunch of different places and hard listening today to figure it out.

The Sweeps problem.

So a lot of people recommend using a low-pass filter and automating the cutoff... but that makes the sweep less dynamic and you can't get as long of sweeps... I wanted to get at least 8 bar sweeps...

So instead I started using a bandpass/notch filter. Instead of trying to automate using envelopes I just used my midi controller and did it by hand... it sounds a lot more natural. The envelope ends up looking like a exponential curve. This was another problem I was running into... using an sine or saw LFO on the filter cutoff or a negative envelope just didn't give me that natural curve shape of a rise.

I set an EQ with a transpararent 48db LowCut at 200 Hz

Then the 2nd thing i noticed was the way the sound fades. The best sweeps I think are the ones that go sssssssssssssss s s s s
and instead of reversing the sweep and adding a sidechain compressor, I kept the same frequency with a slight sweep back... and added an LFO to the volume...

I also noticed that the sweeps I liked best had a special movement... the sweep up was directional towards you, and the sweep down was stagnant and moved away to the sides...

So I added automated reverb, and panning or delay. So the sweep starts slightly on the right and moves away slightly on the left or vice versa...

None of the sweeps I had from the sample packs had these qualities. and trying to mix and match them didn't work either.

About adding an Lfo to the volume can i do this with Operator? Sorry im a newb lol.

[mauricio]

I've never used Operator but I can't imagine that it doesn't have that option. Assigning an LFO to the volume is called Tremolo and is one of the most basic LFO functions. There's other ways you can achieve a similar fading away sound. I just found that particular method useful cause of the LFO wave shapes. I was looking through the rises and swooshish on sample packs and I noticed deadmau5 used it a lot on the Xfer CD.

There's a million ways to make a cool rise effect. I think the thing that's most important is the fade away part... How the rise goes up and up then it sounds like it hit a wall kinda and fades away...

Here's one I made right now using a combination of the above, but instead of using an LFO on the volume I used another sweep with a simple delay... I turned down the volume by hand and I didn't really time it right but you can hear how having control of the rise makes a big difference.

0001 3-Audio.wav

This way also you can layer any sound you like underneath... for example make a sweep that goes into the synth you are using you know?

EDIT: Also you really gotta make sure it's not clipping anywhere along your chain... I just went through and fine tuned it. With my headphones on I could hear artifacts in the sweep... and with my master chain on I could really pinpoint the distortion. Now it's all good

[audiobot]

HEY GUYS!

I REALLY NEED HELP ON MASTERING
I KIND OF GET IT BUT NOT REALLY LOL

IS THERE ANY TUTORIALS OR TIPS?

YOUTUBE VIDS?

THANKS

[mauricio]

HEY GUYS!

I REALLY NEED HELP ON MASTERING
I KIND OF GET IT BUT NOT REALLY LOL

IS THERE ANY TUTORIALS OR TIPS?

YOUTUBE VIDS?

THANKS

OzoneMasteringGuide.PDF

Read that first. Understand what mastering actually is, and make sure your song is mixed properly. Try to have someone else master
your track. it's not very expensive. Good luck.

`M

[audiobot]

HEY GUYS!

I REALLY NEED HELP ON MASTERING
I KIND OF GET IT BUT NOT REALLY LOL

IS THERE ANY TUTORIALS OR TIPS?

YOUTUBE VIDS?

THANKS

OzoneMasteringGuide.PDF

Read that first. Understand what mastering actually is, and make sure your song is mixed properly. Try to have someone else master
your track. it's not very expensive. Good luck.


THANKS =]]

`M

[mauricio]

Question for Luke: or anyone that knows

When you do your mono + mda stereo plug trick... do you use the comb filtering alg or the haas effect? I've been reading up on the two and have found several conflicting but useful resources. I just finished reading a study on it and took these two major points away from it.

"Haas and mono-compatibility. When utilizing simple Haas delays, be sure to check the recording in mono for comb filtering. The more complex and numerous the delays, the less likely that comb filtering will occur."

"highest resolution technology, best miking techniques, and room acoustics. Process dead tracks with Haas delays and
early reflections, and specialized ambience recovery tools."

So I'm guessing Haas effect? I've been looking at the stereo images of using both and I seem to get a more controlled stereo effect by using Haas, but I'm not sure what the stereo image is actually supposed to look like, or what best looks like. I can hear a difference and to be honest the comb filtering methods sounds better and wider...

but since phasing is exactly what we're trying to avoid, and comb filter introduces destructive interference I'm not sure how to proceed...

Thanks

`M

EDIT:

This is the email I got from the creator of the MDA plugs. I don't really understand his response.

"When "mda Stereo" is in Comb mode, anything it adds to the left
channel is subtracted from the right channel, and the same the other
way, so if the two channels are summed to mono the changes cancel out
completely. So it's a way of making the sound stereo that disappears
when listening in mono. This works for any settings in Comb mode, but
doesn't work in Haas mode because that delays one channel so that
doesn't cancel out if summed to mono.

Of course you might prefer the original stereo sound and be able to
live with any mono incompatibility, because the Comb mode sounds thin
compared to a fat stereo chorus effect, it's more like the sound of
recording something with a stereo mic."

[Alexis Mixail]

Hey Guys.

Well i was wondering about fl studio.

I was using it , i install sylenth , genesis and everytime i was loading them , fl studio was getting unstable , lag all the time very very unstable.
I Switch to ableton , and i don't have this problem anymore , so fl studio was the problem.

Anyone has any clue for this?

Thanks.

[Medley Mo]

Important question to everyone!

I burned a selfmade track (with Ableton) recently and I recognized that it is slowed down heavily, I mean you cant hear the beat really, it is that slow!

I rendered it to .wav and I had no problems playing it in Itunes! Anyone had that problem ??? Its very strange!

[mauricio]

Important question to everyone!

I burned a selfmade track (with Ableton) recently and I recognized that it is slowed down heavily, I mean you cant hear the beat really, it is that slow!

I rendered it to .wav and I had no problems playing it in Itunes! Anyone had that problem ??? Its very strange!

You have to be a little more specific to get some help.

So describe your output and conversion method, and where along that chain it got messed up.

Ableton ---> .WAV ----> .MP3 ---->

Where did it slow down heavily? the entire track? what bmp did you export at? etc etc...

[mauricio]

Hey Guys.

Well i was wondering about fl studio.

I was using it , i install sylenth , genesis and everytime i was loading them , fl studio was getting unstable , lag all the time very very unstable.
I Switch to ableton , and i don't have this problem anymore , so fl studio was the problem.

Anyone has any clue for this?

Thanks.

Again very vague, it could be a million things causing instability... Are they the latest versions of the vsts?

Have you tried fresh FL install?

How's your overall system stability?

It's always a good idea to reformat your comp every once in a while. It might take a little bit longer but it'll solve 99% of problems. I try out so much software
that I don't keep, so after a few months my computer is a mess and I need to re - do it and just install the plugs I use.

If it's just a FL problem, and not happening on any other DAW then check the FL support forums (I assume they have some) and see if other people are having the same issue.
Those are 2 really popular soft instruments so if it's a compatibility problem they'll be plenty of people having it.

Also if they're not legit copies then there's not much you can do. Sometimes the hackers mess up a little bit when re writing the code and things get a little bit less stable. Price you pay for not paying the price you pay...

[Disco]

I'm fairly new to producing. I have decided to learn Live.

I was wondering if there were any plug-ins that you guys suggest?
Also any pointers in general.


Thanks!

[JohanEriksson]

Hey guys!

I have a question about a thing this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjRxGVI7WpU

Around 1:06 a piano comes in. Now, my question is how it's made? I mean, it's like something is reversed, but I have no idea how to do it. I work in Logic 9 and I would appreciate some answers mates! Bye!

Johan Eriksson

[Acosta]

Hey guys!

I have a question about a thing this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjRxGVI7WpU" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Around 1:06 a piano comes in. Now, my question is how it's made? I mean, it's like something is reversed, but I have no idea how to do it. I work in Logic 9 and I would appreciate some answers mates! Bye!

Johan Eriksson

it sounds like a airy synth + release + delay