Production skills, tips, tricks and techniques

[music4life]

Hey guys, Does anybody have any recommendations for a good book or website to learn music theory? I know scales stuff already, and I get the idea of chords, I just wanted to start diving a bit more into chord progressions, as mine seem a but simple and plain.

Thanks

Jay

You should definitely buy this course! I've taken it myself and it really pays off in the end!

http://faderpro.com/wp/music-theory

Ive been wanting to take up piano lessons lately, but the only thing thats been stoping me is the price i have to pay to be taught. I no you said that the course pays off, but can you further explain how much it has helped you.. I mean do you reckon it would be better to take up actual lessons or buy this dvd and teach yourself..

thanks

[DannyT.]

hey! some question for the ableton users out there: i have a synth layer in my track, and i have grouped the synths into a group. my question is: is there a way to automate a parameter of each individual synth with just one knob? i will do the same thing you can do with the macros, but on different synths. i know how to use macros on one track, but i was wondering if its possible to make the same thing on more than one track. Ive tried to put a audio effect rack on the grouped track, but it doesnt work. Anyone know how i can do it?

[Zakii]

Hey guys,

just wanted to share this video, cus' electro basslines seem to be really in vougue right now.. I think its a good starter to ones who want to come with this tipe of sound, check

http://youtu.be/soaliOjSJVE

and be creative !

Great start-off point man, thanks!!

[mauricio]

hey! some question for the ableton users out there: i have a synth layer in my track, and i have grouped the synths into a group. my question is: is there a way to automate a parameter of each individual synth with just one knob? i will do the same thing you can do with the macros, but on different synths. i know how to use macros on one track, but i was wondering if its possible to make the same thing on more than one track. Ive tried to put a audio effect rack on the grouped track, but it doesnt work. Anyone know how i can do it?

Yes it's possible. You have to be really comfortable/familiar with the routing options but it's possible. It depends on how you want to do it. If you want the Synths to react to the midi clips inside their busses, but take in FX cues from one master midi bus (like pitch bends)

The routing would be something like this: http://imgur.com/84XKP

MIDI fx: Empty MIDI bus that will serve as your master send. Here you can make whatever FXs you want.
<___IN MIDI fx: Receives MIDI from MIDI fx. Acts as hub that can be pulled from.
<___IN MIDI fx: Acts as router to Synth 1.
<___IN MIDI fx: Acts as router Synth 2.

This way the synths will play and act on their own midi clips, but also take in info from the MIDI fx bus.

EDIT: You can also just pull straight from MIDI fx from <___IN MIDI fx(s):

[DannyT.]

hey! some question for the ableton users out there: i have a synth layer in my track, and i have grouped the synths into a group. my question is: is there a way to automate a parameter of each individual synth with just one knob? i will do the same thing you can do with the macros, but on different synths. i know how to use macros on one track, but i was wondering if its possible to make the same thing on more than one track. Ive tried to put a audio effect rack on the grouped track, but it doesnt work. Anyone know how i can do it?

Yes it's possible. You have to be really comfortable/familiar with the routing options but it's possible. It depends on how you want to do it. If you want the Synths to react to the midi clips inside their busses, but take in FX cues from one master midi bus (like pitch bends)

The routing would be something like this: http://imgur.com/84XKP

MIDI fx: Empty MIDI bus that will serve as your master send. Here you can make whatever FXs you want.
<___IN MIDI fx: Receives MIDI from MIDI fx. Acts as hub that can be pulled from.
<___IN MIDI fx: Acts as router to Synth 1.
<___IN MIDI fx: Acts as router Synth 2.

This way the synths will play and act on their own midi clips, but also take in info from the MIDI fx bus.

EDIT: You can also just pull straight from MIDI fx from <___IN MIDI fx(s):

thanks for the answer. i will try it out! really helpful

[DannyT.]

hey! some question for the ableton users out there: i have a synth layer in my track, and i have grouped the synths into a group. my question is: is there a way to automate a parameter of each individual synth with just one knob? i will do the same thing you can do with the macros, but on different synths. i know how to use macros on one track, but i was wondering if its possible to make the same thing on more than one track. Ive tried to put a audio effect rack on the grouped track, but it doesnt work. Anyone know how i can do it?

Yes it's possible. You have to be really comfortable/familiar with the routing options but it's possible. It depends on how you want to do it. If you want the Synths to react to the midi clips inside their busses, but take in FX cues from one master midi bus (like pitch bends)

The routing would be something like this: http://imgur.com/84XKP

MIDI fx: Empty MIDI bus that will serve as your master send. Here you can make whatever FXs you want.
<___IN MIDI fx: Receives MIDI from MIDI fx. Acts as hub that can be pulled from.
<___IN MIDI fx: Acts as router to Synth 1.
<___IN MIDI fx: Acts as router Synth 2.

This way the synths will play and act on their own midi clips, but also take in info from the MIDI fx bus.

EDIT: You can also just pull straight from MIDI fx from <___IN MIDI fx(s):

thanks for the answer. i will try it out! really helpful

[alexflood]

Hi Guys,

I have a question about mastering and limiting. When I master my tracks I use EQ, Compression, and Izotope ozone 4. Im finding it hard to get the tracks as loud as I can without the low end distorting. I find I have to filter to about 46Hz. Do you guys have any tips or tricks that will bring my tracks up in volume while keeping the bass?

Thanks,

AleXx

[DennieMeister]

Hi Guys,

I have a question about mastering and limiting. When I master my tracks I use EQ, Compression, and Izotope ozone 4. Im finding it hard to get the tracks as loud as I can without the low end distorting. I find I have to filter to about 46Hz. Do you guys have any tips or tricks that will bring my tracks up in volume while keeping the bass?

Thanks,

AleXx

Are you using a multiband compressor on your master channel? If so, you can take away some compression from the low-end.
Creating space, room for all elements to breath, is key to get good mixes. If there are tracks interfering with eachother in the same frequency it will also sound lower in volume.

[Cellsplitt]

I exported an MP3 loop of my new track I'm working on the other day and loaded into my DJing console's software. I noticed that the beat from the track was not being found accurately on the software. So I went back to FL Studio (what I'm using to make the track) and checked it again. The beat is on time, on the right bar, its all cool. But I still don't understand why the DJing software is not detecting the beat properly. Could it be because I have something louder than the actual kick drum, and its detecting that instead? I am very confused.

[dyro]

Hi Guys,

I have a question about mastering and limiting. When I master my tracks I use EQ, Compression, and Izotope ozone 4. Im finding it hard to get the tracks as loud as I can without the low end distorting. I find I have to filter to about 46Hz. Do you guys have any tips or tricks that will bring my tracks up in volume while keeping the bass?

Thanks,

AleXx

Are you using a multiband compressor on your master channel? If so, you can take away some compression from the low-end.
Creating space, room for all elements to breath, is key to get good mixes. If there are tracks interfering with eachother in the same frequency it will also sound lower in volume.

I personally find a 46hz cut to much. I cut at around 30hz. And no. There are no tricks that will bring the volume of your track up. You can try the multiband compressor technique Dennie suggested but if your mix isn't that good to begin with (what I think is the case here) no mastering technique will do any good.

Try reading some mixing articles about proper EQ and compression and try again.

[Blackgeni]

Hi Guys,

I have a question about mastering and limiting. When I master my tracks I use EQ, Compression, and Izotope ozone 4. Im finding it hard to get the tracks as loud as I can without the low end distorting. I find I have to filter to about 46Hz. Do you guys have any tips or tricks that will bring my tracks up in volume while keeping the bass?

Thanks,

AleXx

Are you using a multiband compressor on your master channel? If so, you can take away some compression from the low-end.
Creating space, room for all elements to breath, is key to get good mixes. If there are tracks interfering with eachother in the same frequency it will also sound lower in volume.

I personally find a 46hz cut to much. I cut at around 30hz. And no. There are no tricks that will bring the volume of your track up. You can try the multiband compressor technique Dennie suggested but if your mix isn't that good to begin with (what I think is the case here) no mastering technique will do any good.

Try reading some mixing articles about proper EQ and compression and try again.

Also remember that compressing 3 times with a litlle bit of gain reduction and diferrent setting is better then compression once with much gain reduction.

[alexflood]

Hi Guys,

I have a question about mastering and limiting. When I master my tracks I use EQ, Compression, and Izotope ozone 4. Im finding it hard to get the tracks as loud as I can without the low end distorting. I find I have to filter to about 46Hz. Do you guys have any tips or tricks that will bring my tracks up in volume while keeping the bass?

Thanks,

AleXx

Are you using a multiband compressor on your master channel? If so, you can take away some compression from the low-end.
Creating space, room for all elements to breath, is key to get good mixes. If there are tracks interfering with eachother in the same frequency it will also sound lower in volume.

I personally find a 46hz cut to much. I cut at around 30hz. And no. There are no tricks that will bring the volume of your track up. You can try the multiband compressor technique Dennie suggested but if your mix isn't that good to begin with (what I think is the case here) no mastering technique will do any good.

Try reading some mixing articles about proper EQ and compression and try again.

Also remember that compressing 3 times with a litlle bit of gain reduction and diferrent setting is better then compression once with much gain reduction.

Thanks very much for your help guys. was really useful!!!

[Zakii]

Pretty sure this hasn't been asked before: when sampling kicks from tracks (which are already mastered obviously) do you therefore not route the kick to your mastering channel, but rather a dry channel because it's already been compressed and whatnot?

[DennieMeister]

Pretty sure this hasn't been asked before: when sampling kicks from tracks (which are already mastered obviously) do you therefore not route the kick to your mastering channel, but rather a dry channel because it's already been compressed and whatnot?

I tried that but the kick sounded really seperate from the rest of the track, so i've bussed all other elements and compressed them before the master channel, and on the master I use some very gentle compression or just for 'glue-ing' purposses.

[Cellsplitt]

I have a question about boosting bass of a mix. I am using FL Studio, so I have the Bassbooster handy. But my question is: Should I put in on the master channel or should I individually put it on the sounds that need boosting? Thanks