Studio tips

35 Replies, 13365 Views

this thread will be about handy little studio tips.

i will start.

try highpassing drums just a little above the lowest value that the filter can go; sometimes it helps just a bit to get an extra boost to the kicks cuz it removes the unnecessary low rumble

Xyxthumbs
for extra bass craziness seperate your bass into 2 frequencies & processs differently

1-below 70hz (for pure subs)
2-above 250 (twisted 2 fuck for the e-trippers in the club who go crazy to these frequencies)

you can have the 2 playing the same bassline & just process & filter them differently as the track progresses.

good stuff Yes
'There's no such thing as selling out just buying in'

Chuck D
set the offset (sample start) on hihats to random (im doing this via trhe chords settings in my emu sampler) to get some nice little changes on you hihats .. do the same with velocity etc .
Apply a band pass filter to hat patterns if you are using single hi hat samples.

LOADS of hat samples are too frequency rich and will eat up a lot of available head room, band passing them gives you some of this room back again without affecting the hats too much.
you can make some pretty cool atmospherics into REALLY COOL atmosherics with creative use of the doppler effect.
run the bass through an eq with boost on the subs and low mids and afterwards through a limiter to make the sound thicker (especially useful with bouncy basslines)
tips i got from a music production lecturer:

1. buy: mastering audio - the art and the science by bob katz
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/det...4?v=glance
Xyxthumbs

an excellent book that explains so much about analogue and digital mastering and theory

2. dont eq unless you have to, try to find a sound that naturally fits, it will sound better in the end.

3. there is nothing worse than an over limited/compressed tracks with no dynamic range so be gentle when using track compression and limiters like l2.

personally i rarely eq except for top and tailng but i am a compression whore (currently undergoing therapy)
1.save often!!!!!


2.buy top quality cdrs, tape, etc.
When slicing breaks with long overhanging kicks, separate out your hits with actual kicks on (as opposed to the ones with over hang).

Then highpass all the rest at about 180Hz or so to eliminate the overhanging kick. Gives you more headroom, a cleaner sound, and also gets rid of that silly 16th note-all the way-in-the-tune-kick thing when you move all the hits about.

Missions on long breaks though!
[Image: protabl3.gif]
Don Cherry Wrote:Every human is blessed in her or his life with one love (passion), no matter how long it may last. This Absolute love will last in one's heart and soul forever.
Here's a great tip:

Do everything Pieter K does.

Hehe...the guy's genius.

-mc valiant
archive everything clearly & concise & back up regularly.

You will thank yourself for doing so in years to come when you have to dig up an old tune's parts for a remix or some TV show/ad edit,etc....

You don't know the headaches I have when having to dig up certain tunes & samples & patches Icon_sad
'There's no such thing as selling out just buying in'

Chuck D
Be aware your room has a charcter!
good tip shiva Xyxthumbs

monitors can only be as good as the room allows them to be!

half the reason i work on headphones - my mates don't call it 'the solarium' for nothing..........
[Image: protabl3.gif]
Don Cherry Wrote:Every human is blessed in her or his life with one love (passion), no matter how long it may last. This Absolute love will last in one's heart and soul forever.
Macc Wrote:Monitors can only be as good as the room allows them to be!

U know this!

So many peeps don't not realise this.
when burning cds...burn them on the slowest speed possible. less laser jitter and less skippage.

god this is my biggest pet peeve...when someone gives you a disc and it skips in your car as soon as you put it in! Twisted
The Human Abstract
macc Wrote:good tip shiva Xyxthumbs

monitors can only be as good as the room allows them to be!

half the reason i work on headphones - my mates don't call it 'the solarium' for nothing..........

Xyxthumbs

your head has a character as well, like when you get a nice bass frequency that resonates in your headphones but sounds different on speakers...though obviously not as significant a factor as the room you are in.
dont forget to listen to your tune on other peoples equipment good and bad equipment. and when eq or checking levels try listening to the track whilst standing outside of the room (no good for peepz with sound proofing!!) and use a ref record with out any fx or eq on the channel.
Another thing worth mentioning...

Take regular breaks! Your ears will begin to respond differently to different frequencies after about 15-20 minutes.

Ideally do 20 minutes on, 10 minutes off.. these 10 minute breaks are ideally suited for browsing internet forums Teef
Ben Kei Wrote:Another thing worth mentioning...

Take regular breaks! Your ears will begin to respond differently to different frequencies after about 15-20 minutes.

Ideally do 20 minutes on, 10 minutes off.. these 10 minute breaks are ideally suited for browsing internet forums Teef

and your ears work much better when you first wake up so the night after a tune check it first thing and see if you were too stoned to mix it properly.
dsp Wrote:
Ben Kei Wrote:Another thing worth mentioning...

Take regular breaks! Your ears will begin to respond differently to different frequencies after about 15-20 minutes.

Ideally do 20 minutes on, 10 minutes off.. these 10 minute breaks are ideally suited for browsing internet forums Teef

and your ears work much better when you first wake up so the night after a tune check it first thing and see if you were too stoned to mix it properly.
ture....
Don't take drugs!
'There's no such thing as selling out just buying in'

Chuck D
Up

Good one!
[Image: protabl3.gif]
Don Cherry Wrote:Every human is blessed in her or his life with one love (passion), no matter how long it may last. This Absolute love will last in one's heart and soul forever.
Make sure you have a plentiful supply of snax before you start.
and when frustration occures dont be afraid to masturbate during said above breaks
when making tracks, using breaks, is it best to be minimal when tryin to create a dubby vibe? HELP out an old man

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