Random Production Tips Thread™

[Brisance]

Seeing as it's Friday and I've got a full weekend starting at FL ahead of me, though it might be an idea to share any production tips people have picked up recently.

I'll start with a pretty standard one;

Analyse those frequncies - Stick a frequency analyser on the master channel. If your having trouble identifying a muddy element in your mix you can solo channels and identify tracks that may have overlapping frequencies and therefore bringing you headroom up. Eq them as need for clarity.

If you are using FL, rather stick it on the Selected channel.

[beerz]

want a deeper snare, layer a middly kinda kick (200-400 hz) under your snare for dooph!

[drokkr]

not a production tip exactly -
have a go at making different genre of music, i find it a big help every now and then.

[wub]

not a production tip exactly -
have a go at making different genre of music, i find it a big help every now and then.

A mate of mine has the issue whereby every time he sits down to try and make some breakbeat, dubstep or fidget tune, he always ends up with some kind of DeadMau5 style trance house thing.

[zion cluster]

tip on compressing :

put treshhold on maximum.. like -50db
ratio on 1:30
attack on 0
release 0

NOW start with adjusting the attack. till you got the attack you like. The little punchieness. Don't overdo it sometimes it doesnt take lots of ms.

Adjust the release till it sounds balanced. Probably you'll hear 'gated' kinda shit of your sample/midi info. Put the release in a setting you like, but remember till it sounds balanced and not overdone. It has to stand on its own and still have the power of it.

Put the setting of your ratio. Listen till it sounds natural and clean/correct compressed.

after that put down the treshhold so it sounds like non-compressed but its still working.


This is something my sound engineer learned me. It's a bit hard in the beginning. It takes some (years of) practice. But this is the most easy and logical way to compress things instead of guessing the settings. That what's told me and i think the same nowadays

That's the reverse to how I normally work, can't wait to try this method out, thanks!

[jshod3]

Read about what compression is and how it works before trying to use it.

[Brisance]

Also, compress with headphones! I've compressed on speakers, and it was sounding good through speakers, but later, while listening on headphones, I heard, how overcompressed it was.

[r]

its easier to hear whats wrong instead of whats good. So first destroy it maximum... and fix it

[Sharmaji]

allow yourself some leeway to suck; not every tune is gonna be the one.

[drokkr]

listen to your music on different speakers.
in the car, at your mates and even on different types of headphones. the difference in sound between each never ceases to amaze me.

[mr ads]

Try copying MIDI automation from one item into another completely unrelated item, i.e. Autopan Speed into LFO depth

It sounds like a mess more often than not but it can also spark a bit of inspiration.

[legend4ry]

Just because its simple - doesn't mean its bad, over complicating things often make it sound messy (unless you're making idm or something haha)

[karmacazee]

Copy MIDI parts into different synth tracks - that pad you're using could make an interesting bass...

Also, copy a kick drum part into your bass track and add a few notes in select gaps for instant syncopation! Obviously, you'll have to move some of the notes around if you want more than a one note bassline...

[bellybelle]

at times, absence is more present than presence. sometimes *not* hearing a sound makes the sound more important when you do hear it.

[notch]

TIP THREAD FRIDAY!!!
YES!

So right before you drop in a new bass line or when your phrasing stuff together i.e. call response stuff .. Stutter your drums or bongos right before introducing new elements.. it keeps the track moving nicely and changes it up , add a short little drum roll and make sure you pitch the drum rolls down for dubstep..
BOOM!!
I Love this thread.. keep it alive...

[paradigm_x]

when introducing new elements, put it in a couple of db or so 'too loud' and fade it back to its 'normal' level to allow the next element to do it. sounds fab.

catches the ear.

[deadly_habit]

don't get too anal with eq and mixdown while banging out an idea. work in multiple phases getting main ideas out with some simple eq/compression etc work, structuring the tune, mixdown, down time for a fresh set of ears, restructuring/adding/subtracting to piece, mixdown, downtime, mixdown

[kapital]

Tip: Make things difficult for yourself. Leave the keyboard/midi alone and draw midi notes out with your mouse. It might sound like bullshit, but this is how I first got started back on Logic...and you come up with crazy melodies....shit that the hands might not necessarily bang out.

I had a moment last night of "back to the basics" way of doing my tunes....and it was mad fun.