Sounds sounding "flat"

[gmp]

Hi,

First off first time post but long time reader. I'm sorry if this should be posted in the WIP thread but i have a question not nessesarly about the track but about the sounds. I did a search on this but couldnt find anything applicable

I've had an issue on most of my tracks, When i send them out for feedback, that the sounds sound flat or not as high energy as they should be and im trying to think of a way to fix this....

I tried doubling the sounds and pitching them up an octive and layering it but it doesnt sound right. I've also tried a reverb buss while high passing the verb but not good either. I'm wondering if theres something wrong with the sounds themselfs that im not doing right? or is it a processing issue.

http://soundcloud.com/djsgmp/there-and-back-gmp-moombah

All sounds are made in massive or sylenth. (i use logic if that applys)

Thanks

TLDR: my sounds sound flat and trying to figure out why

[Sharmaji]

too much dynamic range overall, especially in the synths -> things sounding weak

too many full-frequency sounds. your synths are as bright as your claps, etc, so the clap doesn't have anywhere to sit. lowpass one, distort one.

not enough saturation on particular sounds-- drums especially.

too much release sound on your basses, again yields thigns sounding natural and weak

and as always, turn up the drums and turn down everything else

[gmp]

what do you mean low pass the synths? or claps?


by saturation you mean distortion? like bit crushers/etc?

[Triphosphate]

what do you mean low pass the synths? or claps?

http://ezinearticles.com/?Using-Filters ... id=1935172

by saturation you mean distortion? like bit crushers/etc?

Lots of forms of distortion exist.

http://www.parallelhomeaudio.net/TypesA ... rtion.html

[Triphosphate]

what do you mean low pass the synths? or claps?

http://ezinearticles.com/?Using-Filters ... id=1935172

by saturation you mean distortion? like bit crushers/etc?

Lots of forms of distortion exist.

http://www.parallelhomeaudio.net/TypesA ... rtion.html

My personal favorite for drums is as mentioned above tape saturation.

http://silverlakestudio.com/2011/07/27/ ... aturation/

Ummm... I meant to edit my post not quote it. Sorry for the double post.

[gmp]

thanks guys for the response

[gmp]

what do you mean low pass the synths? or claps?

http://ezinearticles.com/?Using-Filters ... id=1935172

in response to this...just to make sure i understand it correctly...

I would say low pass the snares at like 2k hz so that the top 1000 hz is cut down?

*hypothetically saying 2k not nessesarly going to do that

[Triphosphate]

When you low pass something, you're allowing ONLY frequencies below a certain point to pass (in theory, it depends on whether you are using a filter, or an EQ, and how many poles the EQ utilizes, but back to the general point) therefore if you were to low pass your snare/clap at 2khz you would be cutting out all of that snare/clap's content from 2khz and up, effectively giving other instruments that live in frequencies above 2khz more room to breathe. The real trick is to find the sweet spot when cutting so that you don't adversely affect the snare but just enough so that the synth has more room. You can also high pass the synth some in the sane way to make sure that both of them have lots of room to play in without bumping elbows, so to speak. Just as a side note you may hear people refer to a low pass filter as a high cut filter, or rolling off highs; and a high pass filter as a low cut, or rolling off lows. Alternatively, you can look into 'shelves' on an EQ, which cut only a specified amount of dB from either highs or lows respectively, instead of dropping of ad infinitum.

Hope this helps! Feel free to ask me any questions about it if there's any confusion.