A few ways you can make your track sound full.

[Dastilla]

I have always found that JUST basses and your drums do not do the trick when making a track. It just sounds to bland and is like it is missing something. Well I have been recently using all sorts of effects, noises and samples to fill in the empty background space/noise to make the track sound big and full. The most common is white noise at the main impact of your drop and then throughout the rest of the drop at a very low volume to the point where it is not not noticeable to the listeners but it still seems to fill the empty space in. I have found a few other things you can use to replace the white noise. Bright noise works like a charm because it has no scratchy distortion and is like a very clean crisp white noise. Also using crowd samples. Chanting, talking, applause all works perfect. You can also add a bunch of random hits and blips throughout to just give it some variation and character. Those are the main things I use to make my tracks sound full and full of energy. What are some things that you guys use so I may try some new things out?

[Musick]

I'm still a complete n00b at producing so I may not be correct, but I've noticed that certain producers actually layer either a vibrato bass or piano at a low volume to help sound a bit fuller (MitiS in particular on the piano fillers), and some sort of noise. Or they'll layer a simple main rift at a low volume in the bakground as well, kinda keeping a "theme" for a song. I also heard that a slight delay can help fill as well?

[ehbes]

I have always found that JUST basses and your drums do not do the trick when making a track. It just sounds to bland and is like it is missing something. Well I have been recently using all sorts of effects, noises and samples to fill in the empty background space/noise to make the track sound big and full. The most common is white noise at the main impact of your drop and then throughout the rest of the drop at a very low volume to the point where it is not not noticeable to the listeners but it still seems to fill the empty space in. I have found a few other things you can use to replace the white noise. Bright noise works like a charm because it has no scratchy distortion and is like a very clean crisp white noise. Also using crowd samples. Chanting, talking, applause all works perfect. You can also add a bunch of random hits and blips throughout to just give it some variation and character. Those are the main things I use to make my tracks sound full and full of energy. What are some things that you guys use so I may try some new things out?

but doesnt this completely take away the aspect of space and letting the track breathe?

[Tettrah]

I have always found that JUST basses and your drums do not do the trick when making a track. It just sounds to bland and is like it is missing something. Well I have been recently using all sorts of effects, noises and samples to fill in the empty background space/noise to make the track sound big and full. The most common is white noise at the main impact of your drop and then throughout the rest of the drop at a very low volume to the point where it is not not noticeable to the listeners but it still seems to fill the empty space in. I have found a few other things you can use to replace the white noise. Bright noise works like a charm because it has no scratchy distortion and is like a very clean crisp white noise. Also using crowd samples. Chanting, talking, applause all works perfect. You can also add a bunch of random hits and blips throughout to just give it some variation and character. Those are the main things I use to make my tracks sound full and full of energy. What are some things that you guys use so I may try some new things out?

but doesnt this completely take away the aspect of space and letting the track breathe?

It can but if you mix it in right it does "fill" in the gaps. You have to remember there's 20 to 20,000hz that you can hear and "fit" your sounds into. Something else you can try is boosting 14k+ to again "fill" out your mix, for some reason boosting just above the audible range adds to the track.

[mthrfnk]

I have always found that JUST basses and your drums do not do the trick when making a track. It just sounds to bland and is like it is missing something. Well I have been recently using all sorts of effects, noises and samples to fill in the empty background space/noise to make the track sound big and full. The most common is white noise at the main impact of your drop and then throughout the rest of the drop at a very low volume to the point where it is not not noticeable to the listeners but it still seems to fill the empty space in. I have found a few other things you can use to replace the white noise. Bright noise works like a charm because it has no scratchy distortion and is like a very clean crisp white noise. Also using crowd samples. Chanting, talking, applause all works perfect. You can also add a bunch of random hits and blips throughout to just give it some variation and character. Those are the main things I use to make my tracks sound full and full of energy. What are some things that you guys use so I may try some new things out?

but doesnt this completely take away the aspect of space and letting the track breathe?

It can but if you mix it in right it does "fill" in the gaps. You have to remember there's 20 to 20,000hz that you can hear and "fit" your sounds into. Something else you can try is boosting 14k+ to again "fill" out your mix, for some reason boosting just above the audible range adds to the track.

Boosting 14k on every mix doesn't fill out your sound, it makes the high end (the section your ears are most sensitive too, and hence percieve as louder) more prominent making you think the track is "fuller" or "louder" but on some systems it's just going to sound shrill as fuck and especially large systems it going to wreck your ears if you don't control your top end. You're not physically adding anything you're just boosting what's already there.

Also why would boosting audio outside of the audible range (I assume you mean 20kHz+) make a difference?

[Tettrah]

I have always found that JUST basses and your drums do not do the trick when making a track. It just sounds to bland and is like it is missing something. Well I have been recently using all sorts of effects, noises and samples to fill in the empty background space/noise to make the track sound big and full. The most common is white noise at the main impact of your drop and then throughout the rest of the drop at a very low volume to the point where it is not not noticeable to the listeners but it still seems to fill the empty space in. I have found a few other things you can use to replace the white noise. Bright noise works like a charm because it has no scratchy distortion and is like a very clean crisp white noise. Also using crowd samples. Chanting, talking, applause all works perfect. You can also add a bunch of random hits and blips throughout to just give it some variation and character. Those are the main things I use to make my tracks sound full and full of energy. What are some things that you guys use so I may try some new things out?

but doesnt this completely take away the aspect of space and letting the track breathe?

It can but if you mix it in right it does "fill" in the gaps. You have to remember there's 20 to 20,000hz that you can hear and "fit" your sounds into. Something else you can try is boosting 14k+ to again "fill" out your mix, for some reason boosting just above the audible range adds to the track.

Boosting 14k on every mix doesn't fill out your sound, it makes the high end (the section your ears are most sensitive too, and hence percieve as louder) more prominent making you think the track is "fuller" or "louder" but on some systems it's just going to sound shrill as fuck and especially large systems it going to wreck your ears if you don't control your top end. You're not physically adding anything you're just boosting what's already there.

Also why would boosting audio outside of the audible range (I assume you mean 20kHz+) make a difference?

Put it this way, I work as an intern for a sound production and instal company. I just put in a DSP (digital sound processor) at a local club, the settings for the speaker system they have there required a huge boost 14k+ which basically looked like a high shelf on a parametric EQ. Now this is set for the characteristics of the speaker so when you play for example pink noise, the freq. spectrum comes out even and with little to no spikes. But you are right, it is a "perceived volume" thing. And I'm talking about giving it a couple extra DB with a high shelf on the master channel not a crazy 12DB boost.

[titchbit]

i think a touch of reverb or another element such as a pad or a hihat pattern would be a more effective way to fill out your track. if you're trying to make it sound louder, boosting your highs is gonna make it sound harsh and weak. it won't give it punch if that's what you're looking for.

[Dastilla]

I forgot as someone mentioned above, add a ARP synth at a VERY low volume to the background and it really keeps things moving. Also some reverb on most channels work great. Especially for hi hats to give it some shuffle.

[Dastilla]

Ah yes I think you are thinking of a ARP synth?

[Musick]

I forgot as someone mentioned above, add a ARP synth at a VERY low volume to the background and it really keeps things moving. Also some reverb on most channels work great. Especially for hi hats to give it some shuffle.

Ah we think alike my friend

I also meant reverb when I said delay haha, but they kinda give similar effects except delay without making the sound more spacious.. Yeah the arp is really big on artists like adventure club and flux pavilion, MitiS does it too

[mromgwtf]

It's all about having a high RMS value

[titchbit]

Ah, you have discovered the mysterious arp synth. Use it carefully, my friend.

[ehbes]

look all i know is that Way Mi Defend is little more that drums and bass, and it absolutely slaps the shit out of a soundsystem

[Add9]

instead of white noise set up a snare or something similar and send it to a reverb with a really long decay...

then record just the reverb and compress it so it doesn't change volume over time... then loop it and put it in the background of your track.

that way you can get interesting white noise - ish sounds but they can be different every time.

the background noise is by far the best trick for me... just drop the volume on the noise until you can't really hear it anymore, but when you mute it, it's like "holy shit now it sounds so dry"

[Psychs420]

Another good way would also be how you look at your songs.People should look at them more like stories or themes,that way you can add a bunch of sounds relevant to the song,like in Inside info-Bottled,fucking amazing.Half the song is like wobbles and the other half is a bunch of bottle samples,i honestly feel like the bottles is what completes the track more than the wubbs.Always try being unpredictable with your sounds,pan them left and right.Its really not ALL about the wobbles

[NinjaEdit]

Pads and lead.

[mromgwtf]

Pads and lead.

Random atonal inharmonic foley recordings