How do you get your tunes to sound more professional?

[CE9958]

No Chad. Stop with the misinformation.

Mixing down is when you take something and mix it until its light and fluffy. Like making home made whipped cream. You want all your songs to be mixed down until they're silky smooth. Like home made whipped cream. Mmmm whipped cream <3

[ChadDub]

****** all I said was that EQing, compressing, and gain staging is important.

[CE9958]

I cant remember the last time I EQed my home made whipped cream... can you? And in fact whipping would be the opposite of compressing the cream.

I cant think of how gain staging relates to whipped cream in any way.

[Killamike49]

Uh, correct me if i'm wrong but equing and gain staging is mixing something down. Compression can be. Right?

[AxeD]

oh thats good, it helps unbelievably to have a classical background, not just in practical terms with the theory but also instinctively it helps build ur natural ear for a sound, hook or melody, which is fundamental to music production.

Although I totally understand your point. I do know some people who are classically trained and wouldn't understand
the slightest about the hook or the construction of a techno track. (or dubstep for that matter, but I think techno
is a better example in this case)

[Dystinkt]

oh thats good, it helps unbelievably to have a classical background, not just in practical terms with the theory but also instinctively it helps build ur natural ear for a sound, hook or melody, which is fundamental to music production.

Although I totally understand your point. I do know some people who are classically trained and wouldn't understand
the slightest about the hook or the construction of a techno track. (or dubstep for that matter, but I think techno
is a better example in this case)

this.
being classically trained helps, but its hardly essential.

[subfect]

Chad - reverb has nothing to do wtih the mixdown, it's a creative tool. Mixdown is purely about EQ'ing your instruments properly. Please don't litter.

[ChrisCrossbreed]

oh thats good, it helps unbelievably to have a classical background, not just in practical terms with the theory but also instinctively it helps build ur natural ear for a sound, hook or melody, which is fundamental to music production.

Although I totally understand your point. I do know some people who are classically trained and wouldn't understand
the slightest about the hook or the construction of a techno track. (or dubstep for that matter, but I think techno
is a better example in this case)

this.
being classically trained helps, but its hardly essential.

I think the best thing about being classically trained is not that you know what notes you can play, but knowing the notes in between and knowing what you can do with them.

[hifi]

you have a long way to go. don't think that you could become some professional producer in a few months. i've been at it for a few months as well and haven't gotten anywhere near to sounding "professional"

[collective]

Chad - reverb has nothing to do wtih the mixdown, it's a creative tool. Mixdown is purely about EQ'ing your instruments properly. Please don't litter.

you're joking right? Reverb has a ton to do with spatial position of a mix(down).

[subfect]

Chad - reverb has nothing to do wtih the mixdown, it's a creative tool. Mixdown is purely about EQ'ing your instruments properly. Please don't litter.

you're joking right? Reverb has a ton to do with spatial position of a mix(down).

No, I'm not. Noone adds reverb just to make their mixdown sweeter - it's a creative tool. In fact, using reverb in just this manner would actually introduce problems for you, especially depending on how long your reverb is set to. the longer it is the more those range of frequencies are in use, so clever EQ is required.

[CE9958]

Then I'm curious as to why the plugin Ozone (a mastering plugin) has a mastering reverb section... As well as why my Brainworx mastering suite also has a mastering reverb plugin...

Nah but seriously, I think you're mistaken ol' chap :/ I go to school for this stuff and we've covered topics on mastering reverb. Its definitely a creative tool as well but the application when mastering is different and serves a different purpose.

[collective]

Chad - reverb has nothing to do wtih the mixdown, it's a creative tool. Mixdown is purely about EQ'ing your instruments properly. Please don't litter.

you're joking right? Reverb has a ton to do with spatial position of a mix(down).

No, I'm not. Noone adds reverb just to make their mixdown sweeter - it's a creative tool. In fact, using reverb in just this manner would actually introduce problems for you, especially depending on how long your reverb is set to. the longer it is the more those range of frequencies are in use, so clever EQ is required.

Actually your wrong, from my work at Fantasy Studios in SF you can be sure reverbs were used in the mixdown process, its not an effect its to give spatiality and to place sounds acousmatically at a certain perceptual depth.

Then I'm curious as to why the plugin Ozone (a mastering plugin) has a mastering reverb section... As well as why my Brainworx mastering suite also has a mastering reverb plugin...

Nah but seriously, I think you're mistaken ol' chap :/ I go to school for this stuff and we've covered topics on mastering reverb. Its definitely a creative tool as well but the application when mastering is different and serves a different purpose.

The reason why your mastering suites have reverbs in them is because most people don't mixdown with bus'd reverbs. I went to school for audio engineering (San Francisco State University) and worked in one of the biggest studios in the country (Fantasy in Berkeley / Oakland). Also Mastering Reverb and using a reverb for depth in mixdown are quite different things. So nah but seriously I think you are mistaken homey. You can use reverbs as an effect but just like a delay you can use them for mixdowns (ie. creating depth, or with delays creating width)

[macc]

No, I'm not. Noone adds reverb just to make their mixdown sweeter - it's a creative tool. In fact, using reverb in just this manner would actually introduce problems for you, especially depending on how long your reverb is set to. the longer it is the more those range of frequencies are in use, so clever EQ is required.

With the greatest respect, you're talking absolute nonsense.

[collective]

No, I'm not. Noone adds reverb just to make their mixdown sweeter - it's a creative tool. In fact, using reverb in just this manner would actually introduce problems for you, especially depending on how long your reverb is set to. the longer it is the more those range of frequencies are in use, so clever EQ is required.

With the greatest respect, you're talking absolute nonsense.

thank you macc for stepping in here. I am appalled at the lack of knowledge and even more so the false information being pushed around this forum.

[macc]

[CE9958]

Actually I'd rather not start an internet argument so I'm replacing what I said with this thumb.

[Sharmaji]

oh, DSF... what wonderment you offer never ceases to amaze.

false things in this thread:

An education in classic music = understanding chord progressions. You get a great knowledge of the tools, sure, but the focus of a performance is on education-- it's on you to take the courses, etc, that will explain theory. It's not a guarantee.

reverb is absolutely used to "sweeten" a track. and creatively. it's not an either/or. a 2sec long EMT plate on a send is not a very creative sound, but it sure does sweeten things.

Furthermore, as we're dealing with SOUND in a mix setting, and not just notes, spatial location is a BIG part of a mix-- no more or less important/creative/clinical than relative volume, dynamic range or frequency spectrum.

In fact, if you build a mix that's balanced but exciting, and has specificty of place, specific dynamic ranges, and elements that are well-balanced around the spectrum-- i think you're in the ballpark of a "professional" mix. Of course, we'd need to HEAR it, but you get the idea.

You could always just dress your mix up in a blue shirt and pleated kahkis for casual friday and call it professional as well YMMV

[CE9958]

Fortunately someone else just said everything I was going to say so heats on him and score one for the good guys!

[atticuh]

You could always just dress your mix up in a blue shirt and pleated kahkis for casual friday and call it professional as well YMMV

Reminds me of a white-collar thug.