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I've literally just heard this song now and it perfectly describes my problem:

Soundcloud

It sounds what I consider to be full and well produced, yet it only involves a bassline and drums.

How is this possible? How do I make a song sound full when it only has a few sounds/layers?

Normally I will add an offbeat chord or something to the background or some bleeps or something to fill the mix but it often takes away the feel of the drop.

Help lol

Thanks,

- Photon

I can't see how you can consider that track to sound full. Doesn't sound that full to me, pretty much lows/mids present, not much top end.

Anyway here's a some thoughts.

The bassline's could possibly be multiple instances layered using a variety of different wavetable shapes/parameters. The sub is also mimicking the basses which adds extra thickness. In terms of processing a saturator, compression, filtering modulation/automation will do the job. Also experiment using a stereo enhancer to get a wider image (but be wary and careful when using it)

The snare has some whitenoise layered for some top end.

Why has trying to fill every frequency band become the norm in production nowdays?

The fewer elements you have, the bigger they will sound, and the richer they can be. Every element that you add, makes your mix smaller and smaller.

If your mix sounds weak, it is more likely the music itself, rather than the mix. Fuck the mix. Only nerds and dweebs care about the mix. Just get it to the point that the mix is technically capable of conveying the feeling of the music on most sound systems and you're good. Your time is better spent prostrate, attempting to synchronize your musical ambition with god's will.

nowaysj wrote: Your time is better spent prostrate, attempting to synchronize your musical ambition with god's will.

damn

nowaysj wrote:Your time is better spent prostrate, attempting to synchronize your musical ambition with god's will.

I've been trying to go the opposite way. That explains the resistance.

PhotonOfficial wrote: It sounds what I consider to be full and well produced, yet it only involves a bassline and drums.

How is this possible? How do I make a song sound full when it only has a few sounds/layers?

Normally I will add an offbeat chord or something to the background or some bleeps or something to fill the mix but it often takes away the feel of the drop

Make those few layers so sick nothing else needs to be added. Entire genres were founded on using few sounds (dubstep being one of them). If you're finding yourself forced to add shit in the background to make your loops sound interesting, maybe your loops weren't that good to begin with? This isn't a slight on you btw as I have this same problem. If I can't listen to a loop of just my drums/bass/melodies etc on repeat and be satisfied, then they aren't that good and I go back to the drawing board.

As nowaysj said isn't a mixdown problem as theres only 2 ways for a mix to sound, good or bad. If your ideas are shit then no amount of stereo widening, layering, or processing is going to help you.

every frequency is filled in this tune.

then get a good master and you have a loud, big assed tune that has not too many elements but A FULL MIX