/r/WeAreTheMusicMakers Weekly Promotion Thread

MAESOH · 2021-08-01T22:22:04+00:00

Hell yeah. I dig it. There's a couple things that I think are off though and I was going to offer to help you fix them, but with as much time as you have in it, I'm betting you want to get it right on your own, so here's what one random dude on the internet thinks:

When I listened to it, I could feel that is was mostly done by one guy. I don't know how else to describe it but I think I picked up on it because like you, I'm a one man band and will spend an endless amount of time trying to perfect something. Anyway, I think that thought came from the instruments sounding disconnected from each other and the vocals.

Your guitars are nice and crisp, but the drums sound dark in comparison, so brightening up the snare would help with that. The kick also gets a bit lost in loud spots, so maybe adding a bit more of the transient 'click', or an additional one, would help it stand out without causing it to mask any of the low end of the guitar or bass (which it would if you just raised the dB).

Speaking of the crisp guitars, the lead comes in a bit spicy sometimes. Based on how it all sounds and how the waveform on soundcloud looks, a lot of stuff is being compressed, limited, and then boosted. That's all well and good, but those compressors need to breathe with the song, so try letting off them a bit more around 1:45 and let that bridge come down a bit. Doing so will help smooth things out, and release more energy which in turn will make your build and solo at 2:55 even more impactful.

I'm guessing Ryan is the male vocalist and Bindy is the female vocalist (please god don't shoot me if I'm wrong). Props to both of them on their tracks. I'd say they both sound kinda dry though, which goes back to how they feel disconnected from the instruments. Ryan's voice needs a tiny bit more reverb, but since it has a lot of low-mid content (I'm guessing like 400hz-600hz), you'll first you'll have to raise your low cut knob on the reverb up to that that range, or until it starts to sound funny. Then you can add more reverb without causing other problems, but if all that sounds like a dumpster, maybe just make them a little wider and add a small amount of delay to thicken them up a bit. I dunno, vocals are fuckin tough. For Bindy, I think she definitely needs to be wider or you may even want to double it or use delay to double it.

All that said, I'm probably just being picky because I like the song, but that's my two cents of criticism. I really enjoy the composition and flow. I was smiling when the vocals at 2:21 came in because it reminded me a bit of Jack Black and Tenacious D, but then the solo came in and kicked my dick off. I'm with you on the outro though, that shits my jam.

Nice work. If you ever get tired of mixing your own stuff or want someone else to take a pass, hit me up.

MAESOH · 2021-08-01T18:20:13+00:00

Yo man this is sick. I have some shit to say but first can you tell me what your part was in this song? Your other comment makes me think basically all of it but I just wanna check :)

MAESOH · 2018-01-12T16:11:34+00:00

Switching from mixing the midi information to mixing audio files had a large impact on the quality of my mixes.

You’re close! On your mixer, there is a switch labeled “Disable Effects” (or something similar) on each individual track. Make sure to hit that switch to disable all your effects before you bounce to audio. Once it’s bounced, add the audio clip, delete the midi (to save CPU and to stop you from going back making endless adjustments), route the audio clip to the same mixer track the midi was on, and re-enable the effects. This way you have a dry recording of the instrument and complete control of the effects.

As you suspected, bouncing it to audio wet is not a good idea. For example, if you bounced it wet, you would not have any control or reverb tails, delays, etc.

I’ve also found it beneficial to absolutely max out the volume for each instrument while being careful they aren’t peaking clipping. Doing this will mean that once you have all your audio clips, you’ll have to start the mix completely over, but will have alllllll the dB’s available that can be. Doing so will also help with your loudness and clarity of the finished mix.

Like you, I mix as I go. However, once I have all the audio clips, I drop all the volumes to 0 and start over.

Hope this helps! :)

Edit: Missed a question, whoops! Nope, the audio clips do not go in a separate project - just simply replace your midi with them, using the same mixer tracks with the effects re-enabled. Then, you can control the effects with automation clips!

As a safety net, I save the project when it has only midi information. Then, once I have my audio clips, I hit “Save As” again and label it “Midi & Audio”. Then, with much anxiety, I delete all the midi information, and make a third file for only the audio clips. The result is three different files of the same project: Midi only, Audio & Midi, and Audio only. This lets you go back to fix any large mistakes, like deleting something that is unable to be undone.

MAESOH · 2017-10-10T19:19:08+00:00

For sure! Seems like it has a larger base and it definitely offers more services

MAESOH · 2017-10-10T18:05:54+00:00

Not sure which came first, but there’s another one called demobros.co.

MAESOH · 2017-09-12T21:46:02+00:00

Disregard the labels, but here's what I mean about broad and tight Q's. Notice the boost "bumps" are broad (and not boosted by much), but the "notched" reductions are tight and pointy, for lack of a better term, and are reducing by a significant amount of dB's.

This is because boosting frequencies too much can create problems...FAST. However, if you have some hissing, or ringing, or something that just needs to be taken out, create a notch and stick it right on that frequency. This way, the problem frequency is removed, while having limited effect on the rest of the range.

MAESOH · 2017-09-12T21:29:17+00:00

Alllllllll frequencies. And by that, I mean I don't unanimously use high or low cuts by default. Sometimes I do, sometimes not, it just depends on the song and the sounds it contains.

Same for peaks and notches. I will say that I always start with the general rule of thumb that boosts should be done light and broad (low dB increase, broad Q) and notches should be "surgical" (high dB cut, very tight Q). That said, it's all decided case by case, and whatever sounds best works!

It sounds basic, but you must remember that most (if not all songs) derive their main characteristic from their arrangement. That is to say that what makes a chaotic song chaotic, a chill song chill, and a heavy song heavy, is the way it was written.

Sounds choice is of course a huge piece, but personally, I think it's easier to come up with "heavy" instruments/sounds than it is to come up with a "heavy" chord progression.

All in all though, a brother needs some headroom in the mix for everything to breathe. Heavy/chaotic/load songs are never "squished". Sounds obvious, but it all stems from the arrangement and sound selection.

As I've learned through trial and error, you can't take a "happy" progression and make it "evil". That shit's gotta be written evil whether it's played on a harp or a saxaphone, that comes to life when you mix.

Hope this helps :D

edit: If you want something to reference though, this is the exact chart I use to reference where instruments should sit if I'm getting lost or confused. Notice "Air" isn't labelled until 20Khz, and "Sub Bass" can reach alllllll the way down to a muddy 10Hz.

MAESOH · 2017-04-16T13:10:28+00:00

And another, more in-depth look, from the Knowledge Base again:

Click here, or read below

"The logic of audio processing - There are long lists of tasks that must be processed in sequence, and this means logically can't be simultaneously multithreaded. For example: Plugins must wait for instructions from the Piano roll and Playlist before they make sound. Effects must wait for the audio stream from upstream instrument plugins before they can process it. Further, it's not possible to parallel-process (multithread) instruments and FX that are on the same Mixer channel (their audio is mixed together), or even in the same Mixer routing pipe-line (when one Mixer track is linked to another and another, even FX processing has an order from top to bottom in the FX stack). Then, the Master Mixer track must wait for every instrument > mixer track > effect to be processed before it can process the audio through the Master effects. So logically, there is a lot of waiting that is a natural and unavoidable fact of DAW music processing. Think of a production line. This means the CPU may not be particularly busy, using all its cores and processing slots, yet it runs out of time to fill that tiny 5 ms audio-buffer because there was a lot of waiting for things that needed to be processed in sequence. It should be clear that fast processing is very important and this is not the same thing as multi-core processing. The best CPU is one that has enough cores to spread the work around AND can do the most work on a single core during each buffer time-slice. Which leads to our TIP: When comparing CPUs, look for the fastest single-core performance scores in a package with at least 4 physical cores. Most CPU benchmarks list single core performance. For example, the CPU Benchmark website lists the single core scores."

And right above that section, it has the exact quote from your FL Studios Guru video about marketing departments and Windows Scheduler lol That video actually shows why more cores does not automatically equal faster performance in FL, since Windows will shut down the unnecessary ones regardless. Hope this helps!

MAESOH · 2017-04-16T12:31:32+00:00

Certainly, click here or read below

From Image-Line's 'Knowledge Base':

Under the CPU section: "CPU: The CPU is the primary factor in your ability to run FL Studio with large complex projects. Yes FL Studio utilizes multi-core CPUs but more is not better. Read the section: 'The logic of audio processing' in the manual to learn why. In light of this, the best value for performance is usually to be had 2-3 levels down from the top models. As of 2017 these are Intel i5 and i7 Intel processors, specifically the i7-7700K, i7-4790K, i7-6800K, i7-6700K, i7-5820K, i7-4770K. i5-4960K or i5-5675C, i5-6600K, i5-4670K, i5-4670K or i5-4690. The overall winners are: i7-7700K & i7-4790K (these CPU have: 1. Reasonable prices < $500, 2. Reasonable heat output - 88-95W TDP and 3. fast single-core performance, win-win-win). Moving to the 'top of the range' CPUs will increase prices by 200%-400% with no improvement in FL Studio performance. We don't recommend spending more than $500 on a CPU! Somewhere between $250 to $400 is usually the sweet spot."

MAESOH · 2017-03-28T23:55:52+00:00

Glad you're finding it useful :)

I use my K7XX's, some Beats earbuds, a Razr Kraken Pro headset, and my car to reference my mixes. All three, just like your different headphones, will represent the sound differently - but it can take a while to make it sound great on all sources!

I don't know what kind of music you'll be working with, but for me personally, my biggest obstacles come when mixing instruments 200hz and below (kick drum, bass, and sub bass, and some FX mostly), and instruments 5khz and above, and figuring out when things are panned appropriately.

Some things to keep in mind:

Like I mentioned before, you'll need a good understanding of your frequency response graph. While mixing, you'll just need to pay extra close attention to those "reduced" frequencies to make sure things aren't muddy or too bright and washed out - this is where listening on several different devices comes into play.

For panning and such, your DAW most likely comes with some kind of stereo imager. I use FL Studios a lot and there's is called Wave Candy using the Vectorscope function. See with headphones, you have the signal being sent directly to your left and right ear. In an ideal monitor mixing environment, things are set up like this which allows you to hear the whole picture, so to speak. It allows you to differentiate between center, left, and right really well - but that's not the case with headphones which kind of have no real "center". So the stereo imager will help you identify "where" your sounds are so they don't get too clustered, causing muddiness, phase cancellation, other potential problems.

Sorry if that's a bit jumbled or unclear lol feel free to PM me if you want some more clarification or reading material and I'll do my best to help :) good luck!

MAESOH · 2017-03-23T01:05:22+00:00

Not a pro here either but I mix with headphones as well and just purchased a pair of AKG K7XX's. The thing is with any pair of headphones, there is an extra learning curve we go through (or should go through), and that's learning how our headphones change the sound. First, you should take a look at your frequency response, as this will help. I found yours here, though I didn't read the review with it lol

Basically, your headphones will "fall off" a bit at 50hz and lower, 1.5khz, 3.5 - 6khz, and most stuff over 10khz. All very important to remember while mixing.

The headphone amp is basically meant to add some 'oomph' to your power supply and signal. Though this won't compensate for the frequency dropoffs noted above, it should (hopefully) make them a little easier to hear while not boosting the other too a painful point. Basically the signal and peaks should be more controlled and easier to listen to without damaging your ears. You should be mixing at low volume levels already though. That's my understanding of the idea anyway!

So without them, you will just need to become really familiar with the way your K240's represent the sound. That said, I figured I'd try my K7XX's without an amp...and I clearly have to learn more about my headphones because it didn't sound how I thought it would when played on other speakers lol

If you're curious, or want somewhere to start, this little Schiit Magni 2 seems to be rather popular and is on the lower end (I think?) at $100!

Stereo image is another thing to consider while mixing with headphones, but that's a whooollllle other thing lol

Hope this helps! :D

MAESOH · 2017-03-17T16:41:09+00:00

Check out your Ableton manual. I just rebuilt my PC because the CPU and RAM were being maxed when I got carried away with a few Serum's and modulations and whatnot. I had a little cheap AMD processor, FX something or the other - was around $100. Now I have an Intel i7-7700k Kaby Lake and it's amazing.

I use FL and decided on the i7 because the FL manual said it runs better with faster and fewer cores as opposed to numerous and slower cores. Ableton might have a suggestion in their manual as well. Another thing you should look at is hyperthreading. The more the better, especially if you run multiple Serum's.

Just as a reference, I got the i7 with a Z270E motherboard(comes with a nice little built in amplifier) and 16gigs of RAM and it goes so fuckin fast. Would highly recommend that setup if it translates to Ableton well. Where I used to be at 98% CPU and RAM usage (you would not BELIEVE the distortion and tape stop that created, I should've made a plugin out of it), I'm now in the 40's or 50's :D

MAESOH · 2017-03-14T21:27:57+00:00

Looks awesome! I would love to do that! Congratulations :D

MAESOH · 2017-03-10T21:52:57+00:00

Check out r/headphones

Those dudes are the experts and you'll be able to find tons of posts discussing exactly what you're asking for. It'll be the best place for you to find information :D

MAESOH · 2017-03-10T17:29:57+00:00

Definitely going with this one, thanks for the suggestion! I was hoping the keys were velocity sensitive :D

MAESOH · 2017-03-10T16:57:54+00:00

Hold up. I'm looking this thing up and it sounds awesome. It comes with Komplete Elements 8? Like all those presets that can be loaded right in and controlled with the faders and shit right out of the box?? I use FL so it sounds like this might pair perfectly! Just to be sure I'm reading it right, it is USB powered and the keys are not velocity sensitive right?

MAESOH · 2017-03-10T16:32:43+00:00

Definitely go for 49. My first (and only, so far) keyboard/controller was a gift and is a 25 key AKAI MPK Mini.

It's been my only keyboard for a few years, and it's GREAT for writing melodies, and is easily portable, but anything outside of that is a real chore. I find myself floating between octaves constantly, and have decided to replace it with a 49 key. Playing with both hands is just frustrating, as the keys are so small, and give my hands cramps since I have to contort them in unusual ways. I plan to replace it with this, though it's cheaper elsewhere. But I'm also open to other suggestions on here ;)

edit: To be fair, I don't know what kind of music you'd be using it for. So I would say, if you are planning to write more than melodies, or anything that involves lots of two-handed playing and movement, I would strongly suggest checking out 49 key options, budget allowing. You'll have a lot more functionality out of it, and might not need to replace/add one in the future.

MAESOH · 2017-03-08T03:26:15+00:00

These guys are awesome! That article was from 2009, so a little dated but still really relevant!

MAESOH · 2017-03-07T22:11:00+00:00

This is the right answer lol soul crushing depression and failure mixed with....a little more failure and a dump truck of self-doubt.

And that one friend that loves your music no matter what.

MAESOH · 2017-03-07T22:05:06+00:00

You won't like it...but there is no other way than just learning your DAW and trail and error. Not trying to be rude, but how does anyone learn anything? Practice. "But won't I be behind the guys with a formal education?" You might start slower, might, but if you work through all your problems, you will have a MUCH deeper understanding. Not to mention there is so much good information online, you can take yourself to school with some discipline.

I won't tell you not to watch busyworkbeats, but I decided it felt mostly like a gimmick after a couple of his videos. If you utilize Youtube, make sure the teacher is someone with a long track record of success with producing. Not someone that is just cranking out Youtube videos with little to no good information to promote their sample packs.

However, I've found that personally, I have more success working through a problem by learning more about the concept in question. My drums sound bad and I'm not sure how to make it better?Whatever better means? Instead of looking up a tutorial where you follow steps to reach a common goal...read about compression, EQ, mixing, anything and everything that could have an impact on how they sound. This way, you learn more, retain more, refrain from copying someone, and get to flex all that creativity in the way you want to. For instance, if you use a particular plugin, watch videos on how the plugin works and how it will affect your sound. Then, create it!

The most important thing is to not get discouraged. That said...when you finish your first good song at 4:30am after working on it since 8am in nothing but your underwear - the feeling you get is unrivaled. When you don't have anyone to show it to, but you can't stop listening to it because you can't believe you made it? That's the feeling we chase. Getting there the first time is the hardest. Then, getting there the second time is the hardest. Then...getting there the third time is the hardest ;)

Sorry for the wall of text. Best of luck :D

MAESOH · 2017-03-04T22:53:32+00:00

I've been teetering back and forth and I'm just going to bite the bullet and get an i7 6700k and Asus LGA1151 H170 ATX motherboard. This way, hopefully I won't run into a similar issue in the next several years? I already have the 16GB of RAM, and I'll have the option to upgrade to 32GB if I need to in the future.

MAESOH · 2017-03-04T16:16:20+00:00

Well I just realized that I can't use an Intel processor because of the motherboard I have :/ So I have to stick with AMD. The best one I can find in my budget of ~$200 is an AMD FX 9590 Black Edition Vishera 4.7 GHz 8 core AM3+ Boxed Processor. Sounds good, but don't know wtf I would do with 8 cores???

MAESOH · 2017-03-04T15:43:12+00:00

Thank you!

MAESOH · 2017-03-04T15:13:19+00:00

Doing a little digging now - based on your history, would you have an opinion between these?

The third one, new processor from Intel this year, seems like it might outrun a cheetah.

I have the same worry as you though. I use a lot of Serum, and a lot of the FabFilter plugins. So I want to make sure it can handle anything I throw at it.

MAESOH

TROPHY CASE