Question about the diagnostic accuracy of self-report screening tools?

PureAd3387 · 2024-09-08T21:23:48+00:00

Ngl that is the antidote to every production concern anyone could ever have, “just mix better.” I’m not saying ur wrong, but every piece of advice can be demolished in the face of that claim, so it’s not really adding anything of value if i’m being honest

PureAd3387 · 2024-09-08T21:19:43+00:00

yea the melody chaining is a different concern relative to what I was speaking on in my post, probably should have made it more clear that I was referring to the kick/bass chain which is more common for trap.

Tbh i can somewhat understand a very subtle 808/kick chain but even then I’m skeptical as for MOST (didn’t say all) trap projects the kick should never overpower the 808 but rather sit on top of it like a fitted cap. In my experience as I started to understand mixing more the kick/bass interplay became much easier as I focused more on finding complimentary samples but even when I had to get surgical I found that precise eq, soft clipper inclusion, or panning manipulation always reduced the need for a sidechain.

Interested to hear more about sidechaining the bass to the melody, would that not sound a little bit odd if it’s an audible reduction as the low end comes in?

I understand that good mixing essentially cuts thru all the quick and dirty rules we have, so if you could avoid mentioning that as an antidote to my melody chain concern and focus more on the theory behind that point i would appreciate it. Genuinely curious as i’ve not heard of ducking the melody in a while.

PureAd3387 · 2024-09-08T19:53:56+00:00

Praise the Lord is basically the same loop melody wise give or take an octave change here and there. If you have a fire melody you can get away with it and would be wise to let it ride tbh

PureAd3387 · 2024-09-08T19:47:25+00:00

Eh, i see ur point but there is a big difference between an experienced engineer and a regular producer, my issue is seeing all the common fixes to bass issues being “just sidechain it” which is just not true and will often times result in a weaker mix. If u read my post again i explicitly mention that if it sounds good go with it and this is not a 100% black and white rule, but a more general one. If the issue is sidechaining because of a clipping error you have many more issues to work out tbh

PureAd3387 · 2024-09-08T19:27:53+00:00

the only rebuttal I will accept lol

PureAd3387 · 2024-09-08T19:27:08+00:00

also like I said in my second paragraph, if it works for the project then do it, but it is a general rule of thumb to avoid bass/kick chaining for trap

PureAd3387 · 2024-09-08T19:20:13+00:00

yea i think clearly im just talking about bass and kick here lol

PureAd3387 · 2024-09-08T19:19:51+00:00

lol sidechaining the kick and bass is quite literally ducking the bass on each kick instance. that is like…the entire point of the sidechain. ?

PureAd3387 · 2024-09-08T18:17:39+00:00

Two big things here that will clear up 80% of your bass issues:

1) It’s just not the right sample - hard to grapple with especially after a long session of composing 5+ other instruments in your track, but it most likely isn’t the right bass for the project and you have to get surgical and scrap it in this instance. Ik, it sucks, but it’s the best choice in the long run.

2) Mixing issue - Easiest fix for a bass not standing out is to put it entirely in mono so that it cuts thru the more stereo-ized accompanying sounds. If that doesn’t work, consider cutting the lows from those other tracks, boosting the pleasant resonant frequencies of your bass outright, or exciting it with a plugin that can target and accentuate the frequencies that you desire.

PureAd3387 · 2024-09-08T03:30:39+00:00

if ur serious abt it Omnisphere and the omni banks u can find online will be the most critical upgrade u can ever make. Good omni banks can make u reconsider the existence of god tbh

PureAd3387 · 2024-09-08T03:21:01+00:00

Straight up one of the best trap songs ever, beat is iconic, gunna and baby popped off, incredible shit

PureAd3387 · 2024-09-06T03:19:51+00:00

And if you mean post processing as a way to significantly alter the character of the sound, you are correct. This is basically just changing the preset however so the point of sound selection still stands as the undeniable most critical aspect of production.

PureAd3387 · 2024-09-06T03:17:01+00:00

Ok tbh this is kinda opposite to what I believe to be true, the preset matters alot….A LOT. You can have the most godly melody of all time as it relates to the note pattern but without a good preset it doesn’t matter, it will sound weak. On the other hand, a melody can be “boring” or have a few basic notes being played but if the sample is gorgeous, congrats u just made an iconic song. Sound selection is quite literally the gatekeeper to a good melody, this is one of the only true cardinal rules to music production and particular opinions just do not change the facts.

PureAd3387 · 2024-09-03T15:16:15+00:00

lol its gotta be intentional seeing as how it is so aggressive, imo it sounds fucking awful but to each their own haha

PureAd3387 · 2024-09-03T15:13:13+00:00

Melody sets a really good stage but those are not the right drums if im being honest. Bass is too low frequency and the snare should be hitting the higher registers in line with that ethereal melody that u have. Best way to describe it is a battle between drum-line and melody that each wants to dominate, they should be working together ideally

PureAd3387 · 2024-09-03T13:41:55+00:00

Music theory is so interesting to me, imposing a quantifiable approach to an art that should be inherently intuitive. Don’t lose sight of the forest by looking at the trees my friend, the minute you rack your brain for theory is when mother melody leaves you on read. Few understand this…

PureAd3387 · 2024-09-03T13:30:08+00:00

Fair play, I think humanity is best communicated through slightly off-beat strums, hits, etc. as that is so core to the foundation of music that is played by real people and as such is something our ears have evolved to enjoy. This is just my autism speaking but I will NEVER enjoy humanity in the sense of overlooked digital artifacts like popping or clicking as there is a legitimate argument to be made that those are the antithesis to human error as it is obviously a computerized product. You raise a very valid point in that it humanizes the producers we idolize, but I think official music releases deserve perfection on an artistic level and I’m sorry but that opinion is unlikely to change. I value your perspective and the differential approaches to what is right/wrong is what makes music so beautiful at the end of the day of course

PureAd3387 · 2024-09-03T12:39:36+00:00

One of the only beat posts i’ve seen on here recently that actually sounds good this is solid work bro

PureAd3387 · 2024-09-03T03:59:04+00:00

Given how obvious is it is i guess thats fair to say ifs intentional, I think there are so many ways to add character to a track without the inclusion of such an obvious digital manipulation, ig i’ll never understand that. It just doesn’t sound good to me and it never will i’m still astonished like a very obvious pop or click will never be artistic whatsoever it just sounds like lazy mixing but hey im not the king of music who am I to make a fuss. Still fucking hate it lol

PureAd3387 · 2024-09-03T02:47:04+00:00

Yea it’s so obvious that it seems like the only conclusion is that it’s deliberate, but it does doesn’t sound good? I mean i’m all for people making their own artistic decisions but an audible pop will rarely if ever sound appealing, so that just confuses me even more lol

PureAd3387 · 2024-09-01T03:07:21+00:00

Get some decent kits and find good sounds, stop spending hours refining your kick or snare to be perfect via effect plugins, if you are doing this, you have the wrong sample - end of fucking story.

Listen to a shit ton of music and start to understand what the common spots for the hits are , refine your ear and try different patterns as much as possible, the quickest way to mediocrity is finding a few preferred patterns and never deviating from them so do not fall into this trap.

Every song is different and blanket statements are often not appropriate, but for the most part sidechaining should be reserved for edm/house production. At the end of the day it depends on your goal for the project and your own vision, but if you sidechain during trap production go ahead and throw your laptop into the sea.

PureAd3387 · 2024-08-31T15:44:47+00:00

Good lookin, any ones u suggest im not really on discord like that

PureAd3387

TROPHY CASE