Introduction
This week I have been working on finalising my second track "Time" (The club track I was working on) I have also learnt how to mix and master this song, and had a go at mixing and mastering it. I have also used these skills I have learnt to mix and master my first track "Roads" it sounds a lot better, but I do need to continue working on this, as there are so many elements in the first track, that they are all competing for space in the mix. it is sounding muddy, and I think there is too. much reverb on the piano, the vocal chops need to be more dominant but not overpower the mix, and I need to better pan the instruments. it does sound good, but there are lots I need to improve on.
I have read. my book on mixing and mastering, as well as Music Theory for Computer Musicians. I have also used YouTube as this is a really handy way to learn different skills, especially if you're more of a visual learner. I have found it really helpful. I am happy with the final mix and master for time. although I have also recorded some vocals to go over it, and I am deciding whether to keep them in the final copy or leave it as it is.
I used a portable audio interface and connected my Sure SM57 to it, and set up in the bathroom, I did some research and also experimented with different rooms in my flat, to find where the acoustics sounded the best and this was the bathroom, the vocals are me whispering, I want to add lots of effects, and vocal processing to them, so you can't tell it's me. The lyrics are "Time, were running out of time, the clocks ticking faster, but somehow I will find. Time were running out of time the clocks ticking faster, looking for. a sign"
Overall I have learnt several techniques that will. help me in my future career aspiration to become a freelance music producer/sound engineer. With skills such as learning basic room acoustics for vocal recording, how to edit vocals, and take out the breathing and unwanted parts, vocal processing and how to use different effects. This is essential as if I'm working in the industry as a producer, if I want to make it, I will need to be able to record and produce music, to perfection, and know how to process vocals. if I was working on a track with vocals for a famous singer for example. I have also used Anatares throat which is a vocal formant tool, you can essentially create any vocal tract of a human, and also the vocal tract of something that doesn't exist yet, so you can get all sorts of sound from your vocals using this.
I have also learnt how to mix and master a song. This is also an essential skill for my future career aspiration to become a freelance producer, there is still room for improvement in this, but over this whole project, I have become better at this. and I will continue to improve on this. The mixing is where i struggle. I think over the next few weeks I am going to learn as much as I can about mixing because this is mainly where my tracks are lacking.
These are some of the tutorials I watched on YouTube, this was interesting and detailed and explains how to create 3D Space in the mix.
This tutorial explains several things like cutting out unwanted frequencies, for example, if you had a vocal and a piano you could cut out the frequencies of the piano where the vocals sound the best, making more room for the vocals in the mix, or cut out unnecessary frequencies like the high end on the bass. Also shows how to create a stereo mix by panning some instruments to the left and some to the right and creating a stereo image. and lowering the volumes of certain instruments in the mixer channel.
I have also read two books to get more of an idea of how to mix a track. I have been reading Music theory for computer musicians throughout this project, but haven't blogged about it much. it has been very interesting and has lots of useful information that will help me in my future career, some of the things I already know, but I am learning things I didn't know. There have been a few things I have learnt to help me with my current project, although I think it is one of those things that you gradually learn things and over time the things you have learnt will come in handy, rather than instant knowledge. I will carry on reading this, as once I have finished it, I will have more skills in music production and theory.
I then used the skills I have learnt to mix and master my second track.
Here is some of the progress.
So first of all I lowered some of the levels on the mixing console to create space in the mix, I tried to make sure nothing goes over -6db this is something I picked up from watching the tutorials, it leaves room for the mastering process so you can knock it up to 0db.
I used a DB meter on the master channel to make sure nothing peaked.
As you can see it isn't going above -6DB.
I then created a BUS for the bass and a BUS for the drums. this is another skill I had learnt from the tutorials. I did this so I can use an effect called sidechaining on the bass. this means every time the kick or snare hit, the bass ducks out to create space in the mix for the drums to sit, and the drums sound less muddy, more refined, and louder.
after searching on the internet I found VST called track spacer, this is more than a sidechain compressor, I bought it because I thought it would be useful for my first track, as I'm struggling to mix it, it essentially EQs and sidechains the track. so it if you used it on a vocal and a bass for example, it will analyse the frequencies of the vocal, and carve them out of the bass, you then have the option to sidechain and change the amount, the low cut and the high cut, so you can pinpoint the exact frequencies you want to sidechain, this worked really well for my second track, and I have yet to use it on my first track.
I use this to carve out the bass and the lead, when the kick plays so the kick stands out, as this is important for a club track, as the kick is the main thing that carries everything else.
Then to master the track, I used Ozone elements, which analyse's the track and compares it to a reference track, you can then choose the width and dynamics match and alter the EQ until you are happy with the master. after some trial and error, I found the perfect settings, and am happy with the master of this track. I think it sounds very professional and could see it actually being played in a club. This is probably the best mix and master I have done so far, if I can mix and master my first track to this level, I feel that has the potential to be played on the radio.
This is "Time" as it is currently mixed and mastered.
I then recorded some vocals in my bathroom as this had the best acoustics in my flat.
I am unsure whether or not the vocals are going to make it in the final finished track.
Other than that I would say the track is ready and I am happy with it.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I have developed i wide variety of skills this week including recording techniques, mixing and mastering techniques and production techniques I have learnt about room acoustics, and have had a go at vocal processing my own vocals. I have found the books have lots of detailed information and are helpful, but as a visual learner, I learn better from videos. so using YouTube alongside books I find is a good way to learn. I think over the next week I am going to learn more mixing and mastering techniques as well as learning how to produce future bass songs. I want to learn lots of different production techniques and apply this to my third and fourth tracks. I also want to start on the first draft of my music video, using the footage I have.
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