DSF Q&A Sessions Vol.16 : DJ MADD

[legend4ry]

I dont' really have a question but I just wanted to say someone gave me a white label(maybe a promo?) of one of your releases and its quite a big tune. Out to you

[unwind]

First and foremost big ups to you Mr. Madd, really feeling your sound recently...

Something I'd really like to know is how you structure your tunes - do you follow a general rule for all of your tracks? For example, do you always begin with beat/bass/pads? If not, what is it that gives you the basis for most of your tunes?

Also, I really do love the big fat sub bass in tunes like 'better with you' but I struggle to get my sub basslines to sit so nicely with the beat, especially the kicks. Is this something that you have to spend hours on with compression, EQ and limiting or is it mainly down to the original gain structure? Which brings me to...

Lastly, how do you finish off your music? For example, do you tend to mix and master the final piece yourself, or do you do this in a full-on studio environment... Or even do you send your music away for the mastering process? The reason I ask is because I strive to get my music to sound well mastered but I often find myself over-complicating things with compression here there and everywhere. Do you use compression and limiting sparingly? I'd think that they'd play quite a big part in your music..?

Thanks in advance, unwind.

[madd]

First and foremost big ups to you Mr. Madd, really feeling your sound recently...

Something I'd really like to know is how you structure your tunes - do you follow a general rule for all of your tracks? For example, do you always begin with beat/bass/pads? If not, what is it that gives you the basis for most of your tunes?

Also, I really do love the big fat sub bass in tunes like 'better with you' but I struggle to get my sub basslines to sit so nicely with the beat, especially the kicks. Is this something that you have to spend hours on with compression, EQ and limiting or is it mainly down to the original gain structure? Which brings me to...

Lastly, how do you finish off your music? For example, do you tend to mix and master the final piece yourself, or do you do this in a full-on studio environment... Or even do you send your music away for the mastering process? The reason I ask is because I strive to get my music to sound well mastered but I often find myself over-complicating things with compression here there and everywhere. Do you use compression and limiting sparingly? I'd think that they'd play quite a big part in your music..?

Thanks in advance, unwind.

ez unwind

for most of the tunes i usually follow the drums / bass / rest flow but there are occasions where i have an idea for a melody first but it is quite rare

as for the sub bass like i said it's really a quick and simple method for me i just use a sub sample and clear things up with the db sidechain plugin, it's defo not an hour long work but that might be routine, i did struggle to finally get the subs i always wanted to :)

i work on the mixdowns as i go so at the end i really don't have much to do. the final version of the tune is the bounce that gets sent to a few djs and labels so it's usually already playable..
interesting you say that about my tunes but this might suprise you then: i don't use any compression or limiters. the only compression i use is the sidechain compressor but thats more of a volume ducking thing i guess which could be automated manually but obviously it's much faster like this:)
I'll be honest I don't really get the purpose of the limiter as I can push my mixdowns quite loud on the master channel but even so I don't like to do that anymore cause it just loses dynamics and i don't think dub heads care that much about the loudness anyway?

My tip would be to think twice before reaching for the compressor and limiter. reaching for good quality samples and a nice eq on top could go miles better in my opinion

hope that clears things up but if you have any more specific questions fire away!

[green plan]

Sweet might as well keep asking, some helpful answers. What's your writing environment like? You have monitors + treated room or ghetto it out?

[madd]

Sweet might as well keep asking, some helpful answers. What's your writing environment like? You have monitors + treated room or ghetto it out?

It's pretty ghetto haha.. never had a treated room.
Working with Behringer Truth monitors and i love 'em. Guess I'm lucky cause I never had problems with the neighbours and I always had a pretty big desk so I could spread the monitors to get a nice space

[naus]

Ez,

how do you know when your tune is complete?

Do you have a formula that you stick to so when thats all done the tune is finished. Or do you just work until you think it sound 'done'?


hope its not to much of a dumb question.

Big up ya status!

[syrup]

for how long have you been producing?

[billy crystal meth]

HAVE you ever worked on a tune for a week that you were extremely happy with and then accidentaly saved over it? Then stared to experience a feeling that can only be described as sobbing and dry heaving?

[madd]

Ez,

how do you know when your tune is complete?

Do you have a formula that you stick to so when thats all done the tune is finished. Or do you just work until you think it sound 'done'?


hope its not to much of a dumb question.

Big up ya status!

hey man not a dumb question at all

i think you need to develop the ability to recognise when a tune is finished even tho you could still chuck in a couple of extra bits
lot of the tunes sound a bit overcrowded to me and thats why i really like the whole minimal approach these days - less is more innit!

i guess now it's down to experience but few years ago I struggled to finish a tune cause i had no idea where the end is, but today i'm much more confident with it

[madd]

for how long have you been producing?

I started using trackers when i was in primary school, fast tracker 2 mainly but for years i didn't really care about the mixdown and the whole process of proper eqing and that kind of things
hm i think i started to look into the mixdown side of things around 2006 so i would say around that time is when i can say i started proper production.

[madd]

HAVE you ever worked on a tune for a week that you were extremely happy with and then accidentaly saved over it? Then stared to experience a feeling that can only be described as sobbing and dry heaving?

i never saved over a tune but i lost so many projects due to viruses and hdd crashes it's insane and just thinking about it makes me scream like a girl
now i have an external hdd with all the backups + the laptop with the most recent bits and i burn a few dvds every now and then with the project files and samples

[Jak The lad]

Thanks for doing this.

I've only recently found out about your tracks and they are right my my street.

Are you able to share a screen shot of one of your tracks in your sequencer? Be good to see how you work.

[akilles]

How do you go about structuring your tunes? So that the songs continues consistently but doesn't get boring.

Do you have a little cool unique tip or trick that you've worked out or that you've been shown? Obviously you don't have to say for fear of people stealing your best tricks

What are your musical guilty pleasures?

[waldorf2]

Hello

I have a question about frequency range of sub bass and kick. any tips about kick und subs frequencys, cuting or bosting, etc? how do you use the eq so kick and sub sit nice in the mix (only sc)? are you using a lot of mono samples to avoid masking? any other tips to make better tunes

[madd]

Thanks for doing this.

I've only recently found out about your tracks and they are right my my street.

Are you able to share a screen shot of one of your tracks in your sequencer? Be good to see how you work.

alright been out in the last 3 days but im back! : )
here you go mate, a screenshot of The Battle which is forthcoming on Wheel & Deal (audio on myspace)

[madd]

How do you go about structuring your tunes? So that the songs continues consistently but doesn't get boring.

Do you have a little cool unique tip or trick that you've worked out or that you've been shown? Obviously you don't have to say for fear of people stealing your best tricks

What are your musical guilty pleasures?

I'm not sure exactly I guess I'm just listening to the tune and if i think it's not enough / boring I'll add things to it. I don't like too major changes so I think the small evolving, always just a little extra addon works for me the best.

I already gave away (imo) one of my best tricks, the duplicated pads and atmos tough I'm sure it's not that unique or new but nobody showed me that.

Musical guilty pleasures.. I listen to a lot of things but I wouldn't say they're shit but I'll let you guys decide: I listen to a lot of Chromeo, I really like the funky silly vibes and the production is on top.
I got a lot of Michael Jackson on the ipod but who doesn't apart from that random hits from the 80s and 90s which are more of a nostalgic value I guess

[madd]

Hello

I have a question about frequency range of sub bass and kick. any tips about kick und subs frequencys, cuting or bosting, etc? how do you use the eq so kick and sub sit nice in the mix (only sc)? are you using a lot of mono samples to avoid masking? any other tips to make better tunes

I will be honest I'm not a master of the frequency topic, I do most things by ear I don't even have a spec-analyzer running even tho I know it can be very helpful. I would say a good sample to begin with is one of the main keys and yes sidechain is very helpful when it comes to kick + sub clashes.

If you check that screenshot you can see that everything is in mono in that tune which is quite shameful and I need to stop that, but somehow I have never been a fan of the big stereo spaces where 1 synth is coming from the left and a shaker is on the right and I don't know It just sounds weird to me. So yeah most things are in mono for me. I keep some pads and stereo-delays on the stereo channels of course but those aren't going too crazy either.

[bRRRz]

Hello

I have a question about frequency range of sub bass and kick. any tips about kick und subs frequencys, cuting or bosting, etc? how do you use the eq so kick and sub sit nice in the mix (only sc)? are you using a lot of mono samples to avoid masking? any other tips to make better tunes

Well I like to boost my sub at 50hzish and cut it above 100.
I then boost my Kick at about 130-105 hz and give it a bit of higher frequency as well to let it punch through the mix.
Seems to work out ok for me.

[In The Shadows]

ok, well, mr Madd I have a Q for you my man. I see you use the sidechain with the kick and sub, presumably to keep those peeks under control. Now whats you take on the sidechain setup, are you keeping the attack and releae as short as possible? When I keep em very short I get the typical popping sound every now and then where a little oscilation is left stunted as it kicks in or fades back out. Ive tried various things to sort it out, and I can iron out a lot of it, but I can never get it 100% smooth. So the question is do you get the same pops/blips on your setup, and if so do you try and adjust things to get rid of them like upping the attack etc or do you just leave them in and let the kick mask any little blips that occur as the sidehcain ducks the sub?

[jamie vista]

>: )

What are your favourite sample packs for drums? And do you spend time processing individual hits and making samples as opposed to doing it whilst you're writing a tune? I've worded that horribly lol but i think you'll know what i'm getting at.

Do you practice mixing? And what do you prefer - the process of making music or the buzz when you drop it live?

And finally, tell us your favourite joke atm... sure it'll be hilarious.