getting that FAT mix

[zosomagik]

so im curious as to what techniques some of you guys use to really fill out your mix, like white noise, reverb, etc. because ive been noticing my projects sound "thin" when finished and i really want to get that "wall of sound" kind of thing. so thanks in advance for the tips.

[SunkLo]

Uh compression?


If you want a wall of sound, just have too much stuff playing at once. It'll sound like utter shit but hey, presto, wall of sound!

[titchbit]

I have recently been using Ableton's "mixing and mastering" audio effect rack presets. there is usually an EQ (subtly boosting highs and lows), some light compression (low threshold, ratio of about 1.5), a saturator (I've found it best to use this lightly - dry/wet around 20-25%), and a limiter of course. try to adjust your levels so that your limiter has only as little of an effect as possible.

[Genevieve]

Listen to places in the mix where you think there should be a frequency.

Is your mix more of a bass or drum centered mix? Start filling out the spectrum there. Most of my mixes are centered around the drums, so that's what I fill out first.

[zosomagik]

Uh compression?


If you want a wall of sound, just have too much stuff playing at once. It'll sound like utter shit but hey, presto, wall of sound!

neat

thanks for the tips guys, im always EQing and always have a spectral analyzer on my master to see whats going on. I dont really use long evolving sounds like pads and things that much so i think that might help, having a subtle, long and constant sound underneath everything.

[Genevieve]

Tbh, I don't really think a spectral analyzer on the master is that helpful personally. I mostly use them for junk I don't hear on the tracks. When you want to fill a mix out, listen to the master. There's not really a 'right way' for the master to look, but there is a way for it to sound pleasing to your ear.

[zosomagik]

Tbh, I don't really think a spectral analyzer on the master is that helpful personally. I mostly use them for junk I don't hear on the tracks. When you want to fill a mix out, listen to the master. There's not really a 'right way' for the master to look, but there is a way for it to sound pleasing to your ear.

true that, i mostly use it just to solo tracks and see where to boost and cut certain frequencies and tune drum hits.

[SunkLo]

I keep iZotope Insight on the master when doing broadcast post production. I might start putting it on the master during producing as well. I'm using it for loudness measurements though, not for the spectrogram, but that's still a bit useful. Usually if I know I have to eq something and find resonant peaks, I'll just turn on the spectrum view in my eq. It could be useful on the master when summing tracks together to see where they're adding, prior to doing some complementary eq.

But yeah, pads. I don't use them as much as a should and it's always a slap myself in the forehead moment when I finally realize that a pad is what a mix is lacking. I like to make them out of samples of the rest of the track, stretched and processed to smooth them out like butter.

Also just instrument tracks that are mimicking other more prominent instruments. The average listener will never notice them but they play a supporting role in propping up the bed of your track. Often they'll benefit from being in a different octave and occupying a different frequency space. It's like having another patch using a different timbre to tag along with the main patch. Keep em super quiet, turned up to the point where you can just barely detect it if you're listening hard.

You can actually vary them slightly or give them their own contour separate from the main parts. Cool part about doing that is they act as easter eggs for when you get blazed and listen to the track for the 500th time. There's a lot of tracks with stuff just barely tucked in the back that really adds to the re-listen-ability of the track.

Take Flying Lotus' Sketchbook, there's several parts in there I never heard the first listens, but now they're what I pay attention to when I hear it.

Bit greasy quality but, there she is.
Love how the kick is a swung 16th early at the start of every bar.

There's a couple parts in this track too that I never heard the first several listens, same deal.

If you listen close, there's vibes, horns, and strings tucked in there in addition to the keys and drums.

Point being, don't forget the details.

[outbound]

Distortion....

I like to see it like baking a cake. Make sure you pick ingredients that are going to work well together and aren't going to fight too much in the mix. Make sure you use the right amount of each element (EQ). Pack it all in to the shape you are after (Compression) and then finally cook (distort) until it's ready. (Be careful not to burn the fucker! )

Cake analogy aside, I'm not saying you should just distort and that will give you the results you are after. But once everything else has been done properly it can really bring to life and fatten a mix.

[Dahneboy]

layer layer layer. parrallel compress your drums , and dont over compress , and read, search google for topics about getting that fat mix

[claudedefaren]

reverb, delay, compression, very soft pad instrument....

[claudedefaren]

layering, of course, as well

[Today]

layering.

using delay on certain things will also fill out a mix. Doesn't work too great on big basses, but even that if it has any high end in it you can try sending to a high-passed delay.

but mainly layering, and a tidy mixdown, hot levels and light compression + light EQ curve on the master

[landmine]

so im curious as to what techniques some of you guys use to really fill out your mix, like white noise, reverb, etc. because ive been noticing my projects sound "thin" when finished and i really want to get that "wall of sound" kind of thing. so thanks in advance for the tips.

Read articles and watch videos about parrallel processing/compression

Also check out frequency layering.

[zosomagik]

word. thanks guys i really appreciate all the advice and help, ill keep at it until i get that FAT mix.

[NinjaEdit]

Parallel compression on groups, detuning/unison.