Been producing for x years, and i still dont know how to...

[wub]

ive been producing neigh on 3 years and cant side chain effectively. (currently changing this)

If you're using FL Studio, Peak Controller makes this incredibly easy!

Theres a big difference between that + actual sidechain compression...

^^ This, basically. It took me a long time to realise that I wasn't actually doing sidechain compression at all, I was just volume ducking my elements slightly

You can do sidechain compression with the peak controller, you can control compressors or anything with it or chain a bunch together. I would say it's a lot more powerful than just a compressor with a sidechain input. I really wish it was available to use in other DAWs, but that's one of the things that still makes FL a competitor.

No, I'm not disagreeing with the idea of using the Peak Controller as an input for sidechaining...it's just that linking a compressor to the Peak Controller doesn't automatically equal sidechain compression.

[Depone]

How does an eq do it's thing? I'm talking behind the scenes stuff. Obviously it applies a curve to
mess with the frequencies but it can't be that simple.

It is that simple though, and the sharpness of the curve is measured in decibels per octave...

So like, If you have some evenly leveled, true white noise, and set an EQ up to cut everything above 20 hz by 12 db per octave... 40 hz will now be 12db quieter then 20hz is, 80hz will be 24db quieter then 20, 160 will be 48db quieter, ect, ect.

The curve is consistent and pretty self explanatory once someone explains it like that, any series of changes/boosts/cuts can be represented by addition and subtract in db per octave...

Well, thats how parametric graphic eq's work, linear phase stuff is mind blowingly complicated.

'Normal' eqs work with phase addition and subtraction, it feeds back either an in-phase set of frequencies for boosting, or out of phase (complete phase reversal) at the selected group of frequencies set by the curve, type and amplification of the phase addition or subtraction.

Linear phase eqs work with feedback delays somehow but i dont understand it really im sure somebody like macc would fill us in if were lucky

[paravrais]

Considering after personal trial and error I've decided to discount almost everything I've ever read about production...I'm probably doing it all wrong.

EDIT: Oh, 3 years producing and I still have no idea how to use a gate properly O . o only ever use 'em for cutting out background noise on samples I've recorded but I fear this may be a gross misuse.

[jrisreal]

How does an eq do it's thing? I'm talking behind the scenes stuff. Obviously it applies a curve to
mess with the frequencies but it can't be that simple.

It is that simple though, and the sharpness of the curve is measured in decibels per octave...

So like, If you have some evenly leveled, true white noise, and set an EQ up to cut everything above 20 hz by 12 db per octave... 40 hz will now be 12db quieter then 20hz is, 80hz will be 24db quieter then 20, 160 will be 48db quieter, ect, ect.

The curve is consistent and pretty self explanatory once someone explains it like that, any series of changes/boosts/cuts can be represented by addition and subtract in db per octave...

Well, thats how parametric graphic eq's work, linear phase stuff is mind blowingly complicated.

'Normal' eqs work with phase addition and subtraction, it feeds back either an in-phase set of frequencies for boosting, or out of phase (complete phase reversal) at the selected group of frequencies set by the curve, type and amplification of the phase addition or subtraction.

Linear phase eqs work with feedback delays somehow but i dont understand it really im sure somebody like macc would fill us in if were lucky

thanks. Thats what I was thinking could be the case.

[-[2]DAY_-]

only ever use [gates] for cutting out background noise on samples I've recorded but I fear this may be a gross misuse.

I dunno man, that sounds like a perfectly standard use of a gate to me... I only throw gates on vocals, bass, guitars, pianos, and sampling content that i've tracked myself, same as you. Stuff that came in on analog, because it actually has noise (unlike purely digital recordings of soft synths, for instance). Otherwise i just use pattern gates for an effect.

Only other gating i've done personally is tracking a drum kit, but i used outboard gate/expanders on the drum mics.

[Teknicyde]

How does an eq do it's thing? I'm talking behind the scenes stuff. Obviously it applies a curve to
mess with the frequencies but it can't be that simple.

It is that simple though, and the sharpness of the curve is measured in decibels per octave...

So like, If you have some evenly leveled, true white noise, and set an EQ up to cut everything above 20 hz by 12 db per octave... 40 hz will now be 12db quieter then 20hz is, 80hz will be 24db quieter then 20, 160 will be 48db quieter, ect, ect.

The curve is consistent and pretty self explanatory once someone explains it like that, any series of changes/boosts/cuts can be represented by addition and subtract in db per octave...

Well, thats how parametric graphic eq's work, linear phase stuff is mind blowingly complicated.

'Normal' eqs work with phase addition and subtraction, it feeds back either an in-phase set of frequencies for boosting, or out of phase (complete phase reversal) at the selected group of frequencies set by the curve, type and amplification of the phase addition or subtraction.

Linear phase eqs work with feedback delays somehow but i dont understand it really im sure somebody like macc would fill us in if were lucky

Biggup man!

[Artie_Fufkin]

Considering after personal trial and error I've decided to discount almost everything I've ever read about production...I'm probably doing it all wrong.

EDIT: Oh, 3 years producing and I still have no idea how to use a gate properly O . o only ever use 'em for cutting out background noise on samples I've recorded but I fear this may be a gross misuse.

It's the same parameters as a compressor pretty much, but the stuff that goes over the threshold stays and the stuff under is muted. Extremely useful for analogue stuff. Mutes the noise when nothing is being played so it cleans up the sound and gives you more headroom and prevent feedback for guitars/mics when playing live.

[Shum]

Considering after personal trial and error I've decided to discount almost everything I've ever read about production...I'm probably doing it all wrong.

EDIT: Oh, 3 years producing and I still have no idea how to use a gate properly O . o only ever use 'em for cutting out background noise on samples I've recorded but I fear this may be a gross misuse.

It's the same parameters as a compressor pretty much, but the stuff that goes over the threshold stays and the stuff under is muted. Extremely useful for analogue stuff. Mutes the noise when nothing is being played so it cleans up the sound and gives you more headroom and prevent feedback for guitars/mics when playing live.

Which is roughly what paravais originally said. So he hasn't been misusing it.

Gating reverbs is SUPER handy.

You can also sidechain gates to achieve 'cutting' effects on longer sounds.

[Artie_Fufkin]

How did I forget to mention gated reverb??? Ya gates help keep reverbs and delays from extending too far and obscuring some parts. It's helpful when you want a big reverb but you don't want the long tail of it. I just very obviously in the tune in my sig.

[JTMMusicuk]

Iv bin producing in ableton for about 4years and i still dont know how to draw in a clip in the session view instead of pressing record then play for a few seconds then stopping it. Is it possible and do you know what im talking about as my terminology is terrible haha

[bassinine]

mono = same phase. if it's mono, but playing twice - the phase is the same, therefore it's still mono.

throw a phaser, or any stereo effect - and it's probably not mono anymore.

[Eridu]

ive been producing neigh on 3 years and cant side chain effectively. (currently changing this)

If you're using FL Studio, Peak Controller makes this incredibly easy!

Theres a big difference between that + actual sidechain compression...

please explain, in my mind its the same thing. peak controller is a tool for sidechain compression (and you can use it for anything else). what is the big difference?

[Sharmaji]

1. is there really no way to link clips in a scene in ableton, so that you can start in the middle of a scene,rather than have to go all the way back to the beginning to get to the particular bar that's causing you a problem?

really?

dang.

yes, i could make a duplicate scene and then start the clips all at the relevant point,and use follow actions to get to that scene, but it all seems a little convoluted.

2. is there no way to assign a keyboard command to follow the arrange window in logic? much like the command-F key shortcut in ableton.

[misk]

I've heard from recording engineers - when in doubt about kick phasing issues - set your monitor on it's back with the speaker cone facing upwards, and put a coin in the center of the cone. play your kick, and if the coin bounces - you're good to go!

For a long time, I sucked at sound design, tune progression, and arrangement. I've been remedying this though, and now I'm really comfortable making all sorts of weird resampled granular shit and crazy robot monster sounds. They don't have much of a place in my music, but I wanna know how to make em. Oh and I sucked at american 'bro' step. I don't think I do anymore...

Soundcloud

this was just for fun. I gave myself a challenge to write something 'hard'. lol.

[Hutu]

Been producing for 4 years and i still dont know how to make bass wide enough.

[Karoshi]

Been producing for 4 years and i still dont know how to make bass wide enough.

bass should be mono

[Depone]

Been producing for 4 years and i still dont know how to make bass wide enough.

Theres a couple of ways to achieve this.

1. Make sure your sub bass is separated from the rest of the bass (either frequency separate it, or have it on an actual separate synth/instrument for it)

2. the easiest and sometimes most effective way of getting hugely wide bass is to use a sample delay. this will delay the bass either l/r signal in mile-seconds and your bass will be super wide.

3. another way is to use chorus. Make sure its oscillating slowly and that its not churning the sound too much.

there are many many more ways, but these are my two most common.

EDIT:
Use Unison and Stereo De-tuning for the most classic wide bass sound

[mikeyp]

a whole year and i still dont know how to write a song

[jaydot]

Been producing coming up to two years and I still can't get tunes to not be formulaic.

[DrastikMeazures]

ive been producing neigh on 3 years and cant side chain effectively. (currently changing this)

What DAW are you using? I find the compressor in Cubase really shit for side-chaining for some reason, I can't work it out I think I've tried every single setting possible and it's still not quite right, it works but just doesn't quite seem right. Ableton's compressor on the other hand is so easy to dial in a setting that just works, apparently Logic's is great too. I don't think Cubase's is bad, I use it quite alot but I think others seem to be better but I think I'm going to try out fabfilter pro-c and see how that compares.

I just wish UAD would pull their finger out and add vst3 sidechaining to their plugins.

I've got the same problem using Cubase's compressor in sidechain mode, have everything set up correctly but can't hear the effect I'm trying to achieve? Just trying to allow my kick to punch through the bass line, I always thought I just didn't know how to do it properly, but maybe it's not me.