Filling up the mix (Harmony, Added Elements, Percussion)

[ephyks]

I'm sure others have this struggle, but when working on a tune, you ever just feel like everything sounds really alone and separate? Like it all doesn't sound together, and no matter how much random shit you add it all still feels hopelessly empty? I suffer from this constantly. Since my basses are only played by one note, I feel the need to apply synths at high octaves on top of them to make them sound not as alone. But at the same time, I almost feel like I take the focus of the tune away with these added synths. Yet constantly I'm looking for a way to add harmony to my basses aline.

Here's to demonstrate what I mean.
Soundcloud
This is a clip of two basses. One bass has a synth over it, one does not. The first one does not have an added synth over it. It sounds bland, unharmonic, just plain shit. Then we have the second one. It has a square wave over it. Now it sounds harmonic, pleasing, and full, all at once.

But unfortunately this is the only instance where I've been able to apply harmony to my basses and it sound good. I sometimes try to bounce a bass, pitch it up an few, highpass it and reapply it to maybe add some harmony but still, just a shit sound. Anyone have any advice?

[mthrfnk]

Add movement (filters, flangers etc.), add musicality (different notes in a cool pattern), don't play single long notes, don't have so much obvious noise on the sound.

[heliosending]

I say add arpeggios, phrases, progression. And yes, add basic effects like delay and reverb with considerable amount of compression. Percussion is a good way to fill up void too, IMO. Rides and sometimes hats with minimal delay and maybe some panning. I have only started out in music production, but I can't imagine not using noise sweeps and bass glides.

That's a nice snare, by the way. May I ask where I can find it?

[Augment]

I use arps, rides, reverbed plucks, noise, more reverbed stuff, reverse stuff etc. Depends on the tune. Big chords can help alot aswell.
In the clip you posted, a noise sweep, a constant ride rythm and some hihats would do alot

[ephyks]

I say add arpeggios, phrases, progression. And yes, add basic effects like delay and reverb with considerable amount of compression. Percussion is a good way to fill up void too, IMO. Rides and sometimes hats with minimal delay and maybe some panning. I have only started out in music production, but I can't imagine not using noise sweeps and bass glides.

That's a nice snare, by the way. May I ask where I can find it?

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/22378078/Snare%203_bip.wav

[wub]

Automation anything and everything to see what works. Think of the track as a cube with the listener in the middle, if that helps. Sounds should come from all sides (or maybe not...?) and buzz around them like birds trapped in a cage.

[Dj Rephlex]

One suggestion I got a while ago from this forum was to put all of your synths on one compressor. It worked for me, it kind of glues all of the sounds together.

[hutyluty]

stick a load of rain over everything.

also dont eq so that everything is on its separate band, imo things sound better with a little bit of overlap.

[fragments]

stick a load of rain over everything.

also dont eq so that everything is on its separate band, imo things sound better with a little bit of overlap.

This. I choose/design sounds that sit together in such a way I don't have to do much EQing. I hear a lot of tunes that work, but just feel over EQd to me...the problem becomes that some people pick a set of sounds, EQ the shit out of them, mix feels empty so the add a bunch of stuff and end up EQing all those new sounds to make things work...then it still sounds empty...

[Dj Rephlex]

stick a load of rain over everything.

also dont eq so that everything is on its separate band, imo things sound better with a little bit of overlap.

This. I choose/design sounds that sit together in such a way I don't have to do much EQing. I hear a lot of tunes that work, but just feel over EQd to me...the problem becomes that some people pick a set of sounds, EQ the shit out of them, mix feels empty so the add a bunch of stuff and end up EQing all those new sounds to make things work...then it still sounds empty...

Ahhhhhhh you're so right! Especially "some people pick a set of sounds, EQ the shit out of them, mix feels empty"
I usually put a spectrum analyzer on the master and pick sounds that will fit into the mix instead of picking an irrelevant sound and adding a battery of Fx to it.

[fragments]

stick a load of rain over everything.

also dont eq so that everything is on its separate band, imo things sound better with a little bit of overlap.

This. I choose/design sounds that sit together in such a way I don't have to do much EQing. I hear a lot of tunes that work, but just feel over EQd to me...the problem becomes that some people pick a set of sounds, EQ the shit out of them, mix feels empty so the add a bunch of stuff and end up EQing all those new sounds to make things work...then it still sounds empty...

Ahhhhhhh you're so right! Especially "some people pick a set of sounds, EQ the shit out of them, mix feels empty"
I usually put a spectrum analyzer on the master and pick sounds that will fit into the mix instead of picking an irrelevant sound and adding a battery of Fx to it.

Yea, piling FX for no reason in general is bad : ) Once I started working this way I find that usually I end up picking a set of basic sounds (bass, drums, instruments for harmony/melody)...that I've done a fair job w/o looking at a master EQ. I still double check that way.

[Mike Renai]

One suggestion I got a while ago from this forum was to put all of your synths on one compressor. It worked for me, it kind of glues all of the sounds together.

This worked for me too. I tend to group my drop bass elements and process them with the same compressor + saturator etc. With practice you start to learn how to merge them.

1. Layering sounds (Low + Mid/High bass) with different but complimenting textures
2. Automation & modulation on the above sounds
3. Re-sampling and Frequency splitting

Researching the above 3 steps will help you create "fuller tracks". Also call and response between any sounds can be achieved rhythmically not just through different note pitches.

[rockonin]

stick a load of rain over everything.

also dont eq so that everything is on its separate band, imo things sound better with a little bit of overlap.

I normally have two different tracks with white noise which i group, then i high & low pass them. This is the first time i've heard the rain technique. Defo going to try this. Nice one.

[fragments]

stick a load of rain over everything.

also dont eq so that everything is on its separate band, imo things sound better with a little bit of overlap.

I normally have two different tracks with white noise which i group, then i high & low pass them. This is the first time i've heard the rain technique. Defo going to try this. Nice one.

Stuff like this always cracks me up, not because it's a bad idea, but because in the area of analogue recording, the circuits, tubes, and what not added noise to the mix. This is part of what some people find themselves missing in a digital recording.

[hasezwei]

in that soundcloud clip i liked the first one much much more

[hifi]

buy primeloops or loopmaster dubstep/house loops then jus throw em in, there made by pros so there already mixd an redy 2 go . ur shit wil be soundn full in no time bro . u already hav a fat bass synth dude its so grimey no need to change it bro, 1 note is all u need i read that in some book an maybe just take tht same bass n add another copy of it so it sounds evn dirtier dawg,

[Dustwyrm]

[skimpi]

stick a load of rain over everything.

also dont eq so that everything is on its separate band, imo things sound better with a little bit of overlap.

I normally have two different tracks with white noise which i group, then i high & low pass them. This is the first time i've heard the rain technique. Defo going to try this. Nice one.

Stuff like this always cracks me up, not because it's a bad idea, but because in the area of analogue recording, the circuits, tubes, and what not added noise to the mix. This is part of what some people find themselves missing in a digital recording.

yeah lol, back in the olden days the noise and shit probably pissed people off and they wanted to get rid of it, now we add it into a digital tune to make it sounds aged and 'better'

[shakas]

not sure if you were talking about adding to your bass tone or adding to the whole song in general. That bass sounds pretty awesome, as is. But in the second clip, just adding synths playing the same note as the bass doesn't do much. there's gotta more music to it...different notes and lengths etc...

here's a horribly produced example of what adding different melody lines and stabs can do to fill things out in the loop you posted:
Soundcloud

[hubsahubsa]

I like to use strings, keys and arps in dubstep, you shouldn't add random noise like many people do to "fill" their mix