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Hi guys,

Just wanted to share my first video from what I hope to turn into a series of videos on production including tutorials and possibly videos of me producing tracks start to finish.

This first video involves Saturn, a multiband distortion/saturation and compression vst by Fab Filters, and how I put it to use on the master bus of a track.



I hope this helps someone out there. Any comments, requests, or critiques would be appreciated.

Video 2: Gain Staging and Headroom
Video 3: Designing a template in 10 minutes
Video 4: Resampling and Frequency Splitting
Video 5: Compression

Livestream 1:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

Here's my second video, it covers headroom and gain staging. While the old heads here probably won't get much use from it, I hope it helps newcomers to understand what is talked about in the moneyshot thread, and how it can be put to practice. I produced music for about 4 years before reading it, and I also didn't learn anything about this in the first year and a half of audio production classes, I wish I had learned this on day one. In my opinion this should be the first thing taught to any aspiring audio engineer, right after "what is sound?"

Big thanks to Macc for making the moneyshot thread what it is.

Here's the next segment of my "let's produce" series.

In this episode I design a template in FL studio in less than 10 minutes.

If you have any questions, or maybe any requests for future episodes, please don't hesitate to ask!

Ive been producing for about a year now but i still dont even know if half of what it is that im doing is proper so as a scrub i watched your headroom video and i have to say that it was very very informative and helpful. Like i really like how you actually teach it unlike every other video on this planet that just tells you exactly what to do but doesnt tell you why. But i have a question that maybe you could do in a video. Could you just explain everything about EQing? Or more specifically lets say (hypothetically) i have one sound thats hitting around 600hz but i also have another sound that hitting about the same. Does that mean i have to EQ them both at different Hz to even it out or can i have more than one sound hitting at the same level? Or should i just completely ditch one of the sounds or what? Like thats something thats really kinda confusing to me. Also how much should i EQ? I feel like it wouldnt take much for it to be over the top. Sorry i just have so many questions. In fact i was actually getting on here specifically to post a topic asking if someone could explain headroom or point me to a place that could help but your post was right at the top of the forum

Stargazer wrote:Ive been producing for about a year now but i still dont even know if half of what it is that im doing is proper so as a scrub i watched your headroom video and i have to say that it was very very informative and helpful. Like i really like how you actually teach it unlike every other video on this planet that just tells you exactly what to do but doesnt tell you why. But i have a question that maybe you could do in a video. Could you just explain everything about EQing? Or more specifically lets say (hypothetically) i have one sound thats hitting around 600hz but i also have another sound that hitting about the same. Does that mean i have to EQ them both at different Hz to even it out or can i have more than one sound hitting at the same level? Or should i just completely ditch one of the sounds or what? Like thats something thats really kinda confusing to me. Also how much should i EQ? I feel like it wouldnt take much for it to be over the top. Sorry i just have so many questions. In fact i was actually getting on here specifically to post a topic asking if someone could explain headroom or point me to a place that could help but your post was right at the top of the forum

Regarding your hypothetical: If you have 2 elements that share the same space, at the same time there will likely be some masking. There might be a few tricks to get them to mix, though. First, unless they are very similar sounds, they're probably not going to have the same harmonics. Unless we're dealing with a sine wave, a sound whose fundamental frequency is 600hz is going to have overtones or harmonics which are other frequencies and usually above the fundamental. The harmonics of an instrument (among some other things) are what our ears can use to differentiate between a violin and a piano for example, even if they are playing the same notes.

You might consider giving each of those instruments opposite eq curves not at the fundamental, but in the harmonics. Each scenario is going to be different, but lets say, for example, on one instrument you cut slightly around 1200hz, and on the other you cut from 2400hz, or 4800 hz. Notice I'm using numbers that are factorable by 600. Musical sounding instruments tend to have harmonics at even intervals (and not always x2 and x4, sometimes x1/2 or x1/4 etc) other instruments, especially percussive ones tend to have odd, or even and odd harmonics.

There are really too many case specific variables involved for me to give you a definite answer. But, sometimes, when you have 2 instruments that are masking, one has to lose the battle.

As far as how much eq is too much, there's no answer there either. You need to consider that an severe Eq cut in an instrument migh sound odd on its own but sound perfectly fine in a mix... Also, you should remember that your audience isn't hearing your before and after result of eq, they only hear the finished product. So, they have no frame of reference to compare, which means you can frequently get away with extreme Eq without anyone ever noticing it. I will say one thing though, if you have a choice between boosting x frequency, or shelving down all frequencies except for x and raising the overall volume, choose the latter.

Phew!

Edit: I almost completely forgot, remember, also that you're mixing in 3d... Frequency is hight, and volume is depth, but there's also length which is the stereo field from left to right. If you still can't get two parts to play nicely in a mix, you could always pan them slightly (or not so slightly) opposite to eachother.

nice tuts

Havent watched any of these but someone needs to make a video on complex writing and structures etc

Electric_Head wrote:nice tuts

Thanks man, I appreciate it

Gewze wrote:Havent watched any of these but someone needs to make a video on complex writing and structures etc

I'll try my hand at that in the next couple of days, do you mean complex chord progression structure? or like "complextro" microcuts?

Today I'll be working on Resampling/freezing and its applications, as well as different ways to frequency split in FL.

Triphosphate wrote:

Stargazer wrote:Ive been producing for about a year now but i still dont even know if half of what it is that im doing is proper so as a scrub i watched your headroom video and i have to say that it was very very informative and helpful. Like i really like how you actually teach it unlike every other video on this planet that just tells you exactly what to do but doesnt tell you why. But i have a question that maybe you could do in a video. Could you just explain everything about EQing? Or more specifically lets say (hypothetically) i have one sound thats hitting around 600hz but i also have another sound that hitting about the same. Does that mean i have to EQ them both at different Hz to even it out or can i have more than one sound hitting at the same level? Or should i just completely ditch one of the sounds or what? Like thats something thats really kinda confusing to me. Also how much should i EQ? I feel like it wouldnt take much for it to be over the top. Sorry i just have so many questions. In fact i was actually getting on here specifically to post a topic asking if someone could explain headroom or point me to a place that could help but your post was right at the top of the forum

Edit: I almost completely forgot, remember, also that you're mixing in 3d... Frequency is hight, and volume is depth, but there's also length which is the stereo field from left to right. If you still can't get two parts to play nicely in a mix, you could always pan them slightly (or not so slightly) opposite to eachother.

Wow that was a lot of info to take in. And ive never really taken the time to think that sound actually is in 3d. You sure seem to know your stuff. keep making tutorials because yours are by far some of the best ive seen and ill definitely keep watching them

Stargazer wrote:

Triphosphate wrote:

Stargazer wrote:Ive been producing for about a year now but i still dont even know if half of what it is that im doing is proper so as a scrub i watched your headroom video and i have to say that it was very very informative and helpful. Like i really like how you actually teach it unlike every other video on this planet that just tells you exactly what to do but doesnt tell you why. But i have a question that maybe you could do in a video. Could you just explain everything about EQing? Or more specifically lets say (hypothetically) i have one sound thats hitting around 600hz but i also have another sound that hitting about the same. Does that mean i have to EQ them both at different Hz to even it out or can i have more than one sound hitting at the same level? Or should i just completely ditch one of the sounds or what? Like thats something thats really kinda confusing to me. Also how much should i EQ? I feel like it wouldnt take much for it to be over the top. Sorry i just have so many questions. In fact i was actually getting on here specifically to post a topic asking if someone could explain headroom or point me to a place that could help but your post was right at the top of the forum

Edit: I almost completely forgot, remember, also that you're mixing in 3d... Frequency is hight, and volume is depth, but there's also length which is the stereo field from left to right. If you still can't get two parts to play nicely in a mix, you could always pan them slightly (or not so slightly) opposite to eachother.

Wow that was a lot of info to take in. And ive never really taken the time to think that sound actually is in 3d. You sure seem to know your stuff. keep making tutorials because yours are by far some of the best ive seen and ill definitely keep watching them

Thanks for the kind words! I'll definitely keep cranking out videos with this kind of support. . As far as mixing being a 3 dimensional art, there's a really great video on the subject from the 80's called the art of mixing it makes everything really easy to understand with visuals. The book is fantastic too.
The art of Mixing

Here's My next video. It's on resampling and frequency splitting in FL Studio using FL patcher or with routing on the mixer:

I dont use fl studio i use logic but the same idea applies right? With your headroom video i was easily able to transfer that knowledge over

Stargazer wrote:I dont use fl studio i use logic but the same idea applies right? With your headroom video i was easily able to transfer that knowledge over

Definitely. Applies to any DAW, really.

Subscribed.

Triphosphate wrote:

Electric_Head wrote:nice tuts

Thanks man, I appreciate it

Gewze wrote:Havent watched any of these but someone needs to make a video on complex writing and structures etc

I'll try my hand at that in the next couple of days, do you mean complex chord progression structure? or like "complextro" microcuts?

Today I'll be working on Resampling/freezing and its applications, as well as different ways to frequency split in FL.

dont know what a complextro microcut is but just like advance song writing. not sure how else to explain it sorry

Gewze wrote:

Triphosphate wrote:

Electric_Head wrote:nice tuts

Thanks man, I appreciate it

Gewze wrote:Havent watched any of these but someone needs to make a video on complex writing and structures etc

I'll try my hand at that in the next couple of days, do you mean complex chord progression structure? or like "complextro" microcuts?

Today I'll be working on Resampling/freezing and its applications, as well as different ways to frequency split in FL.

dont know what a complextro microcut is but just like advance song writing. not sure how else to explain it sorry

So here's my idea for studying song structure. I want to run it by you guys and see what kind of reaction I can expect. I figure instead of simply explaining or demonstrating how to structure a song, I'll analyze the song structure of current beatport chart toppers. The segment will be "Anatomy of a Beatport Hit." Basically I'll drop the song into my FL Playlist and step by step break it down to understand what the producers did.

First, I'd identify the overall structure...
example: Intro/(Breakdown/Verse)/(Build-up/Prechorus)/(Drop/Hook/Chorus)/(Breakdown/Verse)/(Build-up/Prechorus)/(Drop/Hook/Chorus)/Outro.
And I'll outline this with time markers at the top of FL's Playlist.

Second, I will identify the chordal/melodic structure. For example:
I V iv VI then I V iii IV
E B C#m A E B G#m A

Third, I will identify each element of the song, and create named but empty playlist clips to organize and map out the arrangement. I may go so far as to create automation clips to represent things like filter sweeps and fader moves.

This should give people (myself included... this will be a great learning exercise) an idea of the structure of a beatport hit, and show the viewers how they themselves can analyze a song they are particularly interested in.

I don't think I'll encounter any legal issues, as I will explain and post a written disclaimer at the beginning of the video that "I claim no rights or ownership over the intellectual property contained herein, the video is explicitly for educational and commentary purposes only" Also, I will be narrating over the music and pausing and scrubbing around the track anyways, so it wouldn't be deemed an alternative to purchasing or listening to the original track.

Probably going to start recording tonight. Will you guys find use for this kind of exercise? Any thoughts?

Streaming live for a couple of hours while I noodle around.
http://www.justin.tv/triphosphate#

Thanks to anyone who might have tuned in from DSF. Hope to continue with this.

RESULT: Livestream 1 Soundcloud

The audio desyncs with the later videos, I hope to remedy this in the future.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

New one on compression. I start by explain compression as best I can, then demonstrate some practical applications for compression.

1) Controlling a live performance
2) Punchyness for drums
3) Parallel/Compression
4) Buss Glue
5) Enhancing Reverb
6) Sidechaining with 2 examples

Triphosphate wrote:New one on compression. I start by explain compression as best I can, then demonstrate some practical applications for compression.

1) Controlling a live performance
2) Punchyness for drums
3) Parallel/Compression
4) Buss Glue
5) Enhancing Reverb
6) Sidechaining with 2 examples

Golden.
Although I have a question about parallel compression. I own a FabFilter Pro-C (a compressor) that has a Dry/Wet knob. So if I really squash my drums but put a Dry/Wet to around 40% (or something else?) is that the same parallel compression? Would I get the same effect as if I duplicated the drums and compressed them with volume lowered?

Yes, it's the same thing but on one insert. I usually use it myself for parallel, but I just wanted to be consistent throughout the video.