Anthemic EDM Instrumentals - Is My EQ and compression OK?

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andygabrys
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Re: Anthemic EDM Instrumentals - Is My EQ and compression OK

Post by andygabrys » Mon May 23, 2016 4:49 pm

JimmyCarvalho wrote:@paulie

i side-chiain the synth buss
and to help the mix glue somtimes
i will do another side-chain with a different release
on the bass buss for the mid and hi bass
+1

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Re: Anthemic EDM Instrumentals - Is My EQ and compression OK

Post by oshro » Mon May 23, 2016 6:58 pm

All, thanks for the great feedback. I've added some sidechaining to the synths. Does this please you? (same link as the original, replaced the file):
https://soundcloud.com/oshro/dancing-with-leonardo

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Re: Anthemic EDM Instrumentals - Is My EQ and compression OK

Post by cosmicdolphin » Tue May 24, 2016 3:04 am

oshro wrote:All, thanks for the great feedback. I've added some sidechaining to the synths. Does this please you? (same link as the original, replaced the file):
https://soundcloud.com/oshro/dancing-with-leonardo
First time listen, well done on trying out a new genre. I think the bar for this listing will be very high given the budget.

You were asking if it was a solid Dance track and if the EQ, compression & sidechaining were good.

First off as I am learning in my 4th month as a Taxi member there are many genres and sub-genres to EDM so you need to recognize which one(s) the referenced tracks fall into and understand the common elements in them. The great thing is listening & studying can be done for free, but may also be worth buying one or two of them to import into your DAW session so you can A/B your mix/production against the real deal and see how it stacks up.

I think what you've written here is a different genre, it has a more chilled laid back vibe and not "An Anthem that sets the party on fire " to paraphrase the listing. Part of this is the previously mentioned "reverb wash" which takes all the edges off it but also the slightly "New Age -ish " sounds used as some of your lead instruments. I also feel the kick is rather out of balance but the drums also sound veiled in general like they are being masked by some of the other instruments.

Mix aside, I think you need to look at your arrangement. There's some good ideas in there but it doesn't take me on the same journey as something like "Levels"..theirs is very focused in the way it builds up , breaks down then builds to a crescendo. You could probably cut out a lot of the sections where it just basically repeats and try to have a more engaging shorter piece.

At this stage of my Taxi "career" I treat listings like this as a learning opportunity, as the chances are tiny but being up against a deadline for a big bucks deal is quite a motivator isn't it?. I actually employed some side-chaining on my submission for the first time ever in a track I've made ( I've been making and mixing music for over 25yrs lol ) and yes it is a good technique to help it sound more contemporary but I think if I hadn't learned the more basic stuff first it wouldn't cover up for fundamental issues of the arrangement & mixing.

Things I personally learned from writing for this listings:-

1. Melodies can sound better if they are voiced by chords not just notes

2. How to reproduce the "tape slow down" sound from "Levels"

3. In 8th note EDM melodies the gaps are almost as important as the notes played

4. How to use a filter on a synth to make it build

5. That a self recorded finger click sounded better than one from a drum Vst

6. To layer 3 or 4 sounds for my melody

7. That my bass doesn't need to be all that deep

8. How economic with the arrangement the reference tracks are

Having said all of that I'm no expert, and most of my stuff sounded like the mid 80s until I joined Taxi and really listened to lots more modern music but here is my subsmission. I'm not 100% happy with it and would have liked a couple more days but like I say I learned a lot.

https://soundcloud.com/cosmicdolphin/st ... ed/s-3eVN9

Mark

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Re: Anthemic EDM Instrumentals - Is My EQ and compression OK

Post by TheElement » Tue May 24, 2016 4:02 pm

sorry I'm late to the party. was writing for this listing also. I hate deadlines. such a mad rush.

ok I think there is alot of great advice already given.

When doing a track I like to start with the drums. And then make sure the bass is not clashing with the kick.

Start with a solid kick. One that is in or around the key of G can work with tracks in different keys. But whatever sound right is right for the track. got to use your ears. maybe listen to a few kicks of some other edm tracks you like. you could also get into tuning kicks but imo I dont think iots really worth worrying about. once the kick sounds great in the track its good to go. so get a decent kick. makes a huge difference in how clean your mix turns out as the kick can count for like around 50% of the room in a edm track.

Also make sure kick is not too long (doesnt ring out long..tail of kick)

A nice kick that has a pronounced topkick sounds cool and will cut through the mix.

try to side chain as many instruments as possible. even if just a little bit. Pump the bass the hardest.

Going back to your track you have some nice melodic ideas.

Its so important to choose the right sounds as you build the track. the sounds need to fit together otherwise you will need to do a ton of eq to fix clashing. sidechaining helps prevent clashing.

Only low cut if you have to. like if sounds are clashing you will need to cut. but cutting too much will leave your mix thin, weak and with no bottom end.

The above will help a ton in getting a solid clean mix.

Good luck! 8-)
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Re: Anthemic EDM Instrumentals - Is My EQ and compression OK

Post by oshro » Tue May 24, 2016 4:25 pm

Thanks for the great advice!

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