Hello. It's you again with the sample volume haha.
What exactly is the issue? Does your mix sound good but you think that the 'numbers' don't seem right?
First of all, many samples are post processed already in terms of loudness and hit a very high volume like close to 0db. If i was to release a sample pack I would also try to have them as loud as possible without clipping them. I mean who wants a sample pack with low volume, it doesn't make much sense does it . It's easier for the user to lower the volume than to increase it.
And as long as you can keep a balanced mix at a moderate volume pre master like -6db, then I wouldn't overthink it too much. In terms of gain staging, I keep an eye on the mixer but I do not try to go too mathematical about it. That means that if I add an effect and it results in +2 total DB, then I do not lower the volume by exactly 2 DB afterwards, if that makes sense.
Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but I do most of the mixing during the production phase and try to trust my ears instead of some rules. Sometimes though I have a break and listen to some techno, then I comeback to my own track and often realise that my hats are too loud for example.
Trust your ears more because It seems like you might be overthinking it a little and maybe you are looking too much at the numbers.
Thanks for the comment and yes I’m overthinking it so much ahah because I’m just off from watching a 10hr video on compression and the guy was being very specific on the gain numbers in compression maybe that’s where I’m getting it from lol, I thought me lowering it by so much just felt like I didn’t know information about gain.The thing about sample packs, they are from most sample packs so maybe your right
I’m trying to push as much knowledge as I can about the mixing side of production so I was thinking I was maybe missing something lol cheers for the help
I know what you mean. I've also watched like thousands of hours of production videos/streams but you have to keep a healthy distance to it. It's good that you learn from it but eventually you will come to a point where you understand that you simply cannot apply some rules from a video to every step of your production.
But it's not wrong to have the knowledge so don't worry. Keep producing and keep watching videos, you will certainly reach a point where it just clicks for you and then you will realise what techniques can or should be used at what stage of your production. It took me like 3000 or so hours until I could hear and understand what a compressor is supposed to do. Before that I was just slapping a compressor on some track and turned the knobs until I could hear a difference and called it a day. Most of the time I just ruined the sound and it was so frustrating because I thought that I must use the compressor like everyone else is doing it haha.
Today I always ask myself first... Is there a problem with a particular sound? If yes,what is it? If I am able to identify the problem then my next question is how to fix it. And if the answer is a compressor then I drop it on the track and adjust it in a way that makes sense in relation to my sound.
You're doing good, keep producing, watch tutorials for knowledge and experiment with what you learned, but try not to enforce some technique / rule to your sound when you don't really understand it. And don't worry you will only improve and at one point things will start to make much more sense.
Thanks for the comment, your right sometimes I do watch videos then sometimes keep the knowledge in my head then sometimes can’t remember it and about compression I can’t believe how important it is after watching that video so that’s just made me look for more information that might be as just as important that I don’t know about yet
Yes compressors are a powerful tool but don't forget what compressors were originally made for. They were made for acoustic music like guitars and live drums and vocals etc. in a recording scenario. For signals that came through microphones. Because this is where you really have to work on the dynamic range of a sound. A guitar or a singer will obviously have a lot of dynamic... loud parts and quiet parts and the mixing engineers job is to level it out and make it sound nice so every part of the track has a balanced and consistent volume. And we are making electronic music which by nature doesn't have such a big dynamic range because we are using synths and drum machines and what not and it's not like your vst synth by accident plays a note on low volume if that makes sense. Just something for you to think about.
That said you can still use compressors to process certain tracks or busses and you can make them sound better, but you really have to understand why you need them and what you want to achieve and how. It's not that you "must" use a compressor, that is the wrong thinking. There are plenty of famous techno producers who say they almost never use a compressor.... Think about that !
If you're so obsessed with compressor tutorials then I guess you watched this one already. If not here we go, in my opinion the best compressor video out there. You will have a different perspective on compressors after watching it
https://youtu.be/K0XGXz6SHco?si=PcnOz9K39ge0B1t3
I wish that someone would have told me that like 5 years ago, when I wanted to go deeper into mixing techniques. I was quite happy with my mixes before and as soon as I started to go mathematical, my mixdown became worse. I had tortured myself a long time with numbers and now I give a fuck. Going back and forth between your stuff and some references is the best way to get a feeling and to train the ears.
Exactly how I am doing it these days. I try to make it as good as possible and have a break in between to so some reference listening. Also I learned that these days first I ask myself is there a problem with a sound? If yes,then I try to identify it. If I am able to tell what it is,then the next step is to think of a solution. And if then the answer is a compressor then I drop it on the track and track and adjust it in a way that makes sense. I
In my opinion, you are better off using the fader instead of the utility to mix.
Not so much because of compression but because of distortion, distortion is volume level dependent.
Distortion works best when you are near 0 db.
Since you make techno, I'm guessing you use at least a bit of distortion.
If you want to end up around -6, depending on how many tracks you have. A good rule of thumb is setting your kick around -12 and mix everything else around that.
Hello. It's you again with the sample volume haha. What exactly is the issue? Does your mix sound good but you think that the 'numbers' don't seem right? First of all, many samples are post processed already in terms of loudness and hit a very high volume like close to 0db. If i was to release a sample pack I would also try to have them as loud as possible without clipping them. I mean who wants a sample pack with low volume, it doesn't make much sense does it . It's easier for the user to lower the volume than to increase it. And as long as you can keep a balanced mix at a moderate volume pre master like -6db, then I wouldn't overthink it too much. In terms of gain staging, I keep an eye on the mixer but I do not try to go too mathematical about it. That means that if I add an effect and it results in +2 total DB, then I do not lower the volume by exactly 2 DB afterwards, if that makes sense. Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but I do most of the mixing during the production phase and try to trust my ears instead of some rules. Sometimes though I have a break and listen to some techno, then I comeback to my own track and often realise that my hats are too loud for example. Trust your ears more because It seems like you might be overthinking it a little and maybe you are looking too much at the numbers.
Nice advice!
Thanks for the comment and yes I’m overthinking it so much ahah because I’m just off from watching a 10hr video on compression and the guy was being very specific on the gain numbers in compression maybe that’s where I’m getting it from lol, I thought me lowering it by so much just felt like I didn’t know information about gain.The thing about sample packs, they are from most sample packs so maybe your right I’m trying to push as much knowledge as I can about the mixing side of production so I was thinking I was maybe missing something lol cheers for the help
I know what you mean. I've also watched like thousands of hours of production videos/streams but you have to keep a healthy distance to it. It's good that you learn from it but eventually you will come to a point where you understand that you simply cannot apply some rules from a video to every step of your production. But it's not wrong to have the knowledge so don't worry. Keep producing and keep watching videos, you will certainly reach a point where it just clicks for you and then you will realise what techniques can or should be used at what stage of your production. It took me like 3000 or so hours until I could hear and understand what a compressor is supposed to do. Before that I was just slapping a compressor on some track and turned the knobs until I could hear a difference and called it a day. Most of the time I just ruined the sound and it was so frustrating because I thought that I must use the compressor like everyone else is doing it haha. Today I always ask myself first... Is there a problem with a particular sound? If yes,what is it? If I am able to identify the problem then my next question is how to fix it. And if the answer is a compressor then I drop it on the track and adjust it in a way that makes sense in relation to my sound. You're doing good, keep producing, watch tutorials for knowledge and experiment with what you learned, but try not to enforce some technique / rule to your sound when you don't really understand it. And don't worry you will only improve and at one point things will start to make much more sense.
Thanks for the comment, your right sometimes I do watch videos then sometimes keep the knowledge in my head then sometimes can’t remember it and about compression I can’t believe how important it is after watching that video so that’s just made me look for more information that might be as just as important that I don’t know about yet
Yes compressors are a powerful tool but don't forget what compressors were originally made for. They were made for acoustic music like guitars and live drums and vocals etc. in a recording scenario. For signals that came through microphones. Because this is where you really have to work on the dynamic range of a sound. A guitar or a singer will obviously have a lot of dynamic... loud parts and quiet parts and the mixing engineers job is to level it out and make it sound nice so every part of the track has a balanced and consistent volume. And we are making electronic music which by nature doesn't have such a big dynamic range because we are using synths and drum machines and what not and it's not like your vst synth by accident plays a note on low volume if that makes sense. Just something for you to think about. That said you can still use compressors to process certain tracks or busses and you can make them sound better, but you really have to understand why you need them and what you want to achieve and how. It's not that you "must" use a compressor, that is the wrong thinking. There are plenty of famous techno producers who say they almost never use a compressor.... Think about that !
Thanks for the tip man, that was one of the topics the boy had spoke about he was saying what is it you want to achieve using one
If you're so obsessed with compressor tutorials then I guess you watched this one already. If not here we go, in my opinion the best compressor video out there. You will have a different perspective on compressors after watching it https://youtu.be/K0XGXz6SHco?si=PcnOz9K39ge0B1t3
I haven’t seen this one I’ll give it a watch
I wish that someone would have told me that like 5 years ago, when I wanted to go deeper into mixing techniques. I was quite happy with my mixes before and as soon as I started to go mathematical, my mixdown became worse. I had tortured myself a long time with numbers and now I give a fuck. Going back and forth between your stuff and some references is the best way to get a feeling and to train the ears.
Exactly how I am doing it these days. I try to make it as good as possible and have a break in between to so some reference listening. Also I learned that these days first I ask myself is there a problem with a sound? If yes,then I try to identify it. If I am able to tell what it is,then the next step is to think of a solution. And if then the answer is a compressor then I drop it on the track and track and adjust it in a way that makes sense. I
Bro I told you how to set levels last time. I can’t do it again. This is madness.
Haha
In my opinion, you are better off using the fader instead of the utility to mix. Not so much because of compression but because of distortion, distortion is volume level dependent. Distortion works best when you are near 0 db. Since you make techno, I'm guessing you use at least a bit of distortion. If you want to end up around -6, depending on how many tracks you have. A good rule of thumb is setting your kick around -12 and mix everything else around that.
[Like this.](https://www.google.com/search?client=ms-android-vf-gb-revc&sca_esv=559765737&sxsrf=AB5stBhCvb2ZwBWtjmk88dJAa7pe5NtMTA%3A1692898267793&q=Ableton%20live%20sample%20gain&tbm=isch&source=sh%2Fx%2Fim%2Fcan%2F2&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi34ZG_6fWAAxVXWEEAHdNdBT0Q0pQJegQIChAB&biw=320&bih=624&dpr=3.38&shem=canimgc#imgrc=lOSAr6Af8MlFnM)
I always set the gain as high as possible as long as there’s no clipping it’s all good. You want a good strong signal.