Before mixing I wondered what was better to mix on, Ableton or Logic. Logic outshines Ableton in terms of mixing. Ableton is very good for electronic music mixing and the sound design. The effects on Ableton can improve vocals as well as elements in making a beat.
I need to make sure I don’t add too much of an effect or make the vocals sound off and/or clash with the instrumental. I will keep an eye on the levels of the audio and make sure nothing clips and make sure the bass isn’t to overpowering when the vocals are added.
24th April – I have started the mixing process on Ableton. I have chopped up the audio that is needed for the track.
25th April – I have cut out all the un needed audio and places all the lyrics in the right place. I first went though the song and cut some of the beat to add some variety within the track rather than it being a continuous instrumental.
I cut some of the beat and altered some parts where the kick and snare are the only thing that is playing. This is quite effective for verses as it can make certain lines feel more significant or lead into a beat drop/switch up. I did it throughout the rack as it makes it more interesting to listen to.
I had an idea of altering the tone of the beat but it didn’t sound too good and didn’t match the vibe of the song so I changed it back. I also had an idea of changing the tone of my lyrics to sound a bit deeper but it didn’t sound too good in my ears.
I lowered the volume of the beat as it was clipping on the channel volume. I lowered the volume in some places and added an EQ to lower the lower frequencies I some places as the bass is quite overpowering and strong in some parts.
I added “Duel Pitch” to parts of my lyrics tat I thought were significant and/or needing it. I added an automation so my voice increases in pitch towards the end of the verse. This add’s variety and also works well with the vibe of the song. For the most part, I kept the ‘Duel Pitch’ on the deeper end.
Theres some parts where the vocals are increased and some parts where the vocals are decreased in pitch. This can add a bit of juxtaposition during the track and can also add more variety to the vocals. Iv seen Eminem do this in some of his sons and if t is done right, It can create a cool atmosphere where the vocals are completely different to the rest.
I EQ’d my vocals and increased the lower end as I they sounded a bit ‘flat’ when I solo’d them. This also add’s depth to them. I experimented with the medium and higher end but at the end I just put them back to the default settings and just kept the lower end. Adding too much high or medium frequency makes the vocals sound off if they were constantly having that effect. I didn’t add any output volume to the vocals as they would be too loud and would cause the song to have some distortion in some places.
I added a filter on my voice towards the end of a line or a verse and this create a good outdo for that section. I made it so its faded then slowly automates back to normal to start the next section. This is effective as it can create in interesting listening experience for the listener. It adds more variety to the song. I automated the frequency throughout the track. Filtered out vocals can sound nice in some sections.
I automated the filter to fade out a verse and lead into a different section.
26th April – For next lesson – add panning in some sections clean up the audio levels in some places. Add some filtered vocals in some places where there is a gap.
9th May – This is the layout of the track so far. I added in some filtered out vocals in some gaps. I also cut some of the beat and made sure it wasn’t too loud and the bass wasn’t too overpowering.
In the gap between verses I added the last part of the previous verse and filtered them out so its just ‘in the background’. I also turned up the channel reverb on this transition. I also cut the first work of that section and added it a few times as the next beat kicks in. I panned the last few words left and right, this makes the transition sound more interesting.
I ended the song right as the last part of the channel is. This leads straight back into the start of the song if the track is on repeat. I feel like this is a good transition back into itself. was going to add an outdo with some reverb and echo but it didn’t fit the vibe and didn’t sound good to me.
I cut the beat a bit more so it matches some of the vocal sections. I also cut some kicks and snares out and aded them to some other areas. This add’s some variation. I also added a fade into the beat and at the start of some of the verses and breakdowns. This can also make some lines have more of an impact on the track when the beat is cut and its just the vocals.
9th May bounce down of the song.
I listened to it is a more professional studio with speakers to hear it from a different type of way. I was listening out for any distortion or any notes that are out of place.I heated some of the vocals were clashing with the beat in some places so I lowered the volume and I took some of the lower frequencies out of the beat which made it all sound way better and more clear.
I did some finishing touches to the track which included double checking that nothing is distorted or out of place. I also cut some more of the beat and exaggerated some of the lyrics. I turned down isle if the reverb on some parts of the vocals because they sound slightly too wet and not clear enough in some sections. I then exported the track and uploaded it to sound cloud (on private until I release it)