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admin — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 01:05:18 +0000

Remix Clinic: In the Beginning

admin — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 07:01:22 +0000

Today’s music production process is highly technical. It takes a fluent understanding of recording and sequencing techniques to get a musical idea into the computer and then ultimately mix it back out for the world to hear. Despite all of the technical processes, the most important part of any project is the overall creative idea and how successful you are at achieving it. So where do these initial ideas come from and what creative paths should be considered? In this month’s column, I’ll discuss how I start each remix and how I explore the possibilities.

STARTING HERE
At first, I spend some time getting familiar with the original version of the song that I’m remixing. I lock in on what the song is trying to say to me as the listener and what the overall emotional feeling is. This comes into play when I decide on a new direction. I wouldn’t want to take a happy love song and remix it with a lot of dark, angry-sounding synths or vice versa. Really successful songs have a symmetry between the lyrical and musical content.

Next, I’ll continue listening so that I can break down what the rhythm, harmony, and melody are doing. For the rhythm, time signature is important as a vast majority of the remixes, especially the club mixes, are in 4/4 time. Luckily, most commercial music today is written in 4/4 so it is rarely an issue.

Beyond the time signature, I listen to what the beat is doing, especially the kick and snare, and how that relates to other parts of the song. For example, is it a straight beat or is there some sort of atypical pattern? Also, what is the bass line doing, and is it really locked in to support the beat or is it supporting more of the harmony or melody parts? For the harmony parts, I will figure out what chords and what progression(s) are being used for each song section. And last, what melodies are happening in any musical parts and what is the top-line melody of the vocal?

It is important for me, as I break things down, to identify any feature or signature parts that “make” the song. It could be an atypical drum pattern or bass line that really defines it. That’s important because I have to decide whether to retain those parts in my remix. If I choose to use a featured part from the original, it may restrict me a bit on creating new musical parts. I rarely like to simply re-create the same parts from the original. However, the benefit in maintaining a signature part is it can help the listener recognize the record and, if done creatively, add to the strength of the remix. Sometimes I will explore both paths as the project starts to take shape. In the end, I always trust my musical instincts and go with what sounds best to me.

Next, I’ll start to deal with the vocal files and any other parts from the original that I have. I tend not to use anything except the vocals for most remixes unless, as mentioned, there is just that undeniable feature that I want to keep around. In those cases, I try to somehow put my own twist on it. The best-case scenario is when I have access to the original project or at least all of the various vocal stems. When I have the ability to isolate the leads, the background vocals, and any ad-lib tracks, it gives much more freedom and flexibility when creating new arrangements and parts.

STRETCHING OUT
Once I have created a new project and lined up the vocals and any other original parts in my DAW, the next step is to alter the tempo and time-stretch the files (see Web Clip 1). Because the vast majority of the remixes I do are electronic/club remixes, the tempo needs to be in the upper 120s to be viable for DJs in the clubs. Even in the cases where the original song is already in the right tempo range, I will still change it even if it’s only a few bpm. Because a remix is performed to put a new interpretation on a song, a new tempo can help you turn in a new direction creatively.

For the actual time-stretching, I start with the built-in feature of whatever DAW I am using, be it Flex Time in [Apple] Logic or Elastic Time in [Avid] Pro Tools (see Fig. 1). Ableton’s Warp features are very useful, too. Even though I may need some fine-tuning later, time-stretching the vocals right away lets me get started quickly. If I have to stretch something very far or if I want to play with some new harmony parts or creative pitch changes, I will then switch over to Celemony Melodyne.

CHOOSING A PATH
Once the vocals and any original parts are lined up and time stretched, I’ll start creating tracks in the new tempo. There are several factors I consider when choosing a direction. As mentioned, the emotional mood of the song is crucial as is the musical inspiration I get from the vocals. I try to experiment with designing and choosing sounds that convey a similar musical message, but in a completely fresh way. I also factor in the direction the label/artist may be looking for and combine that with what I think would be the strongest direction.

Music is a highly subjective field, but at the end of the day this is my career and it is a business. It’s my job to be on top of current sounds and production tools that I can use to create something special and new for each project within my target genre. Even though I may make a remix that’s more “house-y,” “tech-y,” or “trance-y,” I always try to balance what the label/artist is looking for, what I am trying to say musically, and what I think will have the biggest impact on the dancefloor. It is very important for people looking to remix to not only have technical chops, but a strong understanding of the target genre.

When I’m at the point of creating new tracks to supplement whatever I’m keeping from the original, I’ll start experimenting with parts and treat the project at that point like a big jam session. I’ll write several ideas and just have fun with them until something really starts to stand out and grab my attention. I will usually mute the vocal tracks and just write as if I am creating a whole new song. Once I have something that I like, I’ll reference it against the vocals to make sure it works. If it does, I’ll tweak it some more, keeping in mind that symmetry with the song’s emotional feel. I may start with a sound and shape, something that I think is cool and build up from there, or I may just start by sitting at the piano working on new harmony or melody parts, really focusing on the musical aspect first.

When I am first arranging a remix, I focus on the song’s main sections such as the verses, choruses, and breakdowns. If the final product is going to end up in the pop/commercial direction, I’ll create sections that are in stark contrast with each other. If it’s destined for the dancefloor, I’ll create sections with only slight variations.

These initial steps are crucial to the project’s final shape. By spending the time to analyze the original song, you gain an understanding of it, which will help you explore new directions for your remix. All the technical processes of recording, production, and engineering can come in later after the initial idea is developed. But if you don’t have that great, raw musical spark, no production trick can make up for it. As always, the bottom line is to stay in the studio and stay creative.

Vincent di Pasquale is producer/remixer who works out of his project studio. He has remixed songs for Madonna, Nelly Furtado, Mariah Carey, and many others; and is the author of The Art of the Remix, a comprehensive interactive remixing course available at faderpro.com.

[This Article was featured in Electronic Musician and the original can be found here]

Remix Clinic: Effective Measures

admin — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 07:08:10 +0000

This month, I’m going to explore some great sound-effects techniques you can use in your remixes and projects. Sound effects can be that finishing touch that add a certain polish to your music and make it sound full and more complex. They provide dimension and texture, and they are a great way to help introduce or transition between difference sections in your arrangement or just make a particular part a bit more interesting. You can use them to add a creative and original sound to your productions, they’re fun to design, and the combinations are limitless.

EXTREMELY DEDICATED

Throughout a remix or production project, I will typically set up several dedicated effects tracks in my DAW session. One of the most common scenarios for this would be to add a delay to one word in the vocal, say at the end of a lyric line. In that case, I create a new track and add the delay and any other processing I want, for example EQ and compression. Then I’ll copy the word I want to delay from the vocal track and paste it onto the dedicated delay track. Because it’s a duplicate of a word on the dry original track, setting the delay mix to 100-percent wet means that all I’ll be hearing on that new track will be the delayed word (see Fig. 1).

FIG. 1: When you want to delay a single word, copy it to a new track, insert a delay, and set its mix to 100-percent wet.

I use this same concept to build more complex and creative effects processing chains for other dedicated tracks. For example, if I want the vocals to have a really washed-out and effected sound during the breakdown, I’ll copy the vocal parts I want to process onto a new track. Then I’ll spend time designing and building my effects chain. In the case of the washed-out vocals, I start by putting a highpass filter on the vocal and matching pretty much what I had on the original track. Then I add the reverb, some tape delay, and some chorus to soften and thicken it up a bit. I also like the grit that guitar-amp plug-ins add to vocals and will use those a lot on dedicated vocal effects tracks. Last but not least, I will usually add compression to help glue things together and help bring out the part.The other great thing about using dedicated effects tracks is that once they are set up, you can just simply drop other parts into those tracks and instantly process them. This makes for a fast and easy way to add just a little consistency throughout the project.

SWEPT AWAY

Sweeps and swooshes are staple effects in dance remixes (see Web Clips 1a and 1b). They can add texture and movement to a section or be used to introduce contrasting sections of your arrangement. They can be very short or very long, and can either build up or hit and sweep down. They can be thick, thin, and everything in between. I typically have a few generic starting points for processing sweeps when I add them.

To process my sweep or swoosh, I start with the following effects chain: first an EQ with a highpass filter to thin it out. How much thinner depends on what else is happening at that time and how full the frequency spectrum is. If there is a lot going on, I’ll thin the sound out quite a bit so it just sits on top and doesn’t clutter up the mix. Next I like to put a flanger, set pretty low (around 20 to 25 percent), just to give it some modulation. Then I usually put a short tape delay set to an eighth- or 16th-note to give it some movement in tempo, and I can also extend the decay of the sound if I want by adding more feedback to the delay plug-in.

Another great trick for sweeps is to add some sidechain compression. I always set up a global sidechain track, usually set using a kick on the quarter notes, and use that as a key input on a compressor insert on any given track in my project. In this case, once the global sidechain is set up, I’ll insert a compressor and activate the key input to the sidechain track. Then I just play with the ratio, threshold, and make-up gain to get the desired ducking or pumping effect that I want. Sidechain compression has become very popular of late—not only on effects tracks, but on vocals, synths, and even the master bus. Using a ducking sidechain effect not only offers movement to a part, but it moves within the tempo of your track based on whatever is triggering the  key input.

JUST ADD NOISE

One technique that is great to use is a noise generator that spits out white or pink noise. In Apple Logic, this is achieved by inserting the test oscillator on an instrument track and using the basic pink- or white-noise presets. We all know what white noise sounds like, but technically it is the presence of sound at every frequency across the spectrum at equal level. Pink noise is the same, except it has sharp filters at every octave. Pink noise sounds a little darker and more muffled. Whether you use pink or white noise is a matter of taste. I like the brightness of white noise, so I typically just use that.

FIG. 2: I like to automate the volume of my sweep tracks for maximum impact.

Once the instrument is set up, I’ll mute the track or lower the fader so I can finish the processing chain by inserting an EQ, a compressor, and a flanger or a phaser. Again, sidechain compression is great on the white-noise track because it will add movement that makes the noise less obtrusive and constant. Once the white noise is all set up, I will then use this track to create my own building sweeps throughout the track and automate the volume rides (see Fig. 2). After I’m done, I quickly print the instrument track to a new audio track and commit it. I find it’s easier to work with it that way.

(fig. 2)

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

If you want to add something different from a typical sweep or swoosh sound, try processing some other types of source material. For example, instead of a sweep, you can process a sample of a jet flying over or a race car screaming by. The idea is that when you’re done processing it, it won’t necessarily sound like a plane or a car, but rather a long drawn-out sound that’s capable of adding tension or suspense, similar to what a sweep does.

To design these types of effects, I like to get sounds that are as long as possible because it is always easy to edit them to be shorter. After finding a suitable sound file, I’ll import it and start processing it heavily. I’ll start by inserting things such as EQ, flanger/chorus, tape delay, and reverb. Then it’s a matter of playing with the processing and seeing what happens. Once I have given it a new characteristic sound, I’ll start listening to it in the mix and find a place for it to ultimately sit. You can also use the sidechain and automate it to build in and/or out, however you like. It is basically a creative way to add a one-of-a-kind sound effect. You can also do this to virtually any sound.

REPEAT AND DECAY

At the end of the day, sound effects are one area of production where there really are no rules. You can get as creative as you want and experiment with endless combinations of processing chains, delays, sidechain tricks, and anything  else you can think up. Like with all aspects of music creation, the key is to stay creative and ultimately trust your ears to tell you if something is working or not.

[This article was original featured in Electronic Musician and can be found here]

Remix Clinic: Final Passes

admin — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 07:14:18 +0000

At the end of the mixdown phase on any given song, it’s customary to print several different versions of the mix, including an instrumental and an a cappella. These are part of the group of mixes (aka the final passes) that make up the master recording. Actually, the instrumental and a cappella versions are only two in a running list of what the label or artist may require. Other industry-standard passes include the main pass (full mix), as well as the main pass (vox up) and main pass (vox down), which have the vocals slightly up or down. There’s the radio edit (shortened for radio) and sometimes a TV track (a mix minus the lead vocal). A clean pass may also be needed for broadcast for a song with explicit lyrics.

With a dance remix project, there are two types of passes that you’ll always need to do: the extended pass and the radio edit. In album situations, the extended pass can serve as the main mix of the song. It has extended intro and outro sections of about a minute each. These sections allow DJs to mix the song in and out with others in their sets. The radio edit is cut to less than four minutes in length.

MIX EXTENSIONS

Once I have a handle on the direction and basic groove and structure of the remix, I’ll start working on the extended version, which will usually be somewhere in the neighborhood of six to seven minutes long, featuring purpose-built intro and outro sections and geared toward beat-matching and DJing.

FIG. 1: To get a quick start on your extended intro, move the existing tracks about a minute later in the timeline, and copy and paste the drums to the new bar 1.

FIG. 2: One way to create your outro is to copy the intro and flip it so that it starts fully built up and winds down.

I’ll move all the regions I’ve created toward the right side of my DAW’s timeline, creating about a minute of space in the front (I’ll tighten the timing later) to work on the intro section. I’ll then copy the drum tracks from the main part of the song, which I’ve already worked on, and paste them at the beginning of the extended intro. I’ll use them as a starting point for that section (see Fig. 1). I’ll then experiment with muting various mix elements and auditioning different track combinations until I figure out how I want the intro to build. Even though it’s an extended section designed for DJ transitions, you still need to make it as creative as possible, populating it with signature elements such as synth parts, featured loops, and anything that will give the record its own identity and help lead into the main part of the song.

Once the intro is mostly fleshed out, I’ll copy it to the end of the record and create a quick outro by flipping the arrangement (essentially creating a mirror image of the intro with the fuller part at the beginning instead of the end; see Fig. 2). I will come back to it later when the other sections are exactly how I want them and make it more interesting and precise.

ON THE RADIO

After the extended mix is complete, I move on to the radio edit. Only if I am in a major time crunch will I carve that from the stereo file of the extended mix. I prefer to create the radio edit directly in the extended mix’s multitrack session. Doing so allows me to maintain consistency so that if I change an element along the way, it will get translated across both mixes. Also, by using the multitrack session, I have much more creative control. If I’m editing the 2-track file, there may be a sound effect, cymbal crash, or other sustaining element that ends up getting cut off or cut short due to an edit. If there’s a long breakdown section, which is typical in dance mixes, editing it down in the multitrack allows you to re-create it to fit the shorter format and still have control over all its elements.

The first thing I do when making a radio edit is to copy all the regions for the entire extended mix to later in the timeline, which is where I’ll work on editing it. Make sure to also copy all the automation. Depending on your DAW, you can do this either through a preference setting or with a simple copy and paste. For sound effects and other elements that have very important automation data, I might bounce the track in question as a new audio track. In Apple Logic, I can set the automation to be region-based so that it is more visible and always travels with the region.

After everything has been successfully copied, I start carving down the radio edit. The easiest places to start chopping are the intro and outro sections. These can be cut almost entirely out, leaving only eight to 16 bars to get into the first main musical section. As mentioned, the other section that can often be cut is the breakdown. I will typically edit it down to be eight to 16 bars in length and see how it sounds. Sometimes, those two steps are enough to get the mix to be less than four minutes.

If so, I’ll then make sure that the overall arrangement holds up at the new shorter length and balances the contrasting song sections effectively. The trick to maintaining the same energy and feeling as the original mix is to not cut out sections entirely but shorten them. In the clubs or on an album, you can take longer to build your arrangement. On the radio, things need to happen faster, so aim to catch people’s attention in different ways and get to the main sections quickly.

LAST STEPS

Once both versions are complete, I begin printing the final master passes. I have my own standard list of mixes that I print whether or not the label or artist asked for them: extended mix (main pass), extended mix (instrumental), extended mix (a cappella), radio edit (main pass), radio edit (instrumental), and radio edit (a cappella), all in both full-bandwidth 24-bit WAVs and 320kbps MP3s. The vox up/down passes are not as critical nowadays as that is an easy recall within the DAW session if it is needed.

Remix Clinic: What is a Remix?

admin — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 07:18:51 +0000

A remix is so much more than what its name implies. It incorporates virtually every aspect of music production—from pre-production to the final mixdown, and even mastering. Many remixers, myself included, do every single step themselves. In this month’s column, rather than explore a particular technical aspect of remixing, I wanted to discuss the overall process. Through many conversations I have had with people both inside and outside the industry, it’s become clear to me that the name remixing is not only misleading, but does a pretty lousy job of defining what is done during the process.

INTO THE SPOTLIGHT

When I started remixing, it was out of a love of electronic music and a desire to work with the biggest artists and songs on the charts. Back then, electronic music sounds and styles were outside the pop realm, and remixes were more of an afterthought by the labels to get added attention from the DJs and clubs. Today, however, not only are remixes getting more and more mainstream, but dance/electronic music has finally infiltrated the pop charts in a major way. From Timbaland to will.i.am to Lady Gaga (with RedOne) to David Guetta and his many collaborations, hopefully dance music is finally here to stay.

So where do remixes fit into this progression and why are we still calling them RE-mixes? I would argue that the explosion of the DJ culture and clubs has brought the club sound front and center on the radar of many artists and labels. No matter what genre—hip-hop, pop, or dance—everyone is gunning for what works on the dance floor. Now, many of the musical and production elements that used to only be in dance remixes are being heard on a daily basis all the way up the pop charts.

DRILLING DOWN

Let’s look at the production process of a modern remix. It plays into my original argument that the term remix leaves out most of what the process is actually about. In fact, a vast majority of today’s remix projects, and certainly all the ones I do, encompass nearly every part of music production. Ironically, the actual remixing aspect is only a small part.

Arranging and recording the elements that surround the vocal are similar processes to what is done during the original song production.

Take for example the common songwriting process for most contemporary pop, hip-hop, and dance songs. The producer works to come up with the song’s beat or musical foundation based on what he/she is trying to express. The track is then given to the artist or songwriter to add the vocal melodies and lyrics. It then comes back for any final tweaks musically and is sent off to the engineer for the final mixdown. A remix features the same steps, just in a different order. The producer starts with the original lyrics and melody, and then works to find completely new musical parts that go in an entirely different direction, virtually making a completely different record.

The actual mixing part of a remix is only a small portion of what you end up doing.

Below is a brief overview of each step of the remix process and how I approach each one. Even though every project is different, I do approach each remix in a similar way in terms of process.

PRE-PRODUCTION: STARTING WITH THE VOCALS

The first steps of a remix for me are always the same and more analytical. I start with a few technical things that help me get organized and I analyze the original song. I will do such things as organize the original vocal files, find the original tempo, and do any time-stretching necessary to get it into the tempo range I want. (For specifics on time-stretching, see “A Stretch in Time” from the May 2010 issue of EM, available at emusician.com.) I will also explore the key of the song and get a general sense of what the music is doing.

PRODUCTION: FINDING THE RIGHT MUSICAL PARTS

This is the most creative and time-consuming part of any remix project. In a perfect world, inspiration would come with the flip of a switch and we would have as much time as we need to make everything fit perfectly with the music and original vocal. In the real world, you can sometimes struggle a bit to find the right music to match the vocal, and, of course, the label always needs the mix yesterday. This constant balancing act is what makes music production one of the most challenging and most rewarding jobs.

I tend to work very fast, especially at the start of a project, exploring many musical parts and ideas. It’s like one big jam session that may start with a melody line that works with the vocal, or a bass line that drives the whole record, or a beat that defines some sort of signature element to the project. It’s really no different from any other music-production process: You get an original idea that inspires you to create something different and memorable.

In some cases, it’s even more challenging from a music-writing perspective to work with a pre-existing vocal/melody because you are restricted to that key and certain notes, along with other aspects that must be maintained from the original song. After getting the musical parts in place, the arrangement comes next. I will typically focus on the chorus and hook sections as those tend to be the most energetic and biggest-sounding part of the record. After I get that section to where I want it, I’ll go back to the verse and see what sort of contrasting parts work best, keeping in mind that they must ultimately lead back to the chorus and hook. Last, I will work with a bridge or, more often, a breakdown section.

MIXING: NOTHING RE ABOUT IT

Once the arrangement is pretty much there, I finally get to the mixing part of it. Considering that there is only the vocal remaining from the original song, there is no RE-mixing in this step. Although I save most of the final processing and engineering until I am done with the music production, there are still a lot of the elements and parts that end up being processed and pre-mixed along the way. If I have a particularly large session, I will take some time to get basic levels and blends as I go before I move on to the next section. This helps me ensure everything is working well together from a musical perspective.

MASTERING: DON’T ASSUME ANYTHING

As most remix projects are released as a single or an EP of several remixes, I never assume that my projects will get any kind of mastering once they leave my studio. Even though some do, it’s usually done just to ensure that there are even playback levels between the different songs in the project. I always make sure that once they leave my studio, they are ready to rock.

In the end, the other thing that I love most about remixing is having creative control. The freedom to create whatever I’m hearing for a particular project is great, especially when everyone loves the finished product. The flip side is when people aren’t so crazy about the new sound and direction. But that’s true with any aspect of music production, and the key is to stay creative and inspired.

I am curious to hear what you think. Please use the Comments section below to participate and give me your two cents.

Remix Clinic: Layer it Up!

admin — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 07:25:12 +0000

How do you achieve the “it” factor when creating a remix? Asking that of a music producer ranks right up there with posing the question, “What is the meaning of life?” With that in mind, this month’s discussion will focus on a technique that will help to develop, or improve upon, a signature sound. The technique I am referring to is layering.

Layering is the most effective way to create new sounds, produce rich textures, and add depth to any project (see Fig. 1). This technique can be used to add a more distinct and rich sonic quality to virtually any sound, including vocals, synths, guitars, bass lines, sound effects, and more.

(Fig. 1)

There are three basic steps involved; I’ll take you through them one at a time.

STEP 1: DUPLICATING THE PARTS

The actual duplication of the parts is as easy as re-recording or copying the same notes or pattern on a new, separate track. In the case of MIDI tracks, it’s just a matter of copying the MIDI region down to a new track. Once that’s done, you can start shopping for sounds. With MIDI parts, it is critical to change the layered sound from the original; otherwise, it will be an exact duplicate and will only make the part louder. (More on this later.)

Some people also think you can simply copy a live-performed track (such as a guitar or vocal) and shift it slightly, or add some sort of harmonizer or chorus effect. Even though such effects do have their place, it’s always best to take the time to re-record the live performances, which will give a much more desired layering effect. I have had people, especially budding artists, act surprised when they hear that they must duplicate their part as closely as possible to make the live layering sound convincing. You don’t need to do much to the double once it’s done other than add some standard processing such as EQ and compression.

When remixing drum parts, layering drum samples can create complex sounds, such as a kick that can rattle the subs and snap in the highs. I will sometimes put in as many as three or four layers of kicks and snares, which can be as simple as dragging the samples I want to use into the DAW’s timeline and matching their timing to the samples in the existing drum part. Even with live drums, layering samples underneath them makes it possible to create bigger and better sounds. When it comes to drums, the main goal is to target certain frequency spaces, which I will address next.

STEP 2: COMBINING SOUNDS AND FREQUENCIES

Once the part has been copied, you must pay attention to what the sounds are doing and to what part of the frequency spectrum they’re occupying. Again, in the case of synths and MIDI parts that are exact copies, it is essential to choose a different sound that will complement and add a new dimension to the musical part. When I start layering, I usually have a goal in mind in terms of the direction of the overall sound I am trying to achieve. Synths are the easiest, and sometimes the most fun because they offer an almost limitless range of sonic possibilities. From sustained pad sounds, to classic synth stabs, to arpeggiated parts that offer movement, you can go in so many directions with synths.

FIG. 2: Most synths use multiple oscillators to generate sound. By activating more than one, and adjusting parameters such as the waveform and pitch of each oscillator, you can get some really thick layers.

Layering is, of course, a fundamental aspect of the sound-creating engine of many synthesizers (both modern and classic), and is part of what makes synths so different from other instruments. Many synthesizers have multiple oscillators that can be set to different pitches and waveforms, adding layers of sound for lush, rich results (see Fig. 2). For example, if I want a huge-sounding synth, I will first compose the musical part, then start layering to fill certain parts of the frequency spectrum.

The quickest way is to transpose the part either up or down an octave, which instantly adds depth. Taking it one step further—not only by changing the pitch of the sound, but also by using a different synth with a different type of patch—it’s possible to create a unique composite sound. I can’t tell you how many times people have asked me, “What synth did you use to create that part?” Nine times out of 10, the sound I achieved was the result of layering different synths with different patches and targeting specific frequency ranges with each patch.

With guitars and vocals, I get an immediate sonic payoff right after I double, triple, or even quadruple a part by panning the tracks to either side (how wide to make the spread depends on the song), which immediately adds richness and width (see Web Clips 1a and 1b). In that case, I rarely change the sounds at all. At most, I might decide to double the part in octaves or harmonize it rather than just do a straight double.

In the case of a vocalist, pitch modulation with octaves and harmonies is most common. Bass lines and drums can be a bit trickier. With these, it’s necessary to watch out for frequency masking. This occurs when two sounds, or in this case layers, occupy the same parts of the frequency spectrum, causing them to clash with each other. Usually they end up getting hidden in one big messy sound that lacks any sort of clarity. To avoid this, target different parts of the spectrum with each layer.

With bass drums, for example, three layers may include a sub-sounding kick for the bottom frequencies, a standard kick for the body and punch, and then maybe even a hi-hat sound doubling the other two at a lower volume to add some really nice snap and pop. If done properly, the result won’t seem like three separate kick samples, but one cohesive sound that covers a broad frequency range that can be accentuated further with processing. The same holds true for bass lines. It is very easy to add low, sub layers that just muddy things up. Target specific frequency spaces with each layer (see this month’s “Production Central” on p. 44 for more on bass layering).

STEP 3: PLACING THE SOUNDS

Finally, you need to figure out where you want to place the layers you’ve created. I already touched on guitars, but what about kicks, snares, and basses? For those elements, it may be best to put the layer in the same part of the stereo field as the original as they are most often intended to sound like one cohesive sound. Kicks, basses, and snares are typically panned to the center. With synth layers, I like to experiment with different left-to-right placements to make certain that the mix has more width, especially if they’re the featured sounds of my mix.

With live instruments such as guitars and vocals, a wide left-right placement of each layer works wonders for adding width and texture. The number of layers I’m using determines how I will pan them. If I only have two stacks, I will typically not pan them hard left and right. I prefer to put them closer to keep the sound more together. If I have four stacks, then I will usually pan the first set hard left and right, and the second set maybe at 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock.

THE SUM OF ALL PARTS

By simply layering parts and sounds, you can quickly add dimension and a more characteristic sound to your mixes. However, as with most aspects of music creation, there can be a tendency to overdo it. Just adding more parts does not ensure a better result. It is always wise to take a step back and see if the layer or part really adds that something that will achieve the unforgettable. If not, then remove it and try something else, or leave it out all together. After all, this is not rocket science and usually the simplest things can have the greatest impact.

Remix Clinic: A Stretch in Time

admin — Tue, 11 May 2010 07:30:49 +0000

To kick off this column, I want to talk about one of the most fundamental concepts to remixing: time-stretching. It’s a critical technical process to understand when doing a remix, and changing the tempo is one of the quickest ways to get your version to sound different from the original. It’s usually necessary to time-stretch to get the vocals into the right tempo range for the genre your mix is targeting. I mainly produce club/dance remixes, which have typical BPM ranges in the upper 120s.

ALL ROADS LEAD HOME

Time-stretching capabilities are not new to DAWs, and today most of the major programs let you go beyond the basics, allowing you to warp, bend, flex, and follow any tempo change. No matter what software you choose, it is always best to take a bit of time at the beginning to find the original mix’s tempo and line up all of the original tracks or stems that you have for the project.

If you have a choice, request the vocal tracks in as separated a format as possible, with the lead, harmony, and any ad-lib tracks as individual stems. This will make time-stretching easier and usually give you better results. When there are FX tails on a track or multiple voices mixed together, the stretching algorithms can sometimes get confused and the result can be digital artifacts in the stretched file. When everything is separated, you will get cleaner results and have more creative control to rearrange sections and come up with some completely new vocal parts.

FIG. 1: This shows the original mix with the a cappella vocal track lined up underneath.

It’s also useful to have the full stereo mix of the original song lined up in your session for reference (see Fig. 1). It will make it easier to find the tempo and key if necessary, and you can line up the a cappella vocal files in time against it. This makes it a lot easier to identify a downbeat, which is critical for lining it up at the new tempo. If you have access to the original project’s DAW file, then everything is already lined up and the tempo is right in front of you. If I am not planning to change the tempo that much, then I will also time-stretch the original mix, which can sometimes lead to interesting new parts and loops that you can process and further edit to sound different.

Once you have the original tempo figured out and everything is lined up, you can then start to think about how far you need to stretch things to get them in the desired tempo range. For example, let’s say you are doing a dance/club mix and you want the tempo to be around 128bpm. If the original song is 115bpm or above, then you can be pretty sure you will have no problems. If the tempo is a ballad, let’s say 70bpm, the chances of stretching the files up to 128bpm and having it sound decent are slim.

However, you can slow the tempo of the vocal files down to, say, 64bpm and have them play at half-time against your 128bpm musical bed. However, songs whose original BPM is in the mid 90s end up in what I call no-man’s land for dance remixes. It is usually too much of a stretch to go up to the 120s or down to the 60s for half-time. This is especially true if it’s a spoken word or a rap vocal. In these cases, I will take it as high as I can—either I’ll get it to sound good in the lower 120s or have to switch gears a bit, creatively.

TRUST YOUR EARS

By taking some time at the start of a remix to organize the files, find the tempo, and line up and stretch the vocals, you will set yourself up to stay in the creative flow. And the most important thing to remember is to trust your ears—not only when it comes to time-stretching, but with all aspects of your musical creation process.

Test News 2

admin — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 19:33:11 +0000

FaderPro is an emerging leader in online video based training courses that teach the art of music production. FaderPro.com gives users an “all access” pass into the studio of top industry professionals to learn how they achieve their success. Featuring the highest quality videos shot in full HD giving users the “sitting shotgun” point of view of working with the best. FaderPro.com’s mission is to be the premier online training resource for aspiring musicians and producers offering the fastest, most efficient way to learn the art of modern music making.FaderPro is an emerging leader in online video based training courses that teach the art of music production. FaderPro.com gives users an “all access” pass into the studio of top industry professionals to learn how they achieve their success. Featuring the highest quality videos shot in full HD giving users the “sitting shotgun” point of view of working with the best. FaderPro.com’s mission is to be the premier online training resource for aspiring musicians and producers offering the fastest, most efficient way to learn the art of modern music making.

Test News Item

admin — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 19:30:32 +0000

Are You Able? (Ableton)

admin — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 18:00:43 +0000

“Are You Able” is a comprehensive music production course where multi-platinum and grammy nominated producer Ivan Corraliza aka ILL FACTOR (Kevin Rudolph, Lil Wayne, Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, Ricky Martin, Moloko) show you his step by step process and techniques he uses when creating an original song using Ableton LIVE.

In this course, you will learn how to produce a complete project from start to finish, all from scratch! Follow along as Ill Factor shows you his signature, on the fly skill set that will provide you with the confidence in sequencing, editing and recording your own music using Ableton LIVE.

As a special bonus, Ill Factor invites singer/songwriter Giel (Diddy, Timbaland, Jimmy Douglass) into the studio to complete the musical process by adding vocals and turning the track into a completed song.

Watch and see the creative flow from producer & artist as they discover a melody, write a verse and layer harmonies to complete the song.

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You will learn how to quickly and easily record, stack and EQ vocal tracks.

Hear how Ill Factor got started and how his hit record “Let It Rock” featuring Kevin Rudolph and Lil’ Wayne was made?

You will also get an inside look at how an artist of Ill Factor’s stature says productive and inspired…..Are you Able?

Section 1: Song Prep & Building the Beat

Section 2: Working with Loops

Section 3: Adding Musical Parts

Section 4: Using Effects

Section 5: Recording to the Arrange Page

Section 6: Working with an Artist

“Are You Able” was written and developed by FaderPro who’s advanced learning videos and DVDs have been recognized and used by producers worldwide.

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