Need MAJOR help mixing my beats

1goon1

New member
I have been making beats for the last few years, and I haven’t been getting good results mixing. I have tried many techniques and different approaches over the years and I can’t get a decent sound. I love making beats, but mixing is really frustrating because I can’t get the sound I want.

I have seen some producers on YouTube just level and get better mixes than me. I have a decent setup as well, so I’m pretty sure that isn’t the problem.

i can’t post links yet unfortunately, so please bear with me. Thanks
 
I'm interested in hearing what your beats sound like. Sometimes the sounds we choose just don't mix well. Super heavy low end bass and 808's are never going to work that well together unless the arrangement makes room for them to have their space. Mixing magic can only go so far. If it's just a matter of needing a more experienced mixing engineer, there's definitely a few people here on FP that mix other people's beats (myself included) but I"m guessing you're DIYing it in order to save money or have a total control. Either way, once your post count is up and you can drop a link or two, I'm sure people can give you a solid starting place.
 
I'm interested in hearing what your beats sound like. Sometimes the sounds we choose just don't mix well. Super heavy low end bass and 808's are never going to work that well together unless the arrangement makes room for them to have their space. Mixing magic can only go so far. If it's just a matter of needing a more experienced mixing engineer, there's definitely a few people here on FP that mix other people's beats (myself included) but I"m guessing you're DIYing it in order to save money or have a total control. Either way, once your post count is up and you can drop a link or two, I'm sure people can give you a solid starting place.

Thanks for the response, sometimes I make a beat that sounds decent and then the mix ruins it.
 
Here are two of my best mixes on my YouTube
YouTube
YouTube

I asked this producer how he mixes and he said all he does is level, nothing more.
YouTube

It sounds so much better than mine, I don’t get why. And feedback helps
 
Hmmm. It all depends on what you consider "better" and why.

I'm not a big Trap guy, but I don't hear any real issues with your mix, and the arrangements are pretty interesting too. What is it that you like about "that guy's" sound that you think is lacking in yours? And, what basic steps are you taking as you mix, i.e., what is your mix process, step-by-step?


GJ
 
Check out my latest track on Soundcloud and if you think it's well mixed or as said, sounds better than your mixes, then I'm willing to help you personally in private (direct messaging) just so you can achieve better mixing results and open some stuff that you can do to make your beats more clear and less muddy!
 
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Good question, I’m actually not sure what sounds that much better to me, maybe just because it’s someone else’s beat. I usually mix by leveling the drums/Percussion first and then eq the instruments. After I eq the instruments I listen for anything else that is needed in the mix I.e. distorted bass. When I “master” I usually use a fruity limiter with the compression settings disabled and then the izotope ozone maximizer.
 
Honestly dude, I just checked out your tracks on YT that you linked, and they sound fine to me! Maybe try to use an EQ to filter unwanted low end on certain instruments/synths, will help make the mix less muddier!
 
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Thanks bro, are you saying I should cut out a bit more? I used to do that but lately I was trying a different technique I saw where some low end is left. I’m gonna go back to how I used to for sure. Thanks
 
Yes, I think you are being hyper-critical of yourself, 1goon1. I far prefer your track to the one you are using as comparison. If, however, you like the "banger" sound of the drums and bass on the track (popular in some quarters, I know, but just sounds like too-aggressive distortion to me), there are ways to achieve it.

I think your track sounds better than fine, BUT, if there is something you're trying to achieve in your mixes that you feel isn't there yet, the best way to get there is to use professional reference tracks in the genre you are trying to emulate, and keep "A-Bing" between them and your mix on monitor speakers you know the sound of well. In other words, use popular music you know well on speakers you know well to set a standard for you to try and match with your own mixes.

GJ
 
Start off with everything at -18db. Work in groups. Start with the drum group. Then the bass. I personally like to start with the loudest part of the song, maybe the chorus, and work my way down from there. There is also the pink noise method where you have one track with pink noise at -6db and then you mix one track at a time against it blending it in until you barely hear the instrument, then move on to the next instrument. Works pretty well too.

I'll be happy to mix on a screen share with you to show you my method. Message me if interested.
 
Ok, I listened to your tracks. I think I hear what you are not happy about. Just a guess...

Track 1: This is a very nice mix. I think what you want is more aggression. I think you need to sidechain your bass to give your kick extra thump. Maybe you can add some saturation on the bass, kick, or both.

Track 2: Your kick is WAY too loud and clicky. I'd bring it down and low pass it. I don't think it needs all that high end. I'd turn up the bass a bit too.
 
I have been making beats for the last few years, and I haven’t been getting good results mixing. I have tried many techniques and different approaches over the years and I can’t get a decent sound. I love making beats, but mixing is really frustrating because I can’t get the sound I want.

I have seen some producers on YouTube just level and get better mixes than me. I have a decent setup as well, so I’m pretty sure that isn’t the problem.

i can’t post links yet unfortunately, so please bear with me. Thanks

I can offer one thing to do that will result in cleaner mixes. Not sure if thats the issue ... since you didn't say :). But try this it is easy and produces amazing results.

Basiclly almost every instrument overlaps in the 200-500 Hz range. Add an EQ to every track and put a ~1.5 to 2db cut over 200-500 Hz. Have the peak be at about 367 Hz and a Q that resuts in a cut there and drops to zero cut at 200 and 500 ... U can experiment with different Q's but if you follow this you will be quite surprized at how something so simple really helps.

Also having a high pass EQ on every track where u roll off all the lows that aren't needed (be sure to do all this while listeinng in context with the mix) can also be very usefull.

Hope that helps,

Dan
 
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Honestly dude, I just checked out your tracks on YT that you linked, and they sound fine to me! Maybe try to use an EQ to filter unwanted low end on certain instruments/synths, will help make the mix less muddier!

You can use EQs to identify problematic and resonant frequencies and cut them out. It will make a huge difference in your tracks, but keep in mind that Parametric EQ is good for balancing and then again, you shouldn't forget to use Graphic EQ as well.
 
If you're consistently not getting the results you want, it's time to look at your gear and the room it's in. If that's unbalancing it, no trick is gonna help.
 
If you're consistently not getting the results you want, it's time to look at your gear and the room it's in. If that's unbalancing it, no trick is gonna help.

I wouldn't say it's a gear related issue. I make my mixes in a normal room, without studiomonitors or equipment. Basically, using my gaming headset to process and mix yet I manage to put out decent mixes. More likely you need to know your gear and what tools you're using and how to use them to make balanced stuff.
 
There's definitely some tricks and tips that can send you in the right direction but at the end of the day there is no rules in music. I'm a strong believer in if it sounds good it sounds good. Just keep playing with your EQ and take the advice from the other producers who commented but also trust your own ears. Maybe think about buying some quality sound kits that are already pretty well mixed. But honestly I just checked out your beats and they sound really good, I think it's just a case of "being your own biggest critic" which in my opinion is a good thing because that's how you get better!
 
I wouldn't say it's a gear related issue. I make my mixes in a normal room, without studiomonitors or equipment. Basically, using my gaming headset to process and mix yet I manage to put out decent mixes. More likely you need to know your gear and what tools you're using and how to use them to make balanced stuff.

I have to say, I'm impressed you manage to wrangle that sound of a gaming headset. It's pretty decent.
My argument still stands though. I'm not so much talking about whether you get something decent sounding out of it. Knowing your gear is always key and it doesn't have to be expensive.
I'm talking about transparency and control though. So if you use compression or eq, because your head set is coloured or not as accurate, you can't accurately judge what you are doing with an effect.
So yeah, while it's totally possible to make something cool that way, when you make precise, detailed changes to your mix you can't reliably predict what's going on and how it will sound on different systems.
Getting more precise monitoring, or even switching between different headsets, will remove a lot of that guess work.
 
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