Help With Mixing...Why do I get clipping and how to get sounds to 'sparkle'

G

Gouryella91

New member
I have no clue where to start when it comes to mixing my track.

I understand what eq's do (every sound in it's own space). I understand the the knobs for compression and a little bit about how to use compression (reduce peaks, better dynamic range to help with matching levels of the sounds). I understand reverb abit (give the sound life; create artificial space for the sound to breathe, putting sounds in the foreground or background). But whenever I try to mix and use these functions, I have no real idea where I want to go or how I do it (I guess my general goal is to getting my track sounding super 'clean' like Avicii's tracks, where my sounds aren't muddied but infact 'sparkle') and I get clipping (especially with the compressor).

So I was just wondering why do I get clipping and why does my track instruments seem to muddy the overall sound instead of being separated and more polished. Any help on mixing in general would help alot. thx.
 
Make sure you are using good sounds, to begin with. That reduces the need for crazy mixing. Also, compression isn't always needed, so don't blindly use it on every track "just because". Too much reverb can muddy your sound real quick. Use panning to set different instruments apart from each other. And don't be afraid of low- & high-cut filters. There's a lot of stuff at the tops and bottoms of the freq range that can cause mud.

Without hearing an example, I can't say much more. Mixing is different for every song, and there's really no set way to go about it. Just try to keep learning and experimenting.
 
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As it turns out mixing takes years of experience to get down. Trial and error my friend - see ya in about ten years.

EDIT: I wouldn't say the track in your sig is "muddy" though. I think you've got your basics. The devil is in the details - you'll get it.
 
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look up "Epik The Dawn Mixing Tips"... He helped me step my game up in mixing. You need better high-quality sounds, when you EQ, EQ or filter out the sounds you CANNOT hear (assuming you're using high quality instruments). When u mix, mix with all volume bars at low levels... like I usually make my main melody line's volume start at -20 db and I turn up the rest of the volumes until it sounds rite and I feel I can hear every instrument the way I want it.Also mix at quiet levels... Don't burst ur ear drums over one track and mixes come out better that way... (I'm guilty of bursting my ear drums to a track even to this day bur I toned down so don't worry) Now, mastering is where it gets really tricky... also layer to get a fuller sound. I also experiment with effects! Some effects make certain instruments sit VERY WELL in tracks! TRUST ME on this! Know ur effects and what each one does and u mite begin to have a favorite one u use a lot that helps u mix ur tracks better (if u use it right)! I'll tell u more but mind just went blank but this is how I currently mix my tracks after 3 years of experience.. let me know if I'm doing something wrong... Ohh btw when it comes to mastering, I usually put a general EQ on the whole track in general and but a multi-press (some sort of compressor) on it.. sometimes the multi-press kills the sound so I take it off and sometimes it enhances it so be careful.. Bye! :-)

- DAH Trump

---------- Post added at 08:55 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:04 AM ----------

PS - Its late at night, please excuse my spelling and grammar.
 
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Start with the basics, as in volume levels, panning, and EQ. These are the easiest changes to notice in a mix for someone with untrained ears. And it really helps you get a grasp on tools that you will 100% use on every project. I spent a lot of time with the EQ that I use now, I took a few songs I knew well and applied my EQ to them for about a week, learning the different functions and how to spot and change things that I was hearing. Also, having a visual EQ is nice for beginners, because without a trained ear we cannot always hear what is going on, sometimes we need to see it!

I used to get really attached to parts of sounds that were just unnecessary, like a hi hat with a bottom end sounded very cool soloed, but you could not hear the bottom end at all in the mix. It's good to cut those frequencies out completely (use a low or high shelf) because they do not add to the character of the specific sound within the frame of your mix but they do add mud. Do not be afraid to slice up your sounds with an EQ, just make sure that another instrument is already dominating those frequencies and you will notice an improvement overall.
 
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