I'm a beginner and don't really know how to mix and master, any tips or changes?

Hey Musi - a great starting point to learn where to start is to either listen and pay close attention to the track(s) that inspired this piece or find tracks that you wish this track, to sound like. And I am going to assume you're a complete novice to mixing, so to start, I would suggest playing around with:



  1. Levels - adjust the volume faders for each sound in your track so all sounds can be heard somewhat evenly. What some people do, is assign one sound out of the whole track, as the standard volume point. And then adjust all other instruments around that particular sound. For example, you might choose the kick drum as the baseline, and from there you would adjust every other sound to fit nicely the kick. You could even go one step further and apply this method in groups (Drums, Keys, Strings, Vocals etc.)
  2. Panning- taking a similar approach as we did with the levels in step 1, find the key sound to work with (e.g. Vocals or Kick) and pan everything else across the stereo field (left, right and centre, and everything else in between) so all sounds surround the main sound nicely and are not bunched up in the centre of the stereo field.


Beyond these first two steps, you'd then start crafting and re-shaping the sonic qualities of each sound using corrective and creative techniques. But for now, for somewhere to start, I would concentrate on getting these first two right and then maybe for step 3, start looking into using EQ and Compression for cleaning up and tightening some of your sounds. Don't worry about Mastering, for now, that's at the end of the post-production process. Get your composition and mixing right first.

I know this advice might sound a bit vague but I hope it gives some direction of where to go from here. Good luck!
 
I agree with what was posted above. Also learning about the frequency spectrum such as the lows ( kick and bass), midrange, and highs ( hi hats and snares for example). Mastering is the final stage so I recommend focusing on mixing and that will affect the master. Getting a balance by using volume faders, panning. Also the song arrangement is important, as the more instruments you have playing at the same time, the more busy your mix will be, which means there will be less space in the frequency range to work with. A little music theory will help when it comes to making the beat. If sounds are clashing, try removing that sound or play it in a different octave. There are alot of youtube tutorials on production and mixing, but be careful because alot of them give out wrong information. I say the more music you make, the more you will get a feel for how to do things. I say practice with eq, compression, reverbs and delays. Time based effects such as reverb and delays are usually placed on an aux track as a send. This gives more control of the reverb and delay. You could also place it as a insert directly on the track, which you will adjust the wet/dry knobs. If placed as a send, the wet/dry knob should be 100% wet. Mixing is hands on and the more you practice, the better you will get. Every song is different, so don't let anybody tell you you always boost or cut a certain frequency. Its about listening to what the song is telling you. As you progress, your ears will be trained to hear certain frequencies. If it sounds good, then it is good.
 
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Theres alot of words on the screen to read, so sorry if i am repeating anything anyone says. But here's a small list of things i've learnt over the years.


When EQing, try to subtract first then boost as a last resort. This will give you a better perspective of general volume and wont leave you chasing levels like a mad man. Trust me it works.

Check your mix in mono!! This is a big one. You will loose so much frequency content that some instruments will become almost muted. I would suggest working with the mix in mono for the minuet and then layering a mono version (not the complete same instr / synth, but similar) on top.

Reverbs... Get to know your stock reverb really well before buying any more. Learn what early reflections and diffusions are and how humans perceive them as distance in a room.

Pan everything.

If you draw midi, draw off the grid (also place drum samples off grid too).

compression. Faster release brings more sustain / gritt / spank to a sample, slower ads more punch and pop. Slow attack will be smoother but fast will hit transients. ALSO NOT EVERYTHING NEEDS COMPRESSION!!! Unless you're shaping and toning a sample / instrument you should really be using a compressor. Best way to tell if you do is to set the levels perfectly, then if the track gets too loud or too quiet at any point. Comp it down or manually change its volume with automation.


As for your track

The main lead sample sounds very robotic, that's cool if that's what your going for. But otherwise maybe change its micro-pitch, starting point, envelope and note length and velocity per note.

The drum pattern could be better. so far it does not interact or roll with the song.

Also last thing, give your sub bass room to breathe, even if its a few ms between notes.
 
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