What is wrong with my mix?

[HelloWorld]

Literally the reason i registered here is that all of my songs sounds like this, i do all my songs on laptop? Is something wrong with my mixing?

 

[loekthuss]

i'm just going to give you an example of the most basic mixing process.

in mixing there is basic stuff that you need to do before everything else, and you need to do these things well.
first you need to make sure none of your channels are really quiet or clipping when you have your faders at 0db. (also do this in your vst's)
you should set your levels so you can hear everything clearly and nothing is overpowering.
when you have the best balance you can achieve you can start to identify and eq problem areas.
after that you can maybe use compression to make some things less pokey or help them cut trough.
then you can go on with panning, with this you divide your elements over the stereo field.

these things are just the basics, everything i mentioned has to be done right and is very easy to do wrong. you need to learn about all of them if you want to make a good mix.

you might now think: how is that going to help my song sound great?
truth: it isn't, i hear a lot of problems in the arranging, melody making and sound desing.
i'd advise you to try and learn how to properly arrange and write music because a great mix can't make up for a not so great song, but a great song can make up for a not so good mix. and lucky you: writing great music is probably what you want to do so it's way more fun!

 

[DarkRed]

Literally the reason i registered here is that all of my songs sounds like this, i do all my songs on laptop? Is something wrong with my mixing?

It is many things, not one. It is more production than mixing. I think you are influenced by the wrong music, maybe some trance/techno or something. You should take a break and start listening to music with more tension and release, less repetition, less patterns, less perfectness. The issue is simply that you are driven by what you think is good, rather than what you feel is good. So try this: Emotionally orient yourself in some normal pop music that you feel good about. Pay attention to chords, melodies, sound sources, tensions, releases etc.

It is simply that you need to think together productions less, not entirely but less, so that the musical qualities, all of the imperfectnesses can come alive. This is the whole thing about music that it becomes beautiful in the cross section of the perfect and the in-perfect. In terms of mixing, check out Chris Lord Alge's approach, check how he just turns the knobs very intuitively. He does not ask can I do this, can I do that. He does it, he has self empowered the musical creation.

Look, it's not bad, you have several very interesting elements in your mix, for instance I like your work with the stereo image, it's just that music creation is a multi dimensional process and you can have lots of gaps in lots of dimensions. So, move your focus towards production. What I liked a lot was your work with automation, that tells me you are soon where you want to be.

Good luck dude!!

 

[HelloWorld]

It is many things, not one. It is more production than mixing. I think you are influenced by the wrong music, maybe some trance/techno or something. You should take a break and start listening to music with more tension and release, less repetition, less patterns, less perfectness. The issue is simply that you are driven by what you think is good, rather than what you feel is good. So try this: Emotionally orient yourself in some normal pop music that you feel good about. Pay attention to chords, melodies, sound sources, tensions, releases etc.

It is simply that you need to think together productions less, not entirely but less, so that the musical qualities, all of the imperfectnesses can come alive. This is the whole thing about music that it becomes beautiful in the cross section of the perfect and the in-perfect. In terms of mixing, check out Chris Lord Alge's approach, check how he just turns the knobs very intuitively. He does not ask can I do this, can I do that. He does it, he has self empowered the musical creation.

Look, it's not bad, you have several very interesting elements in your mix, for instance I like your work with the stereo image, it's just that music creation is a multi dimensional process and you can have lots of gaps in lots of dimensions. So, move your focus towards production. What I liked a lot was your work with automation, that tells me you are soon where you want to be.

Good luck dude!!

You are actually right, I'm trying to create Edm tracks cause it seems most accepted out there, but i barely listen edm.
Thank you

 

[Cerberux]

Producing is an art. If you are a sculptor you don't paint do you? Produce what YOU are interested in, otherwise you are doing this for all the wrong reasons. Music is about expression. SO many producers today want to only make "what sells" but what they don't realise is that the producers who FEEL that music, are already dominating that market. Find YOUR target audience, and dominate that rather than trying to force a sound you don't have any interest in in the first place!

 

[mark1234]

You are actually right, I'm trying to create Edm tracks cause it seems most accepted out there, but i barely listen edm.
Thank you

LOL, i have that same problem. I like EDM and can make a little bit of House but i hardly listen to it. Cause if you listen to a certain style within EDM like Deep-House... a lot of it sounds the same to me! That goes for Hip-Hop styles as well, like Trap!
I mostly listen to old R&B. (More than Hip-Hop) I guess that comes from my sampling background as a Hip-Hop beatmaker.

 

[Rhythmic Attack]

you have problem with your low frequencies
its because laptop speakers cant bring out the low frequencies,, so you cant hear them .
i suggest you to buy something like that : ATH-M50x
imean : your kick need to be more bumpy , more in your face !
the most complicated thing is these deep house tracks is to mix good the kick and the bass
go and see some tutorials on Mixing Sub Bass

 

[Milo Burke]

I can't comment on the polish or precision of the mix. Not from these speakers at work.

But I do think your percussion overall sounds very quiet. Boosting the percussion should add more energy and slam to your mix.


As for the other discussion, I too am tempted to make things I don't listen to.

I mostly listen to music I can't create, and that I'll never be able to create. Like blues and blues/pop, some folk, stuff with funk and groove to it. I've got a toe into producing and mixing hip-hop and rap, but I don't really like it. And the easiest stuff for me to make sounds like electronic indie music. I'm trying to find where they all come together.

I think the answer might be something more like SOHN than any other artist I've heard of. I love his album Tremors.

I asked in a different thread about this topic. The consensus was to make what I love. To make what I can create and want to hear, not what I think is popular or will sell. That making from the heart is more important than emulating today's stars.

 

[katerkotze]

To me it sounds as if you are using too harsh compression on the whole mix which chokes the kickdrum

When using a compressor on a whole drumkit, slow attack and fast release values often do the trick

For demonstration purposes I put together 3 Drumloops consisting only raw samples and a compressor

1. uncompressed:View attachment uncompressed.mp3

2. (good mkay) compressor attack 100 ms, release 50 ms: View attachment slow attack, fast release.mp3

3. (bad mkay) compressor attack 1 ms, release 600 ms: View attachment fast attack, slow release.mp3

Greetings

 

[scrapheaper]

Stop using your laptop speakers and get a pair of headphones. Even a £50 pair of on ear headphones are going to be 10x better than a laptop speaker

Avoid the fashion brands like skullcandy and just spend some time googling reviews for headphones to decide whats best

 

[DjCrime]

you have problem with your low frequencies
its because laptop speakers cant bring out the low frequencies,, so you cant hear them .
i suggest you to buy something like that : ATH-M50x
imean : your kick need to be more bumpy , more in your face !
the most complicated thing is these deep house tracks is to mix good the kick and the bass
go and see some tutorials on Mixing Sub Bass

 

[DaGSpotSoldier]

Get a 3.5mm (1/8") male to male, connect from output of laptop, to input of stereosystems, or whatever is better than your laptop speakers.
I know a guy that has mixes that turn out great on output sent to Sony stereo reciever out to Sony SS-B3000 Bookshelf Speakers
with minimal room treatment.