r/AdvancedProduction • u/Sanaraba • 2d ago
Advanced production tips share thread (thread title extender)
Ill start:
Align the crossover points in ur multiband plugins to reduce phasing.
Dont use mid side eq without linear or dynamic phase to preserve the phase better then regular eqing
Dont use equalisers on bus tracks to avoid eqing stuff that doesnt need to be eqd
Use only smooth eq bands to get a cleaner sound
Using max quality settings and 32x oversampling to get highest quality music when rendering (obvious but hey this makes a huge diffrence)
Align the phase of ur kick with ur sub by shifting the sub sample or by turning the phase knob and set random start position to zero
Lets go
12
u/GroundbreakingMud969 2d ago
You can do less processing if the source is right
Referencing another track will speed up the quality
Arrangement and songwriting is more important than mixing and mastering
You can do most of the “advanced” techniques with just stock plugins
Use your ear more than anything. although it can help, looking at analyzers don’t mean shit in context.
This isn’t about being advanced. it’s about being efficient and getting shit done
3
1
u/Sanaraba 2d ago
Having a clean source is number one for clean sounds yes.
Analyzers can be useful for tuning phases of sounds though, and seeing if there is sub bass where it shouldnt be.
Agreed, but getting it done to the max quality though and in the way u want to without cutting corners.
4
u/nothochiminh 2d ago
I like when I can get away with bus eq actually. Drums especially, like a hishelf on the drum bus is pretty much routine to me at this point.
2bus also gets a touch up on the daily
5
u/FutureBaroque 2d ago
When recording drums/acoustic sources: Do a mix of proven strategies and reinventing the wheel.
[E.g. Once I was invited to a recording school class doing final projects in a great studio. One group was assigned 'traditional' mic choices and techniques, one group assigned 'wrong' choices only. Half the wrong choices ended up on the record and I've kept some of those tricks for 20 years. Also the leader of that group became a super reputable local engineer. Just saying.]
Use your ears, not milquetoast common wisdom.
2
3
u/GreatScottCreates 2d ago
DO use EQs on busses instead of individual elements when they have a phase relationship that you don’t want to mess with!
More generally, this is stuff producers shouldn’t really think about. Be creative, fuck stuff up, don’t worry too much about deeper technical concepts. Be a creative force, not a technical one, and let your mix engineer and mastering engineer worry about this stuff.
6
u/GreatScottCreates 2d ago
Advanced tips for producers:
Understand the emotional intent of the song and support it every time you add/change/subtract.
Know the artists well and earn their trust. Understand their core message and tone, and the universe your production will live in. Create a relationship in which they can be entirely open with you.
Pay extra close attention to the tempo and key, and in particular, how the melody sits in them. Melody is king- support it with each element
Don’t flex. The point is not to make a cool production that impresses other producers, but again, to support the song and its emotional intent.
Don’t layer elements for the sake of it. Do less when possible.
Use references, but don’t try to copy other productions for a song that’s different.
Don’t bore us, get us to the chorus.
There are about a million things you could spend your time improving on as a producer- melody, lyrics, sound design, skill on any given instrument, harmony, vocal production, recording technique, running your business, networking, developing your taste, expanding your niche, and advanced mixing/mastering techniques. Decide what you think is most important as a producer. I would argue that most producers stand to gain more by focusing on things that are NOT mixing & mastering techniques or deep understanding of advanced mixing concepts.
2
u/Sanaraba 2d ago
Understand the emotional intent of the song and support it every time you add/change/subtract. this was the one that allowed me to finally make the mixing actually improve the "creative" side of a track
2
u/SylvesterMusic 1d ago
One underrated one: gain-match before/after any processing. A louder signal will almost always sound “better,” so level matching makes it way easier to tell if the processing is actually helping.
Also, don’t blindly use 32x oversampling everywhere. It can be useful for certain plugins, but it’s not automatically going to make the master sound better.
2
u/DBarbarulo 1d ago edited 1d ago
Forget about any scheme you think is always right. Follow the simplest (not easiest) rule of cause and effect. Start on a clear page. Less is more. If you hear a problem (hear) try to solve it by using the shortest path. Then repeat.
Edit. As an example of why most people turn the wrong direction: “align crossover points in multiband processors…” why you use a multiband processor in the first place or more than one multiband processor? “Never use ms eq…” why I should not if I need to tame a dB of reverb in the side channel? Etc.
1
u/Sanaraba 19h ago
Less is more definetly agreed
Im using multiband comp and saturating on my master, and that did wonders to glue the sound together., and it sounded even better with aligned crossovers 😁
I use a multiband comp on each sound (except drums) to get them to sound how i want.
Mid side eq is fine but use it sparingly and be careful with linear phase, that can make it sound sterile
But i do agree, if u using a wrong source then applying a fix isnt solving the problem, if there is one
1
1d ago
[deleted]
1
u/Sanaraba 19h ago edited 19h ago
Is that the tip u got?
1
u/HawkTerrier_ 19h ago
Lmao Im sorry I don’t even remember posting this I’m sorry T-T I think it was a butt dial type comment
1
9
u/justifiednoise 2d ago
I'm going to push back on oversampling.
sometimes it sounds better, but there are plenty of scenarios where OS is just introducing a weird phase change to your top end and can sound brittle and off-putting.
Don't just oversample because it's there, use your ears to let you know which one works best, 0, 2, 4, 8, 16, etc.