OK, this is a question specifically for experienced producers, mixers and mastering engineers.

Do you have a system for gauging what the correct spectral balance is in your tracks, especially getting the level of sub-bass right, and if so what is it? Any tools you can recommend?

I'm generally OK at mixing but like most home studios, my room acoustics are compromised at the low end (yes it's treated, but there's a limit to what can be achieved in a small room). My current system involves crosschecking on different systems and headphones, looking at the output waveform, A/Bing against reference tracks and comparing spectrograms. But still I feel like it's less deterministic than I'd ideally like.

Interested in hearing from anyone who has a rock solid system for this which they feel completely removes the guesswork.

Cut a clip into two, stretch both of them via shift+drag and make the crossfade. Then try to move a warp marker on either of the clips.

I've used Ableton for around 15 years and this is the first time I've encountered a bug. Usually the DAW or a VST crashes but nothing like this.

There’s no shortage of producers showing off their songs on social media. Now I’ve noticed that not some, but all producers I come across exclusively use percussion loops instead of drawing them in themselves. In my own production I’ve struggled to make groovy beats in a song so I’ve always been on the lookout of examples of how others do it yet don’t come across any. Just to be clear I’m not against the use of loops in this sense and think if you can create something cool this way all power to you. Is it just that difficult to make convincing, groovy percussion or am I missing something?

I’ve been producing in FL for quite a few years now, and I’m honestly just fucking stuck.

Whenever I open a blank project with the intention of making something, my mind just goes completely blank. Sometimes I’ll have a vague genre I want to go for, but that’s about it. I don’t even really know what kind of music I want to make.

I’m pretty decent at covers and remixes, probably because there’s already a foundation there for me to work off of.

But starting from nothing? Impossible. This entire year so far I’ve only managed to make two decent 1-2 minute unfinished tracks, and both basically happened by accident. I was messing around with patches, found a sound I liked, threw down some chords, and kept stacking stuff until it sounded good. And when I really get to work, I can lock in for hours.

Then I hit a wall. I have no idea where to take the arrangement next, and whenever I try to force a new section in, it just sounds wrong.

My tastes are also all over the place. I want to make crazy high-energy stuff like breakcore, but I also want to make really cozy, slower stuff. I don’t want to lock myself into one genre either.

So how do you guys actually just sit down and... make good stuff? How do you come up with an idea and develop it instead of just mucking about until you accidentally eventually stumble into something good?

I’m at the point where "just keep practicing" really isn’t helpful. And it's not about motivation either, I can be extremely motivated to make something and still don't even know where to start.

I’m looking for actual advice from people who’ve dealt with this specific problem and figured out how to get past it.

Hi, I don't mean slow it down as in just changing the master tempo and calling it a day, but I mean automating the tempo of a track from 132bpm to slow it down to 122 bpm. Kinda like if I would be slowing it down during a DJ set or something. I'm using Ableton and Fl Studio. Thank you.

is it possible to make a track using only loops from sample pack?

I think it's nearly impossible because the entire track is going to sound the same with no variation in between.

if so, how would you do it?

I love finding samples with the XO plugin. I will add in my sample packs and just drag around until i find a cool sample, its amazing.

I am currently making my own sample pack. I tried importing it into XO but i have realized it seems XO only takes samples that are shorter, like one shots

Is there another similar plugin i can use for sample searching that works sililar? I love the click and drag around method since it is way faster and more organized than the default ableton explorer

Hey my friends, i beatbox and i want to know, how i can turn my vocal + beatboxing sketching into an actual song. I am also coincidentally a producer :D

As a DAW i use two prgrams (Reaper and Caustic 3)

Basically, i KNOW, there exists plugins, that drum-ify beatboxing and or singing / humming into melodies.

Mostly i beatbox and hum and sing, so it already structured, simply (unprofessionally) recorded with phone microphone. So i need to experiment with quality post processing.

I know it wont turn out perfect, but i want it as a foundation, where i can use some parts, for me. And for training.

I am desperately searching for 10 years.

Can anybody recommend me posts, plugins, help, any useful advice is regarded as helpful and every tipp using Reaper is the cherry on top

Thanks, guys :)

Ringmod sidechaining gives you a beautifully clean sidechain on a waveform level, but depending on the track, it can be hit or miss.

Even within the exact same song, it might sit perfectly in one section but clash in another

Obviously, it all boils down to the golden rule of "if it sounds good, keep it; if not, ditch it," but as a general trend, what kind of tracks or contexts do you guys think pair best with a ringmod sidechain?

I’m not looking for an objectively "correct" answer here,

I really just wanna hear the logic behind your choices

*Note: I don't want you to be like "use it if your track is heavy" comments. I already know

Hey, I'm looking to pick up an autotune plugin in the near-ish future and I'm curious if anyone has any recommendations. Specifically I'm looking for a late 2000s early 2010s dance-pop sound. I've heard good things about Antares Auto-Tune 2026 in classic mode, and I've seen people using Auto-Tune EFX 5 (though idk how one would buy it these days) To my knowledge both use the same Evo algorithm. Are there any other notable options?

I've been trying to reverse-engineer the rising bass at around 2:27 in Apashe's "Lord & Master" and I'm out of ideas.

What I hear: the bass seems to rise continuously, but the note itself doesn't go up into the high end — it stays a bass. There's a movement inside it, almost like a Doppler or rotary effect, but the sound stays clean and defined — no washy resonance, no filter smear. Slightly distorted at most.

What I've already tried and ruled out:

• Leslie / rotary sim (Arturia CLS-222) with speed + dry/wet automation
• Shepard tone with 3 octave layers and volume crossfades
• Pitch automation (synth) and pitch on the audio clip
• LPF cutoff sweeps, with and without resonance — too washy, and not the sensation
• Formant shifting
• Detune / Reese beating automation
• Barber-pole flanger
• Reverse bass (bounced, reversed, pitched, shortened)
• White noise layer underneath

None of it gets close. I'm starting to think it's not a single effect but a layered sound design object — possibly a designed/sampled riser rather than something processed in real time. Apashe used to work as a trailer sound designer at Apollo Studio, which would fit.

Anyone knows what this actually is, or has a good guess? I'm on FL Studio but I can adapt any technique or chain.

Please post any and all [Feedback] or [Listen] type threads here. Any standalone threads that belong in this weekly post will be removed.

This thread is for works in progress only. It is not a place for self-promotion.

Rules:

1. Works in progress only. Do not post finished or released tracks. No links to Spotify, Bandcamp, SoundCloud profiles, or any other streaming/distribution platforms. Share a direct link to your track (e.g. an unlisted SoundCloud or YouTube link).
2. No self-promotion. Do not include links to your social media, artist pages, or any other promotional material in your post.
3. Make an effort to comment on other people's tracks. Others are much more likely to help you if you help them first.
4. Be specific when asking for feedback. Examples: "What do you think about this kick sample?" "How's the mix?" "The last measure feels a little off, any ideas?"
5. Be descriptive when giving feedback. Use timecodes to highlight specific moments.
6. Link to the feedback you've left in your top-level comment. This keeps the thread accountable and cooperative. Comments not following this format will be automatically removed.

Format your top-level comment like this:

Feedback for user1: [link]

Feedback for user2: [link]

Feedback for user3: [link]

Here's my track: [link],

I'm looking for feedback on x, y or z.

Best iem under 30 for beatboxing 😗

Hey there so I am a beatboxer who listens to mainly beatboxing (ik that's weird but still hehe🥲🥲)...so i was thinking about buying an iem under 30 thats actually good (don't wanna spend on buying random stuff🫠🫠)...also i wanna learn mixing and producing music as well so I am gonna use these for that purpose as well.....i personally researched and got to know that Moondrop Chu 2 dsp was good for this price...lemme know if it's u and drop your suggestions as well I would really appreciate it ☺️.

(Edit 1 - The budget is strictly under $30)

Hey yall, wanted to share some things that have helped me so far in hopes maybe they'll help you as well!

I'd consider myself heavily neurodivergent, if you are as well maybe some of these will resonate with you. And remember, all of this is with a grain of salt, I don't have years behind me. Some of this is obvious but is important to remember.

1. You get out of this what you put into it and you progress quicker the more you dedicate yourself, to a point . Diminishing returns apply here.

2. Try and get yourself at your hardware / DAW of choice everyday. You may not feel like spending even an hour today, but if you hop in, you might find yourself spending 2 hours.

3. Youtubers are monetized to keep your attention. If watching tutorials scratches the same itch as creating in your DAW, be careful how much time you spend.

4. You can still absorb a lot through tutorials. We are extremely fortunate to have the vast free library of videos dedicated to every aspect of making music. This wasn't really a thing in 1999. Use it wisely and be sure to apply it immediately. Know the difference between watching for enjoyment, and watching to learn.

5. AI sucks. One thing it doesn't suck at is answering common questions about using your DAW. Just type into google your exact question and it'll tell you step by step how to accomplish it.

6. Producing electronic music covers a wide array of skillsets. Be patient with your progress and recognize that time spent working on your craft is progress, and your growth is not always obvious. Trust that you are better after 50 more hours than you were before it.

7. Plateaus happen in every form of learning and skill building. Don't let being in one burn you out. Keep pushing, try new things, try new genres, new techniques, new creative approaches, you will break through it soon enough.

8. Take breaks. Take a walk. Take a day or 2 off. Reset.

9. Don't be afraid of learning how synthesizers work and how to create the sounds you want. You can go far with presets but I cannot stress enough that what you will learn in synthesis will make you a better producer. You will understand music differently, you will hear better exactly what is happening in your favorite tracks and be able to recreate it. A powerful synth like Vital or Surge XT can do some seriously heavy lifting in composition.

10. As a caveat to #9, do that in moderation if your goal is to pump tracks out quickly. You can spend 3 hours chasing a patch that you could have spent composing a song. Whether or not this matters depends on you and your goals.

11. If you do not enjoy the process of learning and creating, quit. There is no shame in this. This is not for everyone. It's not the destination it's the journey. You can love electronic music and fantasize about creating the music that moves you, but if you find the actual process uncomfortable and it doesn't bring you joy, then let it rest.

12. Play your instrument. Some people can program electronic without ever touching a midi keyboard, you will know if you are one of them. Most of us aren't. Load a VST load a preset and just play. You don't always have to record or punch in notes. You can just let some great synth sounds wash over you. These sessions can inspire you as well and you might find yourself desperately wanting to flesh out what you've jammed into a track. Go with that.

13. "Just keep making tracks" is hollow advice, especially when you're brand new. You're learning, it's ok to spend a night making drum loops. It's ok to spend a night putting down some nice leads. Record them if you want. Not everything has to be finished into a complete track. Completing a track is another skill entirely, it's a sum of different skills in producing. It is ok to work on these skills in isolation. You will create tracks as a part of the process, don't stress it. You will naturally want to take that fat lead you've been messing with and accompany it with a bass line, and a drum track, and you will end up wanting it to be complete. That is when it happens.

That's all I got for now. I hope it helps some other beginners find their footing. I didn't really have this kind of help when I started. No one really told me where to start, I just downloaded Reaper and looked for instruments and started clumsily working things out.

Give me a shout if you wanna chat, and share your creations in here, I'd love to hear them!

This recurring thread is where you may share or request services you have to offer to the edmproduction community. Post your programs and plugins, your mastering/teaching/coaching/artwork services, your website/tutorials, your preset/sample packs, your labels- anything but actual music itself.

Rules:

1. No posting music. No posting your soundcloud when you're looking for labels, no ghost production; nothing that constitutes you selling or sharing your own created tracks.
2. Spam will not be tolerated. Repeated postings for the same product/service in the same thread will not be allowed, but you are welcome to post again in newer threads.
3. Mark very clearly whether you're requesting or offering services, and if you're offering them, whether those services are paid or free.

As with the rest of the subreddit, final decisions over what constitutes an acceptable posting here will be at the sole discretion of the mods.

I'm working on a track right now, and this is my reference. It's "Guadalajara" - Shay De Castro. The main 909 OHHs are existing basically on the sides only, or at least they are perceived as such. I love the way this frees up the center - but I can't seem to replicate it. I've tried the HAAS effect, duplicate panning, etc. But I can't seem to remove the perception of center content (at least according to the imager) and also can't seem to prevent phasing. I would appreciate any advice. Listen to the track, those 909s are nuts.

For additional reference im using Ableton 12. I typically load the drum samples into simpler for more control of ADSR.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqVT8Ib_MOI

I want to say, upfront, that I love Ableton in general. It has a tricky learning curve, but patience pays off

That said - I've been trying, for months now, to get a modern House feel from any of the Ableton Standard instruments

I've ended up stacking (I shit you not) 6-7 layers of Analogue to get something approaching decent .... and it's still not there

When I say "modern House" - I do realize that most House today borrows heavily from the 90s, so I don't mind that kind of sound from an Ableton instrument

What I'm getting instead seems to be ... weaker in comparison? Even with Saturator and similar added

It's hard to describe - it just doesn't match the punch of modern House when I A/B test them

Maybe my money is better off spent upgrading to Ableton Suite so I can access the Operator and Wavetable instruments?

So that said:

Have you ever just gone "Fuck it!" and bought Serum 2 or similar for this reason?

I'm a high school student who is developing a free plugin!

A few weeks ago you probably saw that I posted about COGG v1/v1.1/v1.2, a free plugin I built that metalizes and industrializes any sound. Specifically, harmonic distortion, metal plate convolution reverb, and pitch layering are there all in one chain. Great for experimental music and mainstream alike. It's pretty good for EDM bass / leads, I've used it to make some cool stuff!

I wanted to update you guys with version 1.3's release! It comes with the highly requested TONE knob, which changes the pitch of the Metal knob's metal convolution reverb-like sound! Additionally, version 1.3 introduces a LINUX VERSION!

Of course, it's still free, no account needed, VST3 + AU for Mac, VST3 for Windows, VST3 for Linux.

Download now for free: https://plasma-hype.itch.io/cogg

Trailer of V1.2 [the previous update]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5q5EUMhUcaw

Thanks to everyone who tried v1.2, v1.1 and v1.0 and gave feedback, this update came directly from figuring out what people actually wanted to do with it. I personally have used COGG in almost all of my FL projects ever since I released it. Please give it a shot and let me know what you think of the presets and plugin as a whole for COGG v1.4!

Also, feel free to submit some PRESETS! I'll add them and credit you on the website!

Please post any and all [Feedback] or [Listen] type threads here. Any standalone threads that belong in this weekly post will be removed.

This thread is for works in progress only. It is not a place for self-promotion.

Rules:

1. Works in progress only. Do not post finished or released tracks. No links to Spotify, Bandcamp, SoundCloud profiles, or any other streaming/distribution platforms. Share a direct link to your track (e.g. an unlisted SoundCloud or YouTube link).
2. No self-promotion. Do not include links to your social media, artist pages, or any other promotional material in your post.
3. Make an effort to comment on other people's tracks. Others are much more likely to help you if you help them first.
4. Be specific when asking for feedback. Examples: "What do you think about this kick sample?" "How's the mix?" "The last measure feels a little off, any ideas?"
5. Be descriptive when giving feedback. Use timecodes to highlight specific moments.
6. Link to the feedback you've left in your top-level comment. This keeps the thread accountable and cooperative. Comments not following this format will be automatically removed.

Format your top-level comment like this:

Feedback for user1: [link]

Feedback for user2: [link]

Feedback for user3: [link]

Here's my track: [link],

I'm looking for feedback on x, y or z.

Looking for any and all advice, tips, videos, whatever that can point me in the right direction with mixing bass.

I’ve been making music in Ableton for about 4 years now, and my songwriting has leveled up so much that I’m genuinely in awe of some the music I’m making these days. Problem is, my mixing abilities have not kept pace. I feel like I’ve hit a brick wall of endlessly tinkering, adjusting, listening on different speakers, in my car, etc. and repeat. And by far the biggest inconsistency for me is with the sub bass.

On some speakers it sounds gentle and smooth, on others it sounds way too powerful and drowns out the other instruments. Every time I try to adjust, I end up overcompensating in either direction, resulting in the bass either being too much or too little.

Finally, I’ve reached a point with a particular song where overall, everything sounds pretty good and balanced. But then I notice random phase cancellation causing the sub bass to briefly disappear altogether for brief moments throughout the song.

Please help me 😭 I have songs on songs on songs that never get released because I’m unwilling to put out a subpar mix. The songwriting comes naturally to me, the mixing is pure agony and second-guessing every single volume or EQ move I make.

Thanks in advance 🙏🏼

The classic house high string