Balance the sound?

[wyotryot]

I'm looking for a little input from the JS gang, particularly those who try to get their tunes out into the realm of listeners...Do you make copies of your song for people to take and listen to on their own equipment? How many different kinds of players do you listen to your tunes on? What kind of media do you put it on...mp3, dvd, cd?
Reason I ask...I'm feeling a few recent tunes are coming out to - homogeneous, I guess is the word - a little flat maybe, with no real depth of individual sound. Any tips for overcoming this are quite welcome. I'm looking to separate a driving bass from a ringing guitar and a pounding beat.
Thanks.

[jkenney]

Hey Wyo
Once i get it to where i think it might be presentable, I put it in wav form. Burn it to cd, listen to it on my home stereo in different ways, that is different EQ settings and even flat (no eq) and i'll listen on a car cd player. To get it sounding as proffesional as you can you need a good editing program and just go to work trying different things.

As far as getting differents levels and such out of different instraments you'll need to upload each instrament on a separate track or put the music track from jamstudio on a track and use different effects or EQ. I've done it different ways depending on what i want out of a song.

I've sent some of my stuff out to some publishers and gotton some good feedback (and some bad) but never had anyone say anything bad about the quality. I've been offered a few indie deals so i guess it's sounding pretty decent.I guess what i'm saying is i don't know anything on how to be a producer but if you have a good editing software (i use Mixcraft 5.0) that makes a big difference.

Hope this helps some. Let me know if i can help plus some of the others, Robert Hall in particular are way more knowledgable maybe he'll see your post or message him

Good Luck

[wyotryot]

Appreciate the input, Joe. I'm already doing most of those things you suggested, and using Mixcraft5 too, just like you. Robert has been unbelievably helpful to me and set me on the right path a couple of times. I guess I'm looking for that same depth and separation of sounds that you hear on the radio.
I'll keep at it, brother.
Thanks

[jkenney]

Since your using mixcraft let me ask if you are using the compression settings "mix down" and "pre mastering"? . I've used them on instruments and vocals and it does add some depth to everything I also use the classic EQ on the final mixdown. Robert will definatley help more than i can also , i'm like you and just keep poking at it

[Ant]

the first thing you need to do using mixcraft~5 is to normalize all tracks before you start editing tracks.

[wyotryot]

Normalize? Okay, I saw that feature on Music Studio, but haven't spotted it on Mixcraft. Where? How? What for?
I use the Mastering selection on my main, usually choosing Radio or Punchy Mix. I've tried using it as a Send track on some of the smaller tunes but not noticed any difference.
Thanks, Ant, for pointing me in a direction

[Ant]

  I forgot! I'll get you a clip Wyatt.

[wyotryot]

 

[Ant]

normalize is a tool for adjusting the volume of audio files to a standard level.



Using mixcraft~5,lets say you have 3 loops that you want to use in a song.All you need to do is high lite all 3 loops at the same time.Now right click on one of your loops and scroll down to you see normalize and click on it.Thats it!

[wyotryot]

Thanks, Ant. I've given that a shot. I'm soon doing vocals for a new track. I'll show you how it's worked out.