Made a summary again. Thanks for the video :) 01:36 - Mistake 1: Using Surgical EQ Sweeps Too Much (=sweep with high q and high boost and listen for problems and turn down those frequencies - Solution: Don't overdo it. Personal note: Make them dynamic in ProQ3) 04:37 - Mistake 2: Not Using High and Low Pass. You get a muddy mix without these. Solution: Use lots of low and high pass filters to balance your mix. Don't be afraid of it sounding thin - it's about the context, not the individual instrument. 07:49 - Mistake 3: Not Using EQ Automation. Especially with Audio Recording (dynamic Track / things are changing throughout the recording - adapt the eq to the change) 10:03 - Mistake 4: Not Training Your Ears. Do it a couple of minutes a day. For example here: Soundgym / Quiztones. Personal note: Syntorial is great, too. 10:59 - Mistake 5: Only Using Subtractive EQ. Don't be afraid for additive EQ. 11:57 - Mistake 6: Only Using Digital EQs. Visual Eqs can destract. Use analog modelled EQs, too. There you focus on your ears more. And, analogue modelled EQs have more rounded / smoothed harmonics. Especially use it for additive EQs 15:31 - Mistake 7: Not Using Spectrum Analysers. Tip: Span by Voxengo. Use also reference tracks. Compare the spectrum graphs. Personal note: Metric A/B (VST Plugin) is great on this. 17:39 - Mistake 8: Relying on EQ (Before Sound Selection). Sound Selection can be a lot more effective - make sure you choose a working sound first. 18:58 - Mistake 9: Not Volume Matching Gain Staging. Loud sounds better. Therefore don't confuse your ears by comparing different volumes. 21:55 - Mistake 10: Not EQing in Context. Don't EQ in solo. Only do it on solo as a first run and then in conext. Also mix in hierachy from most important to less important. 24:17 - Mistake 11: Not Having an Intention. Trust your ears. Know what you want to achieve. Don't just EQ because for the sake of it.
I have been watching your videos for the last couple of years. Your videos have helped me to become a producer. Currently I have signed 6 tracks to a record label. Your teachings have contributed to my small success. Thank you
@@EDMTips Well i was wandering what is a good level of volume for a heavy electro kick? I know this sounds stupid but sometimes i either kind of mute the bassline with the kick or viceversa. I wanna have a good volume balance between heavy kicks and the bassline.
It's been about a year since I've watched one of your tutorials and this one blew me away with how clean your points have become and how sharp your editing has become! Bravo!!!
have been practise my eq skills for 7+years now , and still making improvments every day! Wish there was a vid like this when i started out producing 10 years ago.. Well done! Keep it up =)
funny, i used to say i shouldn't have spent the last 20 years producing, i could have lived a decent life, now i can just go on TH-cam and learn everything in one week! lmao
I'm 15 minutes in, I have already gained a few hundred thousand dollars worth of real life applications for my home recording. The explanation is absolutely unrolled off, and full of non stop wisdom
This is a year old....but still awesome and quite relevant. When an instrument in an event has a very broad frequency spectrum without a weak low or high end, how would you treat this? Perhaps Izotope Neutron Unmask could keep everything intact without mud? Thanks
love it man, feel quite proud with myself listening that I already avoid most of the mistakes you talked about here, the point about boosting with analog and cutting with digital eqs is something I definitely gotta try, awesome vid!
Ive come back to find this exact video and tell you how much of an impact your tip for raising the q and searching for the hz that you take away from the sounds sharpness ive been trying to sharpen my sounds for so long and dipping those unwanted literally change the game for me thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience 😮
THANKS FOR INCLUDING THE TEST!!!! I don’t have a mentor TH-cam is my mentor and I don’t have 1 on 1 lessons for someone to tell me I’m listening to something wrong. The tests let me calibrate my ears to what’s actually happening and I’m not forced to mix and master and pray that I’m getting better. Wish I knew this sooner cause I hate starting bad habits cause they’re so hard to break I would’ve did this from the jump so I didn’t have to unlearn this shit. Thanks once again!!
As always a really valueable video, Will. For the surgical EQ i advice not to boost the frequencies to identify bad frequencies. As you stated already, you will mostly have a bad sounding frequency, even if you only boost it for a few dB. The more accurate way is to listen to the frequencies on the flat curve. FabFilter ProQ allows you to listen to that certain frequency by clicking on that little headphone icon, so you can only hear that frequency where you are with your dot. You then sweep through the whole spectrum (while still on that flat curve, no boosting or cutting), and then you will hear the frequencys that cause problems. These frequencies can be then lowered to the desired amount. Another tip would be to use a dynamic EQ, like TDR Nova for example. Keep up the good work! :)
i rly have to say thanks! if you`re a beginner or a professional... this rounds all up what you were doing wrong before. What i like most is that you speak very fast and you never waste the time of the listener for self-presentation! For sure you make promo for yourself, but that is not the same and is just paying your bills! greetings Spif
Thanks, I really appreciate kind words of support! 🙂 Glad you found it helpful! Anything else in particular you’re struggling with and would like me to cover on the channel?
A tips for people who are searching for the right kick sample or synth preset that comes directly from 3DFX here is this: Bring in all your samples / presets from a construction kit or etc in your daw in an empty scene. Mute every single channel, then solo each & compare to the other samples/ synth presets. When you found your top favorites: copy them to a Favorite folder of yours. So you know exactly where to look when you are writing your tracks. Now you know whats the best kick sample or which synth preset mixes the best with which !!!This will save you a bunch of time both for planning your mix & get better mixes quicker! Thank me laterz! // 3DFX out !!! 👍
Tip number one is the most frustrating one for me! I ALWAYS scream at the screen when TH-camrs incessantly encourage surgical EQ when they themselves don't know how to use it! You only really need to surgically use EQ if you can clearly hear a resonant frequency that needs cutting. You shouldn't have to search for it.
i do this for my grid leads if i got a lot going on and i just needs some space so the chaos isnt to muddy or cluttered. But i too made the mistake of doing too much. Now i will try and find some horrible sounds boosted like in the video if i have two lead tracks in similar or same key frequencies and i will do one cut on each where it sounded most crap but not so narrow a curve, and only if it sounds like soup in mono. for me its just for clarity and making frequency pockets for other stuff not to "improve the sound" which I'm certainly not doing not that naive anymore but its to improve the mix as i will always do it not in solo
Good tips for sure. Regarding EQ level matching, it's better to adjust the output of the EQ itself rather than inserting a gain tool. You avoid unnecessarily using an insertion slot and also avoid unnecessarily using CPU cycles. This 2nd point is important for those running DAWs on modest computers.
I've been making electronic music since '92 and I've sorta learned by way of 'school of hard knocks' (i.e. no professional tutoring but just figuring things out), I've learned a lot about writing a tune that sounds good in a final mix is almost primarily based on the sounds you start with, so this was a very important thing to point out, imo. As well, I also don't use my eyes much at all except on compressors where I'm looking for just a little bit of interaction of the audio with the compressor. If I want flattening and 'loudening' of something, these days I actually use very subtle distortion or saturation effects instead of compressor/limiter just to round off the tips of peaks instead of changing the entire dynamic feel of the instrument. That said, the other important thing I learned just by reading around after the advent of the internet is that mixing (not eq'ing) by subtraction is far more effective because then you create headroom and then you can boost everything back up in a meaningful way. I'm not a master at any of this, to be sure, but...I reiterate: writing your song where each voice has it's place in the choir, so to speak, makes the entire process much less of a hassle. You can't polish a turd, as they say, so start with pretty cool and colorful rock, throw it in the tumbler for a minute and polished it off into a lovely piece of geode. :) Also, I do think using mostly/only your ears is extremely important. I meet folks who can't even properly chop a sample without looking at it and I'm like, 'Dude, does it sound good where you have it? No? Why is that?' And then they go and look at the sample and I'm like, "You literally can't hear that it's dropping too late and that you need to push the chop point up further on the sample?' Music is audio. If we expected or taught painters to paint by listening to how the paint hit the canvas, we'd all agree that's insane. Music is sound, ears are the way we know what's happening.
Great video , I was curious about making drastic cuts off the low end on tracks that didn’t need it , and after watching this I realize that its ok as long as it works in context . There are times with I need the low end for an acoustic guitar to sound full during an intro and knowing how to automate the eq for cutting out unnecessary low end is very helpful when kick and bass come into the spectrum . Great video again ! Thank you :)
1:33 using surgical sweeps too much (#1) 4:35 not using high and low pass (#2) 7:45 not using eq automation (#3) 10:00 not training your ears (#4) 10:55 only using subtractive eq (#5) 11:54 only using digital eqs (#6) 15:31 not using specturm analysers (#7) 17:36 relying on eq before sound selection (#8) 18:57 not volume matching / gain-staging (#9) 21:53 not eq-ing in context (#10) 24:17 not having an intention (#11) come on, you could have provided those timestamps yourself 😘
I find it annoying when people do this, just watch the video, I understand it may seem convenient but content creators depend on the amount of time you watch a video. Simply siphoning all of the, may I remind you, free information they are providing you is a bit selfish. It is even detrimental to yourself, what he's saying is important and is in a specific order for a reason, the titles are hardly enough description to let the viewer know what he may actually be talking about. There's no need to be condescending.
8 days later i find this video and see it has timestamps and you added some too. Maybe the timestamps has to be added after the video has been published. i dunno
@Rippley Nobody has to use timestamps if provided to jump through things, it's entirely optional - but it will help avoid re-hashing subjects a viewer has already seen discussed dozens of times (which many of these tips might be, but that depends on the viewer). They can help to jump to the next subject immediately instead of aborting the video, when a subject is just a rehash for a viewer. Also, timestamps also help finding things again later if required. There's literally no downside and lots of upsides.
I’m having issues learning how to master. And not having anyone who I can share and work with leaves me learning from trial and error, so I do appreciate video like this…
It's funny, I have always used the fabfilter proQ to do my EQ cuts early in my chain, but then I always use an SSL EQ to do my additive EQ towards the end of my chain because I just loved the color that the SSL added. This wasn't a very conscious choice based on advice I'd been given or anything, I just liked how it sounded. Then today I see this video and you're saying "Use a parametric EQ for reductive, and an analog modeled for additive" and breaking down why that makes sense to do. It just makes me feel good about having trusted my instincts on that.
though, often walls already have a nail in the wall, and perhaps it is more fun to hang something else than a painting on that nail, and that's how something new come along.. test and experiment is a must I would say.. try things... you donät need to know the intention.. creating music by chance is fun... #JustDoIt
Thank you very much, this has been really useful. It's 5th January 2023 and I thought I'd check out the Waves EQ to see the price - if there's anyone watching around now they have a New Year's sale and the 550A and 550B together are reduced from £208 to £25 (in equivalent dollars). Happy New Year!
Great video, very useful. One thing I remind myself of is, let the music breath, and if there is resonance I always cut, I almost never boost any frequency. Or in mastering, there is a total other situation. When you have to let sound, everything balanced and great. But then I use a Sontec or GML kinda parametic EQ.
a topic i don't think i've seen covered is, knowing which EQ slope is right for the job & how each one affects the sound (steep vs smooth, -6db, -12db, etc.) for example, when cutting lows under 125Hz or so for guitars or chords, should you use a steep or smooth filter? also, i've noticed on some kick drums where I apply a steeper HPF, it sometimes causes clipping & i've never known why. always look forward to your uploads man, take care!!
A more gentle slope results in a more natural sound. So it's often better for real instruments or vocals if you pursue a more natural style. Steeper slopes are better suited for synthetic sounds where any frequencies below the fundamental are just rumble and mud that you don't want. Appreciated man! Take care too! :)
Great videos, so glad I subscribed. I always seem to (due to lack of talent) have a flat almost mono dull tone to my songs, even though I high pass and low pass stuff and I use way less instruments than most would, but I will keep plugin(g) away though!
Practice makes perfect, Clive! I am a big believer in practicing and learning rather than relying on talent so keep up the good work and don't give up!
Nice one as always Will. I'm still working on my track for your contest. It's taking me awhile because, like I said, I'm still new to making music a year in August. I'm going to make sure I get it in before midnight on the 21st though. Thanks for everything Will
'It doesn't matter how crappy the plugin is as long as it's resizable.' - Will. I've put words in your mouth. 😀 I think I've been watching your channel for too long as I don't make these mistakes anymore. You're a hero!
I have a EQ tip, when using a 2 band EQ for filter sweep effects with automation. Make sure you use a second 2 band EQ automation to counteract points where the frequency peaks to high. I do this all the time and it's a great effect to learn with automation you can create so really nice effects to the selected sound.
You got my like and subscribe . Awesome video with great explanations in detail! Exactly what I needed to see as I'm currently stuck on the eq side of it all, will definitely apply these tips. Thanks heaps. Amen brother haha
The thing I struggle with most is figuring out how to get reverb and mid-high EQ sounding right in my car. A track can sound great in 4 different headphones and my studio monitors but when I get in my car it's dripping in reverb and the 1.5-2.5k frequencies are ear-piercing. I find myself constantly have to go to my car and listen to tracks and then go back and use a multiband compressor on the 1.5-2.5k frequencies and lowering my reverb. I want to blame my car but professional mixes sound fine so I know it's me. I don't understand why it's so hard to hear the jarring frequencies (always in my vocals) or excessive reverb.
You need to position your monitors properly and you possibly need some room treatment if your room is too small or doesn't have the optimal shape. Mixing on headphones is deceptive.
Excellent video! I agree with all of these. As far as EQ plugins, I also use the Fabfilter Pro-Q3, which is my favorite. My other EQ plugin is the Waves GEQ Graphic Equalizer. It has 30 bands, and it's great for using your ears to hear the frequencies that you're cutting or boosting. It's $30, but WELL worth it!!!
Thanks man the mystery now is solve many years ive mix with parametric eq to boost but then i hear the vocals sounds thin no character i found out that the only reason is i didn't boost using analog eq plugins before
my biggest issue has been how to properly use space for drums. like when do i mono kick or other parts? what instruments can i put left/right/center/forward/back etc? how do i layer the kick without it being too overbearing?
Sometimes its hard for myself EQ'ing bc i like the fullness of the sounds by themselves but when they all play together it sounds all jumbled up. It's hard for me to make that decision on what to cut out and what to leave in. But getting better every song I think.
Will Darling big thanks Electronic music is always good but what's happening now is often a real problem I've been following you for a long time and I love your tips but I think we all have a lot of experience what we really need Will often sound track low sounding and I often don't know how to get it louder, I think it's often because of the samples that overreact, that's why I also test Fab Filter Q 2
Would you recommend mixing by bouncing down all your channels and then mix using the audio stems? Then taking the mixed audio track to get it mastered (by yourself or whoever else). I have seen many "hobby" producers just having one big project where they produce, mix and master all in one go, which seems a bit odd to me. In my head it makes sense to finish producing, then going for mixing and mastering as separate tasks/projects.
Hey Will. Great vid as always. Quick one - on the analogue EQ - any particular recommendations? There are SO many, so any pointers would be much appreciated. Cheers, Mark
I do find Tip Nr.10 the most important one. If the EQ adjustments are not being done in context to the rest, it is very easy to make the wrong decisions by cutting or adding too much on a certain frequency... simply because it might otherwise sound weird while being played on its own. I've got another tip, which is the (subtle) use of multiband compressors to chance the EQ character of a specific track in the mix. I find it to work especially very well when defining the character of a vocal. And I do prefer to use analogue modelled ones then, so that you completely have to refer to what you are hearing in context to the mix and not what you might see in a diagram.
Hell yeah, one thing I find is managing my projects folders, what do do with exports at the end etc... naming of projects or files to find them later after a few months, I've been trying to add bpm and key to the names. One thing I have been doing is saving a mp3 in the project folder so I can quickly listen to the project. Is there any better way of doing this?
Brilliant video Will thanks for taking the time to make it. Can you tell me what headphones you recommend for monitoring and mix when mastering the final track. I have Adam A3X monitoring speaks and these are great, but often I miss things and have been advised to cross check with headphones. I read somewhere on an internet board that Calvin Harris uses Sennheiser HD 25-1 II headphones and his mixes sound alright to me lol. So what do you recommend Will?
Amen brother. I struggle with high frequency hearing loss. I'm in my fifties, have played music all my life, and both have taken their toll. So how do I effectively work the high end if I can't hear it?
Made a summary again. Thanks for the video :)
01:36 - Mistake 1: Using Surgical EQ Sweeps Too Much (=sweep with high q and high boost and listen for problems and turn down those frequencies - Solution: Don't overdo it. Personal note: Make them dynamic in ProQ3)
04:37 - Mistake 2: Not Using High and Low Pass. You get a muddy mix without these. Solution: Use lots of low and high pass filters to balance your mix. Don't be afraid of it sounding thin - it's about the context, not the individual instrument.
07:49 - Mistake 3: Not Using EQ Automation. Especially with Audio Recording (dynamic Track / things are changing throughout the recording - adapt the eq to the change)
10:03 - Mistake 4: Not Training Your Ears. Do it a couple of minutes a day. For example here: Soundgym / Quiztones. Personal note: Syntorial is great, too.
10:59 - Mistake 5: Only Using Subtractive EQ. Don't be afraid for additive EQ.
11:57 - Mistake 6: Only Using Digital EQs. Visual Eqs can destract. Use analog modelled EQs, too. There you focus on your ears more. And, analogue modelled EQs have more rounded / smoothed harmonics. Especially use it for additive EQs
15:31 - Mistake 7: Not Using Spectrum Analysers. Tip: Span by Voxengo. Use also reference tracks. Compare the spectrum graphs. Personal note: Metric A/B (VST Plugin) is great on this.
17:39 - Mistake 8: Relying on EQ (Before Sound Selection). Sound Selection can be a lot more effective - make sure you choose a working sound first.
18:58 - Mistake 9: Not Volume Matching Gain Staging. Loud sounds better. Therefore don't confuse your ears by comparing different volumes.
21:55 - Mistake 10: Not EQing in Context. Don't EQ in solo. Only do it on solo as a first run and then in conext. Also mix in hierachy from most important to less important.
24:17 - Mistake 11: Not Having an Intention. Trust your ears. Know what you want to achieve. Don't just EQ because for the sake of it.
Great work…thank you for posting!
I have been watching your videos for the last couple of years. Your videos have helped me to become a producer. Currently I have signed 6 tracks to a record label. Your teachings have contributed to my small success.
Thank you
Keep going 💪😎
have you were success yet
Great 🎉
Finally someone who explains this in detail and in a coherent way. Thank you i am trying this in my new track. 🙌🤘
Glad it was helpful! Anything else you're struggling with?
@@EDMTips Well i was wandering what is a good level of volume for a heavy electro kick? I know this sounds stupid but sometimes i either kind of mute the bassline with the kick or viceversa. I wanna have a good volume balance between heavy kicks and the bassline.
It's been about a year since I've watched one of your tutorials and this one blew me away with how clean your points have become and how sharp your editing has become! Bravo!!!
Cheers, Aisha, I am glad you found them helpful and improved :)
Thank you for watching and supporting the channel! 🙌🏻
have been practise my eq skills for 7+years now , and still making improvments every day! Wish there was a vid like this when i started out producing 10 years ago.. Well done! Keep it up =)
Appreciate it, Tommy, and glad it was helpful! Anything else in particular you’d like me to cover?
funny, i used to say i shouldn't have spent the last 20 years producing, i could have lived a decent life, now i can just go on TH-cam and learn everything in one week! lmao
@@EDMTips have you covered paranell compression? You have very detailed videos very valuable
I'm 15 minutes in, I have already gained a few hundred thousand dollars worth of real life applications for my home recording.
The explanation is absolutely unrolled off, and full of non stop wisdom
Thank you, I really appreciate the kind words of support 🙌🏻
struggle with EQ cut/boost and which frequencies, watching this video has helped, as I now know what I need to look for and have an idea where
This is a year old....but still awesome and quite relevant.
When an instrument in an event has a very broad frequency spectrum without a weak low or high end, how would you treat this? Perhaps Izotope Neutron Unmask could keep everything intact without mud? Thanks
;This video is so helpful and well presented.... Anyone interested in mixing needs to watch this
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it
@@EDMTips Ye mate seriously you are a legend, Will! Thankyou!!!!
love it man, feel quite proud with myself listening that I already avoid most of the mistakes you talked about here, the point about boosting with analog and cutting with digital eqs is something I definitely gotta try, awesome vid!
Thank you, I am really glad you found this helpful! 🙂🙌🏻
Ive come back to find this exact video and tell you how much of an impact your tip for raising the q and searching for the hz that you take away from the sounds sharpness ive been trying to sharpen my sounds for so long and dipping those unwanted literally change the game for me thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience 😮
You're welcome, Trevor, glad you found it helpful! 🙂🙌🏻
@@EDMTips see you tomorrow 11 oclock cant wait to see what happens
Hope you enjoyed! 🙂
Something else to geek out on in 2022.
Great video with great production quality Will!
THANKS FOR INCLUDING THE TEST!!!! I don’t have a mentor TH-cam is my mentor and I don’t have 1 on 1 lessons for someone to tell me I’m listening to something wrong. The tests let me calibrate my ears to what’s actually happening and I’m not forced to mix and master and pray that I’m getting better. Wish I knew this sooner cause I hate starting bad habits cause they’re so hard to break I would’ve did this from the jump so I didn’t have to unlearn this shit. Thanks once again!!
You're welcome, glad you found it helpful! 🙂
Anything else in particular you’re struggling with and would like me to cover on the channel?
Love your videos. I did have a question - should you EQ percussion to make room for instruments, instruments to make room for percussion, or to taste?
As always a really valueable video, Will. For the surgical EQ i advice not to boost the frequencies to identify bad frequencies. As you stated already, you will mostly have a bad sounding frequency, even if you only boost it for a few dB. The more accurate way is to listen to the frequencies on the flat curve. FabFilter ProQ allows you to listen to that certain frequency by clicking on that little headphone icon, so you can only hear that frequency where you are with your dot. You then sweep through the whole spectrum (while still on that flat curve, no boosting or cutting), and then you will hear the frequencys that cause problems. These frequencies can be then lowered to the desired amount.
Another tip would be to use a dynamic EQ, like TDR Nova for example.
Keep up the good work! :)
Yep, that’s a great feature in pro q! Good idea re: the dynamic eq, too
@Broken Drum Machine No problem, you're welcome. :)
i rly have to say thanks! if you`re a beginner or a professional... this rounds all up what you were doing wrong before. What i like most is that you speak very fast and you never waste the time of the listener for self-presentation! For sure you make promo for yourself, but that is not the same and is just paying your bills!
greetings Spif
Thanks, I really appreciate kind words of support! 🙂
Glad you found it helpful! Anything else in particular you’re struggling with and would like me to cover on the channel?
Been watching videos on mixing/mastering for 2 years now. This channel is my favorite and imho has the best advice!
Only a few days remaining for my $10,000 music production giveaway! 👉 www.edmtips.com/100k-subscribers-competition/
You really hitting it out the park with these latest videos Will! Top quality stuff.
A tips for people who are searching for the right kick sample or synth preset that comes directly from 3DFX here is this: Bring in all your samples / presets from a construction kit or etc in your daw in an empty scene. Mute every single channel, then solo each & compare to the other samples/ synth presets. When you found your top favorites: copy them to a Favorite folder of yours. So you know exactly where to look when you are writing your tracks. Now you know whats the best kick sample or which synth preset mixes the best with which !!!This will save you a bunch of time both for planning your mix & get better mixes quicker! Thank me laterz! // 3DFX out !!! 👍
if there are a few days left, I already have the track, only a few details are missing and I'll upload it.
I already sent mine! Good luck to us all 🤞🤞🤞
Another banger, thanks man!
You're welcome, glad you enjoy it! 🙌🏻
Tip number one is the most frustrating one for me! I ALWAYS scream at the screen when TH-camrs incessantly encourage surgical EQ when they themselves don't know how to use it! You only really need to surgically use EQ if you can clearly hear a resonant frequency that needs cutting. You shouldn't have to search for it.
I agree, but it definitely helps to boost when hunting for the one you can hear
Not everyone has a perfect world recording situation.. It can be helpful if the room is trash lol
i do this for my grid leads if i got a lot going on and i just needs some space so the chaos isnt to muddy or cluttered. But i too made the mistake of doing too much. Now i will try and find some horrible sounds boosted like in the video if i have two lead tracks in similar or same key frequencies and i will do one cut on each where it sounded most crap but not so narrow a curve, and only if it sounds like soup in mono. for me its just for clarity and making frequency pockets for other stuff not to "improve the sound" which I'm certainly not doing not that naive anymore but its to improve the mix as i will always do it not in solo
@@llewellyn.7466 if the room is trash use headphones. i only use headphones cos i aint got a decent room but i do test in rooms with speakers
@@matthewtoomer2181 Room its recorded in*
But yeh definitely good advice on the headphones if the speakers are creating chaos in a springy room lol
I’ve recently been watching some of your videos, and they’ve really helped me out. Thank you 🙏🏼, your content is amazing ❤
You're so welcome! Glad my videos have helped you so far! 🙌🏻🙂
Good tips for sure. Regarding EQ level matching, it's better to adjust the output of the EQ itself rather than inserting a gain tool. You avoid unnecessarily using an insertion slot and also avoid unnecessarily using CPU cycles. This 2nd point is important for those running DAWs on modest computers.
I've been making electronic music since '92 and I've sorta learned by way of 'school of hard knocks' (i.e. no professional tutoring but just figuring things out), I've learned a lot about writing a tune that sounds good in a final mix is almost primarily based on the sounds you start with, so this was a very important thing to point out, imo. As well, I also don't use my eyes much at all except on compressors where I'm looking for just a little bit of interaction of the audio with the compressor. If I want flattening and 'loudening' of something, these days I actually use very subtle distortion or saturation effects instead of compressor/limiter just to round off the tips of peaks instead of changing the entire dynamic feel of the instrument.
That said, the other important thing I learned just by reading around after the advent of the internet is that mixing (not eq'ing) by subtraction is far more effective because then you create headroom and then you can boost everything back up in a meaningful way. I'm not a master at any of this, to be sure, but...I reiterate: writing your song where each voice has it's place in the choir, so to speak, makes the entire process much less of a hassle. You can't polish a turd, as they say, so start with pretty cool and colorful rock, throw it in the tumbler for a minute and polished it off into a lovely piece of geode. :)
Also, I do think using mostly/only your ears is extremely important. I meet folks who can't even properly chop a sample without looking at it and I'm like, 'Dude, does it sound good where you have it? No? Why is that?' And then they go and look at the sample and I'm like, "You literally can't hear that it's dropping too late and that you need to push the chop point up further on the sample?' Music is audio. If we expected or taught painters to paint by listening to how the paint hit the canvas, we'd all agree that's insane. Music is sound, ears are the way we know what's happening.
Great video , I was curious about making drastic cuts off the low end on tracks that didn’t need it , and after watching this I realize that its ok as long as it works in context . There are times with I need the low end for an acoustic guitar to sound full during an intro and knowing how to automate the eq for cutting out unnecessary low end is very helpful when kick and bass come into the spectrum . Great video again ! Thank you :)
I absolutely love your mixing videos. I may not produce EDM, etc, but you have helped me in so may ways! Thank you
You're welcome! The techniques I teach can be applied to pretty much ANY genre of music :)
1:33 using surgical sweeps too much (#1)
4:35 not using high and low pass (#2)
7:45 not using eq automation (#3)
10:00 not training your ears (#4)
10:55 only using subtractive eq (#5)
11:54 only using digital eqs (#6)
15:31 not using specturm analysers (#7)
17:36 relying on eq before sound selection (#8)
18:57 not volume matching / gain-staging (#9)
21:53 not eq-ing in context (#10)
24:17 not having an intention (#11)
come on, you could have provided those timestamps yourself 😘
I find it annoying when people do this, just watch the video, I understand it may seem convenient but content creators depend on the amount of time you watch a video. Simply siphoning all of the, may I remind you, free information they are providing you is a bit selfish. It is even detrimental to yourself, what he's saying is important and is in a specific order for a reason, the titles are hardly enough description to let the viewer know what he may actually be talking about. There's no need to be condescending.
8 days later i find this video and see it has timestamps and you added some too. Maybe the timestamps has to be added after the video has been published. i dunno
@Rippley Nobody has to use timestamps if provided to jump through things, it's entirely optional - but it will help avoid re-hashing subjects a viewer has already seen discussed dozens of times (which many of these tips might be, but that depends on the viewer). They can help to jump to the next subject immediately instead of aborting the video, when a subject is just a rehash for a viewer. Also, timestamps also help finding things again later if required. There's literally no downside and lots of upsides.
@@owenreel3916 Oh, and I'm not sure how you think I found those timestamps if not by watching the video 😋
@@DJayFreeDoo Yeah, the creator added them himself as well 🤩 Thanks @EDM Tips!
I’m having issues learning how to master. And not having anyone who I can share and work with leaves me learning from trial and error, so I do appreciate video like this…
I am glad you found it useful! You can also check out my video on mastering which I've recently published :)
It's funny, I have always used the fabfilter proQ to do my EQ cuts early in my chain, but then I always use an SSL EQ to do my additive EQ towards the end of my chain because I just loved the color that the SSL added. This wasn't a very conscious choice based on advice I'd been given or anything, I just liked how it sounded. Then today I see this video and you're saying "Use a parametric EQ for reductive, and an analog modeled for additive" and breaking down why that makes sense to do. It just makes me feel good about having trusted my instincts on that.
though, often walls already have a nail in the wall, and perhaps it is more fun to hang something else than a painting on that nail, and that's how something new come along.. test and experiment is a must I would say.. try things... you donät need to know the intention.. creating music by chance is fun... #JustDoIt
Thank you very much, this has been really useful. It's 5th January 2023 and I thought I'd check out the Waves EQ to see the price - if there's anyone watching around now they have a New Year's sale and the 550A and 550B together are reduced from £208 to £25 (in equivalent dollars).
Happy New Year!
Nicely spotted - steal of the year! 🙌🏻
@@EDMTips Thanks to watching your excellent video...😊
Analog eq is a great example!! Digital gets harsh sometime D:
Great video, very useful. One thing I remind myself of is, let the music breath, and if there is resonance I always cut, I almost never boost any frequency. Or in mastering, there is a total other situation. When you have to let sound, everything balanced and great. But then I use a Sontec or GML kinda parametic EQ.
Hey Will, I wanted to request for a tutorial on Just by Lane 8, the vox lead is mesmerizing but I am not able to re create it
that gain staging explanation is going to be a game changer for me.
Awesome, I am glad I could help! 🙌🏻
you are the best teacher on the planet.. i cant thank god enough.
Ah, really appreciate it! Thank you for the kind words of support 🙂
I went off watching production videos for a bit but back at it a few weeks now. Video production quality has improved massively. Fair play Will
Thank you immensely for these videos. They've been incredibly helpful for me starting my producing journey.
I love the idea on #6. Thanks!
You're welcome, and glad you found it helpful! 🙂🙌🏻
a topic i don't think i've seen covered is, knowing which EQ slope is right for the job & how each one affects the sound (steep vs smooth, -6db, -12db, etc.)
for example, when cutting lows under 125Hz or so for guitars or chords, should you use a steep or smooth filter?
also, i've noticed on some kick drums where I apply a steeper HPF, it sometimes causes clipping & i've never known why.
always look forward to your uploads man, take care!!
A more gentle slope results in a more natural sound. So it's often better for real instruments or vocals if you pursue a more natural style. Steeper slopes are better suited for synthetic sounds where any frequencies below the fundamental are just rumble and mud that you don't want.
Appreciated man! Take care too! :)
Amen brother, also the most used break in the music history.
Appreciate it! 🙌🙏
I have been doing quite a bit of this wrongly. Thank you!!!
You're welcome, glad you found it helpful! 🙌🏻
Great videos, so glad I subscribed. I always seem to (due to lack of talent) have a flat almost mono dull tone to my songs, even though I high pass and low pass stuff and I use way less instruments than most would, but I will keep plugin(g) away though!
Practice makes perfect, Clive! I am a big believer in practicing and learning rather than relying on talent so keep up the good work and don't give up!
Nice one as always Will. I'm still working on my track for your contest. It's taking me awhile because, like I said, I'm still new to making music a year in August. I'm going to make sure I get it in before midnight on the 21st though. Thanks for everything Will
Good luck
@@zackgriffith5012 Thanks man
'It doesn't matter how crappy the plugin is as long as it's resizable.' - Will. I've put words in your mouth. 😀
I think I've been watching your channel for too long as I don't make these mistakes anymore. You're a hero!
Will your vids are so helpful! You are an amazing teacher brotha!! 🤘😎❤️😎
Thank you, Randy, I am glad you found them helpful! 🙂🙌🏻
Anything else in particular you’re struggling with and would like me to cover on the channel?
I learn so mutch from you hope you Will keep this up for Manny years 😊
I have a EQ tip, when using a 2 band EQ for filter sweep effects with automation. Make sure you use a second 2 band EQ automation to counteract points where the frequency peaks to high. I do this all the time and it's a great effect to learn with automation you can create so really nice effects to the selected sound.
a nice dialed in dynamic eq
Thank you mate!!
No problem 👍
This video is just Gold, God clearly answered my prayers. Thank you very much.
You got my like and subscribe . Awesome video with great explanations in detail! Exactly what I needed to see as I'm currently stuck on the eq side of it all, will definitely apply these tips. Thanks heaps. Amen brother haha
One of the best tutors on here! Very helpful. Thank you.
do more videos on eq and how to individually making space in the tracks. thank you
I didnt just fell in love with the acapella actually, but finally i have faced all the mistakes i am doing! Not all of them gladly 🙂Thanks! ;-)
You're welcome, I am glad you found this helpful! 🙂🙌🏻
@@EDMTips Yes, I totally love it! Lets see...i mean hear what i make out of it!
Thanks for the education again!
You’re welcome ☺️
The thing I struggle with most is figuring out how to get reverb and mid-high EQ sounding right in my car. A track can sound great in 4 different headphones and my studio monitors but when I get in my car it's dripping in reverb and the 1.5-2.5k frequencies are ear-piercing. I find myself constantly have to go to my car and listen to tracks and then go back and use a multiband compressor on the 1.5-2.5k frequencies and lowering my reverb. I want to blame my car but professional mixes sound fine so I know it's me. I don't understand why it's so hard to hear the jarring frequencies (always in my vocals) or excessive reverb.
You need to position your monitors properly and you possibly need some room treatment if your room is too small or doesn't have the optimal shape. Mixing on headphones is deceptive.
Excellent video! I agree with all of these. As far as EQ plugins, I also use the Fabfilter Pro-Q3, which is my favorite. My other EQ plugin is the Waves GEQ Graphic Equalizer. It has 30 bands, and it's great for using your ears to hear the frequencies that you're cutting or boosting. It's $30, but WELL worth it!!!
Great , helpful videos as usual ... and thumbs up for your project with Simon , such a good lad ...
He is indeed! We’ve got a couple more tunes coming up, too :)
Amen brother, cheers for your knowledge!!As always its a great help!!
Thank you for the class!
You're welcome, Lloyd, glad you liked it! 🙂
@@EDMTips Sure thing!
Man thank you so much for this tips. They will definitely make a difference on my mixes from now and on
Good stuff.
Great clear advice. Thx. JPMusic
You’re welcome, James! Glad it was helpful 🙂🙌🏻
hello! can you say which analog plug-in do you recommend for low budget ? thanks a lot, awesome job man!
Thanks for all the great videos you’ve helped me so much!
Some great tips in this video. EQing tracks effectively takes lots of practice. I really appreciated the examples. Thank you!
You're welcome, glad it was helpful! 🙌🏻
Best EQ video I have ever seen! Great Job Bro!
You're welcome...Thanks for watching and supporting!
12:00 - awesome advice!
Very well explained, thank you 🙏!
You're welcome, glad it was helpful! 🙂🙌🏻
Thanks man the mystery now is solve many years ive mix with parametric eq to boost but then i hear the vocals sounds thin no character i found out that the only reason is i didn't boost using analog eq plugins before
Glad I could help, Zach! 🙌🏻
Another awesome one. Every videos a banger. Awesome!
Thank you, Jeremy, I am glad it was useful ☺️🙌🏻
my biggest issue has been how to properly use space for drums. like when do i mono kick or other parts? what instruments can i put left/right/center/forward/back etc? how do i layer the kick without it being too overbearing?
Another amazing vid Will , always improving / pushing your students. Thank you 🙏
Sometimes its hard for myself EQ'ing bc i like the fullness of the sounds by themselves but when they all play together it sounds all jumbled up. It's hard for me to make that decision on what to cut out and what to leave in. But getting better every song I think.
Mixing is a skill that takes a while to truly master! As long as you progress, you are on the right track though! :)
Will Darling big thanks Electronic music is always good but what's happening now is often a real problem I've been following you for a long time and I love your tips but I think we all have a lot of experience what we really need Will often sound track low sounding and I often don't know how to get it louder, I think it's often because of the samples that overreact, that's why I also test Fab Filter Q 2
Amen Brother, that was sensational, thank you
You're welcome, glad you enjoyed it! 🙌🏻🙂
Would you recommend mixing by bouncing down all your channels and then mix using the audio stems?
Then taking the mixed audio track to get it mastered (by yourself or whoever else).
I have seen many "hobby" producers just having one big project where they produce, mix and master all in one go, which seems a bit odd to me.
In my head it makes sense to finish producing, then going for mixing and mastering as separate tasks/projects.
enjoyed this video and found it useful thank you :)
You're welcome! Glad it was helpful :)
Hey Will. Great vid as always. Quick one - on the analogue EQ - any particular recommendations? There are SO many, so any pointers would be much appreciated. Cheers, Mark
I do find Tip Nr.10 the most important one. If the EQ adjustments are not being done in context to the rest, it is very easy to make the wrong decisions by cutting or adding too much on a certain frequency... simply because it might otherwise sound weird while being played on its own.
I've got another tip, which is the (subtle) use of multiband compressors to chance the EQ character of a specific track in the mix. I find it to work especially very well when defining the character of a vocal. And I do prefer to use analogue modelled ones then, so that you completely have to refer to what you are hearing in context to the mix and not what you might see in a diagram.
not all heros wear capes, some wear headphones and help others with knowledge and very good info, Thanks heaps mate 🙏🏽🙏🏽
When He Said , Bedroom Producers , Just Like you . I Subscribed 😂🔥
Amen Brother!!!!!! Great Videos!
🙌🙏 Thanks!
Another great video. Thanks for reinforcing stuff I kinda thought I knew and teaching some new stuff. Namaste. Hear, here!
I'm learning, thank you!
How do I bring up 2 spans at once on different track lanes ? Thanks for your videos 🤗
good question ! I too am looking to do this...
I also want to know!!!!
How did you get the 2 different spectrum analyzers from 2 different tracks to stay in focus side by side??
Very great work, fantastic video for all music producers.
Thanks for watching, I am glad it was useful!
Thanks ! Great tips.
You’re welcome! Glad it helped
Hell yeah, one thing I find is managing my projects folders, what do do with exports at the end etc... naming of projects or files to find them later after a few months, I've been trying to add bpm and key to the names. One thing I have been doing is saving a mp3 in the project folder so I can quickly listen to the project. Is there any better way of doing this?
Render in place inside the project!
Brilliant video Will thanks for taking the time to make it. Can you tell me what headphones you recommend for monitoring and mix when mastering the final track. I have Adam A3X monitoring speaks and these are great, but often I miss things and have been advised to cross check with headphones. I read somewhere on an internet board that Calvin Harris uses Sennheiser HD 25-1 II headphones and his mixes sound alright to me lol. So what do you recommend Will?
I like you all right, Ty but not once did you give 808 State credit for that guitar riff. Please explain.
Solid advice!
Cheers, glad you found it helpful! 🙂
Where can I find full version of the track you were working on during the video? Is it your remix of Islands In The Sky?
thanks bro, learning lots
Stoked to hear this! Thank you for watching and supporting the channel 🙂
AMEN Brother. I love you heaps!
So helpful and everything is well detailed, Thank you # From Africa ( Ivory Cost 🇨🇮)
Excellent info. Thanks for this.
Will great videos . You used utility to gain stage, what’s your thoughts on using limiter v’s utility for this?
Will, you know you can use the mouse scroll wheel over the EQ node to adjust the Q on Pro-Q3 ?
Just get Eventide *Split EQ* already and enjoy a more simple life already today! - Just sayin'... 👍
Amen brother. I struggle with high frequency hearing loss. I'm in my fifties, have played music all my life, and both have taken their toll. So how do I effectively work the high end if I can't hear it?
Have you considered Dubstep?
@@Timothy_Dalton33 I like some of the less aggressive varieties. I tend more towards Future Garage and Dark Ambient.
Just fell over this one again and watched it all, great tips!
Love the work you put into these videos 🫶