Mixing Excitement ?

B

BigBee

New member
How do you add some extra excitement to the music at the mixing stage ? When I listen to real records then a lot of times some musical parts of a song can be quit repetitive but to keep it interesting something extra is happening but I don't know what. Maybe it is something that you can feel and not really can hear(at least I can't). I've used the occasional extra reverb on the snare or vocals but there's more, is it ? Or is it just me getting over excited by the song.

Any tricks, advice welcome,
Cheers
BigBee
 
Or things you CAN hear.
Cut out the bass for 4 beats...
Filter the drums down to where you only hear the bassdrum, suddenly pan everything hard left and hard right, run the vocals through a phaser. If tre song gets boring, make the arrangement interesting!

Listen to the new Acid house music, Armand van Helden and such, how they can kepp the interest up in EXTREMELY repetetive songs with just a good beat and fiddling with the arrangements.
 
Don't leave all your faders stuck in the position your set as your final mix - MOVE 'EM AROUND!!! (no, not up and down like a yoyo, but enough to add some "motion" to the rhythm.) Push the guitars/vocals a bit more in the chorus, give an extra ooomph to the snare in key places...

'Course, this is much more difficult using a mouse and computer - but there's your argument for using a good 'old-fashioned console mixer! ;)

Bruce Valeriani
Blue Bear Sound
 
Panning is always fun. Take a track double it, than take the two tracks - pan one hard left the other hard right. Also add some nice spatial effects keeping certain instruments right - others left. Bass, drums, and lead vox usually stay center, but nothing is cut in stone.
 
I agree, something happens underneath.
Besides the suggestions from the others, there are somethings I plan already in the recording stage, exactly with the philosophy: "I know this won't be heard, if at all..., but it will be there..."
For example
-special sound effects just at certain points throughout the song (an almost silent "swoooouuuuooosh..." to preceed a refrain)
-another pad (barely heard) on top of the main pad towards the end of the song to build intensity.
-when recording audio (vocal's, guitar's, etc.) leaving small imperfections that can only be heard when soloing the track.

hope this helps

Hans
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top