wishing my mixes didn't sound so weak

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ForceBacon

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Here is a beat I made recently. I've been mixing for about 2 years now, and honestly I wish I could just stick to the music and have someone else mix. Anyway, I feel that my mixes always sound weak and dry. Any advice on ways to make this mix more in-your-face and present would be awesome.

Btw, I'm not looking for musical advice. I've heard plenty of stuff that's much more repetitive, elementary, and MIDI-ish that still manages to have way more power.

thanks.


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What samples/programs are you using? They sound kinda dated. How are you mastering your finished product? What program? What "other stuff" are you refering to. How was that music recorded/mastered?
 
I think there's plenty of sound-power. I'd say you're unsatisfied because there's no 'groove', for example:

Sustaining the bass notes to the near-end of the available duration. Fill the rythmic gaps with other percussion. And try noodling with some other types of chords and prograssions....an awful lot of unision.
The composition is boring....never cuts to a rolling beat...no momentum.

That other stuff you're dissing may be repetitive, but it may have about 500% more funk, groove, and interesting harmony. The sounds are not the prollum. It's the composition....or lack thereof. There's as much or more power in well-crafted groove as there is in the best of recording equipment. James Brown comes to mind. Mono. 1960's. Kicks ass. You should take musical advice....I think it's the weakness. Or you could spend a million dollars on SOTA electronics...and still be dis-satisfied.
 
are any tracks stereo?

if they're all midi and mono, it might be hard to create a really alive mix. some different panning might help. the piano doesn't need to be center, but try having the horns balance center instead of right.

dynamics might be helpful some. like turning up the kick and bass in those 3:36 sections so it's a little more dramatic.

musically it works well man.
 
My first thought goes with what Jeff said – groove is missing. It also sounds too robotic like it was all programmed on the piano roll.

Agree with PDP that the sound is dated. Are you using snths or samples?

And as pudding said, spread the stereo field.

Notice the dynamics of the bass compared to the snare, it’s like David and goliath.

Anyway – my $00.02
 
I don't really hear a major problem with the mix. It's all the composition and mostly that absolutely horrible drum track . the snare is awful and the beat itself is almost non-existant.
I do hear a lack of bottom end to the mix so you might bump that up a bit but you really need a lot more to the drums than a random sounding snare and handclaps. Also there's no continuity to it ....... you need at least one element of the tunage that is there consistently from beginning to end.
 
It sounds like Edirol orchestral and FL studio to me. I think the only problem is layering your sounds better. Get the groove going then add all the candy. Get trilogy for the bass too. You want a lot of bottom end in rap to make up for the thin snare sounds and samples. And dont be afraid to layer two or three kicks or snares if it helps make things hit hard. Definitely check out some new synths too. In rap the triton and other hardware sounds are all overused. Now its really about making your own sounds with programs like absynth or camel audio alchemy. And get those bass notes on lower octaves. That is the shit that shakes ya in hip hop.
 
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