Ableton Forum

Hello everybody

At the moment i'm trying to learn some mixing techniques and i'm working especially on drums right now (eq, compression).

On the link below are mixed drums and i would like that you listen to it and give me some good tips/advices (like is there too much/too litle reverb, are kick, snare and tom ok, what could be louder/quieter, and so on), so i could do even better. Just tell me if i'm on the right path/way. For now i'm using the built-in Ableton inserts except the Waves reverb plugin.

Here is the link -> CLICK

I hope my ears are hearing properly

Thank you,
Toneless

well I will turn your question back... I'd love my drums to sound as good as these... How do you get this? Are some third party plugins involved or is it plain ableton?

FadY wrote:well I will turn your question back... I'd love my drums to sound as good as these... How do you get this? Are some third party plugins involved or is it plain ableton?

Hello Fady,

well here i use samples, so i have 6 different audio tracks (kick, snare, tom, closed hihat, congs and shaker), then i EQ every single track and after that i put default Ableton compressor, so everything is a bit cleaner and louder

At the end i put default limiter on the master channel so the volume isn't getting over the 0dB.

I have also created 3 different return tracks (reverb, filter delay, ping pong delay) and i've set sends for each track differently.

So it is plain Ableton yeah, except the Waves reverb plugin.

Thats all my friend I hope i explained your question

P.S. -> but still i'm wondering how do you get such a "rich" and "full" sound, like here for example -> CLICK (everything fits so good together). I'll have to practice a lot to get a result like this, but probably they use some other high quality plugins instead of default ones.

Cheers

I find yours better!
which wave plugin do you use?

FadY wrote:which wave plugin do you use?

This one -> Renaissance Reverb Plugin

Cheers

is it very different from the ableton reverb?

DAMN!!!! that sounds great! i don't think you need very much help in mixing your drums, sir!

but a few cool tricks :

- did you know about parallel compression, where the dry signal is mixed with a heavily squashed signal (in a aux track), their sum being instant greatness?

- another trick being parallel distortion (distortion unit in an aux track), if you've got some pristine drum sounds and want to keep their clarity, but at the same need to rough them up a bit.

- tape distortion/compression is great on drums, as it brings out second order harmonics which make your sounds huge and warm. unfortunately, the only Tape distortion algorithms i know of are the Tape Delay in Logic (but used as a distortion device with no delay) and the Tape mode of Reason's Scream 4.

another cool trick if you like your huge washes of reverb, is to duck the reverb signal with the kick drum.

Apoplexia Music wrote:DAMN!!!! that sounds great! i don't think you need very much help in mixing your drums, sir!

but a few cool tricks :

- did you know about parallel compression, where the dry signal is mixed with a heavily squashed signal (in a aux track), their sum being instant greatness?

- another trick being parallel distortion (distortion unit in an aux track), if you've got some pristine drum sounds and want to keep their clarity, but at the same need to rough them up a bit.

- tape distortion/compression is great on drums, as it brings out second order harmonics which make your sounds huge and warm. unfortunately, the only Tape distortion algorithms i know of are the Tape Delay in Logic (but used as a distortion device with no delay) and the Tape mode of Reason's Scream 4.

another cool trick if you like your huge washes of reverb, is to duck the reverb signal with the kick drum.

Tnx for your feedback man, i'll try all the tricks you've mentioned I've heard of parallel compression and really, i must learn it cause i want to make good music

Tnx again and cheers,

Tone

Try a new Eq. Plenty say the Oxford is the best. I've been having fun with Fabfilter's newish one.

eggnchips wrote:Try a new Eq. Plenty say the Oxford is the best. I've been having fun with Fabfilter's newish one.

I've seen this one, but haven't tryed it yet.

Tnx man,

Tone

your example is an almost plain vengeance samples loop isn't it? you almost got me

"LMAO, gotttt eeeeeem" he said, several years later.

I mix with white noise and it's great