DBXXL WEEKLY MUSIC PRODUCTION TIP:
I was recently asked by a client “how long does it take to write, produce, and mix a song?”
I sat the client down and asked, are you asking this question due to budget and time constraints or just a general knowledge of what works in the music industry to make a commercially equal song? First they asked, what is a commercially equal song? So I told them equal to what you hear on the radio & gave examples such as Adele, Jay-Z etc. Their answer was that’s exactly what I want, a commercially equal song. So I asked, did they have the real budget to accommodate such and I heard crickets…lol
Read moreDBXXL WEEKLY MUSIC PRODUCTION TIP:
EQUALIZING A PIANO TRACK EVEN IF IT’S A PLUGIN THAT CREATED THE PIANO PART
Tonight I am working on a song that has a piano track that is prevalent at the beginning of the song. The intent of this track is to be dramatic but no matter how much reverb, delay, or eq’ing I was putting on it, it just didn’t seem to come to life. This track had been produced using a plugin. Although plugins have gotten better there are subtle nuances that just can not be reproduced. My suggestion would have been to use a real baby grand piano but it was not available for the recording session. So as a music producer and mixing engineer I have to find ways to make what I have work.
Instead of just accepting defeat and dealing with a life-less track, I took some time to think about some of things I use to do with live piano tracks when I use to reside in Los Angeles: such as equalizing each band to bring out the depth of the track, subtle delay and/or reverb. What I found was soon as I eq’d this track with more sensitivity, ridded my mind of negativity, and realized that this track deserved the same or similar approach to an actual piano, the track started to come alive.
Bottom line: when dealing with life-less tracks you may have to spend some time diddling around with the eq to find the nice frequencies. You’d be amazed the sounds you are able to produce using plugins. I will provide the settings in a future blog when I post the finished mix but I decided that one of the best to give advice on eq’ing a piano track is George Massenburg using a GML 8200 (He is someone many people know and use plugins by). It is definitely a great piece of equipment to own if you can afford it. Whether or not you can afford it, approach using your plugin filters and effects in a similar manner. This video is short and sweet. Realize it is not a fix-all to all situations but truthfully just seeing his process helped me so I decided to share this music production tip with all of you. Hope you enjoy. Keep making great music. I know I will continue to do so.
DBXXL:
THE HARDEST WORKING MUSIC PRODUCER AND ALL AROUND ENTREPRENEUR IN THE GAME!
FUTURE SHIIII!!!!!!!!!!
BTW for those who are not familiar with George Massenburg, you need too. George Y. Massenburg was born in Baltimore, Maryland and is a recording engineer & inventor. Working principally in Baltimore, Los Angeles, Nashville, and Macon, Georgia, Massenburg is widely known for submitting a paper to the Audio Engineering Society in 1972 regarding the parametric equalizer.
DBXXL WEEKLY MUSIC PRODUCTION TIP
This week’s tip is tight but right.
Know your craft.
I will say this again, “KNOW YOUR CRAFT.”
Far too many of today’s established & aspiring music producers do not have a firm hold on their skill set aka craft. Due to sampling, macbooks, and pcs a large amount of the work has been reduced out of the equation which has created a blessing & a curse situation for current music producers. When you increase your craft you are establishing your style that is unique to you, when you do not have a firm hold on your craft you are essentially a copyist. The problem with being a copyist is they may get over for a few tracks but they will hold no longevity in the music industry. Why?
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DBXXL:
THE HARDEST WORKING MUSIC PRODUCER AND ALL AROUND ENTREPRENEUR IN THE GAME!
FUTURE SHIIII!!!!!!!!!!
