For those of you who are into producing, this is a thread where you can share any tip you have regarding music production. Who knows, it might help other producers as well. Please put in bold the main point of the tip. You know, little things can make great changes.

EDIT: Please do not ask for requests on this thread. Sorry I did not make this clearer the first time, but this thread was meant to be a long list of tips. If you have certain questions, please post a new thread, as that will provide more focused answers to your question.


First tip:
When mixing a song, always remember that you can always make one track sound louder by pulling down the faders of the rest of the tracks. This helps you avoid having all of your faders eventually climbing to the top of the board and getting a loud, dirty mix. (unless that's what you want, but there are better ways to sound loud.)

Equalizing can do wonders. Equalizing and compression are perhaps two of the most important factors when making a track. Proper EQ will lead to a much more refined sound/track whereas without a proper EQ the track will sound messy, loud and unmixed. I have found that EQ really helps make my sound a lot better as without EQ the tracks sound horrible!

Btw great idea for a thread Nick. 

hey guys prob not the right place to ask but what programs do you use?

Originally posted by DJSammyK

hey guys prob not the right place to ask but what programs do you use?

Here ya go. The proper thread. http://www.trancepodium.com/forum/topic,2717.0/

Ben: Thanks!   I seem to be in a thread-starting trend lately.

Third tip:
Use reverb sparingly. Many starting producers in different music genres make the mistake of using a lot of reverb because they sound nice. While using lots of reverb may make some productions sound better, it is not a panacea for rough sounds or even hiding mistakes. While they may make some elements better, using too much reverb will result to a track that sounds very distant from the listener. In order to keep the reverb "real," do not use too much except for under special circumstances. Use reverb only on some tracks, not all of them. A very "wet" mix just might make the song sound too creamy, and might dampen the edge and the "oomph" of a production. Remember, the damper your mix is, the softer the track becomes.

Thanx guys for the useful tips!Definitely will come in handy

One thing i need to ask for help with if possible,is my true weakness in my production of music (which im a novice) is my drum patterns or sequencing,i'm being trying to look for drum midi files to use as a reference to see the structure of the drum track! Hope that made sense at all! Do you have any production tips or secrets for me or where i can find what im looking for !!!pls! I would really appreciate it!

Originally posted by MvH

One thing i need to ask for help with if possible,is my true weakness in my production of music (which im a novice) is my drum patterns or sequencing,i'm being trying to look for drum midi files to use as a reference to see the structure of the drum track! Hope that made sense at all! Do you have any production tips or secrets for me or where i can find what im looking for !!!pls! I would really appreciate it!

You can start a thread for this, as answering this question may lead this thread to be filled with off-topic posts. Sorry, but this was meant to be a repository of tips by producers for producers as we go along.

As you can see, I try to post a new tip every time I answer questions like this because I want the thread to go back to the way it was meant to be. lol

fourth tip:
If you can't think of the final structure of the song just yet, make a demo of your idea. It's just like sketching. When you have not the intention to make a complete song, yet have an idea, then lay some tracks down as demos. These may help you some time when you are in need of a part, and they just might fit in other songs. While this may look like a sorry waste of space, demos provide you with ready-mades that might just inspire you.

Automation makes the song 'complete'. Automation is the key to an interesting and different track. Automating aspects such as the EQ and effects such as reverb and flanger make the song more variable and different. Try experimenting with the automation on your VST's.

It might help if you do your mixing in the morning, or about a couple of hours after you woke up. When we sleep, everything in our body recovers, even our hearing. While this just might be only a small improvement, very little can go a very long way. When you have just woken up, your hearing is yet unbiased, since your mind is not set to hear the tracks you might have been hearing for hours. Secondly, for most of us, mornings are quiet, so your hearing has not yet been disturbed much. Be careful not to disturb other people, though.

A mixing Tip
In the mix u bring out a sound  by raising the volume in the beginning of a track inturn lower that sound.Since the listener has heard that sound it will b clear in his/her brain what that sound is doing even if its set back low in the mix.Then bring up another sound in the mix so the listener can check it out and then turn it down, once the listener has heard it loud and clear it doesn't have to continue being loud inorder to recongnise it,If you keep on doing this you then create an illusion that all sounds in the mix are loud and clear!!!!

A great Quote to remember as a producer!!
Either be the first and be innovative, or be the last and be the definitive.Just be creative!
Gary Langan (Art of Noise)

Less is more.
Don't overload your tracks, keep them simple.

Take your time. While some tracks might be laid down within a couple of hours, some tracks take longer to grow. It is an investment to actually spend more time on something rather than rushing things for the sake of finishing them. Remember, quality over quantity is a good idea in the long term.

record label hint,

spend as much time on mastering your track as you do producing your track we get many tracks un mastered and it just takes sooo much from them !

Andi, please make the main point of your post in bold. This makes it easier for those who are reading this to remember our points.

sorry was wrote in QR ;-)

Originally posted by brandedDIGITAL

record label hint,

spend as much time on mastering your track as you do producing your track we get many tracks un mastered and it just takes sooo much from them !

Bullshit.