I need suggestions how to get better.

Anatoliy · 2025-05-11T11:16:11+00:00

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Greetings,

Being in web design for a long time, I can see if a web page was created by a noob, even if he was copying something really beautiful. The "noob's problem" is that he "can't see" the important details (only the biggest, the obvious).

The same thing I fill now with music production - I feel lack of something, but I "can't see" what are those details. So I'm asking please tell me what "pokes in an eye" most of all? What do I need to learn "to see" (to hear in our case) that will improve my results? I know that it's a long road and there are many many things that should be improved, but what are the first ones that I should take?

Thanks in advance.

https://soundcloud.com/anatoliy-viktorovich-557939473/indian-summer?si=d47009d770b74e8d90b7e1b6fe5aaf18&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

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JesterMgee

Being in web design for a long time, I can see if a web page was created by a noob, even if he was copying something really beautiful. The "noob's problem" is that he "can't see" the important details (only the biggest, the obvious).

Well, as a web designer you would know firstly that if a noob wants to design a website, they can literally have one up and running within an hour without knowing/learning anything about PHP, SQL, CSS, HTML, JS, etc by simply picking a CMS, choosing a pre-designed template and loading up some content, can be done in an afternoon…. because others have already done all that work for them.

As someone who has higher experience, of course you can pick they are using Wix, and a pre-designed template, and minimal actual work invested into it, however they have technically designed a website, so are they now considered a "web designer" in your books?

Apply that same understanding to "music production" which is just a large umbrella term these days. Consider a large successful band/artist. They are not usually writing lyrics, melodies and then designing the whole track/album layout on top of organising all the arrangements, additional production elements, purchasing their own studio, learning all the gear, mixing the project, mastering it, promoting it as one single person. If artists are smart they delegate these tasks to people who have decades of experience to do some of the work and offer valuable input. Those that CAN handle almost all of that will already have decades of experience but usually have someone they work with. You cannot expect to take on all those roles without guidance or collaboration and expect wonders. Even if you have great technical skill, maybe your song writing sucks or maybe you just don't have the ideas that interest others. Maybe you are just missing that input from someone else. May be nothing wrong at all and it's a simple case of too many fish in the sea already and nothing that makes you stand out. I mean, why would someone be interested in your little self produced little tune when they can listen to millions of other highly produced and popular options freely on one of thousands of different platforms?

It's experience, working with others, consuming and listening to all kinds of music and usually just pushing on even when you post a song and it gets 3 likes in 2 years, promotion is also the key. Getting your ideas in front of actual professionals, don't expect much from forums as most professionals out there aren't wasting their time on forums like this. Just be realistic in the idea that likely, no one wants to hear what you make and if making music for yourself is fine, keep at it and one day maybe something will strike a chord with someone else. Otherwise, consider getting an actual degree in an area of production and learning properly.

Anatoliy

Dear Jester,

Thank you very much for the detailed answer. And sorry for my English, it got rusty without practice.

I didn't mean "how to get successful" (how to get famous and popular). I'm 57 years old, I don't have plans to become a next star. ) And you are right, it's simple: you want to learn something - go get degree. However not in my case - I'm too old (Al Pachino whispers in my ear "and too f blind" 😋), I don't have money for that, and there is a war in my country the 4th year…

So, if there are 3 stages of production - arrangement, mixing, and mastering, then I found some things I can improve on the arrangement stage (in this particular composition, and in all my next compositions as well). I replaced Massive's bass that played only 1 root note for a chord with Prime Bass that plays more notes. ) And to make the second part of a track differ from the first, I added a layer of strings in the second.

Stage 2 - Mixing

And here I stuck. I have 2 big problems (questions?) and do hope that you guys could help me figure them out.

Depth.

On a picture I would place a close shot of human as a foreground, some mountains as a background. I would make mountains blurry, and that would add depth to an image. I would add then another half blurry object between background and foreground which would add even more depth to a composition.

I'm trying to apply the same to a music composition but here is my problem. My solo guitar should be placed on foreground. Other instruments should sit in background, or between background and foreground, and should be "blurry" or "half blurry". And "blurry in background" means less volume, less high frequency, and more reverb. And here is my problem - I added shaker and tambourin to add high frequency to a mix. If I move them to background, mix will lose highs, if I don't - they sit in foreground, where a guitar should sit. What is a proper way to place them?

2. Unmasking.

My membership gives me Neutron, and I watched tutorials on it, but it is still not clear in my head…

I understand, that I should unmask everything for kick. I understand that electric piano and strings should be unmasked for solo guitar. But should I unmask strings and electric piano from each other? Or they should be like "layering" (just to create sound as a one instrument)?

mykejb

This book is full of useful mixing tips and tricks - definitely worth the money

https://cambridge-mt.com/ms/main/

Anatoliy

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/225905#Comment_225905

Thanks! I'm trying to digest this free course from mastering.com How to Mix Like a Pro (12-Hour Mixing Course) . But I can't ask a question if I don't understood something. And I will not be able to ask a book. ;)

LostInFoundation

I see your main worry is about mixing and a lot of technical things you suppose are the “secret” for a working track.

I won’t reel off a lot of terms to just show myself, but I did listen to your track and I will tell you my first impression, hoping that it can maybe be useful:

On the first listening, the sensation was pleasant. Just one thing “jumped” on my ears (immediately): the stereo widening was very prominent. Although it creates a nice “atmosphere”, it is maybe a little “too much”.

The guitar being so reverbered (even here: maybe a little “too much”?) adds to that sensation.

Both things together also could have the effect of “muffling” what you are trying to achieve with the unmasking.

Of course, only my 2 cents ☺️

Anatoliy

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/225909#Comment_225909

Thank you! That's the feedback I was hoping for!

As I understood from tutorials, I need to understand WHY I want to change something, and only then - HOW to change it. ) This guitar is Electric Sunburst deluxe ("Wide Mountain" preset). As a solo guitar is the main instrument in the track I wanted it to be "sweet and juicy". And after listening to all presets available, chose this one as it sounds amazing (when solo). But you are right, it makes all the mix to sit in that rich mountain fog. ) And I didn't even know anything about stereo widening, but now after your words I understand why the preset called Wide Mountain. )

So here is a question (regarding this particular guitar in this mix and all other NI instruments in my future mixes). I understood, that after I'm done with arrengement I export all tracks as wav files, and then create another project with those files for mixing. What is the proper way to deal with NI instruments? Do I turn preset's reverb and delay before export and then apply them on a mixing stage? (no way I can do it as good as it is in presets). Or I export with effects? Or I export all tracks except NI instruments and place thraks with them in a project for mixing?

Please advise.

LostInFoundation

Frankly those are all things that are up to you and to what you want to achieve.

Personally, I try to already have things the way I want them BEFORE I even think about mixing.

If a reverb is too much, I lower it, I don’t wait for the mixing phase.

The song must already be sounding good, so the mixing will just be a “refinements” thing, not something upsetting the track.

I see the mixing phase as a “let’s ensure things will be pleasant as they were when I thought the track was ready”. And something that will ensure it is not sounding good only on my system, but will translate good also when listened in other ways.

But maybe that’s just me.

About exporting with FXs or adding them later… also this is a matter of what you want. If you think you still want the ability to “drastically” change up things in a second moment, without Fxs could be better. If you try like me to already be sure things are the way you want them before exporting… I would keep all the already done work.

Let’s say I tend to already make a pre-mix while still working on the track before moving to a final mix

Anatoliy

Thanks! You helped a lot.

LostInFoundation

Another thing that came to mind: I see you are willing and you try to learn a lot of things from tutorials and what not.

Another approach could be trying to be more “spontaneous”: do things the way you like, use your ears to decide what sounds good to you and where you have to intervene.

Only then, when you already reached a certain result, transform your ears in a more “criticizing” tool. Ask yourself “ok…what didn’t I managed to achieve? Where is it still not satisfying me? What wasn’t I able to realize because I don’t know how to do it? What I still don’t like? What do I find different in the things I consider more professional?”.

Only then you could use all your courses and tutorials to see how to fix those things.

And… let’s not forget one thing: many of the “rules” about how a mixing must be done are related to different ways to work from the one of a “home producer”.

To be more clear: many of the “to equalize a guitar you must do this and that” come from people recording a real guitar, with real microphones of different kinds, in different environments with different acoustic.
The virtual instruments we are often using (like your Electric Sunburst Deluxe) are already equalized, already treated, already effected.

All of this just to say that the “golden rules” of what MUST be done are to take with a grain of salt…

In the end… what matters is if your product sounds how you like it.
YOU are the artist with YOUR artistic vision 😏

When Radiohead came out, many engineers were telling them “it doesn’t sound the way the industry sounds”.
Well… they just answered them “Yes, but it sounds the way WE want it to sound” 😏

Anatoliy

Yes, tutorials say about that, too )

that reminded me:

Subscribe to our master-class "How to quit spending money on master-classes". (c)

😁

Anatoliy

How do you guys "like" posts here? I can see only the "Funny" reaction.

LostInFoundation

Or: “if you pay us 100 bucks, we will teach you how to earn 100 bucks”

😂😂😂

LostInFoundation

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/225935#Comment_225935

Don’t you have “Vote Up” and the other choices?

Anatoliy

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/225937#Comment_225937

I do. I just thought those are usefull for "Question" types, to push the best answers to the top.

Doesn't look useful in "Discussion" types. But I guess it works too.

LostInFoundation

No. Those are just reactions to what is written.

For Questions type threads, the OP has an “Accepted answer” choice (which can be used also by Mods and Admins) to mark an answer as the correct one (or presumed correct ☺️).

Only that can “push” an answer at the top… and only in questions type

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