The use of technology, software and electronic devices is part and parcel of modern music, and even the most popular musicians use these techniques liberally in their tracks. They either use them to produce the actual sounds, or in the mixing and mastering of the released music. By looking at how they do this, you can understand how to produce better or top quality mp3 WAV beats.
The two phases in mixing tracks are the recording or sampling of the actual sounds, and then mixing and mastering them into the final track. Sometimes, musicians use live instruments to record the track, but others simply put the entire track together using synthetic techniques. To draw a distinction, backtracks are those which are sung or dubbed over by the live musicians, while a track itself is the entire song or piece of music. Musicians might follow these two steps in that order, or use them interchangeably as they work on and perfect a track.
If you are making beats, and nothing else, then you are probably going to use mostly software to do so. This software is not new, and there are various brands. It is not sensible to recommend a specific one, since you will need to assess them and decide for yourself what you prefer.
Usually, these programs will present you with a layout of the track that allows you to add or remove samples (pre-recorded sounds, such as instruments) as building units, as you desire. You can also edit or manipulate the sounds in different ways.
Inexperienced people sometimes do not understand how to mix a track using such software. They then mix tracks which are not usable for their intended purpose, such as public performance or as backtracks for live musicians. There are several reasons why this happens.
One important factor is the speaker equipment that you use to mix your tracks. If you are using a computer, the PC speakers might be small and low-power, without much bass. This encourages people to "over-amp" or excessively amplify the bass of their tracks. The disaster starts when the tracks are played on a much larger system, such as a public PA system: the bass is so powerful that it makes the track inaudible, the speakers distort, or they are even destroyed (they "blow"). Inexperienced users do not always understand how much power a sample has until it is played on a more powerful system. Their tracks are thus unplayable.
You should therefore try to stay aware of the power output of the speakers that you use to mix. A track that sounds low power on them might actually be entirely adequate when played on a PA system. Some tactics, such as part doubling (using two identical channels for the same sample) or the more standard amplification options, are usually not necessary, or should only be used if you know what you are doing.
The superstar vocalist Nelly Furtado was once reported as saying that during a practice session the sound was so loud that the speakers started to emit smoke. This sounds like a celebrity joke but it is a reality in track mixing. Speakers do not have an automatic limit on their power output and they are able to blow themselves. You should never try to make up for the low output of your mixing speakers.
The two phases in mixing tracks are the recording or sampling of the actual sounds, and then mixing and mastering them into the final track. Sometimes, musicians use live instruments to record the track, but others simply put the entire track together using synthetic techniques. To draw a distinction, backtracks are those which are sung or dubbed over by the live musicians, while a track itself is the entire song or piece of music. Musicians might follow these two steps in that order, or use them interchangeably as they work on and perfect a track.
If you are making beats, and nothing else, then you are probably going to use mostly software to do so. This software is not new, and there are various brands. It is not sensible to recommend a specific one, since you will need to assess them and decide for yourself what you prefer.
Usually, these programs will present you with a layout of the track that allows you to add or remove samples (pre-recorded sounds, such as instruments) as building units, as you desire. You can also edit or manipulate the sounds in different ways.
Inexperienced people sometimes do not understand how to mix a track using such software. They then mix tracks which are not usable for their intended purpose, such as public performance or as backtracks for live musicians. There are several reasons why this happens.
One important factor is the speaker equipment that you use to mix your tracks. If you are using a computer, the PC speakers might be small and low-power, without much bass. This encourages people to "over-amp" or excessively amplify the bass of their tracks. The disaster starts when the tracks are played on a much larger system, such as a public PA system: the bass is so powerful that it makes the track inaudible, the speakers distort, or they are even destroyed (they "blow"). Inexperienced users do not always understand how much power a sample has until it is played on a more powerful system. Their tracks are thus unplayable.
You should therefore try to stay aware of the power output of the speakers that you use to mix. A track that sounds low power on them might actually be entirely adequate when played on a PA system. Some tactics, such as part doubling (using two identical channels for the same sample) or the more standard amplification options, are usually not necessary, or should only be used if you know what you are doing.
The superstar vocalist Nelly Furtado was once reported as saying that during a practice session the sound was so loud that the speakers started to emit smoke. This sounds like a celebrity joke but it is a reality in track mixing. Speakers do not have an automatic limit on their power output and they are able to blow themselves. You should never try to make up for the low output of your mixing speakers.
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