How to get your edits sounding as good as possible.

solconnection · Post by **solconnection** » Sat Mar 19, 2011 12:33 pm

Hi guys, have a production Q i could do with your expertise on.

Sometimes i like to make edits of existing tracks, if they need a better kick or more bass, or a little melody over the top, or if two tracks mix really well together.

problem is these tracks are already mastered and limited, so adding any new layers makes the master clip, adding a limiter squashes everything too much and ruins the sound and turning down the mastered track(s) to make room for my layers makes the finished rendered track quiet relative to other tracks.

any thoughts on the best way to make edits from limited tracks?

thanks in advance
-Dan

kristofason · Post by **kristofason** » Sat Mar 19, 2011 12:49 pm

I just did an edit, have a listen! :
http://soundcloud.com/chris-yardley/gar ... wn-tabro-t

I just trusted my ears for the volumes mate, granted its not very well mastered! Depends what ur going for, the novelty of an edit overides all that!

deccard · Post by **deccard** » Sat Mar 19, 2011 6:08 pm

well for extra bassdrum use a sidechain compressor on the original track triggered by the new bassdrum (play a bit with moving the new bassdrum some milliseconds forward to trigger before the original bassdrum starts). if you use a loop you can draw an eq controller into the clip for killing just the bassdrum without effecting the bass inbetween if necessary.
or use both

pizzamon · Post by **pizzamon** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 2:32 am

You are playing too much with timbre and not enough with pitch.

oblioblioblio · Post by **oblioblioblio** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 2:38 am

personally if I hear music that doesn't fit into "my" genre, but I think it has great ideas... i try and work out what is at the heart of the music, and try to transplant that into my own music somehow.

E.g. Basic Channel didn't do edits of dub tracks to make them fit into techno sets... they scratched their heads, played on their synths and came up with something new.

lem · Post by **lem** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 11:37 am

oblioblioblio wrote:personally if I hear music that doesn't fit into "my" genre, but I think it has great ideas... i try and work out what is at the heart of the music, and try to transplant that into my own music somehow.

E.g. Basic Channel didn't do edits of dub tracks to make them fit into techno sets... they scratched their heads, played on their synths and came up with something new.

solconnection · Post by **solconnection** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 4:20 pm

thanks for the replies guys.

deccard: cheers, i already thought of sidechain compression, and it sort of works, as long as i do it really subtly, else it makes it too pumping and squashes the entire mix. I might try eq automation, could be a bit more transparent and let me get more of my kick in without spiking the volume. thanks

oblioblioblio: good idea, i will keep that in mind in the future when looking for new ideas and directions. I don't think that lessens the validity of edits however. Each piece of music is (should be) unique and when something resonates with you and works on a musical level with the other tracks in your set i see no problem with adding a little window dressing to make the track functional in a new context. My shoddy knock off just isn't going to have the same qualities

at the moment im looking more for technical advice, so would appreciate any thoughts in that department

cheers

solconnection · Post by **solconnection** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 4:38 pm

pizzamon wrote:You are playing too much with timbre and not enough with pitch.

?? what do you mean?