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Creating space.....
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| ivofivo |
I understand the term. The concept within the tools and techniques that I need to use to do so, is out of my knowledge.
Or, is it just a basic EQ placement? |
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| Raphie |
| width & depth are both EQ, phase and reverb: play with these elements, where soft and dull are generally percieved as further away and different EQ for L&R + a little delay, or phase change, change perception of width. Find a matching reverb to "draw" the room and you should be well on your way. |
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| EddieZilker |
It's something that can be achieved in a lot of ways from complimentary EQ to panning. Reverb and delay, in small amounts can also add depth to a track. Making sure you're not over-compressing elements or the entire mix also helps in this regard.
Then there are concepts like negative space you can employ. A "less-is-more" approach is a good way to think about a part in the track which you might be feeling is getting crowded, when you're in the producing process. It might not necessarily mean cutting parts, entirely, but simply lowering their volume by as much as 6 or more dB, in relation to your primary tracks (kick drum/bass/lead). |
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| MrJiveBoJingles |
Dynamics!
Volume of track elements compared to one another, and compared to themselves at different points in time. |
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| sonicboom |
| analog sidechain. this time i mean it :) |
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| DJ Robby Rox |
I'm not sure what you're asking.
Are you asking how to make a sound... sound more spacey (like reverb) or how to make a mix sound articulate and clean? Like breathing space into the actual mix so things mesh better?
You wrote equalizer so I'm assuming you're refering to actually cleaning sounds up, as opposed to something like reverb (which when used right can also sound clean/spacey of course).
But for space in general, make sure every piece fits like a puzzle, but with a tiny gap of air between each piece. A lot of people know to do this, but a lot of people don't do it to the extent they need.
A professional imo will spend a lot of time not just perfecting one sound, but making sure that sound has its own carved space in a mix. This is why we sidechain bass, pan things, use equalizers, cut under 300-500 for most hats (most sounds in general can be cleaned like that) and isolate certain frequencies for certain sounds.
A lot of newbies make the mistake imo of just hipassing sounds, but I use filters to isolate frequencies completely. I will use both hi and low pass filters and slowly close them in on the "sweetspot" in a sound. I imagine what sounds I'm making, which will dominate, and also which will sacrifice. Do I want a ton of mids/his in my bass? And then I'll just use short decay pluck/lead as my main melody. Or do I want a raging synthline and a deep hicut bass?
Its always a matter of compensation imo. You take one thing out to make room for something else. Anytime you add a sound make sure it has a frequency "slit" in the mix that it can drop into. Use analyzers to help you. And don't be lazy.
I hope thats what you're refering to otherwise if you just meant reverb I wasted the entire post. But either way you still might learn something. |
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| sako487 |
| Focus on contrast more than just width. Having a big stereo field on a main lead is nothing when all your other sounds are the same. |
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| Storyteller |
As far as I know space is quite a loose term. It could be the stereo info (left/center/right) or the depth (delay/reverb) but I also use space when referring to the frequency spectrum (ie the sound takes up to much space, EQ it tighter). But space can also be in terms of dynamics as something that is louder will be more upfront for the listener. In the end it's 4 things that can be totally seperated subjects or combined as you see fit.
What Sako says is (imo) one of the most important. Focus on contrast, sounds that complement eachother and very much add character to the song overal. Solving this problem lies in choosing the correct sound sources (samples/synths/sound-design and effects).
In the end it's the synergy between all aforementioned parts as well as melodic content. Music :). It's a lot of hard work to grasp the concept and to find out what works out for you. Some take may take a year to get all of this, but for most it takes several. I've been making electronic music casually for 15 years now and I'm still not at a level I'm comfortable with :).
If you are able to ask more specific questions we're quite likely to help speed up your progress by providing some insights and tips/tricks that may apply. |
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| cryophonik |
| quote: | Originally posted by Storyteller
As far as I know space is quite a loose term. |
I agree, and when I hear the term "creating space" in my mind that generally refers to fixing a jumbled mix and keeping instruments' frequencies from overlapping too much. I believe that that is what the OP asking (OP feel free to correct me if I'm wrong). To that end, your question has pretty much been answered by the responses above. EQ (hi-pass, lo-pass, notching) is invaluable, as is panning and levels, for addressing overlapping frequencies.
Reverb and delay, on the other hand, both actually take up space, especially if they're layered on thick. Yes, these are useful for adding dimension and putting elements into a certain space, but I don't usually think of them as being useful for "creating space." But, as Storyteller mentioned, it's an ambiguous term and means different things to different people. |
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| sonicboom |
| space to me is allowing micro dynamics to appear aka uncompressed music. |
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