tips for music

[falconmusic]

i will be posting a tip ofthe week every week on my website (http://falconmusicrecordings.co.nr) I will also post em here so you dont have to go lookings

this week's:

PANNING IS YOUR FRIEND!

listen to a profesional recording...now count how many instruments are in the centre. I bet you can't get past three. Every instrument is panned to the left or right. Do this with your songs, no more then 2 intruments should be in the centre. Also, make sure you fill up the entire panning spectrum go all the way to the right with one instrument and make another one only a little bit to the right. Have fun and experiment.

[Damien]

Here are some panning tips I found in some article:
-main vocal- middle
-background vocals- balanced throughout the panning spectrum
-percussions- snare & bass drum in the middle, everything else balanced throughout the panning spectrum
-bass- middle
-keyboards- left part of the keyboards completely left, right completely right
-multiple keyboards- every keyboard balanced on it's side
-guitar- close to the midle
-2 guitars- every guitar balanced on it's side
-brass, pipes- 1-opposite to the guitar
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã, -more- balanced widely

[falconmusic]

with panning just do whatever sounds best. dont turn the art of recording into some mathematicle thing...its called recrdings arts for a reason.

[Damien]

I never said you have to do pan your music that way, those are just some tips, just like when you said:

no more then 2 intruments should be in the centre. Also, make sure you fill up the entire panning spectrum go all the way to the right with one instrument and make another one only a little bit to the right

[falconmusic]

cool 

[Gregjazz]

Hmmm... panning.

Panning is good, but you need to have a good balance, both volume-wise and tonal-wise. Here's what I usually use for a rock-style setup:

Drum set: Middle, cymbals can be on sides, but usually this panning is included within the stereo samples themselves, so don't mess with it too much.
Bass: Middle, or just a tiny bit left of the middle.
Rhythm guitar: Just a bit right of middle
Lead Instrument: Middle

Also if you have two instruments doubling each other (like two acoustic guitars), be sure to pan them on opposite sides. That way you get a really cool stereo sound.

Oh, another rule is to never have an intrument on one sheer side. Although sometimes this works with monitor speakers, it doesn't work with headphones. Be sure to test your mixes on various speaker setups and headphones. I once listened to an album by Andre Bush (http://www.andrebush.com) that, although everything was recorded well, was mixed terribly -- the panning in particular. The music was amazing, but because of the poor mixing I couldn't listen to it. It simply irritated my ears.

[falconmusic]

Week 2

IT'S MUSIC NOT MATH HOMEWORK!

Treat music as an art and not as math work. While reviewing for Gods of music and The Consensus I have noticed that people think this is just the opposite. They think if you do the same thing as everyone else you will get famous.

Here's some news for you, you won't. You also will not get any creative satisfaction from this. No one wants to hear a 4 by 4 beat with a saw synth slathered in reverb. Nor do they want to hear a rap song with a beat, a bass line and lyrics about female dogs and garden implements.

You should make music because you have a need to, a passion for it. You should be treating music as your drug of choice. You just HAVE to have more. Keep taking it. Unlike drugs, music is healthy.

Write a lot of music. Even if you have no inspiration, or if your not in the mood. WRITE MORE.

and always remember. Be original.

[Babar]

This is a great idea. Sadly my knowledge of music is limitted to which instruments to  choose in music producer, where to place them (something I learnt from here) and what theme to select. Maybe someone will write up a beginners music tutorial, or link one in the tutorial page.
Maybe there could be a thread like this for graphics as well? Even scripting? Little nuggets of useful information

[Oz]

Oh, another rule is to never have an intrument on one sheer side. Although sometimes this works with monitor speakers, it doesn't work with headphones. Be sure to test your mixes on various speaker setups and headphones. I once listened to an album by Andre Bush (http://www.andrebush.com) that, although everything was recorded well, was mixed terribly -- the panning in particular. The music was amazing, but because of the poor mixing I couldn't listen to it. It simply irritated my ears.

I totally agree. There is nothing more annoying than listening to a tune using headphones that is has a single explicit instrument or an explicit section of instruments panned to the far left/right. Very taxing. I feel like turning my head, shaking it to get the instrument to play towards the center, very annoying. Btw, have you guys noticed that this was always done in recordings from the 50s/60s? The vocals would always be on the left channel and the instruments would be on the right channel, or vice versa.

[JimmyShelter]

I totally agree. There is nothing more annoying than listening to a tune using headphones that is has a single explicit instrument or an explicit section of instruments panned to the far left/right. Very taxing. I feel like turning my head, shaking it to get the instrument to play towards the center, very annoying. Btw, have you guys noticed that this was always done in recordings from the 50s/60s? The vocals would always be on the left channel and the instruments would be on the right channel, or vice versa.

Yeah, they just 'discovered' stereo then, so they used a bit too much.

[Gregjazz]

I have one of the old Meters CDs and they have like half the instruments in the left channel and the other half in the right channel. It amazingly works, though, and doesn't sound bad.

[Blackthorne]

I have one of the old Meters CDs and they have like half the instruments in the left channel and the other half in the right channel. It amazingly works, though, and doesn't sound bad.

I listened to Cissy Strut once for five straight hours.  I left the room thinking I was a jive turkey.

ANYWAY..... Musical tip from ole Bt - Make sure your instrument is in tune.  It helps.

Also, learn music theory if you want to be good.  If you don't wish to be good, ignore musical theory completly.

Bt

[modgeulator]

Week 2

IT'S MUSIC NOT MATH HOMEWORK!

Treat music as an art and not as math work.

So I take it maths has no place in art and isn't an artform itself then? Heh... OK.

Nor do they want to hear a rap song with a beat, a bass line and lyrics about female dogs and garden implements.

Hmmm... actually that sounds like it could be a pretty good song to me right there.

[PaulSC]

Personally, I find that full-left/full-right separation *can* work really well, just so long as the overall mix is balanced. The band King Crimson often had these complex, interlocked duel-guitar lines; each guitar is hard panned on opposite ends of the mix, and it creates a really cool, disorientating effect.

Also, having hard-left/hard-right panning, you can make songs interactive! The first Ramones album has the guitar in one ear and the bass in the other, so if you want you can shift your stereo balance to make the entire album either guitar-only or bass-only. Oh what fun!!!

[Gregjazz]

I have one of the old Meters CDs and they have like half the instruments in the left channel and the other half in the right channel. It amazingly works, though, and doesn't sound bad.

I listened to Cissy Strut once for five straight hours.  I left the room thinking I was a jive turkey.

ANYWAY..... Musical tip from ole Bt - Make sure your instrument is in tune.  It helps.

Also, learn music theory if you want to be good.  If you don't wish to be good, ignore musical theory completly.

+1000


Bt

[falconmusic]

yes, musical theory is an asset...please don't just use the white notes

[Coochy]

I take music theory (freshman in high school) so hard!!!! 

[Adamski]

yes, musical theory is an asset...please don't just use the white notes

Got something against modes?