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Originally posted by Andy28 Really liking this, took me by surprise a bit it wasn't what I was expecting at all, would love to hear more. Quite dark and deep to begin with but very groovy, vox fx work well also. Here's a rework of a previous trance wip... I can never get my mixes sounding the way as I would like, they all seem to sound the same and I can never put my finger on it on where I'm going wrong, but I'm obviously making the same mistakes each time when it comes to mixing

first thing is - what tracks exactly are you referencing? Would like to hear as an example of what you are looking to achieve

The problem for me with that track there is the arp lead is taking up so much room that you kinda have to build the track around it.
Also it sounds a little bit heavy on the low end - remember its the top end of your bass thats important, the kick should carry most of the sub
If the low end is too heavy then you dont get any groove as the kick and bass are fighting too much with each other

I think this wip is the one that reminds me of Gouryella - Gouryella.


see how the bassline jumps out at you? Its just mixed louder and the filter is open more

However, Im guessing a modern trance sound is quite different so post some links to see show us what kinda sound you are after

I find that type of stuff the hardest to mix, theres so little room to work with after you drop in a big lead like that

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He sounds like current modern uplifting which is good. I think the past the should be left alone. With all the technology we have today the past's music should be 10x fold of what it is today imo. I also think the gouryella track's bassline sounds basic. If your trying to imitate something why not do something thats been hardly done before no?

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Originally posted by PaULiN0 He sounds like current modern uplifting which is good. I think the past the should be left alone. With all the technology we have today the past's music should be 10x fold of what it is today imo. I also think the gouryella track's bassline sounds basic. If your trying to imitate something why not do something thats been hardly done before no?

wait at minute now. Only reason i posted the Gouryella track was that i thought the wip sounded like it, im not suggesting he makes music like that, im not suggesting he makes music like anything... other than what he wants to

I dont know what modern uplifting sounds like, hence why i asked Andy to post some examples

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Originally posted by evo8 wait at minute now. Only reason i posted the Gouryella track was that i thought the wip sounded like it, im not suggesting he makes music like that, im not suggesting he makes music like anything... other than what he wants to I dont know what modern uplifting sounds like, hence why i asked Andy to post some examples

oh woops my bad evo

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Originally posted by evo8 first thing is - what tracks exactly are you referencing? Would like to hear as an example of what you are looking to achieve

Stuff thats on labels like infrasonic, monster tunes, enhanced, fsoe, subculture etc it could be label "x" i don't think it matters.... They all vary in styles but as a whole the productions and how they sound overall I think just make my stuff sound very amateur. I find it hard to explain other than I feel like you could put my stuff in the middle of a load of those tracks and it will stand out like a sore thumb and not just for the musical side of things which I know isn't the greatest. Obviously I put it down to lack of skill, but I feel like I've been at this standard now for quite a while and don't seem to be improving and can't work out what it is I need to do? I think I've got all the right sounds in there, I read tutorials and watch videos and I seem to be doing things the same way just when I'm applying it to my works I don't seem to get the same desired results. Rich Butler always used to refer to his mixes like baking. Well I think I've got the right ingredients for the recipe but my cakes flop in the oven

For starters you could be right about the kick, its very bottom heavy and I could have it too loud. I mainly mix on headphones, akg701s which aren't the loudest when it comes to the low end so I may be over compensating.. My monitors are hs7 which do sound ok but because of my room and setup, things just sound boomy anyway so its hard to tell. As for the saws, well I was kinda going for the big sound when I was building the stack up and took a little time to get it the way it is. Maybe it is taking up way too much of the mix and the layers are just making things muddy.

All that aside, I do like and think I could finish this track, something which I've not done for a few years now. Maybe thats where my problems lie, I never finish anything because I don't feel in the end it will be any good..

Andy stick a track on here of the sort of sound you would like to emulate. This will help me try and understand what your getting at.

My instinct is that the really good pros get each sound just right, in a way many of us cant really comprehend. What might appear to be a simple enough sound may in fact have taken hours of painstaking effort and layering.

My baking analogy really annoyed one poster on here, but I stand by it.
I love baking fresh bread all by hand and let me tell you it really is like music making, just try it. You get this minority of bread 'producers' that just take it to another level with bread full of giant air pockets, amazing rise, superb crust etc etc . No amount of recipe tutorials help you take this next level step. It's about the moment to moment decisions one makes when creating the bread. All those little decisions add up to something either great, bad or just average.

Last edited by Richard Butler on Sep-19-2014 at 12:49

Here's an idea of what Andy is trying to sound like , srry for the self promotion. This is modern uplifting 140.

Last edited by PaULiN0 on Sep-19-2014 at 13:33

The thing I notice most of all with non pro trance is people getting the kick too loud, too woody, too prominent. Somehow it needs to be obviously prominent yet sit right in the mix by using the right kind of compression on the kick and / or kik n bass bus. A lot of pro trance has the kick sounding more like hitting a pigs neck through a pillow with a stick, lol.

A lot of trance sample packs use these shitty kicks.

This is hard to put into a form of digestible words.

Try and avoid woody overly whooping kicks with too much obvious bend on them as this sounds old fashioned. A lot of trance WIPs have these awful woody whooping kicks in them and they just stick out like a sore thumb.

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Originally posted by Richard Butler My baking analogy really annoyed one poster on here, but I stand by it. All those little decisions add up to something either great, bad or just average.

100% agree with this.

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My instinct is that the really good pros get each sound just right, in a way many of us cant really comprehend. What might appear to be a simple enough sound may in fact have taken hours of painstaking effort and layering.

I totally get and understand that, I'm sure we all do that making little tweak after tweak to get things sounding the way they are, sometimes I think I just over obsess with the tiniest details.

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Andy stick a track on here of the sort of sound you would like to emulate. This will help me try and understand what your getting at.

A bit promotion for Jps mix lol hope you don't mind.



Really the second half of this mix is uplifting stuff which is what I like. It don't really matter which track you listen to, they all have that same quality about them even though they stand out differently from one another production wise. They've been baked correctly if you like. My favourite track is at 52mins, Luke Terrys ice cap. Overall its a good tune with super saws etc.. If I was to analyse the super saw its way different to mine. You'll notice straight away on his he has a lush noise over the top of it and sounds very fuzzy. Now I'm not saying I was trying to emulate that particular sound, saw leads vary from track to track which is understandable for many reasons. However that track along with the rest of them all have a certain polish to them that I feel I can't achieve. Maybe it is like what you say, every little detail is just right and all those little things add up to the tracks being polished. It could be I'm being way to harsh on myself, but I can't help but feel Im lacking in overall quality when I compere to such tracks. I hope this makes sense.

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Originally posted by PaULiN0 oh woops my bad evo

all good young man

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Originally posted by Andy28 100% agree with this. I totally get and understand that, I'm sure we all do that making little tweak after tweak to get things sounding the way they are, sometimes I think I just over obsess with the tiniest details. A bit promotion for Jps mix lol hope you don't mind. Really the second half of this mix is uplifting stuff which is what I like. It don't really matter which track you listen to, they all have that same quality about them even though they stand out differently from one another production wise. They've been baked correctly if you like. My favourite track is at 52mins, Luke Terrys ice cap. Overall its a good tune with super saws etc.. If I was to analyse the super saw its way different to mine. You'll notice straight away on his he has a lush noise over the top of it and sounds very fuzzy. Now I'm not saying I was trying to emulate that particular sound, saw leads vary from track to track which is understandable for many reasons. However that track along with the rest of them all have a certain polish to them that I feel I can't achieve. Maybe it is like what you say, every little detail is just right and all those little things add up to the tracks being polished. It could be I'm being way to harsh on myself, but I can't help but feel Im lacking in overall quality when I compere to such tracks. I hope this makes sense.

will listen to this later Andy - also, check PMs

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