making beats everyday for my fellow people ๐
making beats everyday for my fellow people ๐
Most producers obsess over the wrong things. Here's what actually matters:
1. Reference tracks aren't optional. Every session should start with 2-3 reference tracks loaded in your DAW. Match their frequency balance before you even start mixing. This alone puts you ahead of 80% of bedroom producers.
2. Your low end is probably a mess. High-pass everything that isn't bass or kick. That pad you love? It's got sub frequencies fighting your 808. Cut below 100Hz on almost everything.
3. Arrangement > sound design. A basic sound in the right place at the right time beats a complex sound buried in a cluttered arrangement. Study song structures of tracks you love.
4. Stop soloing tracks. If it sounds good solo'd but bad in the mix, it's bad. Always mix in context.
5. Export and listen on trash speakers. Your car, your phone, cheap earbuds. If it translates, it's ready.
I break down stuff like this every week at BeatDrop Weekly. Free to join.