Help Please: My tracks sound messy and weak!

SuBKA

Member
Joined
May 20, 2013
Location
Germany
Hey guys!
I am a 15 year old producer, I started last year doing some Dubstep but I discovered DNB later so I definitely wanted to do that.
I have definitely improved, but still, especially my DNB tracks (which are supposed to be Jump Up DNB) sound very weak, messy and unclean. I've tried and tried to make it better but in the end it somehow feels like something does not fit into the track and all the samples of the track fight each other. My favorite artists are Modified Motion & Faction, Original Sin, Taxman, Sensai, Majistrate and Camo & Krooked but I never get my tracks to sound even close as powerful as theirs.

I use FL Studio 10.
Listen to these DNB tracks I've made some time ago and you'll know what I mean. Please give me some advice and tricks to make it sound better. Cheers! :)
 
welcome to the forum man!
you have talent dude no doubt. i think you should work on your mixdowns more. also Cabbie has a sample pack out that might suit your style.
what you could do is to drag in your fav tune into your daw and just study the frequencies levels etc. these will obviously be close to 0dbfs but is should give you a rough idea on mixing . also pay attention to frequencies occupied by each sound. look at the lengths of the hits also as I heard on one of your tracks the decay on the kick was too long for the stlye of dnb u making.

try and use some mixing guides that are more dnb specific. mono below 250 etc.
look into stereo imaging ... take your time dude. you are on the right track !
 
Thanks a lot for your help! :)
I will try doing that. But it's very hard finding DNB-specific tutorials on YouTube, especially because most people do Liquid DNB.
Is this Cabbie Sample Pack free? Because atm I can't afford anything.
So you mean the "messyness" is caused by too many same frequencies overlapping and fighting each other?
 
Need to even out the volume of some of the elements, a lot of things just stick out. All this technical shite comes with experience so don't worry about it too much.
 
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what dogg funnie posted is what id recommend as well when it comes to eq-ing. all in all, the more time you spend on your music the better youll become, it may take longer or shorter but ull get there in the end. and also from liquid tutorials you can learn things worth knowing ;)
 
One thing I can tell you off the bat is your composition skills are pretty damn tight, and no matter how good you are technically, it's shit if you can't compose xD.

I don't even have a track finished yet so I probably can't offer much advice and I've been moving up the n00b ladder myself, but hearing the new tune, it sounds very clean. The kicks punch through well, the snare is good, etc. I can only judge on personal merit, but I'd personally of made the bass a bit thicker, a little angrier, probably w/ altering an osc to a lower octave and detuning it slighty and fattening it up w/ a low shelve filter w/ high q and mid freq (maybe around 400-500hZ ?); only going my own experience of trying to make sorts of angry sub-basses recently. Then again, that might take it away from jump-up if you go too far :S.

I think your technical skills are also pretty good, 'least to me. I rarely listen to jump-up but this is pretty solid; I guess you could toy around with fattening the kick just a little more, but it'd be either that or the bass-alter I suggested, not both. As long as you're feeling the groove, man.
 
Thanks man, I really appreciate your help!

What do you exactly mean by "composition skills"? how i throw random instruments together and hope they create the atmosphere that I want? :D

Do you know where I can get these Low Shelve Filters in FL Studio?
I don't have Massive (yet).
 
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keep in mind the artists you are comparing yourself to have been making tunes for years and years. so just keep practicing, watching tutorials, reading, ect and it will all sink in. imo one of the most important things would be quality source samples. with good samples, often minimal eq/processing (espeically drums) is required.
 
Probably you're right, but they keep me going and inspire me. :)
I just have a problem with my basslines. Either, if I boost the low frequencies, they sound powerful but also muddy and eat up the other low frequency stuff like the kick and the low end of the snare. If I dont boost the lows, it sounds weak and like someone pouring cold coffee over your head. Same thing with the sub bass, either its not audible or it feels wrong and too dominant. But as you said, I guess I need to figure that out by practicing.
As far as sample quality goes, I think for not paying a single buck for anything and just using free packs and mixing together my own samples, I'm equipped pretty well.
Guess I will just need to invest more time in analyzing my mix and making it "perfect". In the end I tend to rush and click on export because I'm like "OMG I did it! This is da shit! Netsky can pack his bag!", not even 2 weeks later I'm like "What the hell did I do?!"
 
Probably you're right, but they keep me going and inspire me. :)
I just have a problem with my basslines. Either, if I boost the low frequencies, they sound powerful but also muddy and eat up the other low frequency stuff like the kick and the low end of the snare. If I dont boost the lows, it sounds weak and like someone pouring cold coffee over your head. Same thing with the sub bass, either its not audible or it feels wrong and too dominant. But as you said, I guess I need to figure that out by practicing.

Sidechaining bass to your kick will help. Also, if you place a notch where your kick and snare are hitting (usually 100 and 200hz approx) this will help your kick/snare cut through the bass. Roll off your sub at 30hz and split up the rest.
 
I already did that in my latest track using Fruity Peak Control. It's better but still not good enough, maybe I need do be more accurate with the frequencies that are cut off, maybe I missed some important ones.
So you say the sub shouldnt be below 30hz?
 
I already did that in my latest track using Fruity Peak Control. It's better but still not good enough, maybe I need do be more accurate with the frequencies that are cut off, maybe I missed some important ones.
So you say the sub shouldnt be below 30hz?

yes below 20hz is inaudible but the frequencies are there muddying up everything so you have to cut them out. also roll off your kick after the peak of 80-100hz to give room for the sub. i high pass everything to some extent. if you dont need the frequencies, cut them out! are you layering your kick or using a transient shaper? layering the kick with one with top end will help it cut through. or you can use a transient shaper. apply attack to give it some nice punch
 
yes, i usally use a low end kick, a high end kick, balance their volumes, tune them to the same note, make them mono and assign them to different mixer tracks. thanks for your help. :)
 
Thanks man, I really appreciate your help!

What do you exactly mean by "composition skills"? how i throw random instruments together and hope they create the atmosphere that I want? :D

Do you know where I can get these Low Shelve Filters in FL Studio?
I don't have Massive (yet).

Basically, I mean it doesn't sound flat and monotonous/repetitive. For me nothing kills a track faster than sticking w/ the same 4/4 or beat structure and dynamics the entire length of the track and never switching it up. It should be..expressive xD.

Sorry man, can't help w/ FL; I use MuLab. It has some really nice default filters and effect modules, and I've been trying more to just use the stuff that comes w/ the program. You can try out this site called vst4you.com tho, it's where I've gotten almost all my vsts from so far and they're all free.
 
Oh yea, I just realize I stick to almost the same drum pattern for the whole track.
I just struggle to find something "new" after the drop that fits the track, but doesnt sound exactly like the intro.
 
I think 'ya might've misread me man xD; I was complimenting your composition skills, drum patterns included. Technically depending on your flavor, you're gonna inevitably have a more or less varied drum pattern throughout the track.

I'd say, if it's basic on filter and effect playing, it should make up for it in unique cutting and composition. If it's playing around w/ filters and effects more, you'd probably want a more stable pattern, makes it easier to soak in the changes.
 
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