One Synth Challenge #83: MPowerSynth by MeldaProduction (Z.Prime Wins!)

[kokotte]

love this plug, i utilize it on every track since 2 month !

[Hanz Meyzer]

Last thing... I highly recommend the 'Xilentify' plugin. It does wonders for your mix

[wagtunes]

Last thing... I highly recommend the 'Xilentify' plugin. It does wonders for your mix:

Is this even legal for the OSC or is this meant as sarcasm? Because this thing sounds amazing.

[z.prime]

Last thing... I highly recommend the 'Xilentify' plugin. It does wonders for your mix:

Is this even legal for the OSC or is this meant as sarcasm? Because this thing sounds amazing.

Did you try it on your mix?

[7angram]

I will be using it on all my mixes from now on to give me an edge and to sound more "futuristic" Now we know where Z gets his competitive advantage from!

[z.prime]

I will be using it on all my mixes from now on to give me an edge and to sound more "futuristic" Now we know where Z gets his competitive advantage from!

Yes, it just "adds some harmonics" to the mix.

[bh9090]

Yes, it just "adds some harmonics" to the mix.

... as well as notes, chords, percussion, bass, compression, EQ, and, oh, and definitely a stereo widener in there too.....

Interesting reading your gain mixing notes Z. I imagine those values wander depending on genre. I heard a metal tune the other day and I think the kick was high passed at 300hz and much lower than the guitars. Either way, those are good starting points for people newer to mixing and targeting a dubstep/electro/house track.

I'm still struggling with clarity and balance. I think these are exemplary, high water marks:

https://soundcloud.com/jasinski/jasinsk ... osc63-vopm
(so good)

https://soundcloud.com/z_prime/zprime-pray-for-change
(you may recognize it )


(I'd love to see the project file for that one.)

[wagtunes]

Last thing... I highly recommend the 'Xilentify' plugin. It does wonders for your mix:

Is this even legal for the OSC or is this meant as sarcasm? Because this thing sounds amazing.

Did you try it on your mix?

I can't find the plugin. When I click on the link in the video it takes me to some Rick Astley dude.

[doctorbob]

Good post Z'

I always mix with the master clear too! If I want it loud, I just turn up the monitors/headphone mix. I use phones for the more "critical" stereo placements and to check any movement. I use ReaEQ on all the tracks and my first thing is to HP all the tracks except bass, sub bass, and kick body). I also look at the spectrum of each track and see if I need to LP the top end or LP shelve. ReaEQ is great for this simple surgery. I then note where the particular instruments sit in the freq spectrum, and then do a very basic EQ, cutting the freqs either side of the main instrument freqs (just a little). I do this for each track, and then audition the whole mix. I then go back and re-adjust the EQ's and adjust the relative volumes and stereo pans to taste.

After that it's adding in the FX, some comp/limit here and there - all depends on the tracks and genre/mix. Finally, a broad brush EQ on the master, mild comp, and limit.

I think I have been getting a bit better at all this. I have been listening to the masters on here. Thanks to you all - you know who your are!

Looking forward to hearing some great songs and mixes ... just over a week to go now!

Cheers all,

dB

[z.prime]

Interesting reading your gain mixing notes Z. I imagine those values wander depending on genre. I heard a metal tune the other day and I think the kick was high passed at 300hz and much lower than the guitars. Either way, those are good starting points for people newer to mixing and targeting a dubstep/electro/house track.

Yes, absolutely the specific ranges will change depending on genre, but maybe not as much as one would think. Probably the sub bass, kick, and snare could sit a bit lower, but they would lose clarity if they were a LOT lower, maybe 4-6db less at most. Otherwise the track will sound very bass-less, which isn't really desirable for anything, even if it's not bass music.

Listening to those examples, I'm not sure I'd say that mine was an exemplary in any way. Chime - Escapism is nice, and a good mix. I think typical for a good sounding track, lots of high end and reverb but the volume automated so it doesn't bleed all over the place (this is another key for these electronic type of tracks - drop the reverb completely when it should be in certain spots). The bass is very present - a sub mixed louder than the kick. All three of those tracks seem to have similar bass character. Incidentally, I think that was the first track of mine I tried using track meters to gauge the levels... and the last thing about Jasinski & Chime, they put sparser instrumentation. This is really one of the big things. I always struggle with it, I want to have complex things going on but having more than 2 or 3 parts which are audible at the same time starts to quickly muddy the mix. Best to keep it simple, focus on the sounds and notes to make amazing, clear tracks.

[bh9090]

... and the last thing about Jasinski & Chime, they put sparser instrumentation. This is really one of the big things. I always struggle with it, I want to have complex things going on but having more than 2 or 3 parts which are audible at the same time starts to quickly muddy the mix. Best to keep it simple, focus on the sounds and notes to make amazing, clear tracks.

It's funny, I would never call those tracks sparse, but I see what you are saying. Sparse, at any one moment in time. (I put layer after layer, then wonder why it's all flat and muddy.) It's kind of like linear drumming, where you only hit one element at a time, so each item in the kit really stands out. Each element is focused, not buried. Something to keep in mind. Good insight, thanks.

[z.prime]

... and the last thing about Jasinski & Chime, they put sparser instrumentation. This is really one of the big things. I always struggle with it, I want to have complex things going on but having more than 2 or 3 parts which are audible at the same time starts to quickly muddy the mix. Best to keep it simple, focus on the sounds and notes to make amazing, clear tracks.

It's funny, I would never call those tracks sparse, but I see what you are saying. Sparse, at any one moment in time. (I put layer after layer, then wonder why it's all flat and muddy.) It's kind of like linear drumming, where you only hit one element at a time, so each item in the kit really stands out. Each element is focused, not buried. Something to keep in mind. Good insight, thanks.

Right, exactly. I didn't mean to say they weren't complex songs, just not crammed full of stuff as mine have ashamedly been in the past (and still might be in the future). As you said, each element is strategically placed. This makes it much easier for things to sound "clean". And often the reverb tails, decays, etc. are chopped short to make room for the new elements, or some intelligent sidechaining is set up to move things out of the way for the 'important' parts.

[z.prime]

Ugh, so I tried this thing and it's crashed 5 times in an hour. This doesn't bode well. Thanks Bitwig for at least not losing my work!

[jmqjmq]

Here's my submission. I tried to step it up a little from last month, even though at times this synth was MPossible.

https://soundcloud.com/jmquarles/jmqjmqcarousel

11 instances of MPowerSynth in Tracktion6

4 x Glow filter
6 x IIEQ
2 x BlueArp
2x Klanghelm MJUCjr
3 x TAL Reverb3
1 x Poor plate
1 X TDR Nova
! x Limiter6

[Michael L]

I can't find the plugin. When I click on the link in the video it takes me to some Rick Astley dude.

For posterity....