How Making Pop Music has Leveled My Production Game Way Up
The goal last year was to dive more into pop music and other genres. I felt that I was a bit too one dimensional in just making hiphop. I’m always a student and anytime I can pick up a new skill, I’m down. The one thing that I’ve discovered in working with artists from my norm is how much I don’t know. From learning what a plugin I’ve never used does to even processing vocals. One thing that stands out is how much you can do with very little.
EFX Chain: This isn’t something necessarily new as in HipHop we’ve always used common plugins together like HalfTime with a reverb. However, in other genres like EDM or Nu Disco you may use anywhere from 3 to 6 different plugins to achieve an effect. Of course, you don’t need to use that many plugins to get a great sound but if you’re looking for something you unique that you can’t find in a preset you may have to.
Emulating analog gear can be a bit of a challenge but you can do it if you’re willing to experiment. This has become the fun part about producing music in a different genre. I get to see how the other guys do it and in turn incorporate their techniques into my own skillset. Some may work for my wheelhouse and others may not but it’ll be fun to try. I wonder what automating a plate reverb on the peak of a kick sample and then reversing it would sound like…
Mixing With a Different Approach: In HipHop, the kick drum is the most dominant instrument across the board. If your beat isn’t knocking you’re probably not going to like the feedback. In Pop, it can vary. Sometimes it’s the guitar or the strings. In Spoken word, it was the pads and the ambient sounds. A great idea when mixing, for me at least, has always been using a reference track. However, the one thing I learned was how to do what’s called a Top-Down mix. Top-down mixing is a reverse approach where you begin with your stereo bus and work your way to the individual tracks. Because I’ve taken this approach my mind instantly shoots to “how do I want this whole track to sound” the minute I’m done with the composing. Let’s just say I now have a lot of EQ presets to keep things flowing.
Appreciation for another Genre: The first time I ever made a EDM-ish track, SHAKA, I was blown away by how many tracks were in my beat before I even bounced it out. I counted 45 and that was before I added any vocal chops. After doing some research I couldn’t believe that there are some records that can take up anywhere from 80 to 120 different tracks in one whole track. What helped me was to bounce similar tracks together so that my laptop wouldn’t blow up. It took about two days finish the automation and I still couldn’t get it quite like how I want it. I have a lot of respect for these DJs and producers that make tracks like this everyday and at a very fast pace. Most Trap beats are 10 tracks at the most. Now imagine making a track with 10 times as much. I think we all know who’s driving these DAW companies to keep coming up with shortcuts…
This year I’ll be focusing on learning more about the techniques used in different genres. It’s made me a much better producer and engineer. By the end of the year, I predict I’ll be miles ahead of where I am today. Learning something new is always exciting and I know there are challenges ahead. I’m looking forward to them.
“Nobody’s wrong, nobody’s right. Everyone cheats, everyone lies. Nobody cares, nobody minds. Night turns to day, And then the sun shines.”.
-deadmau5
