Adding more elements to the mix
Lesson time: (3min 21sec)
Goetz Botzenhardt builds out the pop mix in Pro Tools, adding guitars, pads and synths and shaping them with plugins like Waves Maserati.
Course preview
This lesson is part of the course Mixing Commercial Pop Music
Watch a preview of the full course below.
Lesson transcript:
Enhancing Your Instrumental Track
Now that we've established a kicking groove, we're going to add in more instruments. This is quite a simple track, and here's how you can enhance it:
Guitars
- Let's start with the guitars. I want to play the raw recording for you.
- Although it's not brilliantly recorded, you'll notice it's already quite compressed.
- There's a bit of work to do, so I'm using a Maserati plugin, which is pretty good for guitars.
- This is another Waves plugin that I've added to improve the sound.
Key Adjustments:
- Thinning out the sound.
- Adding reverb to balance the track.
- Overall, it sounds pretty good.
Pads
Next, we've got some pads:
- As I mentioned, we're adding in the instruments one by one.
- Apply EQ, compression, and other effects as necessary until everything works well together.
Listening to the Pads:
- The pads have already been sidechained, giving them that nice "sucking" effect.
Bells
Last but not least, we have some bells, which serve as a lead sound.
- This completes the basis for the track.
Final Touches
Here are a few tips for putting your instrumental track together:
- Use your ears when adjusting levels.
- EQing is important: Make sure frequencies don't interfere with each other.
- Often, too much low frequency can disrupt the kick and bass drum.
- Don't be afraid to thin stuff out.
Panning:
- Panning is also crucial. There's a wide stereo spectrum, so feel free to be radical:
- Place elements left and right.
- Make sure to use your stereo spectrum effectively.
- Apply nice reverbs to ensure everything blends together smoothly.
With these adjustments and considerations, you'll create a cohesive and dynamic instrumental track.
About the instructor
In the early nineties, Goetz Botzenhardt trained at Swanyard Recording Studios, assisting top producers like Flood, Alan Moulder and Tom Lord-Alge, and cut his teeth recording and mixing the dance and Acid Jazz bands of the 90s - Incognito, Galliano, Soul II Soul and many others.At Swanyard he met Rollo Armstrong and the two quickly formed a creative partnership, leading to many big dance records and remixes and, soon after, to recording and mixing the first two acclaimed Faithless albums and Dido's multi-platinum 'No Angel'.Ranging across genres, he recorded and mixed the Sugababes' debut album 'One Touch', including their first hit 'Overload', and has mixed for The Cardigans, Bjork, The Cinematic Orchestra, Craig David, the Pet Shop Boys and Hikaru Utada, one of Japan's most successful artists.More recently he expanded into film and TV, working extensively with composers Christian Henson, Martin Phipps and Anne Nikitin, and mixing Daniel Pemberton's Golden Globe-nominated score for 'Steve Jobs', directed by Danny Boyle. Away from film he produced Tanita Tikaram's 'Closer to the People', mixed tracks for Sigala, Ella Eyre, Breton, Planet Funk and Tito Jackson, and in 2016 mixed Peabo Bryson's album with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. A full list of his work is on his discography and filmography pages at goetz-botzenhardt.com.Goetz works from his own studio and mix room, built around an SSL E4044 console, Adam 5.1 surround monitoring, a 48-channel Pro Tools HDX system and choice outboard gear. In his courses he takes you inside that room to show how he mixes across two very different worlds: in Mixing for Film & TV Score, how he balances and shapes orchestral and hybrid scores to serve the picture; and in Mixing Commercial Pop Music, how he builds punchy, radio-ready pop mixes from the multitrack up. read more