Mixing and Mastering
Mixing and Mastering is the process of tweaking attributes of sounds within music to make it sound clear and organized. This skill is essential to make music regardless of which medium is used to create it. In Online Sequencer, limited tools are available for mixing, but good results are still possible, even with complex and layered songs. Here, most mixing is accomplished through the instrument settings, using volume, panning, equalizer, and reverb. Others like detuning and distortion are useful too but are not always necessary.
Hardware
To mix correctly, speakers or headphones that provide an even listening experience are required. Many will sound wildly different from one another, but studio-focused and critical listening models will be calibrated more neutrally. For a sound device to be appropriate for mixing, it must have a flat frequency response. This means that the device will produce an equally loud sound regardless of how high are low pitched the signal it receives is. Listening to music with speakers that provide extra bass sacrifices clarity elsewhere, and gives you an experience that is skewed toward those frequencies. It is long debated whether headphones or speakers are better for mixing; that will not be addressed here.
Headphones and Speakers OS Creators Use
- Alex!: Audio Technica ATH-M50x
- Ashduino101: Audio Technica ATH-M50x
- Benvisions: Jlab Go Work
- Calico: Audio Technica ATH-M40x
- Cool172: Beyerdynamic DT-770 Pro 80ohm
- Crumthecrumb: Anything that works
- Jacob_: Sennheiser HD 558/650
- Liam: AKG K712 Pro
- Lopyt: Kali LP-6
- Lumien: AKG K240 Studio
- Syntax: Beyerdynamic DT-770 Pro
Another important thing that is useful in music production is the Audio Interface. It acts as another way to plug your headphones or speakers into the computer, and can also be used to plug in and record instruments or microphones. If your computer's audio output is noisy or doesn't sound good, using an audio interface is necessary. Some headphones can also require amps or audio interfaces to sound correct. An audio interface is not necessary if the audio output on your device is already good, and you aren't plugging in audio inputs.
Creating Clarity in Music
A well-mixed song allows the listener to hear the parts and melodies that different instruments are playing, without blasting the volume or causing discomfort.
Panning
Panning (moving sounds left and right) can be used to separate elements of a song, and direct the listener's focus. Key parts like the bass line, kick and snare drums, and the melody should all be kept to the center of the mix most of the time. Any instrument that can warrant the listener's full attention should be kept in the center. Parts that are supplemental to these can be panned to either side, such as harmonies that compliment the melody, block chords, less crucial percussion elements like the tambourine, toms, and ride cymbal. Keep in mind that panning instruments too far to one side, without panning some to the opposite side can cause the music to be too heavy on one ear.
Volume
Volume is the largest contributor to bad mixes, but one of the easiest things to get right. At their default volume, many of the sequencer's instruments will play at wildly different volumes from each other, so the default volume must almost always be changed. Percussion and melody should always be loud enough to be followed by the listener. It's alright to make harmony instruments and chords a bit quieter as they are supplemental to the melody. Volumes may have to be changed throughout a song, as the intensity and vibe shift. If an instrument is so loud as to cover up other instruments, it needs to be quieter. If the music is so loud that clipping can be heard (an effect where the sound cuts out as the level is too high), the bass is often the culprit.
