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In the second part of our tutorial to help you layer sounds, we will discuss synths and what the secrets of creating a rich mix are?
3) Synths: First off is good sound choice, choose your lead sounds carefully, a nice rich warm starting point will really help out as with all your layers. Once you've tweaked your first sound try adding another copy of the same sound in a higher octave - this may really help to thicken your sound. To achieve a different flavour try adding a third layer with different properties to the first, say one with a rougher edge. Pro's routinely use 4 layers for my lead sounds, often in different octaves to add depth to the synth mix. Experiment with panning here too - while this is outside the scope of this tutorial it can really help separate sounds.
Next separate your lead sound from your bass - this involves a hefty low cut or high pass filter. Start to cut around 200 Hz and adjust until your bass cuts through, but your lead sound isn't too thin and weedy. Camel Phat is a great tool for this, and of course gives you many additional control over your layered lead such as distortion and a secondary filter. I'd recommend sending all your chosen lead sounds to an Aux or Bus channel and processing them together. You may find that a light dose of overdrive or even very very light bit crusher can help tighten up and bring out your sound. A limiter may also help the overall level of sound of your synth mix from spilling over. So some final points to bare in mind:
1) Be brutal - if it doesn't work dump it - even if it took you 2 hours. Start again! Experiment!
2) Use different sound sources - try sounds and samples from different synths, every synth has its own strengths and weaknesses and combining them can make a mighty combination. For example for lead sounds the Access Virus can be warm, wide and rich, while reFX Vanguard can sound wimpy in comparison. However the Vanguard's sparkling top end can add a layer which will make your complete layered lead sound cut through your mix.
3) Try using overdrive plugins and multi-band distortion - used lightly these effects can really help shape your mix.
4) EQ - use your ears! If it sounds wrong then hit re-set on your plugin and be gentle! On lead sounds try pulling out these frequencies: 700 Hz, 1-2 KHz, 10-12 kHz, these may help to add warmth, presence and high-end sparkle respectively.
Mark is a avid DJ who likes to mix and make tracks with various music loop Sample Packs and trance samples. Mark works for DMS in the UK who sell various DJ MIDI Sample packs. Click for more information, here.
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