Studio Feed: Starting from Scratch #6 Pt. 7

Hey Everyone, continuing on with this track, starting by adjusting the mixdown on my headphones (I've got SoundID on for a bit FYI - the Sennheiser 650 profile). I like to switch back and forth between monitors and headphones at various times throughout the production process...not a ton of rhyme or reason to it but just a nice mix of both. Usually the initial creation is best with monitors and then for more detailed mixdown or ear candy the headphones are useful.

Starting around 6 minutes, I start to draw in automation curves for various parameters of the arp and return channels, telling a story through the verse into the breakdown/build and drop. I then continue on with some mixing and then refining the automation on the bass to help tell a similar story there as well.

From around 25 min or so onward I continue on adjusting the mixdown, little arrangement bits, small sound design changes, etc. Some changes to the kick layering around 40 min; at 43:00 I revisit what I had imagined could be a lead sound, but instead use it for an LFO riser into the breakdown.

At 58:00 or so I experiment with changes the main hi hat pattern, as I'm finding that when the arp is playing, the regular house groove doesn't seem to be working that well...just drags a little bit. Also there's always bonus points when you can use a non-standard hat pattern that actually sounds better than the generic house beat! Here I also accentuate some of the same bass notes that other secondary elements are emphasizing, which further hammers home the groove. I also duplicate the hat and pitch it differently for a more realistic sound.

From then on it's just more arrangement additions, mixing adjustments, and automation finessing. Feeling good about this one!