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Shape of You Remake 101

Mixing EDM - Lesson 1- Introduction

Shape-of-you-FLAT-MIX

In this tutorial, we look at mixing electronic music. In particular, how to remake ‘shape of you’ by Ed Sheeran.

There are two ways to use this tutorial, you can either download the ‘Shape of you FLAT MIX’ and add the various mixing parameters as suggested in the video, or you can use your own remix that you have written during the Sequencing 101 tutorial.

In the case of the latter, you can use this tutorial as a guide for your own mix.

Watch the videos that show the various stages of how to approach the Mix stage of your remix/composition.

Look out for the different headings that appear in the videos that correspond to the different steps that should be undertaken through the tutorial.

After every section of the course you will you will be given a short quiz to enforce the important points of the demonstration.

It is then up to you to go on and try and create your own mix of the remix. Follow the steps and use them to guide your own development of the mix.

The tutorial is a continuation of the Sequencing 101 tutorial.

This tutorial will cover, Mixing Electronic music The importance of critical listening and referencing Use of insert & bus effects Balance & Panning Automation Dynamic Processing The Delay Designer

In this tutorial, we will first take an overall view of the example remix. We will use it as a general template for the types of techniques and effects that are going to be useful when you come to mixing your own arrangements and compositions.

Mixing EDM - Lesson 2 - Drums & Percussion

It’s always a good idea to break the mix down into stages, firstly starting the drums. Use the SOLO and MUTE functions to isolate the parts of the mix you are working on

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Step 1 – Separate out the sounds. Give every drum sound its own channel so that they can be processed independently from each other.
Step 2 – The kick drum. Use a compressor to control the level of the kick drum. Add some EQ as per the video.
Step 3 – The Snares. Use some compression. Add some reverb from a bus/send channel. This is a reverb just for the drum sounds
Step 4 – The Hi-hats. Use a tape delay to make some interesting repeats
Step 5 – The percussion. Use EQ to boost the lo-mid frequencies. Add some drum reverb (bus 1)
Step 6 – The FX open hat. Use lots of chorus to add character to the open hat
Step 7 – The 16th Hat. Add a spreader effect to add some movement to the hi-hat sound
Step 8 – The Drum fill.  Add some drum reverb and make use panning
Step 9 – The low tuned kick. Use the tune parameter inside the Ultrabeat to tune the kick drum

 

Mixing EDM - Lesson 3 - Bass

Using the ESM monophonic synth for the bassline gives us a good starting point for the bass. It has already had the pitch-bend range set to 12 semitones which means that we can create the bass drop effect.

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Step 1 – The ESM. A brief overview of the bass sound. Use some compression to control any dynamics.
Step 2 –The bass line MIDI data. Make use of the pitch-bend controller on the bassline
Step 3 – The Section B bass line.
Step 4 – The section A bass line.

Mixing EDM - Lesson 4 - Keyboards & Synths

Now we can start on the keyboards and synths. There is some real-time control needed to add movement to the various parts, and we do this with a combination of MIDI data automation and Logics own automation system.

Video 4m 15s                                Tutorial Length 40m

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Step 1 – The Main Riff. Adjust the release time of the ADSR envelope using automation.
Step 2 – The Bellsphere (Pad).  Using MIDI modulation to add pitch vibrato to the pad sound.
Step 3 – The B3 Organ. The Organ has lots of its own effects such as reverb. Insert a phaser effect to add some movement. Make use of micro-panning.
Step 4 – The Arp lead line. Use automation to record the cut-off point and resonance. Insert some echo delay

Mixing EDM - Lesson 5 - The Samples

Lesson 5 – Mixing EDM – The Samples

Video 5m 40s                                         Tutorial Length 60m

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Step 1 – The Sampler Instruments. Use the edit page to delve into the sampler proper.
Step 2 – Spanning & Pitching the samples.
Step 3 – Automating a filter sweep. Watch out for clicks!
Step 4 – The reversed sample. Lots of delay helps this sample
Step 5 – The looped sample pad. Pitch bend can be used to great effect here.
Step 6 – Pitching the vocal samples. Use the coarse tune to pitch the sample where you want.
Step 7 – The vocal sample MIDI Data. Harmonise and make rhythmic variations to add interest to the part.
Step 8 – The time-stretched sample. Select the right edge of the audio region in the arrange page and press the option key. You can now stretch the sample. Use the bit-crusher to downgrade the sample. Add some panning automation.
Step 9 – Adding some delay designer. This is good for the break down section. There are plenty of presets to work with.

Mixing EDM - Lesson 6 - Creating a Mix

Lesson 6 – Mixing EDM – Creating a mix

Video 2m 25s                                Tutorial Length 40m

Now we trying to work towards a final mix. This means we need to break down the mix into stages and then fit the different elements together to make a coherent and competent mix.

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Step 1 – Mixing the drums. Use the Mute and Solo functions to focus on the drums. Adjust the levels and use micro-panning to create an interesting stereo image.
Step 2 – Mixing the bass. Drums and Bass should sit nicely with the drum groove. If the groove is not moving you then the mix is not right.
Step 3 – Mixing the Keyboards. Use level and panning to create the stereo image.
Step 4 – Mixing the samples. The samples are the vocal part and need to sit nicely in the rest of the track. Remember to REFERENCE!!!
Step 5 – Creating a fade out. Use automation to automate the main outputs level to create a fade out.
Step 6 – Bouncing your final mix. Use PCM as the file format (AIFF or WAVE). To make a version that is good for sharing over the internet use the M4a format.