Need some help with TRANCE music

[Meteo Xavier]

Name says it all. I'm trying to do some trance music and I need help with a couple things.

1. I can't seem to find a good way to insert ambient pads into the mix. I want to be able to do it right where its not standing out in front of the melody and the sharp synth lines, but it still creates the mood. Whats a good way to insert them in?

2. What are some good Reverb and EQ settings for trance music? I know its better not to overdo both, but I'm looking for a place to start.

[zircon]

For trance pads, I like using really soft, muted sounds. Detuned saws (maybe 2-4 osc) with a lowpass filter set pretty low, a tiny bit of reso, slight chorus, and reverb/delay usually does the trick. Then you want to have them in the middle to upper range so they're audible, but not making anything muddy. Using EQ to roll off the low freqs is also a good idea.

[Sole Signal]

For ambient pads, if you've already got leads or other arps taking up the soundscape, I bet you've at least got room in the 5k-10k range. Try filtering out some lows and mids and try to slightly boost the highs. If they sound too thin, you can always run a spectrum analyzer on your track and see what "empty" frequencies you have. Then cut the EQ on the pads in those ranges where your synths and melody line are, and boost where you need that extra fullness.

As for the ideal settings, it really depends on the song. If I want an airy type of track that the listener can get "lost in," I'll use more reverb and delay, especially on the leads or blips. Too much reverb on ambient pads in any case is asking for mud, especially if you're not careful that you're filtering out the lows. If I want a track that sounds more "in your face," I'll use less reverb and delay in general.

As for EQ, just make sure that your instruments aren't bleeding into each other. Put a spectrum analyzer on your master channel (Voxengo Span is great for that), and go to work.

[Meteo Xavier]

I've never used a spectrum analyzer before. I got the one you're referring to, but what do I do with it to make the mix work?

[Yoozer]

There are no "good" EQ or reverb settings. While the question is not stupid per se, it's a bit silly since there's just no one-size-fits-all for this . Reverbs and equalizers are not used as regular presets.

How to use a frequency analyzer: SPAN is just a VST effect. You put it on a track and it will show you a wobbly line. From left to right is the frequency. From bottom to top is the volume.

Put it over your track where you have the pad sound running. You'll see a wobbly line with a hump somewhere in the middle.

Now, put an equalizer over your track and put it before SPAN, so the signal chain is like:

instrument > reverb > eq > SPAN

or even just

instrument > eq > SPAN

If you use a graphic equalizer (like the Kjaerhus Classic EQ), the sliders represent the frequencies from left to right and their height determines the volume.

Start by sliding the lowest frequency slider to the bottom and see if something changes in the SPAN display. Just put a fragment of your song in a loop. Then, pull down the next slider. Observe what happens when you cut or boost, and see what a parametric equalizer does. Basically, those are a bit more practical since you can see what's supposed to happen to the frequencies. Compare the graph with a cookie cutter - you cut away excess volume and frequencies so the rest of your track has room.

By putting a SPAN over your other tracks, you can see where they overlap. To cut away the overlap, just put an EQ over the kick or the lead sound, and cut away everything you don't hear.

[Zephyr]

Wow thanks for pointing me towards SPAN, I love it already, FL Studio's "selected " mixing track is great for this, I can just leave one of these on there, and see how all the mix parts fit together.

[SnappleMan]

You could always use an automated frequency filter to change the EQ of the pads dynamically throughout the song depending on what's needed at a specific time. Meaning, if during section A you want to pad to sound very dull and fat, you automate the filter to operate that way till you get to section B where you might want the pad to be bright and thin. Most relatively modern plugins create their own specialized automation tracks within that audio channel. So once you insert the effect, it should have two automation buttons (usually at the top of the effects UI window), read and write. Click on the Write button and now whenever you press play, whatever you do to that effect will be recorded. Then once you record your real time EQing, you click the Read button, and that real time editing you did will be played back as part of the song.

If you don't see those buttons, then expand the audio tracks automation display till it's showing everything and you see your effects automation track. You should find a Read and Write set of buttons there.