HOW TO MAKE YOUR BEATS SOUND PROFESSIONAL

First I will start by saying you don't have to spend a fortune to get that industry standard quality. Digital Audio Workstations make this possible. They come in many forms. Personally I use FL Studio's, Protools, and Reasons.

WHY DO MY TRACKS SOUND SO MUDDY AND UNCLEAR

This can happen for a number of reasons.

1. Portions of your track is over the clip.
- Keep an eye on your sound meter. All sounds must be within meters safe point. This is usually colored orange.
A major mistake that new producers make is turning there master volume up too high. This destroys the portion of the
track that is above the maximum threshold. You highs and mids will be destroyed creating a muddy track. Instead you should use a maximizer. I use Waves LL16 and Image line Maxim.

2. Bad stereo imagery.
- when you are making a beat there has to be a balance. Panning, Delays, and Effects take a major roll in this. Keep in mind that these three things will alter your stereo imagery. A lot of samples if not most are not balanced and perfectly centered.

For a more open sound expand your stereo individually for certain sounds in different ways so that sounds will not mesh.
Sounds like 808 bass, claps, snares, are mainly centered. Sounds like big horns, heavy synths, saws, and leads are great with a delays and reverb. This takes stress off the center channel and leaves room for vocals. This does not mean you can't use these types of plugins on other sounds. Just be mindful.

This sounds funny but think of your beat as a hot dog. The meat is your vocals, 808's, hits...(your Center channel.)
The Bun is your most outer stereo sound. It takes experience to distinguish between the two. All your sounds should not be dead center.
Tip: listen to industry tracks and pay attention to the balance.

3. Bad EQ
- I am going to keep this simple as I can. Equalization appears to modify tone but in reality it is a Volume control tool. It modifies the volume of a particular tone. With that being said be aware that when you modify equalization you are changing the tracks volume.

Tip 1: Turning up highs over 1600hz can be annoying.
Tip 2: Boosting highs does not clean up a track.
Tip 3: To boost bass without overwhelming the track use a maximizer on the bass track.
Tip 4: Mids add good presence but turned to high can kill.

4. Mastering
- Creating a mixdown file is NOT mastering.
- Mastering prepares your track to be played over many devices with quality. Mastering makes your track louder, more full, and touches up your finished product. Maximizing, Limiting, Equalization, and sound field is perfected. You want your track to reach close to the peak as u can. I am a fan of Waves plugins.

Tips 1: Mastered tracks should sound great at low and high volume.
Tips 2: Listen to track with more than one source. (Studio Monitors, Headphones, earbuds)
Tips 3: Tracks wave should not look like a perfect square.
Tips 4: Get a second opinion.

Follow this guide and watch how your production quality changes.

ARTICLE WRITTEN BY: DAROO (CEO of CROWNTONIX ENT)
@tribetrb