This is a note for myself when i started. If you have just started producing (as in 3-15 weeks ago), here are 2 big reasons why your sounds don't sound like your favorite tracks:
-Samples
This is really obvious but you need to invest in good sample packs. The samples in your DAW will not be sufficient. Get a subscription to Splice. This is especially true for things like kicks. Your ear is used to big kick sounds, and those just don't exist in most DAW libraries.
-Reverb
This one took me longer to figure out. In the real world (i.e. life), all sounds have a reverb tail of some kind. Sounds without reverb (echo) are called "anechoic", and sound very unnatural to human ears.
If your track sounds weird, try adding reverb to the main parts. For me, this worked especially well for drum tracks. Drums with zero reverb sound weird, and adding light reverb can go a really long way to breahting life into the track.
That's not to say that there isn't a time and a place for zero reverb, but if you are just starting and wondering why your song is sounding shitty, just try adding reverb
There are tons of other reasons why your song doesn't sound up to scratch, but for me these 2 provided the biggest leverage when starting.
Some others off the top of my head:
-Drum Velocity! Make sure to accent certain hits, often the "1" is accented. This will make a big dfiference. listen to tracks you like and copy them. Having uniform drum velocity for all hits will sound weird.
-Your sound design is shitty. Start with just using presets in serum or massive instead of your own design. as your own design improves you can start making your own sound
-there is not enough variation in your composition (i.e. drum lines are too repetitive, main synth leads or basslines are simply repeated without any variation)
-Arrangement - your arrangement needs to mirror professional tracks. Of course you can innovate and use your own arrangement when you are good enough, but IMO when you are just starting out you should copy arrangements from your favorite songs. Arrangement defines the energy and flow of a track, so if your song doesn't build and fall in at "expected" times, then it might sound off to both you and to listeners, but you likely won't be able to really pinpoint why
Just my 2 cents. hope that helps somebody just starting out.
Submitted September 25, 2016 at 09:40PM by floodgater https://www.reddit.com/r/edmproduction/comments/54i2tm/if_you_are_just_starting_out_heres_2_reasons_why/?utm_source=ifttt