Hey guys, I've struggled with this problem for 2 years. I've been producing for 6 years and have had about a dozen releases on some pretty reputable labels/channels, but this problem still plagues me.
My songs are just never warm enough. They're always a little thin and cold. They're clear and crisp, but lacking the life that comes from warmth. When I collab with other producers, every single time they take my stems and start cranking up the low end. They hear my music and instantly point out "not enough bass." But to me, it sounds like the PERFECT amount of bass, and herein lies the problem.
I want to get a little more in-depth. It's not as simple as "boost your sub and stop boosting the highs". This has to do with my perception of normality. What I mean is, if I produce an entire track with no reference tracks, it will ALWAYS come out nice and clean, but also without much low end. It's almost like that's my PREFERRED frequency balance that my subconscious wants.
It's like my perception of normality is a bit skewed towards the high end, and I've been trying to rectify this problem for literally 2 years. Even if I do use reference tracks, my mixes still come out a little thin. Sometimes, I'm even tempted to boost the high end on the reference tracks!
I've had my hearing tested, and was all clear. However, I don't really think a standard hearing test is super accurate/specific.
Anyways, here's an audio comparison between a track by Lucian and my own track. His track plays first, and mine second. Notice how mine seems a bit lifeless relative to his - not as warm and soft. It's like every one of my elements is a little brighter than his, so the entire frequency balance has shifted up towards the high end. This problem is seriously threatening my productions! Any help appreciated.
Submitted May 20, 2017 at 04:18PM by randomguy5005 https://www.reddit.com/r/edmproduction/comments/6cc642/longterm_mixing_problem/?utm_source=ifttt