Top 5 Ways to Add Spice to Your Music

Let me share with you a common experience. Often you may feel that you're playing songs in the same old way, and everything sounds the same. The experience may be depressing, but do you know how you can come out of it? Add spice to your music.

Spice is that ingredient that makes your music unique. It keeps your listener interested and bound.

We at MIX Recording Studio help artists in several ways to produce their music. In addition, we also provide tips on music creation, music production, music promotion, etc. In this blog, we’ll talk about you can add spice to your music.

We give here the best five tips for spicing up your music.

Here, we go…  

1.     Make use of real-world sounds

Real-world sounds add a special and tangible element to your music. It enhances the aesthetic. It makes the song stand out.

I'm sure you're curious as to what I mean by "real-world sounds." Real-world sounds can include a recording of beach waves, a friend singing, or that rusted-out old guitar you have that you recorded with a $20 USB microphone.

It’s true everyone may not have a guitar, a cheap USB microphone, live close to a beach, can sing, or knows someone who can. Thanks to the advanced technologies. There are lots of websites that provide sample packs with authentic sounds, such as Organic Percussion, Ultimate Guitars, Urban Middle East Field Recordings, etc.

Some tips to use real-world sounds

·         Keep ambient sounds and field recordings at a low volume. They are supporting, not primary, elements.

·         You record the sounds.

·         Processed sounds having added effects such as delays, reverbs, and sidechain compression are all extremely useful.

·         Take real sounds from other songs, movies, or videos and sample them.

·         Utilize synthesisers to try and replicate real-world sounds (wind from white noise for example)

·         Don't go too far.

2.     Automate

If there is one thing you take away from this post, it should be to automate as much as you can.

A song that uses automation spread across several tracks is fluid, energising, and intriguing.

Here, let’s see what all you can automate

ADSR: Automating the ADSR on a synth or sample is a great way to build tension in your track and add variation to a single element. An illustration would be automating the release and cut-off of a pluck sound simultaneously.

Reverb: My favourite is probably reverb. Reverb can be automated on practically anything. I like automating dry/wet times and decay rates. An illustration would be automating the dry/wet of a long-decaying reverb on a sample of clapping during the introduction and build-up.

Filters: As you likely already know, automating filters is a tonne of fun. When building up energy, use high-pass filters; when bringing it down, use low-pass filters. As an illustration, automate the low-pass filter on the drum bus when entering a breakdown.

Distortion: It's unfortunate that not many people automate distortion because it sounds absolutely fantastic. Distortion can be used in build-ups, as a tool to add micro-tension and in many other situations. Example: At the conclusion of every eight bars, quickly activate the dry/wet of a distortion module on the synths bus.

Volume: Volume automation is a great way to keep things interesting while adding dynamics to your track. Why not introduce a new component gradually rather than all at once? Example: The intro's hi-hat gradually increases in volume.

EQ: Another process that can be automated to spice up and clean up a mix is EQ. An example would be automating an EQ to cut the high-end during a bass-heavy section while allowing the warm low-end to come through during the breakdown.

Some tips to automate

·         Check to see if it blends in. In other words, your automation shouldn't appear jarring or JUMP out at people.

·         When possible, render out or freeze. Increased automation is the best way to make your CPU your enemy. Reduce rendering to save processing resources.

·         Ableton Live person? Use macros to your advantage. For simple automation, combine several parameters into a single knob.

·         After mixing, do it. I like to listen to each track again after getting a good mix to see if any automation can be added.

·         Combine both short-term and long-term automation. As an illustration, consider automating a filter over 32 bars and distortion on/off on a single beat.

3.     Include incidentals

You can use incidental music in subtle ways in the form of motifs, FX, and Vocal Snippets.

It's important to keep in mind that incidentals are frequently used as background material. They can be used as foreground components, but a balance must be considered. Your main elements get pushed back if you put the focus on an auxiliary element.

Some tips to add incidentals

·         Prevent awkward noises. Incidentals should match the style of the rest of your track.

·         As few as possible. Incidentals are used to support main ideas; they do not take centre stage.

·         Put them at the start or end of sentences.

4.     Include micro tension

Utilizing minor FX and tempo changes to increase a track's overall tension is known as micro-tension. It differs from the main build-up you typically have before the chorus.

Micro-tension includes

Removing elements

Crash cymbals, short FX, noise

Automating

Varying melodically and rhythmically

Some tips to add micro tension

Maintain consistency. Having the same crash cymbal hit every 16 bars is acceptable.

Not all tension increases are equivalent to an increase in energy. You can decrease the energy while increasing tension by removing certain components (vocals, synths).

Use unusual sound effects.

· Use incisive and prompt automation. For instance, dry/wet reverb or distortion.

5.     Incorporate a variation

Repetition is a key component of electronic dance music, but monotonous repetition is boring. There must be a delicate balance between the two because too little variation will make a track boring while too much will ruin its groove and vibe.

Every eight bars, as a general rule of thumb, something should be added, removed, or changed. 16 at a time. Although it need not be obvious, it should be heard.

Some tips for adding variation

Use both subtle and noticeable changes. Make it clear if you're trying to indicate the beginning of a new section.

Use chord alterations.

Use a different sound to recite the same melody or chord progression.

· In a particular section, use triplets.

Change up the energy. To increase or decrease energy, add or remove components.

Conclusion

It's entertaining to spice up your music. You can only add it by trying new things, putting some effort into them, and seeing what works for you.

MIX Recording Studio is a well-equipped professional recording studio that helps you produce music. We offer rental studios, mixing and mastering services, podcasting, etc. If you are in need of our services, connect with us.