So I'm Working With FL Studio 6. Is It Possible For Me To Mix and Master Accurately?

[Confucius87]

I make my beats on FL Studio 6, the Producer Edition. I don't have Pro Tools, Cubase or none of that shit. Nor any other programs besides a few instrument VSTs.

I wanna know can I mix and master to the point that my beats sound like CD quality instead of it sound like I just threw some shit together. For example, I'll make a beat and when I'm done, I make sure my instruments aren't clipping. I compress my instruments and also I the 'general master' plugin that's on there. I render it to .mp3, usually at a 224 bit rate. But it still doesn't sound good.

Like, I'll have 808 drums in the beat and they will sound sort of clean. Then I'll render it to .mp3 and listen to it in a stereo, and it'll sound like ass.

Any feedback is much appreciated.

 

[PuffnScruff]

most people don't know what mastering really is. mastering is not done on pro-sumer equipment and software, like cubase or fruityloops. most mastering enigneers create their own equipment and they use a variety of tools to master from hardware(some which they buy from, some of which they build themselves) to software. the only way for your stuff to sound like a cd from your favorite artists is to have it mastered by a mastering engineer in a studio.

there are far too many people out there in internet land spreading disinformation about mastering. they think layering tracks and/or doing some eq'ing and compression is mastering. you cannot master music on your home computer or laptop. if you say you can and you say that to a real engineer they will laugh in your face.

you can, however, sweeten your tracks, which is totally different from mastering but often many bedroom producers that go on message boards call mastering. sweeting is not mastering.

and if you want to actually send your stuff off to be mastered by a mastering engineer you better do your tracking at a high sample rate, like 88.2 or higher.

after i eat i'll put some links in here so you can read up more on mastering with interviews from engineers.

you will find some people who will tell you that you can master on fruity loops or some other pro-sumer DAW, some of which can be found on this board, they are idiots. do not listen to them.

as far as mixing goes, i haven't used fruity loops since like version 2 , but i do know that the newer editions, especially the latest ones are pretty much a full blown DAW and you can mix on the latest editions

 

[Confucius87]

Very helpful. Thanx 4 the info:thumb:

 

[Preach]

to add to what scruffy said, a lot of people just misuse the word or use it for something else.

i like to think that when i'm done mixing my whole beat and am applying something to the entire mixdown, i am sort of "mastering it". that does not mean that i consider myself a mastering engineer, nor does it mean that i think i'm really "mastering". it's a finalization process that a lot of people like to call "mastering", because as far as us hobby beatmakers are concerned, this is the final step to our beat unless we somehow magically win a studio session with a real egineer or decide to pay the money to take it to that level.

i am very aware that i do not really "master" when i master though, it's just easier to say "master" than "finalization process" lol

 

[Rahim]

give it a base lift.

 

[Confucius87]

^WTF is that?

 

[Prize Gotti]

Any one got any links to some sound packs? The default instruments sound wack. I need alot more instruments, better drums and hihats etc. I created a couple of nice beats, they were pretty basic but for a first attempt I was pretty please, just a shame my instruments sound shit. (Note, its taken me 3 years to actually work out how use FL lol).

 

[ill_joe]

Any one got any links to some sound packs? The default instruments sound wack. I need alot more instruments, better drums and hihats etc. I created a couple of nice beats, they were pretty basic but for a first attempt I was pretty please, just a shame my instruments sound shit. (Note, its taken me 3 years to actually work out how use FL lol).

You need a Rompler, Hypersonic, SampleTank etc.

 

[Rahim]

Any one got any links to some sound packs? The default instruments sound wack. I need alot more instruments, better drums and hihats etc. I created a couple of nice beats, they were pretty basic but for a first attempt I was pretty please, just a shame my instruments sound shit. (Note, its taken me 3 years to actually work out how use FL lol).

It's how you use it, not what you use. Although an MPC is obviously better then the sounds on FL.

 

[Lil KaMiKaZe]

i also use Fl Studio(7xxl) but for me Fl studio is just like a "support" for Vst's,i mean i don't use anything that's on Fl studio cuz you can add whatever effect and shit you want,it'll still sound shit...my advice,for kicks,claps,hatz and perc download "kit" hat you can easily find on forums(they usually named with rappers name like "dre dre kit" etc etc)....
and for Vst I usually use "Hypersonic","Orchestra" most of the time,there's nexus too....here's a site you can download them for free "www.magesy.net"....

listen to my songs here : http://Www.bootlegproduct.skyblog.com and tell me if he quality is better than what you get....

Pm me if you want kits but you will find all you want in the site i gave you....