Usually the chorus in songs are louder then the verses. But when I mix I have a good balance but then for the chorus I can’t just turn up everything meaning the kick, bass etc because then the verses will be louder.
What are the best ways to accomplish this.
Well whether the choruses should be louder is debateable. But leaving that aside, what you are describing is exactly why automation exists. Automate the changes you want to make.
SeabladeSeconding what @seablade said, god bless automation.
There’s also a difference between perceived loudness (more frequency ranges being used) and actual volume. If you have more parts coming in on the chorus, you may not need to add any volume whatsoever - I generally don’t on my compositions. You can also get a loudness effect by using tape saturation effects (which will boost the low end, giving the illusion of more volume without adding more volume).
In conclusion, I really recommend MixbusTV on YouTube. His mixing videos are great and to the point. There’s lots of videos on there about how to get more perceived volume without actually adding decibel levels or turning instruments up.
Ya I watch his videos from time to time.
I will have to look into this. Yes there is automation so if I am using it I will probably add it at the last stage as a gain plugin to automate gain so it won’t affect my plugin chain, also I’ll look into other ways, would be nice to not have to turn things up but have a more perceived change in volume. Probably less time consuming as well
Yeah, I’d dig through his videos to find the gems you need. Airwindows ToTape6 is your friend for tape saturation - it’s amazing for giving the low end more thump and at the same time, creating some nice pleasing distortion sounds. That alone can get your mix to bang a little harder on the chorus.
A lot of audio people underestimate the importance of (musical) arrangement. Not to mention actually playing instruments, if the chorus really needs to be louder, just hit/strum/blow it harder.
Yeah, yeah, I know, but what about the loopz?! Just because you are repurposing material doesn’t mean that arrangement isn’t a thing, go back and listen to DJ Jazzy Jeff, The Bomb Squad (on old PE recordings), Eric B. Their instruments were different but they were still thinking about layers, and texture, and movement. OK, sometimes Bomb Squad tracks felt like someone poking you in the head for three minutes, but it was still an intentional choice that they did because it got the musical point across.
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