Tips for getting better results sonically in standalone?

This may assist you (crates motel) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8p_TJu ... G39rq7mv9D

Thanks for the tips everyone. Both monitoring on speakers every once and awhile and some of Crates' suggestions are already helping.

Does anyone know if there's a way to effectively put effects on the master bus if you're using a mixer?

Right now I'm simply applying them in the sampler, sampling the master output from the mixer and listening back to it. This is fine, but I'm wondering if there are more direct ways to do it.

IvoryBlack589 wrote:Headphones, speakers are out of the question in my living environment for various reasons.

Maybe worth getting a second pair of headphones at some point, they can contrast quite a bit. My old pair are Audio Technica ATH-M50 these are closed back headphones that tends to flatter the bass, that can result in putting less bass into the mix. My new pair are Sennheiser HD650S which are open back, flatter the bass less and have better detail. I mainly got them because open-back are said to be less fatiguing, and with the humidity here they allow my ears to get less clammy. Kicks really sound beefir through the Audi Tecnica, mor so than when played through my 8"monitors, so I trust the Sennheiser more. But it's good to have my than one reference.

IvoryBlack589 wrote:Does anyone know if there's a way to effectively put effects on the master bus if you're using a mixer?

Right now I'm simply applying them in the sampler, sampling the master output from the mixer and listening back to it. This is fine, but I'm wondering if there are more direct ways to do it.

This may not be what you want but I send the Force main outputs to the mixer's (Mackie VLZ-PRO 4 1202) aux returns instead of the channel inputs. The Mackie has the feature where if you mute a track it get sent out of the alternative outputs 3&4, which I send into the Force inputs, so I can send any muted mixer channel into the Force sampler but it goes out of the Force main outs with the FXs if I want.

The other Force outputs get sent to the mixer's channel inputs & if I mute those tracks, they get sent into the Force & out of its main outs back into the mixer aux returns. I hope this makes sense & I didn’t miss a step.

I like the brauerizing technique and it works on mpc. The signal route is juuust right. 3-4 diff types of compressors on sub-busses, then route all my tracks into those sub busses accordingly. generally the scheme in hardware goes sub1 FET, sub2 OPTICAL, sub3 TUBE, sub4 VCA. It's a parallel compression method. like reversing a prism to condense light- (but instead audio) into its respective frequency boundaries. you can kinda think of it at that point as virtual outboard racks you are passing your tracks through. also its ok to share compressors and fx. like verbs and delays, you can stick those on the submix like sub4 with the vca and pass your brights through that and get a well glued sound.

The problem i find most of all with mpc in regards to mixing is that all the synths have fx applied to them, generally delay or reverb and i have to go turn them off so my submix fx racks do their jobs properly. when using alot of verbs and reverbs from different fx routes it starts to saturate the freq with transients and crap and i end up with really FLAT beats.

Ditch the mixer (unless you are using other external gear)

Mixing in the mpc is easy and like others have pointed out, much more fun than a daw.

Keep it simple
Levels
Panning
Subtractive eq where needed

You don’t really need to do much on the master except for loudness. Slap the limiter, maximizer, or soft clipper on it and turn up to taste.

Or just get the YA template

J.O.BEATS wrote:Ditch the mixer (unless you are using other external gear)

I like it but yeah, I realize it isn't particularly more effective for 'mixing', vs just doing everything in the box. I didn't buy it intending to use with the mpc, just sort of happened. I do have external gear and whatnot, though. Still figuring out a process with it.

IvoryBlack589 wrote:

J.O.BEATS wrote:Ditch the mixer (unless you are using other external gear)

I like it but yeah, I realize it isn't particularly more effective for 'mixing', vs just doing everything in the box. I didn't buy it intending to use with the mpc, just sort of happened. I do have external gear and whatnot, though. Still figuring out a process with it.

It's always good to have a mixer around, but it would be better to have an audio-interface connected to your MPC that can handle all of your external gear. That my next step.

Another tip is get some crappy speakers like auratones, buy or diy some A/B switch and use it a lot,
When Your ears will get used to the sound from primary speakers switch to the auratones and hear the truth about mix.

Most important thing is to use the best ingredients (quality samples) and then know how to cook them (know how audio processing works).
I think i’ve cracked the 2nd with my template by providing an easy way even for the novice to get going with great results.Combine it with knowledge and you’ll do wonders