Plain sounding Beats

Grrrrrr

Sometimes I make a Hot beat.
Then Sometimes beats I make come out sounding just PLAIN. I hate it. And no matter what I try to add to thicken it ,just ends up making the track start sounding cluttered.
I can't seem to find that intelligent technique that consistently solves this problem. "Oh, its sounding plain again, all I need to do is add a bit of this and a bit of that". U feel me ?

Anybody experience this and what tips might u have.
THX.

Yea it happens sometimes. I usually dont continue making the beat if Im already 2 - 4 instruments into the beat and it still sounds plain. Usually I'll just start over and try to find a new melody or try some different drums or more complicated drum pattern, with crazy breaks. Try messing around with an instrument you hardly ever use and tweak it to make it extra unique.

Yeah, I get BMB's (BeatMakersBlock) all the time. I found that if I started with my melody/sample/bassline 1st, it was easier for me to drop a hot beat into the project with no problem. Another tactic I use is that if I start with the beat 1st, and if the beat is so-so , I'll leave it alone and start on something else new. The next day, I'll listen to it with fresh ears. If it sounds decent, then I'll keep it and work with it some more. If not, then I'll delete it...

adding unique percussion sounds alwayz does the trick for me

yea i do like dany... i usually do some strings or a bass or something and i can just hear the beat in my head... make sure your drums all mix well... like your hats sound good with your snares and kicks and stuff... sometimes i do that and it kind of seperates the track so its not "tight" or full sounding...

cashstill wrote:adding unique percussion sounds alwayz does the trick for me

^ works

having skills helps.

D_Samp wrote:having skills helps.

Even the most skilled producer makes Wak beats on a regular. U just never get to hear them.

take a break and create something totally new and then go back to it in a couple days with new ideas and if that don't work then scrap that shit.

I got the same problems too sometimes, what I sometimes do is finding a warmer hihat and a lighter hihat, the hihat can make a big difference.

Look at the weaker sounding beats as a practice session... that's what I do...

take the good with the bad. the ebb and flow of creativity is important. you have heard it before but learn from your mistakes. when i am trying to flip an plain beat into something dope i may find a tech. that stills sounds like poo but will really take another beat somewhere fresh. i still find new things to do on the mpc as i am new to it still and you may be in a different boat so i dunno if i helped you at all.

alot of stuff is going to sound plain until you actually mix down the beat....you record dry and thats the sound youre going to have....then in the mixdown phase you add effects to the instruments you used and turn stuff up and down and pan stuff and throw a little compression on some things and trust me itll start sounding full. Youll be suprised how much effects warm up that once dull string or piano or whatever. Just remeber to add the effects last. RECORD DRY>>>>>ADD EFFECTS IN MIXDOWN.


YUNGPOKE

YungPoke wrote:alot of stuff is going to sound plain until you actually mix down the beat....you record dry and thats the sound youre going to have....then in the mixdown phase you add effects to the instruments you used and turn stuff up and down and pan stuff and throw a little compression on some things and trust me itll start sounding full. Youll be suprised how much effects warm up that once dull string or piano or whatever. Just remeber to add the effects last. RECORD DRY>>>>>ADD EFFECTS IN MIXDOWN.


YUNGPOKE

You make an excellent point.

I think Rjd2 makes a good point on a post he made on his forum...

"so, if you do any kind of art, or creative type of thing, you know that sometimes its hard to know when something is done. it can be a technical plateau, it can be a sense of frustration-a number of things dictates when you throw in the towel. for me, i get to a point with a song where i can sense that if i **** with it any more, its just gonna get worse. so, probably around 1 this afternoon, i got the feeling.....the big sigh of relief is that it was for the last song on the album. so, i can honestly say, after 15 months of preparation, my next album is done. IM GOING TO EURO DISNEYWORLD! thanks for any interest/support- i appreciate it."-rj