pickyourselfofficial Spices Up Sound Design with Mixing Plugins

Philipp from Pick Yourself starts off with a confession—his love for audio loops. He explains how starting a session with loops can spark creativity and aid in finishing music. The catch, however, is that using the same loops as everyone else can lead to sounding generic. Philipp’s goal, and presumably the goal of any artist, is to sound unique. To combat the ‘same old, same old,’ he has hundreds of techniques to transform audio material. As a mixing and mastering engineer, he’s cooked up some methods to make generic loops sound distinctly yours. In his professional environment, he’s honed these skills to aid artists in elevating their music to a high standard.

In the spirit of innovation, Philipp introduces the Delta Trick, leveraging tools like Soothe to create unique audio artifacts. The magic happens by manipulating the delta signal—the difference between the original and treated audio. Normally, delta signals guide engineers on effects, but Philipp flips the script. By treating these signals as new sound elements, you can morph everyday loops into fresh samples. He uses FabFilter’s Pro L2 Limiter in aggressive mode, creating engaging artifacts meant for later use. Abelton comes in clutch here with the ability to bounce these transformed sounds into new tracks. By feeding them into reverb, one can concoct ambient clicks or cuts, adding fresh texture to a track. This technique allows producers to recycle existing sounds innovatively, ensuring their music retains a personal, distinctive edge instead of fading into mediocrity.

Philipp then dives into the world of EQ with what he calls the ‘resonance roller coaster.’ This technique involves using an EQ tool to deliberately create sharp boosts across different frequencies, turning the EQ into a dynamic sound shaper. The idea is to accentuate specific overtones of a signal by mapping LFOs (Low Frequency Oscillators) to the EQ points, creating a moving, organic sound. He augments this by using LFOs at different rates to modulate these frequencies, providing a constantly evolving sonic landscape. This approach offers flexibility and creativity, crafting sounds that feel alive, evolving alongside the track itself. It’s a technique that injects energy and character into tunes, much like adding just the right amount of hot sauce to your favorite street taco.

Taking a retro turn, Philipp discusses the gritty charm of vintage compressors, focusing on the legendary 1176. By utilizing the famous ‘all buttons in’ mode, he demonstrates how to push audio through the compressor to achieve a rich, textured sound. This technique is about getting ‘crunchy’ with character, exploiting the compressor’s unique distortion qualities. Philipp details how this approach can elevate a track, drawing out rooms and spaces in recordings to add color and depth. It’s all about balance—using the parallel mix to blend the raw and treated signals, you can sculpt your sound without obliterating its dynamic range. For producers familiar with manipulating buttons and dials, this is akin to mastering the perfect mix of ingredients for a secret BBQ sauce that makes your cookouts legendary.