Journal
Notes from the studio. Production, mixing, the business of beats, and the working life of an independent producer.
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Why Your Vocals Sound Bad in the Mix Before You Even Start Mixing
Find the recording, editing, arrangement, and processing problems that can make vocals difficult to mix before another plugin helps.
Read →How to Turn a Loop Into a Song in FL Studio
A practical FL Studio workflow for turning one loop into vocal-ready verses, hooks, transitions, and an ending.
Read →How to Choose the Right Beat for a Song You Can Perform
Choose a beat by testing pocket, vocal range, arrangement, energy, and space for the song you can actually perform.
Read →How to Tell Whether a Beat Has Space for Your Vocals
Test whether a candidate beat leaves room for your rap vocals, melody, hook, and ad-libs before you commit to it.
Read →Should You Write to a Beat First or Lyrics First?
Decide whether to start with a beat, lyrics, melody, or hook without locking your song into the wrong tempo or key.
Read →Why your mix needs a reference track
Learn how mixing with reference tracks helps you check vocals, bass, EQ, and stereo width before your song hits Spotify.
Read →