Reference Tracks For Music Production

If you’re making music then you’ve probably got at least a few musical influences, and from those influences you have a few tracks that have inspired you. These are you’re reference tracks, which you use to model your own production techniques and musical ideas. Here are some things to take note of when listening to your reference tracks.

Panorama – Listen to where the instruments are place in the mix. Most likely the drums and bass will be placed in the centre (although this is not always the case). Often you’ll hear synths, guitars, piano and leads placed on the left or right of the mix. Vocals are generally placed in the middle, but again, if the vocals are double-tracked then they may be placed on both the left and right side.

Tone and Dynamics – There is no definitive tone or perfect sound for a piece of music. This is when you have to judge the emotion of the music. Is it dark, atmospheric, punchy, mellow, or intense? These factors are particularly important if you want to give your music a signature sound.

Volume – Average volume levels vary considerably depending on what kind of music you’re making. Ambient and classical music is generally the quietest, and on the other end of the scale rock and pop music has the highest average volume levels. This is something to listen out for.

Use Of Effects – Listen out for equalization, compression, reverb and delay. There are many, many other effects to consider but in most occasions it is those four that are prevalent in well-produced music.  Most music has EQ to cut away any unwanted noise, or to achieve a more desirable tone. All tracks will feature compression, which helps control the dynamics of each instrument, or the mix as a whole. Reverb is often used on a selection or all instruments   to judiciously bind those elements together. Delay is often used on particular tracks to ‘beef up’ instruments, such as on synths and basses.

Improvements – Not many producers would tell you this, but when you listen back to your tracks, think how the mix could be improved. You might think the bass is too weak, or the drums are too loud, or that the vocals lack a bit of punch. This, of course, is entirely subjective. It may have been the artist and/or producers intention for the music to sound that way. This is not always an essential aspect to look out for but definitely worth bearing in mind.

These skills are essential for any budding producer, composer or songwriter if they want to make great mixes and develop an original style.