Mashups and bootlegs used to be the definitive way that producers reached new audiences back when I first started producing over a decade ago, to a point where some artists’ entire careers were completely based on this specific type of content. And while the accessibility of production and music-making has opened up a ton of ways for artists to share original music, there’s still something special about seeing artists return to this iconic form of music-making.
That is why, when I heard Max Frost’s unique way of blending records and covering mashups, I was simply blown away and had to dig a little deeper into his process. So, to celebrate his latest live, cover mash-up, I wanted to invite him on to talk about some of his favorite plugins, studio tools, and other tools he uses to create, mix, produce, and release some of the most unique mash-ups in the modern game.
Stream his latest remix of “Real Slim Shady” in the style of the Gorillaz in this live mash-up before checking out his favorite tools he uses to make, flip, and release his music.
RC-20
The RC-20 does pitch variation that often feels like a tape machine. It also offers and EQ, vinyl sounds, reverbs, and distortions.
I use this track on all kinds of instruments and even sometimes on the mix bus to give digital sounds a more retro feel. The perfection of digital recording can get a bit dry and tools like the RC-20 give pitch a bit more waver and get rid of things that are too clean and high end. I used it on the acoustic guitar in this track as well as the electric guitar.
Its a fun tool to play around with. It has presets that may throw a sound in a direction you hadn’t considered before. It’s a way to completely shift the palette of a real instrument. Especially guitars.
Pultech -EQP 1A
This is an analog sounding EQ modeled from the real thing by UA. It’s gives drums a great boost!
This is pretty much my go to EQ to throw on the drum bus and makes drums that feel a bit lack luster come to life. Its got presets that will get you pretty close and you can tweak it from there.
I’d always work to get your drums sounding the best you can naturally, but once you have them summed and are ready to start mixing, this is a great way to give them life without forcing them too high in the mix.
UAD RAW
This plugin is meant to be a heavy distortion on guitar or bass, but I use it as a vocal distorter and compressor!
I’ve never found a quicker way to get to a small but cutting vocal than using this and dialing the distortion way back. Even if it isn’t what you use in your end product on the mix, while you’re working, this will give the vocal a lo-fi presence without harping on your CPU as you create.
I feel like producers have gotten too obsessed with this super clean super massive vocals. When you go through the eras of music, some of the best sounding stuff actually had vocals that were quite small and not very clean. Its hard to get there these days because recording technology is always pushing to be cleaner and larger. But this plugin takes a nice step toward something more old school and classic.
Nectar 3
This is one of the fastest and most useful plugins I’ve ever used on vocals. If you’re not a pro mixer, this is a great way to make a vocal sound record ready and skip a lot of steps and headache because its an all in one vocal processor.
I throw this thing on every vocal in every demo or anything I’m making. I’ve often even left it on when sending vocals off to a mixer. It listens to the vocal track and modulates its settings based on the sound. It also has presets that can be played with.
This thing sitting at the early stage of a vocal chain allows a strong clean and compressed signal so that as you use RAW or other effects to get the alternative rock or alt pop sound, it still is very strong and audible!
Quick Fire Tips For Making Music
Tip #1: Take the abstract ideas of how a band sounds and reapply then to what you’re making. Through a hybrid you make something new.
Tip #2: Keep everything dirty. Clean is out. Clean is boring.
Tip #3: Record something at low energy and then boost it rather than recording something high energy and turning it down. It always sounds more relaxed and pocketed.
The post How It Was Made: Max Frost – Eminem Meet Gorillas appeared first on Magnetic Magazine.