How to Make a Remix: 8 Steps (with Pictures)

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

Remixing is a lot of fun. You've certainly heard a lot of them - that 70s song revived thanks to a modern beat. A remix can change the style, perception, and even the emotional meaning of a song by altering the context of the sections, re-harmonizing the melodies, adding new elements, and much more! It might seem difficult, but it's something you can learn to do on your own with some simple tools, and a little help from this guide. Here's how to get started.

Steps

Step 1. Start with a good editing program

That will be your workbench. You will be able to load tracks, sounds, effects, other tracks, synchronize the times, etc. You will be able to cut, sew, harmonize, reverse play, slow down, speed up - all thanks to your program.

• If you don't want to spend a lot, a great beginner program is Audacity (https://audacity.sourceforge.net/). It's free, and works on all major operating systems.

  

• Ableton is a great choice, if money isn't an issue. For a few hundred euros, Ableton will offer you a more live performance oriented service. You can prepare your own remixes at home, or make them in real time.

  

Step 2. Choose a track to remix

The remix is a derivative art form; that is, it builds from another work of art. Selecting which track to remix is an important part of the process. Here are some things to consider:

• Pick something with a rhythm, chorus, melody, or other element that you like. A remix often requires you to repeat parts of the song many times in a row, so choose one that doesn't get bored easily and keeps interest alive.

  

• You will probably have to work with the finished product, which is the version of the song that was released on CD. But if you can get the separate tracks used to create the master from the recording studio, especially the vocal track, it will make your remix cleaner… and your job easier.

  

• While nothing is quite like having the original tracks separate, Audacity and Ableton offer tools for removing vocals from a track (like creating a karaoke version), or removing everything but vocals. This is not easy, and will rarely be fully effective, but you may be able to soften the background music enough to the point that, in context, the voice will seem isolated from the rest.

  

Step 3. Add your sounds

This is the part where you will contribute to the new artwork. You can change the mood, add new rhythm sections, or totally ruin the piece.

• Think about which section you prefer - what would you like to keep, and what would you change? Listen to the piece as many times as necessary, to have a clear view of the result you want to achieve.

  

Step 4. Divide the track

To make it easier to remix, you will need to isolate not only the melodic elements, but the rhythmic ones as well.

• You can do this thanks to Ableton or Audacity. With the use of these programs it is easy to create loops.

  

• Creating a loop is a simple process. First, listen to the song, and identify the sections to be cut. Then, select the part of your choice in your audio editing program, making sure you take whole beats. One way to control your cut is to loop the section. If it seems to skip at the time of the loop, you may have selected too much, or too little.

  

• If your program allows you to listen to the loop and adjust its length at the same time, start playing the loop, and adjust the start first - make sure it starts exactly where you want it. Once the starting point is set, move to the end of the loop, and make small changes to the length until the loop seems to stop, flows naturally and, most importantly, is in time with the rest of the track.

  

• Watch out for loops that contain reverb or cymbal tails, as these sounds will often extend beyond the end of the bar. However, stopping a reverb in this way can create a very interesting effect.

  

• Making sure your loops are cut precisely will make rhythm corrections, with your loop program, more precise. In programs like Sonar and Acid, which use similar methods, it is a must.

  

• Time correction is achieved by specifying the BPM (Beats Per Minute) of the loop (often calculated automatically), or by placing bookmarks in the loop window, to indicate where the beat falls. All of this will serve to achieve the same result as cutting and looping, while preserving the original file.

  

• You can also use effects on your loop. You will be able to bring out the vocals or individual instruments with the use of the equalizer.

  

• Remember that there is no way to isolate an instrument from the vocal in a mixed track. For example, you could reduce the bass to attenuate the sound of the kick, toms, and bass. This will allow you to get a cleaner sound if you decide to use that loop's voice on another bass or drum line.

  

Step 5. Experiment

Try out all the effects available in your audio editing program to hear how they sound in each section. There are many, such as delays, phasers, flangers, choruses, filters and other equalizers, reverb, amplitude modulators, frequency modulators, ring modulators, distortions, time distortions, autotuners or tools for changing the pitch, vocoders, etc. Experimenting with these effects will help you understand what you like, and will allow you to train your ear.

Step 6. Rebuild the song

First, set the BPM (rhythm - beats per minute) and tempo (usually 4/4 for common music) in your looping program. Then import your loops. When they have been imported and their rhythm is correct, you should be able to choose the BPM you prefer, without losing much quality. Now you can start rebuilding the song.

A quick and easy way is to follow the structure of the original (intro, verse, chorus, verse, bridge and chorus) but you can also decide to change it completely and make your own. You could use the verse voice over part of the chorus. You could take a verse as it is, cut lines from the vocals, and overlap them inverted. You could re-harmonize the voice or melody by introducing completely new elements. Have fun and experiment

Step 7. Export your creation (Create a Master)

When your remix has a beginning and an end, and you are satisfied, you should export it. Save the project or export it in WAV or AIFF format (don't bring it to MP3 just yet). Load it into your audio editing program and normalize it to 99%. This will ensure that the levels at the highest point almost reach maximum volume. Plus, you can make your remix sound louder by applying a compressor before normalization.

Step 8. Distribute your remix

Convert the file to MP3, using your favorite program.

Advice

• Check the quality settings when converting. 128 is the default bitrate, but you will have a lot of flaws. At a minimum you should use a bitrate of 192, but for the best results, use WAV files or convert to lossless formats like FLAC.
• There are remixes of all genres. In the world of pop, it's often about functional rather than expressive remixes - converting pop or rock tunes into club tunes. It is important though, whether it's a dub reggae, a hip hop remix, a house remix of a pop song, or whatever, that the remixer adds their own personal touch to the song - keep key elements of the original., adding their unmistakable style.

• If you use Ableton Live, you can easily work with raw samples. Ableton is the most flexible looping program on the market. It allows different types of tempo and key corrections, variable start points and loops, and a simple graphical interface for tempo correction.

  If you're using Ableton Live, be sure to use a time correction method that suits your sampling. The beat mode is suitable for drums, but not for vocals. Texture mode will work for many tracks, but will often vary slightly in hue. The tone mode is usually valid in most cases

• Try using Acapellas for better results in cutting vocals.