Wrapping up this eventful year for Sasha’s Last Night On Earth, the brand has one more release that has been treasured for months now. Off the back of ‘Nalo’ – his collaboration with Sasha on the LNOE TEN compilation – Lake Turner makes his solo label’s debut with his four-track EP ‘Further Now’.
To celebrate the release of ‘Further Now’, Lake Turner invited EG into the studio for 5 advanced production tips.
1. The power of the mute button
If you’re like me, you might have the tendency to keep adding to a track. I’m slowly learning more and more that: less is more. Crafting fewer elements to sound bigger can often sound crisper and clearer. Adding another thing obscures the other & muting that part that’s not adding particularly much can have a massive impact on the overall picture. I like to make sure every part & layer is totally necessary & bringing something vital to the lifeblood of the track.
2. Grouping stems on a desk / summing mix
I’ve only recently started doing this, but it’s definitely handy when getting a handle on the finished mix, it kind of gives you a bird’s-eye view of the mix. I group up drums, bass, synths, vocals & fx and have them all on their own fader so I can easily balance, compress or EQ them and get a feel for how everything is working together. I use a Softube Console 1 desk, which is really handy for this & you can also drive the desk if you’re feeling particularly fruity.
3. Adding real tape delay to snares
This was one actually thought up by my friend Aidan – who I share a studio with. The snare on my track ‘Automat’ wasn’t sitting quite right, and so he had the idea of running the snare through two tape delays (for a left and a right stereo signal). It created some grit and slight lo-fi-ness to the snare and made it sit in the mix like a dream. Thanks, Aidan.
4. Trilian for bass sounds
I still use the Roland Sh01a for rhythmic basslines, but on my new EP ‘Further Now’, I used the virtual instrument Trilian for most of the bass sounds across the board. Obviously, each to their own, but I enjoyed using it on this occasion and it has an impressive array of bass synth sounds that often work like a charm, and it’s so quick and easy to get something working.
5. Use filters
I absolutely love filters and the space & movement they create. Filters have the ability to affect the way a sound can arrive at your ear – a high pass filter sweep for a slower arrival, or a low pass filter sweep for a quicker one. I enjoy introducing sounds by filtering them in as I feel it engages the listener more, keeps things fluid & adds movement.
Lake Turner’s ‘Further Now’ EP is out now via Sasha’s LNOE. Purchase your copy here.
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