A mixing strategy for 303 sounds in modern techno
Production guide // by Tim Techlor
Why a 303 fights the kick, eats the low end and turns harsh at high resonance, and what to do about it
at the source, in the EQ, in the sidechain and on the bus. Eleven chapters, one signal-chain blueprint, one checklist.
- 24 pages
- 11 chapters
- signal-chain blueprint
- 10-point checklist
Four things from the guide
- One frequency, one owner. High-pass the 303 at 30 to 40 Hz. The sub belongs to the kick.
- Duck it, don't pump it. Sidechain from the kick at 4:1, release 80 to 150 ms, 3 to 6 dB of gain reduction. More than that and you hear the pumping.
- Dirt goes on a copy. Distort a duplicate, high-pass it at 200 to 300 Hz and tuck it 8 to 12 dB under the original.
- Watch the third accent. Accents build up, so the loudest moment of a pattern is rarely the first accent. It's the third or fourth.
Chapters
- 01Why the 303 is so hard to mix
- 02Fix it at the source: sound design before mixing
- 03Frequency work: slotting the 303 into the low end
- 04Kick and 303: sidechain and groove
- 05Dynamics: smoothing without killing the accents
- 06Character: saturation and parallel distortion
- 07Space and stereo width: delay, reverb, mono safety
- 08Automation and context checks
- 09The signal chain as a blueprint
- 10Typical mistakes and quick fixes
- 11Pre-bounce checklist
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