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Old 01-13-2013, 01:38 AM   #8 (permalink)
Freebase Dali
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Personally, I would caution against simply adding more instruments to make the track sound "full". If the instrumentation needs to be there and adds musical value to the song, add it. Otherwise, don't. It will just take the attention away from what you're trying to showcase.

Instead, experiment with making the important stuff fill out more of the spectrum. You can achieve this with EQ, panning and compression. If you do find yourself needing to add more elements to the mix to compliment the main stuff, consider using a simple instrument that can match the right notes and generally the same timbre and sound, and use it to add what the main stuff lacks.
Be smart about what you put into the mix. Be strategic. Add what is going to have either a positive musical effect, or a positive "sonic" effect. The musical effect is first and foremost, and anything you add after the fact for sonic quality should not step on the musical aspect of the mix.

Basically, don't make a song "full sounding" with instruments if the song can stand on its own melodically or content-wise. If the song is saying what it needs to say, and you just want to make it say it nicer, don't start adding unneeded instrumentation to get there. You'll destroy what the song was doing to begin with. Simply re-think how you present the main things to begin with, and work on making those aspects present themselves better.
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