AESTETICS & SOUND
According to wikipedia:
Aesthetics (/ɛsˈθɛtɪks/; also spelled æsthetics and esthetics also known in Greek as Αισθητική, or "Aisthētiké") is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of art, beauty, and taste, with the creation and appreciation of beauty.[1][2] It is more scientifically defined as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgements of sentiment and taste.[3] More broadly, scholars in the field define aesthetics as "critical reflection on art, culture and nature".[4][5]
(not even trying to change font here).
So what does Aestetic has to do with music? It's very simple. Aestetics dictates the direction our production should be taking. In simpler words: aestetics gives a hint on how to create a certain vibe.
For example: let's say your producing a dubstep track. Using an house kick will not yield the desired results as much as using a dubstep kick: not only because the envelopes and frequency response of the two are different, but also because of the timbre of the instrument used. Try to imagine Michelangelo carving out the David from raw marble and giving it a cubist form: isn't that messed up? Same thing with music.
My way to deal with aestetics is: trust your ears and follow the standards. If something work, it's usually because there's a reason that makes it work. I know it sounds un-creative and boring, but sometimes following the rules of the type of art that you're making it's crucial to get the result you want. Why?
Again, because following the path you want is the only way to get the result you want. I love browsing into my sample libraries to find a sound that could potentially fit into my production, but sometimes it's waaaaay simpler to just follow this scheme:
"What do i want?"
"Did i get it?"
REPEAT
So my suggestion is: listen to what you like and try to emulate what others are doing. While you're doing that, you will understand WHY things work all togheter and what makes everything gel nicely.
See ya, next post about mixdown!
