It is very easy to get carried away with adding lots & lots of processing plugins and effects. Sometimes when you do this, it can actually destroy your sound rather than complement it. Try turning off the processing one by one to make sure that it is benefitting the sound.
When trying to sit sounds properly in your mix, oscillator octaves are your friends.
Instead of always reaching for the eq try to position different elements of your track above or below each other using different octave combinations within your synth.
By doing this you can really create space in your mix for each sound. Sometimes it can be as simple as pulling one oscillator down an octave for that perfect fit.
Bringing up the resonance a tiny bit can add some extra life and brightness to your sounds.
It will only be subtle but once done on a few different sounds in your mix it can really make a difference.
Check out this quick video tip on how using 2 x LFO tools can help clean up your mix and make more room for your Trance Kick and Bass or any other elements you wish to create space in the mix for.
Check out this tip on how to build tension in builds.
When doing your final mixdown solo your kick drum and then start to add the other elements in one at a time. Listen when you add each element back in to make sure that the kick is still punching through as though it was being played solo.
If when adding an element your kick starts to sound dull, lack punch or slightly disappear, then you know that the element you just added needs fixing. these issues can often be fixed with correct levels, eq or sidechaining.
A lot of tension can be created by automating the release on your amp envelope, the rate of your LFO’s or any other parameter within your plugins.
