How to Make Melodies Sound Wider

You just finished making a fire melody, but it sounds flat and washed out in your mix. You want a lush and wide-sounding melody that fits around your drums. But how?? Don’t fret because I’m going to share with you my step-by-step process to cure this issue.

The Mixer Effects and Order

This is the order in which I put the plugin effects: Reverb, Delay, Chorus, and Stereo Imaging. In addition to this, you can add a saturation or distortion plugin to add texture and grit to your melody. Remember less is more. Furthermore, Yes! The order in which you put the effects matters. There are no rules when It comes to using plugin effects, but If you put chorus before your reverb it will sound different. Ultimately it is up to you to determine what sounds best for your mix.

Reverb

Reverb adds atmosphere and body to your melody. It gives your melody space and “mood”. It’s important to be modest with how much reverb you add because too much can wash out your sound. I typically use stock reverb, but there are plenty of different reverb plugins on the market. My favorite free reverb is “Valhalla Supermassive”. Valhalla reverb is one of the best and it is used by your favorite producers.

Delay

Delay isn’t always necessary because reverb tends to add a delayed effect on its own. However, if you want to create even more space in your melody it helps a bunch. Delay sounds best on stringed instruments like the cello and violin. My favorite instrument to put a delay on is the guitar. When it comes to delay try different presets and be creative.

Chorus

Chorus is my favorite effect, and I put it on almost every melodic element of my beat. It creates something called the “Haas Effect” which describes the phenomenon of an echo that is below our threshold of hearing; thus we perceive the doubled audio as one single sound instead of an echoed sound. Below are images of the best free chorus plugins.

Stereo Imaging

Stereo Imaging is usually the last plugin I add to my chain of effects because it spreads the sounds in your melody around the stereo. Stereo imaging allows you to manipulate different sounds and make them sound like they are being played in different areas; as if they were being played by a live band. Using plugins that pan the sound from left to right is another effect that might be worth trying out.