Oct 10 (edited) • General discussion
How do you make something sound lived-in or worn-in?
Think of a lived-in, worn-in, nice shirt: it feels like home.
A lived-in sound is like an indie, folk acoustic guitar that sounds intimate and worn-in, which may sound like albums like: D'angelo, Bon Iver, Big Thief, Mk. Gee
======== THE PROBLEM ==========
Sometimes I really like samples that are polished, pop, well-mixed, pristine and played perfectly – but it doesn't feel "lived-in" (these are typically samples you get from Splice). It feels soulless.
I've tried saturation, aux room ambience, Sketch cassette plugin, lofi plug-ins.
It still sounds like a polished pop sample, like a $200 shirt you bought, but doesn't feel like you wear it often, so it doesn't feel like you or your style, so it just ends up feeling like you're compensating.
======== EXAMPLES ==========
  1. Bad Bunny, surprisingly is good at this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4X4uckVyk9o
The whole record sounds like the typical polished pop music that's well produced, but at 3:26, the latin percussion and choir, feels so lived-in, and it feels like you're there celebrating with them: it feels like the song is not just some catchy, soulless tune, but a song that has heart; a song that people have actually lived in and lived through.
2. Another example is in fashion. When you wear a nice outfit, that's tailored, polished – but it still somehow feels "lived-in" and "worn-in".
======== THE QUESTION ==========
How do you get a sound or a sample to sound lived-in or worn-in?
If most of production and mixing, is really about sound selection – then is it just about the recording itself? Or is there anything you can do to enhance it?
I really like some indie sounds, and I really like some pop sounds – but combining them together doesn't seem to gel.
Any advice?
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16 comments
Luca A
2
How do you make something sound lived-in or worn-in?
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