My autos never smell in the vegetation stage but photoperiod always does. I grew Gelato OG, Moby ****, Wedding Cake, and Strawberry Cheesecake, all were autos without smell. How do you explain that?
My last grow was a Gelat OG Auto. She grew like a monster(almost 700gr/wet in a closet).
I highly recommend using loamy soil. It has good water retention and drainage. There are a lot of brands so you can search for the one that fits you.
In general, loamy soils are a little expensive.