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What a wicked email; too bad most peeps are at
home for christmas right now...I totally agree with everything in this whole
"lesson"...Who wrote it? ... Gotta say that your song structure can change
depending on the audience; internet only (unsigned) producers tend to skip on
intro and outro substance a bit (I'm a twat for it...Make music for myself above
anyone else)....
Anyway, Merry Christmas fuckers.
-= litchee =-
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, December 25, 2001 1:15
AM
Subject: [dnb-prod] R: How To Make A Drum
N Bass Track
thanx merryxmas
DISCLAIMER: The following article tackles DnB from a
dancefloor perspective. The internet has spawned a strange culture of
producers who have never SEEN a dancefloor yet struggle to make their tracks
sound like the latest Digital release (which is designed for a DJ to use to
get people all hot and sweaty). If your making tracks only for other
producers to download on MP3 or for kids to listen to in their bedrooms, you
have the freedom to do whatever the hell you want. Take it already.
Also, none of the following is meant to be
dogmatic in any way; DnB is always evolving and nothing is set in stone.
Notice I made up terms for the different parts of a track and the
different sonic elements; youre not obligated to use these in your everyday
speech. Take a chill pill if you need one...
HOW TO MAKE A
DRUM N BASS TRACK
By Demon Seed
This article doesnt deal
with the specifics of how to make bass sounds, program breaks, or
purchasing/using gear. There are already a million other sources for
that stuff on the web. This is for those cats who can program a phat
break, know how to work their synth, but when it comes time to lay down 6
minutes of funk, they get stuck.
THE THREE FUNCTIONS OF PRODUCTION
Producing a track involves three basic functions. Put your
heart and soul into every part, focusing your energies on each, so that when
put together, the final product is absolutely mindblowing. Well
actually you don't have to work THAT hard- as long as you know the rule of
Where The Work Goes..
The Rule Of Where The Work Goes
In DnB production, originality and innovation is a prime concern.
However, the law of "Where The Work Goes" lets you chill out a bit and
enjoy using those things that we already know and love. The law is as
follows: Its OK to occasionally use a "standard " element ( a sine wave for
a bass, a basic two step or amen break, etc), as long as you do something
really dope elsewhere to pick up the slack. For example, there are
still people making smooth "intelligent" style tracks using the
"think" break. They can get away with it too. Why?
Well, if you just spent 10+ hours crafting a georgeous symphony of
pads and fx, you can use "funky drummer" for all I care.
That
said, lets check out the different functions that go into producing a track.
A good way to work is to handle each task one by one, in order.
This is just a guideline, of course- even then you'll still find
yourself jumping back and forth a bit from job to job as your work
progresses and you go back and change things.
FUNCTION ONE:
SOUND DESIGN/SAMPLING
Here's where you make or find some kick-ass
sounds. Check out other sources for how to make your soft synth go
baaaarooom or how to compress your drums for punchiness. Some
things to remember though:
Drums: Make sure your kit "works"
together, that the different sounds complement each other.
Bass:
Best to create a new one in your synth or softsynth than to sample one
off your favorite Photek record. DnB heads dig those
oh-so-fresh-and-new bass sounds...
FX: Get alot of these, you'll
need them. Bleeps, noises, wierd swooshes, whatever. Don't sweat
them too much- if it sounds cool, grab it. These arent meant to be the focus
of your track (keep reading).
Sound design is the cornerstone of
great DnB. The more you can learn about how to manipulate sound- how to make
interesting bass noises, how to get that kick to "punch" just right, how to
create twisted sound FX, the better. The best producers (DnB or
otherwise) are obsessive creators, manipulators, and collectors of sound-
they spend hours twisting the shit out of their synths to create new
patches, they hunt used record bins for that old Prince album just to sample
the dope snare on it. Do the same.
FUNCTION TWO: WRITING/PROGRAMMING
Again, check out other sources (like Spinwarp) for how to do this
well. Here's where you build your basic hooks and phrases, using the
pieces you found or made during sound design/sampling.
Some
thoughts:
1. The search for new and creative programming (like
new break patterns) may take you into wierd territory. Dont make
that shit too tweaky unless you want your stuff to be listened to primarily
in the dorms of nerdy college students (yes, Plug rocks).
2.
As always, the best way to learn is to LISTEN. Jock that break
pattern off your favorite track, using different drums. Copy that
bassline off the anthem of the moment, using a different bass sound
and moving the notes around a bit to make it new and unrecognizable.
From the old comes the new.
Now as you start programming, keep
in mind not all the elements of your track are created equal. Each of
your ideas will fall into a different category based on what role it's meant
to play:
HOOKS: These are your main ideas- the heart of your track.
Breaks, basslines, synth lines, percussion patterns, all that dope
shit. Again, originality is generally the key, but keeping in mind
"Where The Work Goes", feel free to lets say, have your bassline be really
simple if you found or synthesized a hot new bass sound that noones ever
used before.
PHRASES: These are minor hooks that "play off" of
your main hooks, providing countermelody and all that other musical
mumbo-jumbo. Examples would be a little 2 note-bassline that plays at
the end of every 8 bars of your main bassline , a little synth or piano
tinkle that appears here and there, whatever. Things like drum fills
(like maybe a 1 bar amen that comes in and out) might fit the bill too.
FX: These are "ambient" (meaning background) sounds- they add
atmosphere, flavor, and mood, but they are not the focus of your track. They
are there to break the monotony, giving the dancers some stimulation for the
brain while the bassline and beat shakes their asses. You dont have to write
patterns or lines for all of these. As a matter of fact, during
arrangement you'll make special effort not to make their pattern too
repetitious or noticable, otherwise it falls into the category of a
hook.
CHANGE-UPS: These are your secret weapons to keep
your track rolling- these aren't sounds, just ideas for cool stuff you can
do to the samples and loops you're already using. Dropping a kick drum out
for a beat, drum shuffling, filtering your bassline in and out (or your
break), doing a sudden flange or other effect on a sample or break,
whatever. Generally it's it's a good idea to wait until after youv'e
already arranged your track to worry about these (do what ya like though).
These categories are FAR from rigid. For example, an FX played
reguarly enough becomes a hook of sorts. If you put a droning bass
note after every 16 bars of your main bassline, is that a phrase or an FX?
Isnt it really just part of a long, 16-bar hook? Who knows and
who cares. The point of all this isn't to obsessively label all your
ideas. Its just about understanding that not every element in your
track is meant to play a starring role. Try to give every element top
billing and youll end up making something that sounds like a '92 rave anthem
(yes, Acen rules).
FUNCTION THREE: ARRANGEMENT.
Now
it's time to fire up your sequencer. Here's where you put everything
together, giving each element in it's proper place loopwise. Your
hooks are just that -HOOKS- mean to be noticed and remembered, so they are
heard (looped) the most. Your phrases play off the main hooks and
accentuate them, but generally take a back seat and so repeat much less.
Your FX are there to add atmosphere- you don't need to make a
recognizable pattern or put much logic or reasoning into their arrangement-
just put-em in prime spots where they sound cool. (you dont even need to
repeat all of them).
A good way to work is to build a
"skeleton" arrangement with your hooks and phrases, getting down the
basic structure. After that you can go in and flesh out the track with
your FX and add variation to your loops with some change-ups.
BASIC DANCEFLOOR DNB STRUCTURE
I'll start by clearing up a
big misconception about producing dance music and dnb in particular.
Im sure you all know about the "breakdown" (where your beat drops out
and the bass kicks in)-- how it comes in the middle part of a track.
WRONG. Well, kind of wrong.
THE BREAKDOWN IS THE NOT THE
MIDDLE OF YOUR TRACK, ITS THE BEGINNING.
You see, there's a
reason why dance music tracks are 5-7 minutes long while most other (less
repetitous) music clocks in like 3 or 4 minutes. Dance music is meant
to be played by DJs for people to DANCE to (see the connection?). The
first minute or so of your track is designed for a DJ to be able to match it
up with another record.- it's just mixing space. Your core audience
won't really hear it except chopped up between another track or fading in
under it. This doesn't mean you have permission to make it weak,
especially since DJs and other producers and of course record labels WILL be
giving a listen. Just know that as far as the dancefloor is concerned,
it's not really the beginning- the beginning comes when the DJ slides the
fader over during the breakdown.
That said, here's a good "template"
for your basic dancefloor DnB track. Obviously you'll find records
that break this mold- as we speak people are already starting to experiment
with shorter tracks and other ways to "build" DnB (trainspotters- reread the
disclaimer, up top). Still, the basic structure below will probably be
around for a while due to it's proven effectiveness. The format is simple:
INTRO, GROOVE, ROLLOUT, RELOAD, OUTRO.
INTRO: Mixing
space. Noone hears this stuff except for record collectors like us;
most DnB heads out for a night of dancing simply wont. You can "tease"
your listener with filtered or otherwise altered versions of your
hooks/phrases, or wow 'em with some clever FX, but don't give away your
favorite ideas in your intro, because it wont to be heard(much). A
good idea is to save this part until sometime after you've built your
groove(below)- you can then decide which ideas to go back and "introduce" or
just go back and orchestrate some wicked FX madness.
GROOVE:
This usually starts with the infamous breakdown, so the crowd can get
all hyped up and brock out when the beats kick back in. This is the
"main part" of your track, and, as mentioned, is the TRUE BEGINNING of it.
You dont have to hold back here- Give 'em a good 64 bars or so of your
main hooks before you take em to the next level...
ROLLOUT.
Heres where your track gets amped up. This is your climax, where
you essentially "raise the stakes". This often takes the form of
harder or more frantic percussion, whether it be adding a hard snare or
adding congas or doubling up on hihats/shakers or adding an amen. You
can also add new hooks/phrases/FX or do some freaky change-ups with ones you
already got. Again, great ideas are as near as your record collection.
RELOAD: Now that you have your dancers screaming for more, do
them a favor and give it to them. This is a kind of
shorter repeat of your groove/rollout-a hybrid combination if you will-
oftentimes starting with another breakdown . It needs to be
slightly different this time around though . You can do this by
introducing new elements, or you can use change-ups to keep it rolling.
OUTRO: Here the track "deconstructs"- things dropping out and
what have you. You know how it goes. This stuff aint meant to be sweated
over- like with the intro, your'e just giving the DJ some beats and
noises so he has time to mix the next record in. Using your intro again or a
little variation of it can work.
Again, a good way to work is from
general to specific. Loop your hooks/phrases and get the framework
done, then spread out your FX and make change-ups where your loops seem too
repetitous. As you arrange you'll probably go back and forth to your
other functions as producer- making/finding new sounds you might need,
reprogramming breaks and lines, etc.
IN A NUTSHELL (CONCLUSION)
Producing is a three part job-
you make and/or choose sounds, you program the different elements, then you
sequence the pieces together (not neccesarily in that order). The heart of
your DnB track is in the middle (which is actually the beginning)- the
groove- full of memorable hooks and supporting phrases that climaxes to a
fullon rollout assault. Then you reload- taking them for the same
ride, but freaking it just a little different.. Sprinkle some FX all
around and add change-ups to your loops to keep it interesting.
Sandwich the whole thing between a sweet little intro/outro so the DJ
can put it in his set. Shake-don't stir, look both ways
before crossing the street, be nice to your mama (or mum). Peace.
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