About This Course

Looking at exporting stems for other producers to remix, Saytek demonstrates the importance of organisation, volume levels and labelling when it comes to the export. 

He then begins a remix of his own track, looking at various production techniques and working with only Ableton stock plugins. 

You will learn: 

• Exporting stems 
• Re-sampling with Simpler
• Tweaking remix parts
• Recording into arrangement view
• Slicing to MIDI 
• Creating pads
• Creating risers & fx
• Working with a vocal
• Sampling background noise

Lessons:

1. Introduction

Saytek provides remix parts in loop format. He explains the two key points to take away from this course: 

1. To create good sound quality remixing parts
2. How to approach a remix

He explains how to do this and organise your project for export. 

2. Exporting

Saytek demonstrates how to export stems, while explaining the do’s and the don'ts. For example He explains why stems for a remix should not have automation on them unless completely necessary for the sound itself. 

3. Checking Your Stems 

Once exported, Saytek explains the importance to label every track fully and put them in an order that makes sense. Saytek experiments with the loop to add some variations to it. 

4. Re-Sampling with Simpler 

Resample remix elements to make them unique and your own. Saytek shows the benefits of being experimental to spark new ideas. He demonstrates this with instruments like Ableton’s Simpler and more. 

5. Working the Remix Parts 

Continuing from the lesson prior, Saytek dives into the remix and starts applying some live automation to the parts, low-pass filters and more effects.

6. Recording into Arrangement View

Saytek begins recording the intro from session view into arrangement view, creating glitch effects to keep the session interesting. 

7. Slicing to MIDI & Live Arrangement 

Saytek demonstrates the benefits on how slicing audio to MIDI can create interesting clips to play around with. He then shows us how he goes about his live arrangements and the benefits in doing so.

8. Working the Pads 

Sayek shows his process of building  tracks with the use of pads. He explains the pad can be the subtle driving force behind the track, here, Saytek shows us how he would work a pad using filter automation and other effects. 

9. Adding Original Sounds to the Remix 

Usually in a remix Saytek states he wouldn't use that much original material, however for this lesson he creates some synth elements of his own, using Analog, to incorporate in the remix. He goes over a music theory hack to keep your MIDI roll in scale. 

10. Background Noise

Saytek explains the importance of background noise and shows us how to be creative with sampling to create and fill in the emptiness of our tracks. For his example, he uses a sample from a James Brown interview; Saytek uses a noise section from the sample to fill up space in the mix. 

10. The Vocal

Saytek shows us some of his tips and techniques when looking at ways to make the vocal more exciting by adding stutter, delay and reverb effects. He explains the importance of detail and how these skills help keep the track more interesting.

12. Risers & Effects 

Saytek creates a white noise riser using Ableton’s Analog, he goes through all the production stages before the mixdown part to get this track complete. 

13. Live Q&A Part 1

Saytek answers questions on changes of minor intervals, sidechaining, mixing bass in mono and more. 

• Can we remix this track?
• Do you supply each stem channel? Does It come with the processing?
• What does Warp Mode do? What is the best way to use it?
• How much of the original should you use for a remix?
• Do you have any tips on working with stems?
• What is the process of exporting midi ? If you are exporting into individual audio channels, how does the remixer access the midi?

14. Live Q&A Part 2

Saytek answers questions on changes of minor intervals, sidechaining, mixing bass in mono and more. 

• How many minor variants do you usually do per element?
• Do you side chain the bass on the kick?
• Where you’ve added the variations on the kick, do you ever change the pitch?
• Do you mix kick and basslines in mono?
• At what point do you start panning separate elements
• Any good Carl Cox stories?
• What is your suggestion when you may have one or more synths clashing and fighting for frequencies?
• How do you Approach Arrangements?
• Do you use many VST plugins?

15. Live Q&A Part 3

Answering questions on getting tracks to move, where to find vocals and adding risers & effects (transitional effects). 

• I see you use autofilter a lot from modulation, Is this common practice for you? 
• I only changed the snare, vocal and other elements of the track. Is that still considered a remix?
• Are you going to use transitional effects such as risers etc.,?
• What tips do you have when tuning the kick?
• What are the differences between the utility and auto filter when automating the volume of tracks?
• Apart from the auto filter what other plugins do you like to use for modulation? Which one is your favourite?
• If you remix a track but don’t get the vocal cleared can you still play it in the club?

16. Live Q&A Part 4

• What suggestion would you give to find interesting vocal samples?
• How long does the mixdown process take?
• What are your thoughts on the quality of youtube samples?
• How do you know when a track is done without overdoing it?
• How do you deal with writer's/process block?