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Finding Your Sound w/ Shadowstar

 

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Finding Your Sound w/ Shadowstar

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Course Lessons

Course Preview

Less than 1 minute

Finding Your Sound

40 minutes

Kick Drum Fundamentals

17 minutes

The 808 and 909 Kick

13 minutes

How to Process your Kick

19 minutes

Using Templates

21 minutes

About This Course

Mixmasters Production coach ShadowStar shares his strategies on how to develop your own unique sound in Ableton Live. In this course, he focuses on breaking down the fundamentals of a kick. By focusing on one sound and how to study it, you can apply these skills to any sound you want to create.

Building awareness and practicing active listening as a musician helps you recognise subtleties in music and what you like about it. No matter what stage you’re in, these fundamental practices and skills will drastically expedite the process of discovering your own unique sound.

You will learn how to:

  • Identify core kits and samples used for specific genres. 
  • Find your sound through active listening. 
  • Build your own unique sample library. 
  • Reduce, reuse and recycle sounds. 
  • Design and shape samples through sound design.  
  • Use audio and MIDI racks. 
  • Use session view. 
  • Work with templates.

Lessons: 

1. Finding Your Sound

Dylan goes over what he will be covering in this webinar. He takes a more philosophical angle in explaining how to connect with your sound and overcome any fears or anxieties you might have when starting off.  He discusses using a technique of active listening, where you focus on one sound and how to study it. Once you understand the characteristics of the sound and how to achieve them, you’ll be able to adapt it for use in your own music.

2. Kick Drum Fundamentals

In a short exercise, Dylan shows you how to identify the difference between an 808 and 909 kick. He also shows you how to design and shape a kick sample depending on the context of its use.

3. The 808 and 909 Kick

Dylan delves further into this exercise to help you answer the question: What is happening in this sound? He plays through a range of different kick samples to identify and understand the characteristics of each sound.

4. How to Process your Kick

From the big and boomy kicks in Techno, to the short and punchy kicks in Tech-House, Dylan breaks down the waveform of a kick into frequencies and transients to help you understand the sound.

5. Using Templates

Using templates is a great way to ensure everything you need to work is set up and ready to go beforehand, so that you can focus when you need to. Dylan covers using a project template, audio/MIDI racks, as well as master chain templates.

Q&A

  • Does side-chaining make a big difference to the bass and kick?

Meet Your Teacher

ShadowStar

Born and raised in Austin, TX  Producer/DJ ShadowStar weaves dreamy melodies of deep house and shamanic like entrancing rhythms in his soundscapes with contemporary performances in central Texas. Living in the live music capital of the world influenced him greatly with a diverse and often southern style that reflects in his music today. 

One side of his music complements the emotive aspect of the Progressive House genre and yet the simple ethereal melodic elements will take you on a halcyon sojourn no matter when or where you are in the day. While the other side will take you into a psychedelic trance with the versatile bass grooves of Deep Techno infused with UK Garage influence.

Discussions

Dream of finally finishing that draft or launching that side-hustle? Make your next creative project your best yet, with simple steps from creative superstar Emma Gannon!

Discussions

Dream of finally finishing that draft or launching that side-hustle? Make your next creative project your best yet, with simple steps from creative superstar Emma Gannon!

About This Class 

Dream of finally finishing that draft or launching that side-hustle? Make your next creative project your best yet, with simple steps from creative superstar Emma Gannon!

In this new class, Emma shares the framework that allowed her to overcome self-doubt and carve her own path as an author, broadcaster, and podcast host. The secret to her success? Fed up with feeling afraid—of failure, of not being good enough, even of success—Emma dug into the science behind self-sabotage and learned exactly how to get out of her own way.

Now, Emma is sharing what she’s learned so that you can do the same: unlock your creative potential while feeling energized and empowered! 

Together with Emma, you will:

  • Identify the patterns in your life, and let go of habits that don’t serve you
  • Cut out comparison to figure out what you really want and need
  • Silence your inner critic by talking back to negative beliefs and behaviors
  • Own your success and vulnerability—both go hand-in-hand with creativity

Packed with insights and examples from Emma’s personal journey, this class is designed for every creative who needs a pep-talk or extra push to get started—and includes five exclusive downloadable worksheets to support you along the way.

Whether you’re looking to break through block, remove self-imposed pressure, or simply approach each new project with intention, this 45-minute class will unlock your confidence as a creative. Get started and celebrate taking the first step!

______________________________

All you need to follow along is a pen and paper. Download the worksheets to follow along with Emma’s exercises, or jot your thoughts in a notebook.

Resources

  • Introduction
  • Week one

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