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Kick and Bassline Pro Tips w/ Dexter Kane

Kick and Bassline Pro Tips w/ Dexter Kane

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Course Lessons

Course Preview

Finding a good kick

Writing a bassline

Glue Compression

Break out of the 4/4 pattern

Live Q & A

Q & A

About This Course

A lesson all about kick and bass. Known for his swinging drums and groovy basslines, Dexter dives into finding kick drums, drum samples, writing basslines and processing them all together. 

You will learn:

  • Track Delay
  • Sample selection
  • Finding the key
  • Processing a kick drum
  • Writing a bassline
  • Processing a bassline
  • Compression & Sidechaining

Lessons: 

1. Finding a Good Kick

Dexter talks about finding the right samples for your tracks, start by figuring out the key of your track first, then hunt for samples in that key. He mentions using Splice, the online sample platform that puts samples in key

2. Writing a Bassline 

Using Roland’s SH-101 plugin, Dexter starts to write a bassline over the drums and talks about the article on resident advisor, where he learnt all his kick and bass tips: https://www.residentadvisor.net/features/1211

3. Glue Compression

A glue compressor works  to tighten up instruments or to glue elements together in a mix, as opposed to compressing individual tracks.

4. Break Out Of The 4/4 Pattern

You can liven a track up by creating skips and not sticking to the same famous dance music pattern.

5. Live Q&A

Dexter talks about compression, sidechaining, keeping your kick and bass on the root note and more.

 

Meet Your Teacher

Dexter Kane

DJ, producer, engineer, vinyl enthusiast, synth collector; there are many strings to Dexter's bow. Forged in the fires of the thriving London party scene, this latest endeavour from Ed Kane draws from many years' experience in the studio and behind the decks. Whilst being influenced by a wide range of genres, Dexter's music remains unique. Although you may not be able to pigeonhole him, you'll almost definitely be able to recognise his distinct sound. Often deep; sometimes dark; distinctly analogue; ever maintaining a groove lead, dance-floor aesthetic.

Dexter has signed tracks to the likes of Memoria, Get Physical, hedZup, Highgrade, Murmur and Fear of Flying, as well as being responsible for a solid stream of releases on his own label Shadow Sanctuary. A-list support has been frequent and gig requests have come from far afield. While his style lies rooted in London's clandestine basements and after-hours scene, Dexter is an astute and versatile DJ, capitalising on years of experience to read any manner of discerning dancefloor.

At the beginning of 2017 Dexter started Alternate facts alongside kindred spirit Thoma Bulwer. After throwing a string of illegal parties across The Capital, they now find themselves running regular events at the legendary The Lion and Lamb and managing a burgeoning vinyl only label.

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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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From 0-10,000 Followers on Instagram w/ Rebecca Smart BakkenIn this course you will learn the importance of your first thousand followers and how to convert them into lifelong superfans. Rebecca shows us how to sell products to our fans, whilst giving lots of value to keep them coming back. If you’re struggling for Instagram followers, you will learn what you need to do in order to grow your numbers and find your fans authentically. You will learn how to: Use the Landing Page to attract new followers and engage them Plan and create new content through social media Network to build your fanbase Lessons: 1. Introduction This course’s goal is to: Give out a clear roadmap of how to grow your instagram from scratch with real and loyal fans (not just followers). This is aimed towards musicians of all genres. You must make the investment towards creating more content. Build a fanbase & community around your music 2. Landing Page Instagram bio, profile picture, link, story highlights. The landing page is key to attract new followers and engage them. The landing page on your instagram is vital Your username is a part of your digital instagram stamp and online identity Your profile picture needs to represent you and your brand Pictures with humans tend to work better Use a background that enhances you Use a music prop Write a direct and interesting bio The bio link is one of very few exit’s out of instargam before 10k Use linktree.com - its free Design story covers with canva.com 3. Content Consistency is key on social media. If someone hits subscribe they want updates for you, it keeps you relevant and accessible. Quality over Quantity. For a musician account, Rebecca recommends 1 feed post a day. Create content categories, share content series - video series. Create a plan and use creator studio or pre-publishing software (Buffer, Later) Use the 80/20 rule: 20% promotional and to drive sales, 80% educational, informational, inspirational, personal interests. Create Categories- Example of weekly feed content: Music Process - 2 posts Personality - 2 posts Identity - 1-2 posts Sales/Promotion - 1 post Viral Content - 1-2 posts 4. Network You wont get anywhere without networking, building authentic online relationships is more important now than ever. You need to surround yourself with like-minded people who can help push you that bit further and open doors for you. This can be done by: Using the ones that follow you now: Network with strategic people Using Content Using IG Live
How to get 1000s of real fans, streams and listeners on Spotify w/ John GoldJohn Gold is the CEO & Founder of Hypeddit. Chapter 1: Introduction John introduces the way to gain 1000s of Spotify fans, that worked for him. He is a music artist, family man and CEO of Hypeddit.com. He states the ultimate key to success is having real fans. They are the equivalent of a business having customers. Chapter 2: 6 Mistakes to avoid Forgetting about fans Fans give you money, marketing, power & influence. They are what customers are to a traditional business. You need fans to have a successful music career. People who stream your music can either send positive or negative signals to Spotify algorithms. Real fans will always send positive signals. Believing that you need to make mainstream music to have success Any genre can work! Just doing what everyone else does (playlists) Dont become dependant on playlist curators, it can often lead to fake results and risk your profile. The wrong playlists can hurt your chances of cracking Spotify’s algorithm. Wasting time and energy on social media Free social media traffic is great in theory, but: You have to create and post content all the time It takes weeks or months to see results Results are not guaranteed Hiring an expert to do it for you Nobody understands your music and your fans better than you. Nobody can connect with your fans better than you. You wont understand the process this way Underestimating yourself, and getting stuck Through learning curves and education, you can get the hang of the system and see what works best for you. Chapter 3: Facebook ads You need fan traffic to grow your following. The different types of traffic are: Social Ads Referral Search You can research your favourite artists fans and get them to notice you by running ads tailored to suit your favorite artists demographic. Chapter 4: Automated spotify growth machine The goal is to build an automatic fan machine that automatically grows our Spotify presence even when we sleep. Don’t point ad traffic directly to spotify, this can result in low quality fans hurting your Spotify algorithm. Send your fan traffic to a link page, this link page can then link to your Spotify and other platforms. Chapter 5: Recap Q/A How long does the growth engine take? When can an artist start growing their audience? What is the Spotify growth engine?
A Journey Through Rekordbox 6 w/ Sam Shepherd Business developer for Pioneer DJ, Sam Sheperd talks about the new Rekordbox 6/6.2, with a focus on the new cloud control control that could change the way DJ sets are done. Cloud control lets you sync your Rekordbox library across multiple devices, allowing you to update your set when you are on the go. Chapter 1: Introduction You can download Rekordbox here for free. Chapter 2: Organising Rekordbox There are 4 modes in which you can use Rekordbox: Export Performance Lighting Edit Sam explains the different modes and shares tips on how to organise your library, looking at ways to import tracks, create playlists and exporting methods. Chapter 3: Rekordbox 6 The updates in the new Rekordbox 6: Auto Re-Locate - Once you move a folder on your computer, Rekordbox 5 would have trouble accessing the file. With Rekordbox 6, an auto-locate feature has been added that will scan your entire computer for the correct file. (Preferences -> Advanced -> Database) New Waveform Display - Pioneer introduced a 3 band visual waveform. Blue represents sub-frequencies. White represents high frequencies. Orange represents mid frequencies. This matches most DJ mixers with 3 band EQs. Light Mode - A white display background that works well for sunny areas, you can now alternate between dark and light mode. Collaborations with streaming services - Rekordbox 6 now integrates with Inflye and other promotional and streaming services. Chapter 4: The Cloud The cloud feature works in conjunction with your Dropbox folder. This makes working on the move and without your personal laptop or external hard drive an easy task. Sam discusses the various plans you can get on Rekordbox. Via Airserver, you can replicate Rekordbox on your phone. Allowing you to play tracks, add Hot Cues, mix, loop audio and update your Rekordbox playlists from anywhere in the world. Chapter 5: CDJ Integration Sam plugs in his iPhone to the CDJ 3000s, which can then access your Rekordbox library and play music using your phone as the source. Chapter 6: Edit Mode With Edit mode, you can cut and paste certain parts of the track, with a region select for beats, you can clone parts of the track or take them out to make it more of your version of the track. You can save loops from tracks and put them in your palette. Q/A What formats are available with edit mode? Will Rekordbox work with DJS 1000? Will clubs need fast WiFi to use this function? Can you record your set directly to the cloud as well? Is the app only iOS or is it only Android? Does the CDJ 3000 have wifi? When will google drive or other services come? Does the Inflyte option come automatically? What about using Beatport link in export mode?
From digging to dancefloor using beatport link w/ Laren AgiusThe product manager for Beatport, Laren gives us a walkthrough on Beatport link, from how to dig music on this store to preparing playlists for performances. Beatport link is a dedicated DJ streaming platform, with access to millions of tracks directly in DJ performance software or hardware. It’s designed to be your music partner throughout our DJ career. Chapter 1: Introduction Laren is the product manager for Beatport. In this course he is going to discuss the benefits of Beaptort link: A dedicated DJ streaming platform Access to millions of tracks directly in DJ performance software or hardware Unlimited cross-platform playlists High Qualtiy audio streaming Access to expoertly curated playlists to help you discover new music Designer to be your music partner throughout your DJ career. Chapter 2: Beatport Playlists Once you have a LINK subscription, Beatport will give you the same experience we are all used to, but allowing full track playback. You can start creating LINK playlists while shopping on beatport. Chapter 3: Importing tracks from Spotify You can import tracks from Spotify, allowing you to build your LINK playlists from multiple streaming sources. Chapter 4: Curated Playlists Beatport LINK introduced curated playlists to help you discover new music. Split up into genres with some of the biggest artists adding playlists continuously. Q/A How do you encrypt the tracks to avoid file sharing and ensure artists are being paid? How is the rekordbox integration? Will Beatport LINK be available on phones? Chapter 5: Rekordbox Beatsource now integrated with Rekordbox, with it it displays curated playlists that are genre based. Beatport LINK will update your Rekordbox playlists constantly as soon as they are in your beatport playlists. Are you looking for beta testers?
Get Paid for your music in TV, Film & Games w/ Darren StoneDarren is a musician, television composer, and producer. Garnering over 60M views on songs he’s written for Disney, achieved No1 childrens amazon bestseller and is involved in gaming, documentary and TV. In this class he looks at building various revenue streams in the media. You will learn: Building a business around producing music Various streams of income Sync rights Music licensing Distribution services Where to put your music for TV, film & games Chapter 1: Introduction Building a business around producing music. Obtaining various sources of income via sync deals, music licensing for TV, film and games can build your artist profile significantly. How much do you need to stream on Spotify to earn the living wage? 3000+ streams an hour. Chapter 2: Distribution Services Self distribution services include sites like Tunecore, CD Baby, Distrokid & Ditto. They allow you to pay a set fee per track and puts the music across all streaming and purchasing platforms. Darren breaks down the pros and cons for each various distribution service, and looks at Songtrust.com that can help with licensing and tracking mechanical and performance rights. He then breaks down the advantages of TikTok and how you can use this service to generate income, and discusses the app Zebr which links music to influencers. Chapter 3: Music Licensing Over the last few years, the number of music licensing companies has increased significantly, allowing producers to take advantage of this. Darren breaks down the difference between exclusive and non-exclusive agreements. A sync right basically means a company or individual will pay you a blanket fee to use your music to synchronise with their adverts or video. Sites that can host royalty free music licenses: Audiojungle.net Songtradr.com Pond 5 Production music libraries Q/A Is it advisable to use PRS and songtrust? When is it worth signing PRS pro?
The Art of Remixing w/ David MoralesDoing a remix of ‘God Made Me Funky’, inspired from a DJ Spen remix of the same track, house music legend David Morales shows us his project file in Ableton and what he did to achieve his remix. Working with session musicians Arrangement styles The Rhythm section Mixdown tools Levelling Chapter 1: Introduction Looking at arrangement practices tailored to a DJ, David breaks down his arrangement process and touches on reference tracks to help shape your version. Chapter 2: The Rhythm Section Looking at the drums and groove, then to the bass and pads, and finally the ‘colours’ of the track (chords, effects etc). He then opens up another interpretation of the track he made as a version 2. Q/A How much of the original track do you actually use? What keys/organs did you use in this track? How many versions did you do of this remix? When working on other music, do you switch projects or work on one thing at a time? What synths do you use? What plugins do you use? David recommends the OneKnob series, and discusses his favourite Arturia, Korg, Native Instruments Kontakt 5, Chromaphone, String Studio, and a range of Ableton stock plug-ins He states that the most important mixdown tool are volume/gain levels, and referencing well mixed records.
Track Deconstruction 'Who Sez' w/ HuxleyLooking at his ‘Who Sez’ track released via Toolroom records, the aim was to create an upbeat piano house style track, Huxley shows us the process behind making it. You will learn: Creating house-style pianos Using Sausage Fattener by Dada Life ‘ Writing & processing drums Writing basslines Sourcing & processing vocals Mixdown tips Chapter 1: Introduction Huxley explains that he wanted to make a piano style track in his own way. During lockdown he felt more free when it comes to creating different styles of music. He uses Kontakt for his piano samples, Little Plate for reverbs and Sausage Fattener by Dada Life for saturation. Chapter 2: The Drums To shape his kick, Huxley uses Transient Master, SSL Channel Strip and Logic’s EQ and saturator. He answers a question on mixing pianos and bass. Chapter 3: The Bass Using the DX7 plug-in, one of Huxley’s favourites for bass. Chapter 4: The Vocals Using a sample downloaded from Splice. Huxley found a repetitive vocal that fit the track well. He uses EQ, Sausage Fattener, FF Pro-L, Echoboy & Little Plate on the channel strip effects. Chapter 5: The melody Using Omnisphere to write out an additional melody, this is one of Huxleys favourite parts of the track. Q/A Do you ever record and use Found Sounds? What instrument marks the key of the track? How long did it take to create the track? Can you tell us about your bussing and summing process? Huxley uses Magic AB to reference with another track What are some of the tracks that influence you? How did you get your first track signed? How do you know when a track is done? A special introduction to David Morales.
The Secret to Facebook & Instagram Ads Success for Artists w/ Danny Savage Facebook and instagram ads can benefit your artist page, by tapping into potential fans from all over the globe. There are 1.5 Billion users on FB & IG daily, spending a bit on marketing to these people can get you noticed and out there quicker than doing it organically. You will learn: Why facebook ads are so powerful How to set up a business manager account How to research your audience How to build an audience Running ads from start to finish Campaign Budget Optimisation (CBO) Chapter 1: Why are FB & IG ads so powerful for artists? Organic engagement takes a lot of work 1.5 Billion daily users on FB & Instagram Precision targeting your ideal audience Learning how to run your own ads is one of the most valuable skills you can acquire. Retarget people who engage or visit your website Create lookalike audiences with the data you already have Campaign Budget Optimization has changed the game and made it easier to run ads Why Now? The sooner you get on ads the cheaper they will be Testing takes time Organic engagement is getting lower & lower (4% of your audience sees your fb post) More people are online now due to covid Business are spending less due to Covid Chapter 2: Business Manager Set up a facebook business manager account here: business.facebook.com/overview Lesson 1: The Pixel Copy your unique ID or code Insert it into your website header or tracking dashboard If you use Wordpress, use a pixel plugin Add this chrome extension: Facebook pixel helper Chapter 3: Custom Conversions What goal do you want to achieve? Custom conversions will align your marketing to your goals Are your ads achieving your goal? Sales/Downloads/Engagement Are you getting ROI? Chapter 4: Audience Research The number one thing for targeting ads is: Research & Planning Use Google sheets to plan your audiences Use Audience Insight Tools to find the audiences to test The bigger your audience, the better CBO works. The key to Facebook ad success is to TEST! Chapter 5: Custom Audiences Build your own audiences through people who have interacted with your page before. Upload your email database Build video engagement audiences Facebook engagement audiences Instagram engagement audiences Chapter 6: Campaign Budget Optimisation (CBO) CBO is Facebook's AI machine learning tool. It manages your budget and spends it for you, constantly optimises your ads to get you the best ROI and is 1000 times more intelligent than you! Chapter 7: Basic Ad Setup The three stages of ads: Campaign - Conversion objectives, name, budget Ad set - Audiences, where, demographics Ads - Running the advert
10 Tools for DJ Success in 2021 w/ Dan Stephenson Dan is a tech entrepreneur, business coach, consultant, community builder, event producer, radio station owner, international DJ. He is a UK DMC finalist, itch FM resident, HHBITD crew member and founded Digital Growth, Influencer Swap and Vibesolate FM, whos clients include Universal Music Group, Sony * Daily Motion Chapter 1: Introduction Dan started Vibesolate FM as a passion project during lockdown 2020. It has now grown into a global brand recognised by thousands of listeners. Chapter 2: Tools for DJ success - Part 1 Tidal - Tidal and serato allow you to play and mix 60 million tracks in high-fidelity audio. Along with curated playlists, you can easily link this to Serato for DJing. Beatsource - Similar to tidal, Beatsources provides the global open-format DJ community wih access to a suite of products tailored to your needs. In 21, Beatsource will develop it’s highly digital music store, streaming service for leading DJ hardware and software providers through LINK technology. Mixmasters - Helping DJs and producers make better music and learn about the industry. Hypeddit - Lets you grow your audience and get more real fans for your music. Canva - Can help design work for an array of uses. Chapter 3: Tools for DJ success - Part 2 Restream - Restream allows you to broadcast live video to 30+ social networks at the same time. Viper.ai - Create giveaways to engage your audience. Run a loyalty reward program for your brand, competitions and giveaways. Paid Ads - The power of Facebook, Instagram and Youtube ads. Community - Build/be a part of a community, join one, learn from others, collaborate and stay focussed. Radio - Gaining radio experience can help you get better as a DJ, expand your network and keep you accountable. Q/A What tools do you need to carry out streams like Cercle? Can we know the name of the gimbal unite? HO-HEM Do you use tunein for radio? Whats the main platform you use besides streaming sites?
Mindset and Attitude Strategies for Artists w/ Brian DubbFounder of Centralized management and an amazing career under his belt, working with artists like AC/DC and Imogen Heap, Brian Dubb shares his most valuable industry insights. Focussing on ways to get your creation process organised and a structured way of undertaking this career. Chapter 1: Introduction Brian talks about his past, how he grew up in South Africa and was exposed to limited music from Soweto. Chapter 2: Attitude & Mindset The things you need to be a performing artist: A live set that rocks the dancefloor every single time A produced track that's being shared outside of your personal bubble Overnight success really does take 10 years. Turn up every day to practice your craft Communication is the key. Q/A Is there a difference between having a signature sound and intentionally having different themes for singles/albums? What do you think about releasing songs through established labels or setting up your own. How can I convince old-school artists to start selling merch online? There’s other ways to make money, look at the gaming market. Do you think it would be good to release a remix with a label and then focus on sticking with them for the long run? Could you recommend music conferences for us to attend? What would you recommend for artists to do over lockdown? Do you have any tips on approaching games companies for music? Can you tell us about centralized? If i play several genres should i try to narrow it down?
How to Harness Social Media and Marketing to Grow Your Career w/ Luke MendozaOne of the co-founders of Beatchain, a platform that brings all the essential tasks of building a music career into one place. He gives an in-depth explanation on how this platform works and how it can benefit artists. Chapter 1: Introduction Beatchain was founded to bring all essential tasks of building a music career into one place. From distribution to social media to marketing campaigns, they provide the tools and structure to build and engage fanbases, giving talented artists a clearer path to success. Luke breaks down the various package offers and explains in detail the benefits of using Beatchain. What the features the offer are: Create - Providing creators with the tools to build a brand their fans want to share. Music distribution - Free distribution to all major DSPs, with indepth streaming analytic, 90/10 royalty split Instant Websites - Beautiful websites built in seconds, providing a central hub to amplify your brand. Media library - Free, cloud based media editor to keep content slick with graphics, filters and text overlays. Hyperlinks - Branded sharing links to all available streaming sites and digital stores Spotify pre saves - Pre release tools help make a bigger splash on release day, getting music straight to fans playlists as soon as it goes live. Digital marketing - without the marketer, build nurture and sell to audiences on IG & FB. Launchpad - Social media scheduler to plan campaigns and keep fans engaged with a steady stream of content Mailing lists - Market new releases, shows and more to the most engaged fans. Royalty wallet Merch (in development) Chapter 2: Beatchain Interface Looking at the dashboard on Beatchain for an artist, Luke discusses rights in terms of publishing, exclusivity, licensing deals and more. END Q/A Is this service tailored for visual creators or mainly aimed at music producers? If I have an account with distrokid, what happens to the music released by them? What does DSP, UPC mean? Is there a handbook explaining these? Is it really as easy as release music and use Beatchain to do everything else? Can you use existing website instead of the builder? What happens to existing youtube/soundcloud platforms? Is Beatport added to the hyperlink section? How is the lookalike audience created?
Become a Music Making Machine w/ Will DarlingWill Darling gives a talk on regularly writing and finishing music quicker than before. He is a grammy shortlisted producer, mix/master engineer, coach, speaker and founder of ‘EDM Tips’. In this video he talks about finishing more music than ever before, improve in the quickest way and developing your own signature sound. You will learn: How to finish more music than ever before Improve in the quickest way Develop your own signature sound Mix quickly and effectively Mindset Schedule Workflow Sound selection Mixing Mastering Chapter 1: Introduction Producer, mixing mastering engineer, coach and speaker. Wills goal today is by the end of this session you're going to know some of the most powerful techniques hes picked up and honed over the years to: Finish more music than ever before Improve in the quickest way Develop your own signature sound Mix quickly and effectively Chapter 2: Producer Mindsets You are a music producer, stop wanting to be it. Internalise it. Be it. Be a student of music - listen to different types of music, but focus on one. Always keep learning Accept today responsibility - no excuses Act.. despite how you feel Be a finisher, not a dabbler Be persistent and consistent Make decisions fast Dont reinvent the wheel Use sample banks and presets You don’t fail. You learn Be bold, be humble, give value Chapter 3: Recommended Kit Computer - As powerful as you can afford DAW - All do the same thing Decent paid of headphones and/or monitors Optional: Audio Interface Plugins Decent 3rd party synth - Serum, Spire, Sylenth1 Decent saturator: Soundtoys Decapitator, Fabfilter Saturn2 , Sonnox Inflator, House of Kush Omega Decent Limiter: Fab Filter Pro L2 or iZotope Ozone Optional: Decent Reverb: Valhalla Room Chapter 4: How to produce prolifically Split into 3 main stages: Music production - creativity, songwriting, sound design, arrangement Mixing - Focus on making the song sound great by balancing the dynamics, frequencies and stereo image of the separate tracks Mastering - Focus on polishing an already great track and increasing the loudness Flow - Is your hallowed state, this is where you want to be. Create your time blocks for your production time. Create inspirational playlists: They are a perfect inspiration if you get writers block Combining 2 different sounds for originality Chapter 5: The importance of referencing Referencing is one of the most important skills you can learn in music production Not using a reference track is like trying to navigate with no map. Recreate sounds to learn techniques, reverse engineer Inspiration - arrangement and sound design Chapter 6: Sound Selection over Sound Design Sound selection is vital to your process, it beats sound design and when you have selected sounds that work well together, your workflow becomes easier. Chapter 7: Music Theory Hacks Music theory is a force multiplier skill to learn. It’s not rocket science, but a few hours learning it will put you leagues ahead. You can also hack music theory, using MIDI banks like Unison or Niko’s MIDI packs Use Hook Theory Google tracks in other genres, use the chords and put them in your own track Create a favourites folder: Favourite tracks Favorite samples Favourite effect chains Chapter 8: Using Splice & LoopCloud The ultimate home for samples, presets and MIDI files. Splice & Loopcloud are 2 of the biggest sample stores out there. Chapter 9: Arrangement Getting your loop into a full track.
How to Make Remixes & Bootlegs w/ MajesticMajestic is a renowned house producer, garage MC and resident Kiss FM DJ. Working on Becky Hills latest single ‘Space’, Majestic shows us his approach to doing an official remix, working in Ableton Live. Chapter 1: Warping and finding the key Looking at Becky Hills new single ‘Space’. Majestic shows us how to find the BPM of the track he will be remixing. Chapter 2: Vocal Chops Slicing vocals to a new MIDI track can help you create interesting chops from the initial sample. Chapter 3: Structure & Arrangement Arranging the introduction using the current loop made, with automation processes on the Auto Filter. Chapter 4: Basslines & Melody Writing a bass pattern using NI Massive played live by Majestic, as well as a classic house piano from the Korg M1. Chapter 5: Samples Using Splice to source samples in key for the remix, the icing on the cake. Majestic uses the Toolroom Trademark Series by Mark Knight END Q/A Majestic talks about the benefits of making a bootleg. You’ll get heard by many more fans than releasing an original, due to the hype of the original. He recommends using Hypeddit as a download gate.
Live Q&A w/ Marshall JeffersonOne of the forefathers of house music, Marshall Jefferson is a name familiar to most in the industry. His timeless tracks have helped shaped house music today. In an intimate Q/A session, Marshall speaks about his beginnings and career defining moments he has had along the way. How did it all start for you? Marshall was originally into rock and roll, he got into club music through DJing. Who are the artists that inspired you to get going? Jesse Saunders and Vince Lauen, without them Marshall would still be working at the post office. He wasnt even thinking about making music until he heard Jesse Saunders On & On, which fueled the start of the Chicago house scene Whos inspired you over the recent years? Nobody. What tips would you give for people starting music production? What tools do you use to improve workflow? Any instrument can sound good, its about how you use it. Marshall pictures the whole finished track before he sits down to start it. Do you coach talent or upcoming artists? Whats your creative process? Marshall stares at the ceiling and music pops into his head. What will get you back into DJing? Money. Marshall does not want to travel around for $2k a show. How do you think the fee inflation in the scene will go? Will the costs for top djs reduce? How can the issue of inclusivity and stereotypes be addressed in dance music? Was Mushrooms based on a real story? What keyboard did you use on move your body? Roland JX8P, Prophet 2000, Roland 707 Drum Machine. How would you treat your basslines? Marshall never compresses his bass, slight eq tweaks but the key is sound selection and design. If you started your career again today, what would you do differently? He probably wouldn't start at all, because back then he could clearly see how much money he would make from music. Nowadays, its hard to see how the money will be made. Most people don’t care about making money but it is an important factor to be profitable. What is your best memory when you look back at your music journey? One of his best gigs was at Rock City, he talks about his UK tour with Frankie Knuckles (the first house music tour), Tribal Gathering, and seeing Carl Cox there. For an artist thats getting professional, should it be with a booking agency?I Its mainly about promoting yourself and getting yourself out there. If theres one production tip you can give what would it be? If it sounds good, do it. Marshall once put 47 reverbs on a track once and panned them differently, it depends what the feeling is. Have you ever considered moving your music down the film genre? Hes always wanted to, but finds it very hard to get his into that industry. What else are you passionate about? TV shows and movies, Queens Gambit. You are born in Chicago, what was that like and how did it influence your sound? He listened to a lot of Motown, Beatles, The Monkeys, and Rock and Pop. Worked jobs as a newspaper delivery guy, dishwasher, bus boy so he could buy music. Have you seen divisiveness in the music industry? What are your favourite VST plugins? Slate Digital Virtual Mix Rack, Waves, Universal Audio, What is your all time favourite record? Close to the edge - Yes What would be the number one advice for a dj whos just started touring? Give up all bad habits. Get a nice routine going. Do you still listen to new house records? What artist are you a fan of? 10s of thousands of songs come out every week, it's hard to say. Do you miss shopping for vinyl? The social aspect of it, yes. What does it mean to be a live DJ? Someone who is playing a live instrument or triggering scenes with hardware live. Do you think creative industries are born from struggling towns like Chicago and middlesbrough? Yes, the Detroit scene was made when people had nothing. Even from the days of slavery, music has always emerged better and more uniquely. Does Marshall have any advice for someone a little older coming into the scene?\ Make quality music. What does a normal day look like for you? Wake up and straight on his computer to make music. I have 4 eps ready to go should i release them all at once or one by one? Make sure your promotion is good, each EP should live up to its hype. What do you think about top 100 charts? No comment. Whats the best way to bring house music alive? We need young artists, young producers, young punters. How long did you produce for before you released your first track? 4 months
Track Breakdown 'Let You Go' w/ Carl BeeCarl Bee Track Deconstruction Let You Go Watch the track breakdown and production process of Carl Bee’s latest release titled ‘Let You Go’. Working in Ableton Live in arrangement view, Carl goes through the arrangement and production processes of this track, releasing soon via Abode Records. You will learn: Layering kicks Building drum grooves Writing basslines Lead instrument VSTs and patterns Working with vocals Creating builds and breaks
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Ableton Music Theory w/ KreatureIn this course Kreature teaches different styles of music chord progressions, and scales and how they work. He teaches his tips and tricks so you can figure the basics music theory out yourself using Ableton Live and VST plugins like captain chords m, and mixed in key, so you can write scales and in key for your tracks. You will learn: Notes, Semitones, tones & octaves. Major Scales. Minor Scales. Chord Progressions. Choosing the right scales and chords for your track. Finding the scale and key of other music. Using Abletons built in MIDI FX to create scales and chords. Using Captain chords plugins for ideas and progressions. Write melodies and baselines in our progressions Adding loops and samples in key. Adding drums in key Lessons: 1. Introduction Kreature goes through basic musical theory from the ground up from a producer's point of view, to help you start writing your tracks in key. 2. Music THEORY BASICS In this lesson Kreature teaches us the basic principles of music theory. He provides us with his tips and tricks to remember our notes and scales. Major Scales: T-T-S-T-T-T-S Minor Scales T-S-T-T-S-T-T 3. Music Theory In Practice In this lesson Kreature teaches us how to find the scale of other music. He provides us with his hacks to find all the notes of a Major or Minor scale using Ableton Live’s Chord Midi effect to always play in key. 4. Chords and chord progressions In this lesson you will learn how to use chords and chord progressions using captain chords to easily create awesome chord progressions. From here you will learn how to take these chord progressions from Captain chords and add them to your own sounds. 5. Melodies and Keeping samples in key In this lesson Kreature shows us how to find interesting melodies and ideas for our tracks using captain chords, and mixed in key. He helps us build on progressions using the root note, and doing so he helps us figure out our favourite musical key. 6. Live Q&A When you sample something, how do you know when it's in key? How do you get the melody out of captain chords ? Should I use the tuner in ableton to tune my drums and percussion to the key the track is in? When you program your kick should you program it to the root note? What are modes?
Mixing & Mixdown Hacks w/ Rob EthersonMixing and mastering engineer Rob Etherson shares some of the mixing & mixdown hacks he uses when working on tracks from some of the biggest names and labels in the industry. Rob Etherson is a mixing mastermind, full of industry insights, tips and hacks to help you get ahead of the game and create music of the highest calibre. In this tutorial he teaches you about the perceptual side of mixing and how to listen, instead of an endless list of plugins that you can’t afford and then shows you how he approaches mixing a professional track. You will learn how to: Tune your ears to listen to the right things. The difference between parallel and linear processing. Solve problems in your mix such as resonances and phasing. Make your track appear louder. Get your kick and bass sounding good together. Synthesize a kick drum using Ableton Live’s Operator. Organise your project. Use a reference track. How to set the volume up on your pre-master. Master Buss processing. How to mix vocals. Use small changes to get big results overall in your mix with gain staging, EQ and resolving phase issues. Create big, wide and present Trance leads. Make rolling style basslines like Nick Curly. Make Drumcode style Techno. Lessons: 1. Introduction Rob introduces himself and his extensive experience in the industry. This tutorial looks at the big picture of mixing, how to listen properly and tune your ears before moving onto Rob’s mixdown of a professional track. Rob uses a lot of Ableton Live’s stock plugins and instruments so that you can focus on learning the techniques and not plugins. 2. Tuning Your Ears Before You Start a Mixing Session Similar to an athlete stretching before a run, it’s important to get your ears warmed up and listen to the right things before a mixing session. Rob shows how to do this with some basic elements from the 909 core kit in Ableton Live. 3. Finding and Solving Problems in the Mix Rob builds on the skills learnt in part 1, expanding on how to find and solve problems whilst mixing down, including how to use reverb to uncover issues and how to avoid phasing. 4. Getting your Kick and Bass Sounding Good The most important element of nearly all dance music, Rob shows you how to get the most out of your kick and bass and get them working together to make your track pump. 5. Mixing a Track Rob goes through one of his client’s tracks, another chapter full of mixing and mixdown hacks . Showing you how to organise your project, how to use reference tracks, an awesome way to get your music louder than everyone else’s on streaming platforms and more. 6. Channel and Buss Processing Rob breaks down the processing he uses on channels and busses for key track elements such as kick and bass, the sends and returns he uses and even the chain on his master channel. 7. Mixing Vocals How to process vocals. Using a cool mixing and mixdown hack of slowing down the timing of a vocal as a starting point, Rob shows how to find problems in your vocals and how to fix them. 8. Theory Recap Rob recaps the theory behind his mixing and mixdown hacks, including how he gets his records sounding that extra 10% better than the rest, and how to get your ear ready for a mixing session. 9. Small Changes Big Results: Using Gain Staging on Your Kick and Bass Rob shows you some of his top tips for getting big results in your tunes. The first he looks at is using gain staging to increase your headroom and perceived loudness. 10. Small Changes Big Results: Using EQ How to use EQ on your master buss to find problems in your mix and fix them with dynamic Eqing, to give your mix a better sound overall. 10. Q & A How Do I get Big, Wide and Present trance leads that sit nicely in the mix? How to make things sound bigger by solving phase issues, balancing overall signal, finding resonances and multi-band sidechaining to the kick. 11. Making Drumcode Style Techno How to make Techno with a Drumcode vibe, including how to process your kick to give it an oldschool sound, getting rumble and how to add techno flavour to percussion. Meta Description: Rob shows the mixing and mixdown hacks he uses on tracks for the biggest of big labels and artists in the game, including Defected, Nervous Records & more. 12. Q&A Part 1 Should the mid signal be higher than the side? Am I Eqi’ng wrong if I remove resonances and the mix still falls flat? What is the difference between setting up a mid / side chain to EQ separately as opposed to using mid / side mode on ProQ 3? Why do my hats sound good before I run them into my mastering chain but bad after? How Do I get Big, Wide and Present trance leads that sit nicely in the mix? 13. Q&A Part 2 How Do You Make Rolling Basslines like Nick Curly and other Deep House and Tech Artists? What is the maximum RMS that a record can have after a master? Are you processing your vocals individually or on the group buss? Can you work with Ableton stock plugins and get similar results to yours?
Ableton For Beginners Bootcamp w/ KreatureAbout This Course Ash takes you through our Ableton Live Beginners Bootcamp. If you are a complete beginner to music production, If you don’t know what a MIDI channel is, how to get samples into your DAW or how to get Ableton to make a sound - full stop, then this is the course for you. The course is suitable for absolute beginners who have never used Ableton before and is full of gems for those that have been in the game for a long time. He covers the key skills and techniques for going from a blank project to a tune that you can be proud of. Next stop, Beatport no.1 ;). Kreature explains things as simply as possible, whilst giving you the info you need, so you can concentrate on getting creative and writing bangers. The course is designed to do one lesson a day so that by the end of the week you have a finished track. You will learn how to: Navigate and use the main functions of Ableton. Get your own samples into the DAW and start creating. Use MIDI and Audio. Add groove and reverb to your drums to bring them to life. Create a Bassline in Ableton’s Operator, Stay in key. Use Sidechain Compression. Add synths and FX to your track. Test out ideas in Arrangement View. Add a vocal. Use Ableton Live’s: Sampler. Use a reference track. Use arrangement view to extend your ideas into a full track Use tricks and techniques to create tension and keep the listener interested throughout your track. Use automation. Create a pre-master and export your track out of your DAW.
Beginners Guide to Arrangement w/ Kenny MageeAre you struggling to get your tracks finished? It’s easy to produce a great sounding 4 bar loop – what’s hard is taking that loop and turning it into a finished song. In this tutorial, Kenny teaches you how to use a reference track for your arrangement and get your tunes sounding like the professionals. You will learn how to: Create a full arrangement using a reference track. Turn a 4-bar loop into a full track. Select samples using Splice. Use samples as inspiration for your other elements. Program Basslines. Use automation. Play with reverb during transitions. Use Simpler to sample vocals. Create energy with snare fills. Add percussion to your track. Stay in key with your samples. Lessons: 1. Using a Reference Track As a beginner, it can be tricky to get your head around how to turn your loops into a full arrangement. Kenny breaks down the arrangement process using a Patrick Topping track, teaching you how to use a reference track as a guideline to help you structure your songs. 2. Sample Selection Using Splice Kenny shows us how easy selecting samples for your track can be using Splice. If you’re often stuck on the key signatures of your samples and how to fit them into your song, this ones for you. He also demonstrates how you can use samples as inspiration for other elements in your track, as well as put your own spin on it. 3. Arranging from a 4-bar loop Kenny starts off with a 4-bar loop and begins building his arrangement based on his reference track. He refers back to the locators he added earlier to help identify where to add breakdowns and build-ups to a drop. Additionally, he also shows us how to use automation and percussion elements to build energy and help with transitions. 4. Live Q&A Can you use splice samples on any project and not have to worry about sample clearance? Do baseline and lead have to have the same pattern? How do you create snare rolls? Would you describe layering presets as sound design? What courses are the best when it comes to arrangement?
The Joy of Resampling w/ ShadowstarMixmasters production coach, Dylan aka ShadowStar, is back once again to give you a lesson on ‘resampling’. Anyone can use a sample pack or load up a preset on a synth, but to get really unique sonic results and create your own sound, you will need to understand some of the fundamentals of sound design. There are plenty of reasons why you might want to resample audio into your productions - it is a great way to quickly print down effects, effects, edits and other changes to sounds, giving you a wide range of sound design options. You will learn how to: ‘Resample’ audio - create new sounds from existing ones. Shape sounds with ADSR. Use Ableton’s Simpler, Sampler and Drum Rack to sample sounds. Use Velocity as a MIDI effect. Create your own Synths and SFX. Layer drum sounds to create texture and dimension. Build your own unique sound library. Use filtering and audio effects. Use MIDI. Record audio. Lessons: 1. Introduction Dylan gives you a quick rundown on what resampling is and how he is going to demonstrate it in this tutorial. 2. Resampling Melodies and Bass Ableton live is an excellent tool for designing sounds, known for its varied routing options that allow you to ‘resample audio’. Dylan uses samples from the Kreature sample pack as a demonstration to show you how to shape and create your own unique sounds. 3. Layering Drum Samples Dylan shows you how he uses resampling to ‘beef up’ his drums and bring them to life. He layers the processed resample audio with clean drum sounds to add dimension and ‘texture’. He also shows you how to cut up samples and put them into a drum rack to create interesting sounding rhythms using the Velocity MIDI Effect. 4. Creating Your Own Risers and SFX Dylan uses one sample from Kreatures sample pack to create a riser, impact sound and sweep. He shows you how he uses specific parts of a sample to create unique sound effects with layering and processing. 5. Recap Dylan challenges you to use resampling in your productions. He summarises that the basis of resampling is finding good sound sources, layering and then finally using controls to shape the sound. 6. Live Q&A What is the easiest way to save your resampled sounds out of your project? What are the rules regarding sampling things from a commercial audio track?
Introduction to Mixing w/ Elliott McCabeAs a beginner, mixing your tracks can seem like an endless process. In this course, Elliot goes back to basics to help you understand how to approach your mixes. He breaks down his approach into 6 main elements to consider when starting, along with some helpful tips on using templates to speed up your production process. Overall, understanding these basic mixing principals will get you one step closer to creating professional sounding tracks. You will learn how to: Balance the levels in your track with gain staging. Use panning to widen the stereo field. Use subtractive and additive EQ. Set up send/return channels. Use reverb and delay to add depth. Work out pre-delay timings. Use a compressor and limiter. Use side-chain compression. Work with templates and audio effect racks. Lessons: 1. Mixing Basics Elliot runs through his notes, going over getting familiar with your DAW and the 6 main elements of your mix: Balance, Frequency, Panning, Dynamics, Dimension + Interest. 2. Getting your Levels Right Elliot and Dylan go over the first step to mixing - balancing. The key to a good mix is starting off with getting your levels right. Dylan demonstrates this by using Ableton’s Utility for gain staging, as well as using the Levels plug-in for metering. They also discuss panning, and understanding how to use it within the context of your style of music. 3. Using Templates Templates are important for getting your foundation right and speeding up your workflow. Elliot uses a template both for the overall project, as well as each channel, which has a different chain of audio effects. He goes through each plug-in he uses in his chain from EQing, to compression and limiting. 4. Creating Dimension in Your Mix Reverb and delay are essential tools when adding depth and dimension to your mix. Elliot demonstrates how he uses different sized reverbs on his auxiliary channels, as well as delays and distortion. 5. Recap Dylan and Elliot recap the main things they covered in this webinar: Gain staging, using EQ to shape a sound, using reverb and delay for depth, as well as in the time of your BPM and finally, mixing within a ‘frame’. 6. Live Q&A Do you use compression on all channels? Have you been professionally trained to produce? What is your advice on going into more detailed courses like these?
How to Launch A Track That Doesn't Totally Fail w/ Vin Clancy Vin Clancy was living on social welfare when he started his first online magazine, he learned how to make things go viral and now works with Universal Music Group. His journey is an exciting one and he shares his tips on launching a track on a path to do well. You will learn how to: Launch a track that doesn’t fail Use Vin Clancy's Checklist for new artists Create a successful campaign for your track Understand Algorithms and how they are created Lessons: 1. Introduction The internet is your cheat codes for making it! Let’s go! Launching tour song is the most important thing you’ll ever do Almost everyone does the same thing, so everyone gets the same bad results. Momentum is the most important thing in your music career - Vin will show you how to make it happen, even if you hate marketing. The new music industry will be won bu those who understand how the game is played. 2. 3 Ways to make it in music in the 2020’s Building an online fanbase - building followers, engagement, streams Building an offline fanbase - touring/live shows Clout games - Being a hotly tipped industry act, getting lots of PR from big publications Checklist for new artists: Inventing a new genre Starting a cultural wave/movement that spills out into the real world Starts a new scene with similar artists Write 100 songs Lyrics arent the same youve heard 100 times before Write everything in first person - spotify bio, youtube description etc Looks cool, you just know it when you see it You think “I’ve never heard anything quite like this before” Create your own world, that you can live in or watch (21 Savage, 6IX9INE, Lady Gaga) 3. Examples of successful campaigns Soulja Boy uploaded “Tell Em” to Napster with titles like “50 Cent In Da Club” knowing people would like it, google the lyrics and find the song Alison Wonderland, Steve Aoki and many others put on parties in their hometowns that got bigger and bigger, allowing them to grow their network and headline their own shows Eminem would battle rap anyone, eventually giving a demo tape to someone he met after he lost, which ended up in the hands of Dr Dre. Use playlists to get on Spotify and Yotuube. They need new music every week. Use playlistsupply.com to monitor Spotify playlists. 4. 6 Steps to launching Plan where you’re going to get your traffic from before the song even comes out. Do you have a group of other friends who make music who will shout it out on swipe-up stories? PR almost never moves the needle for a small/new/unsigned act. PR is networking, having lots of friends who can forward your song to the right person knowing the PRs who can do lots with little $. You can use submithub.com to approach playlisters. Ads - If you get ads right, you go viral 7 days a week Spotify Campaigns Fanbase and Social Media PR - Create a series of 8 posts for each release: Question post, should i release a song that
..? Im releasing on X date Release a snippet of the song on a story Release a snippet of the 2nd part of the song 48 hours till song comes out Tomorrow at this time - heres the presave linj Its out! Screenshot peoples comments reactions and share. 5. Algorithms How algorithms are calculated: I (Interest) x P (post) x C (Creator) x T (Type) x R (Recency) Interest - Interest of the user in the creator Post - The posts performance amongst other users CReator - PErformance of pas posts by the content creator Type - Type of the post (status, photo, link) Recency - How new is the post 6. Summary You must make a plan and execute it - It is a military exercise. Add this code to your youtube so when people click they are asked automatically to subscribe. www.youtube.com/user/artistnamehere?sub_confirmation=1 If you make a facebook group, create it from a facebook page. Instagram reels has enormous free engagement Twitters main use case is on notworking, your DMs and replies have a better chance on twitter
How To Get Charted On Beatport w/ Nicky BöhmIn this course, one of Beatport’s label managers, Nicky Bohm, walks us through her step-by-step guide on how to chart on the largest online download store for electronic artists, Beatport. Throughout the course, Nicky gives her top tips and tricks on how to chart on the platform and make the most of your artist page on Beatport, to help break you into the industry. You will learn: How to make an artist chart How to use Beatport Hype How to chart in the Top 10 genres on Beatport How to set up Pre Orders for your releases. Social media tips Lessons: 1. Introduction Golden Rule: Never be tempted to pay money to so-called promo agencies. These companies promise placements on Beatport charts in the top 100s, but this is not true, do not engage with these companies. Beatport was founded in 2004 and is now the worldwide home for electronic music. A hub for DJs, producers & their fans. Main digital formats are offered for purchase (WAV, MP3). 25,000 new tracks are uploaded to Beatport every week Every Monday the store is refreshed with 100s of exclusive tracks. 2. Why make an artist chart? Charts are a great way to extend visibility on the store beyond weekly feature updates. Recommended for every release Include your new release in the chart 10% of monthly track sales come via artist charts You can make an artist chart from a customer account (DJ Profile), which can then be linked to your artist profile. They must use an artist's picture to be considered for features. Once published, share your chart on all social networks. 3. Top Genres & Pre Order Here are the Beatport top 10 genres: Techno House Tech House Melodic House & techno Drum & Bass Deep House Trance Progressive House Electronic/ Downtempo Dance / Electro Pop Pre-Order is a great promotional tool, you can set it up 4 weeks prior to the release date which can tie into your marketing campaigns. All pre-order sales generated within the 28 days prior to release are spread out across the first week of charting, increasing your odds of making the charts Beatport Hype: An accelerator program for boutique and up and coming labels Dedicated Hype Top 100 charts for Beatport's top 10 genres Dedicated Hype feature modules for Beatport’s top 10 genres Increases sales & followers On average revenue for Hype most successful labels has increased by 72% Increased visibility via Hype Label Spotlight feature + label showcases 4. Social Media Tips Include buy links and/or pre-order links on all possible platforms Increase engagement by sharing stories about your releases with your followers Tag @Beatport as well as any other artists or labels involved 5. Live Q&A How do I get my artist chart, charted? We have released tracks in the past that are tech horse and they got put in the Jackin house genre a few times. How do we present this or go about it? What does that mean spread out through the first week and does the label set up the preorder? How do you sign up for hype as a label? Or is this something your distributor will do? Can you be on the top 100 hype as well as the top 100 global charts? How old should a label be to be a part of the hype chart? Can self-releases do just as well as tracks that come out on labels? How are sales counted? How can I get in control of my Beatport artist page? What do the Beatport curation team take into consideration? I have tried to put my small label on Beatport but I failed, can you tell me some mistakes I may have made? What is the best way to get into the staff picks charts? We see different prices for tracks, how is this processed? You have a genre like a peak time/driving techno is this a subgenre of techno? How many tracks do you need to sell to chart on Beatport?
5 Steps for Turning Strangers into Superfans w/ Brandon JacksonFounder of KDMR music, marketing expert, author, artist coach. After this trailing, you'll know how to guide prospects down the path to becoming your die hard fans. The biggest lie in music is that you need a record label, manager or industry insider to discover you to be successful. The truth is that an engaged fanbase is the key that unlocks every door in the music industry. Brandon gives examples of success story from Nipsey Hustle, Chance The Rapper, Amanda Palmer and Nance You will learn how to: Turn Strangers Into Superfans The differences between Fans and Superfans Lessons 1. Introduction 2. The Fan Journey Strangers: your goal is to turn strangers into fans, through pad ads, blogs/reviews, collaborations, playlisting etc. Casual Listeners: Make exclusive offers only available through website/email list Fans: Nurture relationships, make offers. Super fans: Goal completed! Rinse and repeat. 3. Live Q&A I’ve been boosting instagram and facebook, what is the success rate for boosting? So basically, you treat your followers like your girlfriend, is that true? What are the best strategies to create buzz? Could you give me advice on setting up a Patreon? Make sure your posts tell a good story of who you are, and dont shy away from it. What is the mindset for a successful artist? What point does an artist become hot enough for people to buy exclusive content? What exclusive content would you recommend? Hypem.com How can artists feel confident about sharing what they do?
Solid Grooves: Energy, EQ & Arrangement w/ Ramin RezaieRamin gives us a breakdown on how he arranges and invokes energy in his tracks with Ableton Live. Walking us through one of his latest releases, the Solid Grooves label boss answers any of your questions along the way, with a bonus track preview at the end. In this course, Ramin places focus on musical depth rather than genre boundaries. Being influenced by everything from Funk and Hip-Hop to House and Techno, there will be so much to learn no matter what genre you work with. You will learn how to: Use EQ to gain more control over your sound. Build energy in your tracks. Get your drums and bass sounding good together. Arrange a loop into a full track. Use a drum buss. Layer sounds to create a groove. Create atmosphere with pads and background noise. Use compression. Process vocal samples. Be original in your productions. Lessons: 1. Building a Groove Ramin starts off by talking through each of his drum channels - he demonstrates how he uses a drum buss along with EQ, compression and further processing to gain more control over the sound. He then shows us how he layers his elements, such as using modulating synths as part of the groove and building atmosphere with pads. 2.The Arrangement Ramin usually starts his arrangement process with a 6 - 18 bar groove and builds from there by adding and subtracting. He gives us a run-through of his track, explaining how he layered sounds and created energy in each section. 3.Track Preview Ramin gives us a quick preview of another one of his tracks and then goes on to answer questions from the Mixmasters community. 4. Live Q&A How long does it take you to finish a track, including mixdown and/or master? How do you balance the need between trying to make a track DJ friendly and trying to make it interesting from the start to catch the attention of labels and A&R people? Do you do the final mix & master of your tracks? How do you sample your vocals? Do you have any tips on creating original intros? Where do you start with hardware?
Finding Your Sound w/ ShadowstarMixmasters 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?
Track Breakdown: "Tranquility" w/ Tommy Vercetti In this course you will get to see Tommy's style and systems using FL Studio- he walks us through his process when creating one of the tracks on his latest EP, while doing a live Q&A to answer any questions you have. He takes us step-by-step through each of his elements from drum programming, to creating pads, melodies and basslines, as well as how and when to process each of them. Tommy shows you how to bring your tracks to life and create drum grooves that will crush the dance floor, in this rolling-style minimal house demo. You will learn how to: Get that professional UK ‘Minimal House’ sound. Create drum grooves. Write catchy riffs and motifs. Use processing to achieve certain sound characteristics. Use buss processing. Create a punchy kick. Bring warmth and ‘roundness’ to your bass. Use transient shaping to create sharp and punchy drum sounds. Layer pad sounds and samples. Use compression and limiting. Add texture with loops. Use multiband saturation. Balance your bass and kick. Lessons: 1. Drum Programming and Processing Tommy gets stuck in immediately and starts off by showing us his drum programming process to create that groovy ‘minimal’ sound. He shows you how to group your elements into different drum busses, layer samples to create impact, as well how to process drum sounds and loops for added texture. 2. Writing Riffs and Motifs. Moving on to his musical elements - Tommy covers his sampling process when creating pads, moving on to how he brings presence and warmth to his bass. He then goes over any additional melodic elements, such as processing vocal samples and creating acid-style arpeggios. 3. The Drum Buss Finally, Tommy goes through his drum buss on FL Studio and the processing he uses - from multiband saturation to overdrive, compression and limiting. 4. Live Q&A Do you EQ away the frequencies in the kick that are in the bass? What is a limiter and do you put it on every channel? How do you get your snare sound? What plug-ins do you run on your master?
Tips & Tricks for Creating Kicks and Basslines w/ ShadowStarDJ and Producer Shadowstar shares his approach to finding and programming the right sounds for your track in Ableton Live. In this tutorial he covers the fundamentals of creating a kick and bassline, using a 909 and 808 as an example. He teaches you to train your ear by relying on how a sound ‘feels’ within the mix, in turn allowing you to problem solve and figure out what your track is missing. He also answers your questions from the Facebook Community Inquiry. You will learn how to: Choose the right kick for your track. Mix your kick and bass. Select sounds and samples. Problem solve in figuring out what your track needs. Program punchy basslines in the style of Michael Bibi. Build syncopated rhythms. Write a bassline using a 909 kick. Layer sounds to create impact. Use post-processing and ADSR to shape a sound. Use vinyl distortion as ‘glue’. Test different samples out in your track. Kick and Bass sound design. Lessons: 1. Introduction Dylan answers questions that had previously been asked in this tutorial. He discusses topics from a more philosophical angle that can help you along your way in the production process: problem solving when it comes to finding the right samples for your mix, recreating music/elements ‘in the style’ of another producer, using an intuitive approach to deciding elements that ‘feel good’ within the track vs. using a more technical approach. 2. Finding the Right Kick The kick is the driving force that provides a dictatorship towards your bassline. When deciding on what kick to use, Shadowstar covers using the ‘feeling’ vs. technical approach of choosing the right sound for your mix. He guides us through using a 909 sample as both the bass and the kick, as well as how to use transient shaping to get the sound you want and make sure the kick is cutting through your mix. 3. How to Programme Basslines in the Style of Michael Bibi Dylan goes through his 3 rules when it comes to creating a bassline: MIDI programming, sound selection and post-processing. He starts off with building a simple rhythm using 16th notes and a 909 kick to create a punchy bass sound. Finally, he talks about how you can layer sounds to create impact, as well as how to use additional elements in your track to create syncopation. 4. Sound Selection & Post Processing Dylan helps you answer the question: What does my mix need? He goes through a variation of the first track, using an 808 kick this time. He discusses how sample selection plays an important role in the style of your track, going through an exercise where he tests different samples on his track to see which ones fit within the mix. He explains his process of sound selection which begins with: deciding what characteristics you’re looking for, testing out different samples, then using tools such as envelope shaping and filtering to achieve the sound you want. 5. Recap & Live Q&A To recap and finish off, Dylan goes over the 3 main questions he answered in this lesson: Choosing the right kick - why, when and how: how are we going to use the kick, why are we going to use that kick and when will it be played? How do we program music like Michael Bibi? And how do we choose the right sound that does the right job? Q&A Why, when and how are we going to use the kick? Why are we going to use that kick and when will it be played? How do we program music like Michael Bibi? How do we choose the right sound that does the right job?
Arranging and Workflow Techniques w/ Carl BeeGetting from a ‘loop’ to a ‘song’ is a difficult process, both technically and conceptually. Carl Bee breaks down the arrangement process as simply as possible in Ableton Live; teaching you to kick the habit of being stuck in a loop and improve your workflow. He shares his ‘live’ approach to arranging, treating the track as if it were a live set by automating parameters in real-time, and then using subtraction to build around the sections. If you find that you’re often stuck at the arranging stage, this will be a great session to learn and adapt faster workflows. Overall, Carl shows you how to stay creative and use your intuition to finish your tracks. You will learn how to: Create an arrangement from a loop. Improve your workflow. Commit to ideas and work with what you have. Use automation and filtering. Arrange as a subtractive process. Use loops in a creative way. Consolidate MIDI and audio. Create build-ups and breakdowns. Lessons: 1. The 4-Bar Loop Carl starts with a classic 4-bar loop and talks you through each of his elements. He talks about how he starts thinking about the arrangement process early on by choosing his sounds based on the parameters of the plugin, and how he can evolve and automate them throughout the track. 2. Building the Arrangement Now that he has a solid foundation for the bassline, drums and mids. Carl begins by duplicating his loop for the estimated length of the track. The key is ‘to get out of the loop’ as fast as possible and fill the empty space. He goes through each channel and automates elements such as the filter cut-off and envelope based on how he feels his arrangement should go. 3. Arranging by Subtracting Now that Carl has filled the timeline, the process of building the arrangement becomes one of subtraction rather than addition. He uses trial and error by playing around with removing elements, this method allows you to be creative and hear what each section needs, which can be hard to do if you’re stuck in a loop. 4. Live Q&A Carl recaps his tutorial, going over his technique to get arrangements done quickly. He states this process of using subtraction allows you to ‘fill in the blanks’ and add elements based on feeling, where you will naturally start to notice things compared to being stuck in a loop. Do you re-edit your recorded audio? Will you be doing another class? What synth did you use on your last track ‘Trains’? What is your approach to staying in key?
Track Breakdown: "Tribal Bizniz" w/ AndThenIn this workshop you will get to see Mixmasters community manager, Luke AKA AndThen’s system of how he composed, arranged and polished his track "Tribal Bizniz" in Ableton Live. He walks you through the elements of his process - answering any questions you have, whilst giving you some helpful tips and tricks along the way. You will learn how to: Structure your tracks. Build an arrangement from a loop. Process your elements. Create grooves with percussion loops. Layer samples. Get your kick and bass to sound good together. Mix as you go along. Use and process vocal samples. Create energy in build-ups. Use a reference track for mixdowns. Create synth arps and melodies. Organize your project. 1. Starting a Track AndThen introduces himself and starts off by explaining what he will cover in this tutorial. He plays through his track and briefly covers how he lays tracks out - starting with a 16/32 bar loop, then building from there. 2. The Drum Groove There are innumerable approaches to getting a good kick, however Luke shows you how he begins by getting his kick sounding right. He then builds the drums by layering samples and loops, using the kick as a foundation and making sure to mix as he goes along. 3. The Bass and the Kick as a Single Unit Getting your kick and bass balanced relative to each other is crucial for setting the foundation of a solid mix. Luke shows you how he writes his bassline to compliment the kick, as well as how he processes it. 4. Adding Synths and Vocals Moving on to the musical elements in his track, Luke talks through what synths he used. He demonstrates using an arpeggiator with Sylenth and how he automates that to build tension. He also gives a demo on how to make samples your own, whether that be a groovy synth melody or a vocal chop. . 5. Creating Energy in Build-ups Luke briefly goes through the breakdown sections in his track, talking through how he created energy using tools such as automation and silence. 6. Live Q&A Finally, Luke gives a recap of everything he covered in the webinar, as well as additional advice on how to use a reference track for mixdowns. What was the auto-pan on your percussion? What's the automation on the ceiling of the limiter doing?
Track Walkthrough: "Das Boot" w/ Lee PenningtonIn this workshop Riff Raff founder Lee Pennington shows you a track breakdown/walkthrough of his monster of a tune 'Das Boot'! You will get to see him dive deeply into his process and sound selection on Cubase. He will be going through his elements from the kick, to the percussion and the saxophone samples, as well as how and why processes each of them. This session will be a great way to learn how to get your track to stand out and climb the charts of Beatport like Lee has done time and time again! You will learn how to: Compose and Arrange. When to process and what to process. Sidechain Your Bass and Kick Sample Select. Use a Sequencer To Create A Melody. Create Depth With Distortion and Saturation. Use EQ. Use Effects on Send Channels. Cut and Manipulate Samples. Create Call and Response. Program Drums. Create Space For Your Mix. Make Loops Your Own. Using Automation. Lessons: 1. The Kick and Drums Lee starts off with the kick, talking through how he processes it and each plug-in he uses in the chain. He moves on to the percussion sample that forms the backbone of the groove, as well as some helpful tips on how to incorporate loops into your tracks and make them your own. 2. The Melody Lee walks through how he created the main melodic riff of his track, starting off with a chord and then using a sequencer to create an arpeggiated rhythm. He then duplicates the sound and layers it an octave higher to add more presence. 3. Bass Programming Lee uses two Bass synths to layer the sound and make it cut through the mix. He discusses how to make room for the bass and use side-chain compression to achieve clarity and definition. 4. Working with Samples Finally, Lee goes through his sampling process. He shows us how he layers and processes his sounds - from using send effects such as reverb and delay to bring his samples to life, to incorporating a ‘brass section’ that forms the hook of the track. 5. Live Q&A What was the synth called again? How do you translate the pan trumpets to mono, will they come out centered if you do?
Not Just a Number! How To Get Noticed By Labels w/ Tony AllenEven if you are a beginner or an experienced producer, you will know how difficult it is to get your music in front of the right people and get your tracks signed to the big labels. Tony Allen is the founder of Undrtone industry services, managing ang helping artists to get exposure and signings. In this course, he gives you his expert tips on how to best present your music and stand out from the crowd. You will learn how to: How to make your demos stand out from the crowd What labels look for in their artists Practical tips of how artists can improve the image and presence to increase being noticed and heard by labels Lessons: 1. Intro Tony introduces himself, what he will be covering in this webinar and how his advice will help you get more from your music and socials. 2. How to Make Your Demos Stand Out Tony starts off by giving you some tips on how to make your music stand out and factors you should consider when sending out demos. He talks through how to properly structure and send your demos to prospective labels, ensuring you have the best chance of getting noticed. 3. How to Correctly Target Labels ‘Relativity’ is everything when it comes to sending your music to the right labels. The key to getting your music heard is doing your homework on what sounds the label is known for and what is currently successful in the charts. 4. Generating an Online Presence When it comes to getting your music signed, having an engaged following and online presence can drastically help your chances. In this chapter, Tony covers creative strategies, content hacks and more. 5. Live Q&A How long do you wait to reply after not hearing back about a demo? Do you think it is better to have separate accounts or one account for your artist instagram? Do you need to DJ as well to be a successful artist? Do independent artists make it on platforms like Beatport?
How to Build a DJ Streaming Community on Twitch w/ Amber D Are you brand new to Twitch or are you looking to create a better-looking stream? In this course, Amber D shows you how to get the best from your livestreams; covering everything there is to know about twitch, what you need to consider when starting off and how to use customisation to increase audience engagement. You will learn how to: How to gain a following How to set up alerts How to make the stream look the best it can by creating overlays and customising channels Lessons: 1. Your Twitch Channel Amber D introduces herself and talks through how she built her following on Twitch. She gives you a preview of her Twitch profile, talking through the different elements in the layout. 2. Customising Your Channel Amber shows you how she customises her channel, including pages that show up on her profile and how she edits them. Twitch allows for a high degree of personalisation, overall adding value to your twitch community by offering unique and custom content. 3. Creating a Community with Audience Engagement You can customise elements of your channel which help you increase audience engagement, these include Twitch emotes, overlays, stream extensions, stickers and more. It can be pretty overwhelming at first but Amber D breaks down each element step by step. 4. Stream Elements StreamElements is a one-stop tool helping live streamers with any challenges they might face. Amber D shows you how she integrates this tool with twitch to create overlays, widgets, games and tune ID’s to improve user experience. Stream Elements: streamelements.com 5. Live Q&A Why do you use Streamlabs over OBS? Does twitch allow you to keep live streams as videos on your page you can rewatch?
Creating a Professional Sound w/ Jack WoodLearning how to make your music sound professional does not have to be a lengthy process. If you’ve spent hours tweaking the mix of your latest track and it still doesn't bear comparison with your favourite releases, this course will give you the help you need to take your productions to the next level with Ableton Live. You will learn how to: Pro grade mixing template Why sound/ sample selection is key Gain staging strategy Basic EQ for a clean sound Sidechain compression Identifying issues in the mix EQ and compression How to make something quieter but sound louder Advanced Bus Processing Lessons: 1. Introduction Jack introduces himself and what he will be covering in this webinar. He talks about problems he faced when starting off and what he did to overcome them to achieve professional sounding tracks. 2. Organising Your Project Using templates to mix your tracks is key to saving time and staying consistent from track to track. Alex gives you some simple tips on setting up your project for easy and convenient workflow, from pre-loading samples into your instrument racks to using reference tracks to help your mix. 3. Making a Sound Louder Without Affecting the Mix Jack shows you how to get the most out of your sounds without having to turn the volume up in the mix. He demonstrates how he uses basic mixing techniques such as EQ and Compression to create space in the mix for each element and let the samples shine through. 4. Stem Mixing the Drums Jack demonstrates a ‘stem mix’ of his drum buss channel, going through each track in the group and what processing he would use to make it sit better in the mix and drum groove. 5. Live Q&A Would you suggest not to exaggerate with the stereo expander as it may make your tracks sound worse in clubs? Can you give some tips on panning on drums, synths and vocals? Why or why not? The majority of your track is in MIDI, would you recommend this over audio files and what is the reason why? Can you show how you would go about mixing kick and bass as these are the areas I struggle with when pushing the volume for the final mix? I see you mix a lot in session view, do you use automation for your affects and mixing?