Ableton Forum

Hey all =)

Usually use ableton to mix with. But started messin about doin some production (Trying anyway). So i'm havin a little trouble getting my drum loops to sound "fast" I can put a basic loop together. But they nether seem to sound "Drum n Bassey" Cant seem to get them sounding fast without sounding like a horrid mess...

Any tips?

BPM is about 180. Do i have to make my notes shorter, so i can kinda put them closer together or something? Also what time signature? Got a feelin 4/4 isnt 'standered' for DnB.

Anyhoo, any help/tips muchly appreciated.. Thanks..

You touched on something important: Keeping the decay/release of your sounds short so that more can be added in a staccato fashion.

Another issue is how much swing you are using. You may find, as I have, that a little bit of swing added to offset fast-paced percussion can be just the ticket to add a sense of funk as well as speed to your beats. The main thing is to only add swing to some of the parts, while letting others remain strictly quantized. It's really fun to play robotic drum parts against funky ones.

Hope this helps!

- Nick

1st - slow it down abit.... - 172 is average for mot dnb at the min, that will help you get a better sense of stuff first. If necessary take it even slower, and then speed it up later if you need to.
2nd - fast hi hats - (contradicts what i just say in a way) but think 16ths and not necessarily in a straight rhythm.
3rd - layers - Add layers of stuff. Use 2/3 different sound to make a snare (EQ em each so they dont clash obv.). 3+ hihat tracks doing different stuff wth different sounds. Low Pass some breaks underneath too - the obvious one would be an amen break, but other stuff works just as well.
4th - EQ - Dont fall into the trap of copying, but theres a general rule in DnB production at the minute where everyone seems to be EQing the kick and snare at the same places - Kick 100hz, Snare 200hz, Low passing your break(s) at about 250hz so it doesnt interfere with the Kick & Snare.

It all depends on the type of DnB your trying to make too, you going for the Neurofunk, 90s metalheadz, liquid, or pendulum-jump-up style? Each will have its own rules and ways of doing stuff, but thats the general consensus for doing your percussion if you want it to sound like every other dnb track out atm.

PS 4/4 is your time signature yeah.

Thanks guys. That has been a MASSIVE help. Really appreciate it =)

This is all amazingly helpful. I've loved the concept of breakbeat and dnb since I'm into funk and electronica but I've never really tried making any. If you have any more tips on making funky breakbeat/dnb stuff that would be sick. Thanks for the tips so far!

Think this has been linked here before, but Sub Focus is one of the Dons of DnB atm, very useful tutorial, but almost exaactly what i said.

http://www.vimeo.com/2019677

Cheers buddy.. Oh, gotta say. The high hat tip was a gooden!! Made a big diferrence...

re.mark wrote:PS 4/4 is your time signature yeah.

Yep. But not 4 on the floor

Johnny Beat wrote:

re.mark wrote:PS 4/4 is your time signature yeah.

Yep. But not 4 on the floor

4 to the floor.. what does that actually mean?

Your typical house or techno drumbeat

philmb wrote:

Johnny Beat wrote:

re.mark wrote:PS 4/4 is your time signature yeah.

Yep. But not 4 on the floor

4 to the floor.. what does that actually mean?

It means a kick on every every beat of the bar. Ala house, trance or most "club" music.

Perfomance wise, Instajungle and a midi controller will make you into a DnB/Jungle Virtuoso.

Som good tips here...nice!

Yes, good tips.. Thanks thanks thanks...

Ok, i've actually got my beats sounding pretty good now (well, good campared to what i did have =) ) ...

Just got a another question. I'm liking my main beats. But my breaks are terrible. I'm using drum racks/Impulse to make a break to put under my main beat. And lowpassin it, as suggested.. I can def see it helps. But havin a bit of an issue with the break kinda covering up my main kicks, they just dont stand out as well as they did. I'm assuming i just need to eq my break a bit better. Any tips on that?

Also, do you make your own break or, i'm assuming a lot of you's download them. If so, were from? Though i'd prefere to make my own, but seeing some allready together helps in learning how there made..
Thanks again...

hmm... instead of lowpass, try EQing it, use EQ8 if u can, and get 1> at 250hz on a lowcut filter, 2> boost about 500hz with Q about 7.5/8 and boost again slightly around 5khz slightly.
depending on the feel of the track ill use an amen break as theres no way of creating one as perfect as the original. There are quiet a few packs available for free download full of differently processed amen breaks. Check here: http://www.drumnbassproduction.com/2008 ... ormat.html and google etc.
Some people also use different rhythm breaks, eg Pendulum layered a rock kit beat underneath the kit on Slam, different rhythm and that to the normal 2-step K/S/-k/S/ that they used, but worked really well in padding it out. Its all about experimentation.

Look up your favorite 70s funk track, and see if theres a bit in any part of it, where the drums play solo - sample and enjoy