Reggae/Dub - MIDI Drum Techniques

[docprosper]

Lots of time I will load in my favorite DUB track, loop a good section of drums or the intro fill, then zoom in real close on it and match up a midi drum clip to it. Many of the hits will not be perfectly quantized. Then I can use what ever samples for the midi clip. Keeps things a bit more organic.

clever...

[patrick.olson86]

Any ideas for fattening drums and bass?

I have two tracks (Session Drum Kit - Bright Room, maybe? I forget, AND a midi electric bass that came with Ableton suite) I'm running both through Suite's EQ and compressors. I also have an echo on the drums. But, they still sound rather thin. Do you guys have any tips on fatting drums and bass? Double the tracks? Anyone willing to share their secrets?

Also, can anyone recommend a good vst with a Hammond B3?

[docprosper]

There's tons of posts on the forum already related to fattening drums, so I recommend searching around a little.

Two main ways:
- layered drum samples, possibly w/ different EQ on each to build your own new sound with the right low end, mid, etc.
- compression (but in moderation... fatten, not flatten!)

[RadioApe]

if it were me, i would reconstruct a classic tune or two completely so you can understand how it all fits together. drums, bass, one guitar doubling the bass for the most part, and a rhythm guitar. piano doubling a lot of the rhythm guitar, some organ maybe. but the two guitar format is a must - there are almost always two guitars in reggae. most of the songs are deceptively simple, but when you have a song that's complete, then you have something that you can work off for the dub. remember, the vast majority of dub tunes were singles to begin with. once you figure it out, you have a benchmark on how to get as close to that sound as you can. believe me, 80-90% of it is the playing/arrangement

This was written 6 years ago, but i found this thread and particular this post by "blakbeltjonez" very valuable, and just want to say thank you

Some great tips here
http://studio.dubroom.org/tutorials-mak ... ters07.htm

Not found ...

try http://studio.dubroom.org/tutorials-computerdub01.htm
...and hit the arrows fro the next chapters

Somehow i ended up at dubroom (http://studio.dubroom.org/tutorials-computerdub.htm) as well... and really took the time to work through this whole tutorial...

I really like the fact, that he explains everything rather in too much detail than being too superficial.

If you (like me) know almost nothing so far about reggae music theory and music theory in general, this is a enourmus good starting point.

I think the tutorial is quite unique, as it is hard to find something similar in the webs.
Nothing takes you so foolproof through the whole process of making a "Riddim" and starting to dub.

(I must say that i did not really followed the actual "dub" part in the tutorial, because i kind of know already some basic stuff about sends and returns and the Fx set up etc. ... AND he works with a different daw. The most complicated thing for me was not the actual dub, that just needs a good fx-set up and practice of the right timing, feeling etc. ... but the creation of the Riddim)