From the psychedelic rock of the 60s to traditional hymns in churches across the world – the organ has had a wide-ranging influence on music and its shifting landscape through the decades and centuries. When you need it to be more aggressive, such as in hard rock, it can meet the challenge head-on. And when…
Melody. Say what you will about making killer beats, laying down a driving bass, or finding a lush synth pad. Melody is most songs’ “make it or break it” moment. It will either bring the song to new levels or ruin the tune, with shades of grey in between. So, you need to make a…
Modern productions require a huge, rumbling, weighty bottom end that makes people want to get up and dance. You can get your bass from a variety of sources. You could get a session player to record in your studio. You could use preset arpeggio patterns in your synth VSTs. You could even attempt to record…
From hip-hop to R&B, and pop to reggaeton, the triplets, rolls, pitch, and swing of trap beats have invaded practically every genre. But it all started with hip-hop, where it continues to thrive, to this day. Whether you’re just getting started with creating trap beats, or you’ve been at it for a while, today, there’s…
Sometimes, you don’t need a lush reverb, a fancy compressor, or a realistic-sounding saturation. What you need is a metering plugin, DI enhancer, or audio reverser. Welcome to the world of utility VST plugins. Today’s utility plugins are certainly sexier than yesterday’s, but their ethos remains. Utility tools exist to help you achieve better mixes…
Don’t have enough snare sounds in your personal sample collection? Looking for new, killer sounds you can drop into your mixes? You’re in luck, because there are plenty of snare sample packs and loops out there, and you can even get many of them for free. In this guide, we look at the best free…
As a techno producer, you will require an array of standard virtual effects and instruments. But perhaps most important of all is synthesizers. Most producers are chasing that warm, analog sound. But thanks to the latest and greatest in virtual analog synthesizers, you can do most of your recording “in the box” and create stellar…
Whether you’re on a budget, or can’t justify dropping a few hundred dollars on a premium VST plugin right now, wouldn’t it be nice if there were convenient financing options that would allow you access to top-shelf plugins? Well, there is. And it’s called rent to own. With rent to own, you can make small…
The kick has often been called one of the most crucial sounds in your mix. Getting it right is paramount to just about everything else because the feel of the song will be heavily impacted by how the kick sounds and feels in the mix. If you thought that it was merely a matter of…
Since the 1990s, trance music has remained a mainstay in electronic dance music (EDM). And EDM, of course, succeeded in a full-on takeover of the pop charts in preceding years. Its popularity has gone through peaks and valleys, just as any other genre has, but it is unlikely trance will ever fall off the map…