>> sometimes every 16th note has a drum playing!!!!
thats me :-] daze http://listen.to/dj.daze aim : dnb daze . ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Drum & Bass Arena Discussion List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, October 25, 2002 11:32 PM Subject: [dnb-prod] Secrets Of Programming Breaks > > > Dont have the time/energy to do a full breaks tutorial but Ill give away some > of the secrets that professional producers know that you don't. The > following is for those who have mastered the old school basics (ghost notes, > varying velocity, etc.) and are ready to move beyond into new school > territory. > > Im going to keep my language dogmatic because again, I dont have the > time/energy to explain. If you need to probe further, listen CAREFULLY to > your favorite producer's records and youll hear the elements Im talking > about. To put my money where my mouth Ive included links to some of my own > (completely homegrown) breaks. Use em if you like in your own tracks, or > better yet make your own. > > 1. Multiple Hi Hats. The secondary/tertiary hi hats are used in prime spots > to "accent" certain parts of the break, and have a big hand in creating it's > groove. The different hats kind of "meld together" across the length of the > break, emulating the fact that a drum sounds differently depending on where > and how hard it is hit, and more importantly, creating a vibe. Dont try too > hard to MAKE them sound like the same hat though- to the untrained listener > (whose listening to the break as a whole, not picking it apart) they just > WILL. Multiple hi hats are a MUST for a good break, just varying > velocity/filtering is for new jacks. Your goal is to create a hi hat "line" > of sorts that creates a groove across the kick/snare- (warning:OPINION > coming)- the hi hat line should be good enough to stand on its own when heard > alone during an intro/breakdown. And once and for all quit NEGLECTING the > OPEN hi hat!!!! Its an important weapon in your toolbox and put in the right > place can do much to add to a wicked hat line. > > 2. Layering. The above accenting/layering technique can be used with > kicks/snares too- your goal is to give each hit a "purpose" of sorts. For > example try layering a second more "reverby" kick with the first kick in the > break. Be subtle- you want it noticable but not too much so. This gives the > first kick a feeling of importance, which makes sense dunnit. Try layering > two snares, but crossfade them so that the first one is louder during the > first hit and the second one is louder during the second. Then, use one of > the "non layered" snares as a ghost. Youve just simultaneously created a new > snare sound, added variation to your break, and found a ghost snare that will > fit in seemlessly. Laziness? Genius? A bit of both. Bruhahahaha... These > arent the only two ideas- use layering anywhere you want to add variation or > to create an accent. Much cooler than fiddling with the filter. > > 3. Ghost Kicks and Hats. DnB is constantly evolving but as this is being > written the new trend is for breaks to sound FAST, not "half time" like they > did 5 years ago. Ghost Kicks are essential for this. Think "butterfly"- the > kicks should kind of flutter across the break, just barely being heard but > adding a feeling of urgency. Some new breaks are using CRAZY amounts of > ghost kicks, sometimes every 16th note has a drum playing!!!! Besides ghost > kicks, remember ANYTHING can be a ghost , not just a snare. One technique > is to use a hi hat in the same position that you would normally use a ghost > snare (told you this was for those who had the basics down). This lets the > break kind of "roll" in that part in a less obvious way than a ghost snare, > and can be used in conjunction with it. A break can "roll" twice across its > length. Also dont forget to try sticks/congos/bongos/any percussion as > ghosts. > > Bottom line, eliminate random thinking,. Quit "randomizing" your hats and > start accenting them in a way that creates a groove that you dig. Dont just > make two snares sound different for the sake of it, make one with a shorter > decay to make it "snap" and one with a longer decay to let it "drag", > creating a different feel across different parts of the break (be subtle but > not TOO subtle). Realize that a break is more than a kick/snare with hats > there to fill up space- every element should contribute to the vibe of the > thing, and there are usually more elements than you may at first notice- > multiple hats'/kicks/snares, rides dancing subtly across to accent, extra > percussion here and there, reeaaally low ghosts; the programmed breaks of > today are generally more "busy" than the two-step of yesteryear, since > producers are actually pickin up on how to make their breaks sound like the > old ones that we had to SAMPLE to get vibe/style from. > -------------------------------------------------- > > Sample breaks to come (sorry girlfriend just got home and I was supposed to > cook - ahhhhhhhh my ass is grass...) > > > --- > Drum&Bass Arena Producers Discussion List http://www.breakbeat.co.uk > You are currently subscribed to dnb-prod as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > --- Drum&Bass Arena Producers Discussion List http://www.breakbeat.co.uk You are currently subscribed to dnb-prod as: [email protected] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
