i knew
all this but this made is a conscious thought...
thanks!
--------Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Friday, October 25, 2002 6:33 PM
To: Drum & Bass Arena Discussion List
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.
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Sample breaks to come (sorry girlfriend just got home and I was supposed to cook - ahhhhhhhh my ass is grass...)
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