Sidechain Compression: How To Create Tighter Mixes
Sidechain compression is the hallmark of electronic dance music. It’s that unmistakable pumping effect when you hear the kick hit and the bass duck, and it can be used as both a mixing and creative tool. But it can be a bit daunting to approach – especially if you’re new. So to help, in this […]
Serum Tutorial: How To Use Xfer Serum for Beginners
There’s a reason that Xfer Serum is so popular and used by producers such as KSHMR, Marshmello and Jauz. It’s capable of the most insane sounds, from intricate pads: to growling basses: and to crazy leads: But the interface is so confusing. If you’re a beginner, it might even look like you need an engineering […]
How To Make House Music: The Complete Guide
In the beginning, there was house. House music is the foundation of a lot of the music we call ‘EDM’ today, with artists like Frankie Knuckles, Larry Levan and Ron Hardy pioneered the genre back in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. It’s been around for so long, that it’s developed an innumerable list of […]
How To Make Drum & Bass: The Complete Guide
Genres have come and gone over the years, but drum and bass has always held its ground. And there’s a reason – it’s distinctive and energetic sound is infectious, and it’s consistently kept going by labels like Hospital, Shogun and Metalheadz. So if you’re here, you probably want to learn how to make this sound […]
Serum vs Massive X: Which Is The Best Synth Plugin?
With the recent announcement of Massive X, you might be wondering how it compares to every producers favourite – Serum. For years, Massive from Native Instruments was the dream synth for many EDM producers. But then along came Steve Duda with Xfer Serum, which is now the world’s powerhouse software synth. Fast-forward to 2020, and […]
The Complete Guide to Distortion and Saturation
Distortion can be a gamechanger for producers. It’s an effect that can range from the subtle warmth on your mix to the extreme crunch on your leads and basses. Yet most producers get lost when it comes to the different types of distortion, when they should use them and how much to dial in. In […]
100 Next-Level Sound Design Tips & Tricks
Sound Design is one of the most fun parts of electronic music production. Everybody wants to make unique yet awesome sounds to improve their tracks with. But sometimes you can get stagnant, using the same techniques and sounds over and over. So no matter where you are on your sound design journey, here are 100 […]
How To Make Future Bass: 9 Simple Steps
Future Bass is undoubtedly the biggest genre in EDM right now. It has virally infiltrated a lot of pop music. Artists like Marshmello, San Holo and Illenium have dominated the industry and brought with them a melodic & euphoric take on the bass drop. But it sounds complicated to make, right? Just listen to those […]
Foley Sound Effects: The Ultimate Guide for Electronic Music Producers
Why does my music sound stale and un-organic? Some of it blame it on the following: no outboard gear bad songwriting bad plugins the mix the mastering note velocity Most of the time, none of this is the case. You need layers in your music with natural movement. Synths can’t do this. You’ll need to […]
The Ultimate OTT Tutorial
It’s impossible to deny – OTT is synonymous with modern electronic music. Yet, you may have wondered how it actually works? And why it sounds so good? For these reasons, you might not be getting the most out of this simple but important tool. So, let’s dive into our ultimate OTT tutorial to help demystify […]
How To Sample Music: The Complete Guide
What do Queen, Michael Jackson and Marvin Gaye have in common? They’ve all been sampled, 100’s and if not 1000’s of times. Sampling is a key part of electronic, hip-hop and music in general. No doubt you’ve heard a record containing a snippet of another’s music. But learning the art form is a process that […]
Serum Presets: The Best Free/Paid Packs in Each Genre
As you already know, Serum is a phenomenal synth. Everyone’s got it, and if they haven’t, they want it. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with a huge amount of presets. Sure, there’s enough to get started, but you’ll be eager for extra presets shortly after buying the synth. In this post, I share the best free […]
FL Studio Plugins: How To Easily Use and Find Them
If you’ve been using FL Studio for a minute, you’ll have seen this beast of a list pop up when you go to load up something. This is the FL Studio plugins list, and it shows you all the devices you have in your library. Looks kinda overwhelming, right? If you’re new to FL Studio, […]
How To Make Lo-fi Hip Hop: 5 Easy Steps
Want to learn lofi hip hop with 3 step-by-step walkthroughs? Check out The Lofi Hip Hop Blueprint (currently 70% off) Ever seen those ’24/7 lo-fi hip hop beats to chill/study/relax to’ streams? Yeah, you know what I’m talking about. Because of this, the genre is growing and people want to know how to make lo-fi […]
Getting Started in Sound Design using The 3 Rs
Sound Design is what makes music production fun. It might be why you chose to pursue production rather than a traditional instrument. But when you start, it’s overwhelming and frustrating to learn. Sound design tutorials aren’t enough. In fact, when I started out, I literally spent hours aimlessly staring at my synth (Massive), trying to […]