Today I’m bringing up a subject that can be haunting to every producer – Mastering. Now I’m not an expert on the subject. I’m still in the process of learning the ropes of it. But I have noticed a HUGE difference when I started using these next few tips I’m going to share with you. Let’s get to it!

A lot of new producers ask the question of how to go about making "better beats." so here's 6 simple tips that might help you make some better beats.

 Let’s start it off from ground 0. You haven’t even started making beats, but you want to, like right now. The problem is, a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) can go from 50$ to over 600$ – depending on what you’re looking at. Now, taking a leap into purchasing a DAW without even knowing the basics could turn out frustrating: you won’t understand how the program functions, where or what everything is, and you’ll just get scared. I remember the first time I opened Ableton Live, I thought I’d never understand how it worked. So here’s my suggestion. Nowadays everyone knows someone who makes (digital) music. Why not ask for a couple of hours a week to get your head around their DAW, get to know the basics and to feel more confortable about purchasing one of your own. If that’s not possible, head out for free DAWs. There’s tons of them: REAPER; PreSonus Studio One 3, ProTools First (yep, even ProTools). Heck, you can even use Audacity if you start sampling. Apollo Brown did it, why can’t you? Just one thing though. When you do decide to take that step and buy a DAW, check out all the demos possible. Putting a price tag on it kind of makes you want to stick to whatever decision you make and even though all DAWs can do the same (aside from a feature or two), it all comes down to workflow. I started on a friend’s FL Studio, but when I wanted to sample, I just couldn’t deal with that kind of [work]flow. Ableton changed that. So always keep in mind: just because others find it perfect, it doesn’t mean that you will.

 So, you still with me? Next up, instruments. Because we live in a digital era, nowadays you don’t need to buy a guitar to play one, or a trumpet, or the violins, or whatever. You just need a DAW or a VST (Virtual Studio Technology). So basically, you can have your instruments in your computer and play them with your computer’s keyboard. Dope, right? Now, of course it won’t be the same. It isn’t going to feel as realistic most of the times, plus, you won’t be playing the actual instrument. But it’ll get you started and maybe further ahead you’ll be able to play real instruments, or work with someone who does. If you already got a DAW, it’ll most likely bring instruments. That’s a good starting point. But if you’re looking for more, the internet’s filled with free VSTs . Here’s an example – Combo Model F. But you should actually be looking out for soundfonts as well. Soundfonts are basically sampled instruments, prepared to be played as MIDI instruments. But for this you’ll need a player first. Native Instruments gives out a free version of Kontakt that’ll work perfectly for this. And hey, here’s a bunch of soundfonts: NewGrounds.

 As for controllers, honestly, your computer keyboard will be enough for you at the beginning. I know I used it a lot. But yeah, at some point you will feel the need to buy a set of keys, or a drum pad, so make your research first. When it comes to physical stuff, people often make impulsive purchases. My first midi controller was an Akai LPK25 and don’t get me wrong, it was a good purchase, I still use it on a daily basis. But had I waited a couple more months, and I would’ve bought a keyboard with 49 keys instead. Don’t be impulsive. It’s not about making bad purchases. It’s about not waiting for making better ones. If the low price version of whatever you want serves your needs perfectly, then go for it, otherwise, just wait a little more time, save the money and buy exactly what you need. I needed a bigger keyboard, in fact, I still need one, but I went with the cheaper version, because I wanted a keyboard ASAP. But as for a drumpad, after comparing all the MPCs and Maschines on a price-quality ground, the Maschine Mikro was, and still is, perfect for my needs.

 Lastly, mixing. I’ll post something on better mixes in the near future, but for now let’s talk specifics. Of all things you’re going to invest on, this might be the most important one. Not because it’ll make your sounds greater automatically. If you don’t know squat on mixing, it doesn’t matter if you have the highest quality racks. BUT, having a good sound image is key to know what you’re working with. If you’re working with a pair of earplugs (please don’t do that…just, don’t), you might think your sound is the hottest thing on right now, when in fact it isn’t. Or vice-versa. When I made the People Change beat, I thought it sounded alright, but when I got to hear the drums on a pair of monitors…damn, they were lit. Both scenarios are possible. What sounds good on headphones, might not be the same on the car stereo system, for example. So, if you can’t afford an audio interface and a pair of monitors/studio headphones, work with what you have. Get a standard pair of headphones (these’ll give you more low ends) and get to know how they sound. Try mixing a beat, take it to your car and see the differences, test it out until you get a clear mix. I’m working only with a pair of AKG K518LE. These are great headphones, but for mixing, they aren’t as accurate as studio headphones or monitors. But knowing how they work on all ends (and after a lot of ear training), I’m starting to get my mixes a lot nearer to where I want them to be. Train your ears, understand what you’re working with, compare your beats with what’s out there, and mix a lot – DON’T BE LAZY.

 Hip-Hop instrumentals were made by people who couldn’t afford any instruments, and look at where it got them. You don’t need a lot to start making beats. Just work, research and a lot of trail and error.

 Hope this gets you going a little further, and hope you didn’t fell asleep halfway. Leave any more opinions or suggestions in the comments below.

Written by Suspicious Techniques

Oddly enough, there's not much about fine tuning music samples on the internet, so I decided to share how I go about fine tuning samples in Fl Studio. This should apply to all other DAWs, since they should all have a fine tuning option.

First, you have to figure out if the sample is actually out of tune and obviously you have to add other sounds to hear that. I suggest to start with a piano sound and try to play along with the sample. Pianos have a nice strong sound and make it easier to hear if the sample is out of tune. If the sample is out of tune, you want to go to the misc tab in the Fl channel sampler.

 Once you're in the misc tab, there will be a fine tune knob at the bottom right hand corner.

Then you can adjust the the fine tune knob to what you hear is best. This is where your ears come into play. There really is no correct value to set it at, but I recommend to start adjusting the knob between 0 -50 cents down or 0 +50 cents up. That's usually a good range to find the proper tune to match up with other sounds. It usually never ends up a 100% in tune, but it'll be good enough to not clash with other sounds. Also, if you're wondering where to look to see how many cents you're tuning the sample to, it should show up right above the Fl browser. 

You could also do the opposite and fine tune your instruments to the sample. Most vst plugins have a fine tune knob, so that might help if you're still having problems with the sample's tune.

 

In the end, fine tuning samples really comes down to using your ears. If you aren't comfortable trusting your ears, it never hurts to do a little ear training. There are plenty of online free resources that can help with ear training.


Hope that has helped some of you guys out and I'll be sharing some more tips soon!

Written by Dar'rell Banks

Today, I'm going to share a cool different way to do slides and tricks with your sub bass. First things first, you need to load up a bass sample and set it up so that you have complete control over the sample. You can do this by slightly moving the CRF knob so that it uses loop points, or you can go into the INS tab and set the envelope to do the same thing.

Ok, now you want to go to the FUNC tab in the sampler and mess around with the arpeggiator settings.  

 I recommend turning the slide setting on, so you get a smoother sound out of the arpeggiator and set the gat knob to the middle or all the way to the left.

 If you right click the time knob and go to set, the knob has preset values to help keep things on tempo too.

 So, that's pretty much it! Have fun playing around with this and hopefully you come up with some interested slides and sounds. Also, here is a link to a Mini Pack of Slides I came up with.

Written by Dar'rell Banks

A lot of times I hear solid beats made by producers, but after 30 seconds the beat fails to keep me interested enough to listen to it for any longer. So, today I'm going to share 5 tips that have helped me maintain relatively interesting beats.

1. Change those drums. This is probably the simplest tip on this list, but it's one of the most overlooked when making a beat. Repeating the same 4 bar drum loop for 4 minutes will get boring quick. Add drum variation throughout the beat. Take things out to build tension or add drum fills/snare rolls to transition into different sections of a beat. A really easy trick is to copy your existing drum pattern and change around the kicks, snare, ect. Keep doing that over and over and you'll end up with a bunch of different drum variations.

2. Copy. Paste. Change. Usually, when us producers are arranging a beat, we'll simply copy and paste whole chorus and verse sections. Too many producers will just stop there leaving each chorus and verse to be the exact same. Doing that is obviously going to make things too predictable, so take the extra time to add, remove, and rearrange things for additional verses and chorus sections.

3. Transition effects...use them. It surprises me how many producers don't use transitions in their beats. No cymbal swells to build into a crash. No synth effects to transition into the chorus. Just nothing. Transition effects are a great way to let the listener know a new section is coming in and keep things feeling fresh. Of course not all beat needs transitions, but the next time a beat is feeling a little stale try adding some in.

4. The power of Low pass filters,  High pass filters, phasers, flangers, ect. Using a filter can turn a regular old beat into something amazing if used properly. I've noticed a lot of people have gotten hip to filters, but only use them in an intro or outro. Think of filters as another way to build tension and create release at parts of a beat. Using a filter right before a chorus can cause it to hit harder or using a filter on a sound can cause a nice contrast between the verse and chorus sections. Phasers, flangers, and chorus effects are also great things to play around with. Adding them on certain sounds at different times in a beat can make things sound new or even adding them on the overall beat at times can beat a good way to transition into different parts of a song.

5. Expand your musicality. This tip takes a lot of effort. Especially, for me. I'm lazy at times...I must admit. Anyhow, really focusing on changing up musical elements in a beat is truly one of the best ways to keep a beat interesting. We'll often settle for a 4 to 8 bar musical loop and just omit things at parts to change things up. Sometimes, it's best to take things a step further by adding a unique intro, prechorus, bridge, and outro. Doing that, adds a sense of realism and keeps the listener on their toes.

Well, I hope my half decent written tips has helped somebody out there and if anybody has more tips to keep a beat interesting be sure to let me know and I might to a part two to this. 

Written by Dar'rell Banks