LANDR Blog: Recent Episodes
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LANDR is an instant online music mastering tool. Our blog is a place for inspired musicians to read up on music & culture, and advice on production& mastering.
Buying new gear is a rush of excitement for anyone who plays music. But paying full price can make it too expensive to expand your collection. That’s why music gear sales are so important for new and emerging producers. If you’re looking to keep up with gear deals and steals around the internet, this is […]
The post October Music Deals: Plugins, Instruments, Apps and More appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Free plugins are one of the best things about being a producer in 2022. Quality music production tools have never been more accessible for the average musician. But with more freeware plugins showing up on the scene every day, knowing which ones are worth your time isn’t easy. That’s why we’re bringing you our top […]
The post Plugin Picks: 5 Inspiring Free VST Plugins to Get in October appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Every week there are dozens of new music products announced. The gear industry is moving faster than ever and there’s always exciting new equipment on the horizon. But keeping up with it all can be exhausting, especially if you don’t check in regularly. That’s why we’re bringing you the top highlights and most notable new […]
The post Best New Gear: 5 Releases You Need to Know in October appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Drill chords make some of the darkest sounding chord progressions out there. You’ll often find drill chords paired with a cold reverberating piano. Add in some half time and reverse effects, and you'll have a hard melody cooking in no time. What makes drill chords sound so sinister and dark though? What are drill chords? […]
The post Drill Chords: 10 Dark Progressions for Hard Hitting Productions appeared first on LANDR Blog.
If you’re new to music production, you’re probably wondering about the best DAW for beginners to get started making music. After all, your recording software is the centerpiece of your home studio setup. To make things even more confusing, there are lots of different choices out there when it comes to which DAW app is […]
The post Best DAW For Beginners: How to Choose Your First Recording App appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Are you getting tired of using the same chords and chord progressions over and over? One way to quickly inspire new ideas is with a chord progression generator. Not all music producers have strong piano skills or music theory knowledge. That’s okay! You don’t necessarily need these skills to make good music. And while taking […]
The post The 6 Best Chord Progression Generators for Quick Inspiration appeared first on LANDR Blog.
FL Studio plugins are some of the most sought after stock DAW plugins. Especially when you're considering which DAW to start using to make music. There’s no question that FL Studio plugins like GrossBeat, Vocodex, Edison and Fruity Parametric EQ 2 make FL Studio an extremely attractive bundle to start making music with. Depending on […]
The post FL Studio Plugins: The 7 Best Built-in Tools in FL Studio 20 appeared first on LANDR Blog.
ADAT is a music tech tool with a history that dates back to the early days of digital home studios. But despite its origins in the 90s, ADAT is still relevant to producers today. If you’ve ever wished you could add channels to your home studio setup without buying a whole new audio interface, ADAT […]
The post What is ADAT? How to Add Channels to Your Audio Interface appeared first on LANDR Blog.
As independent artists, music submission services are essential to any DIY music marketing plan. You've put your heart and soul into your tracks, so it only makes sense to have the eyes and ears of listeners and curators everywhere on your latest release. But with so many playlisting options out there, it can be hard […]
The post Music Submission Services: Submithub, Musosoup and Others Compared appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Music production is a challenging process. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or an emerging creator, you’re bound to encounter some roadblocks along the way. The good news is that it’s normal—even if it’s no fun while it’s happening. If you find yourself stuck or unable to move forward, you’re probably looking for some quick advice […]
The post Music Production Tips: 15 Ideas To Help You Finish Your Track appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Finger drumming is bigger than ever. Legendary finger drumming artists like Araab Muzik popularized the technique and with a new up-and-comer in Fred Again, finger drumming has solidified itself as a legitimate musical art form. No wonder more producers are increasingly interested in the performance technique. It makes sense since finger drumming is a relatively […]
The post Finger Drumming: How to Play Sample Pads and Make Better Beats appeared first on LANDR Blog.
DI bass is one of the most popular ways to capture bass guitar in the studio. It’s been used on thousands of albums in every genre you can think of. But if you’re new to music production you might not see why this recording method is so popular. So what exactly is DI bass? And […]
The post DI Bass: The Producer’s Guide to Recording Bass Guitar at Home appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Vintage synths were the instruments that pioneered the original era of electronic music. These legendary units brought with them huge innovations that changed how musicians work with sound. But if you’re new to the world of synthesizers, this type of gear can be intimidating. Luckily, modern musicians have never had so many excellent ways to […]
The post Vintage Synths: 9 Classic Instruments Every Producer Should Know appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Sample libraries are a part of music production these days— at some point pretty much every producer will eventually pick up a sample library plugin like IK Multimedia’s SampleTank. SampleTank is an excellent plugin that couples a huge library with powerful sound design controls, mixing features, and customizability. It should be a go-to for any […]
The post IK Multimedia SampleTank: The Sample Library Every Producer Needs appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Free plugins are one of the best things about being a producer in 2022. Quality music production tools have never been more accessible for the average musician. But with more freeware plugins showing up on the scene every day, knowing which ones are worth your time isn’t easy. That’s why we’re bringing you our top […]
The post Plugin Picks: 5 Inspiring Free Plugins to Get in September appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Every week there are dozens of new music products announced. The gear industry is moving faster than ever and there’s always exciting new equipment on the horizon. But keeping up with it all can be exhausting, especially if you don’t check in regularly. That’s why we’re bringing you the top highlights and most notable new […]
The post Best New Gear: 6 Releases You Need to Know in September appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Many instruments have changed the course of music history—technology and music have always been intertwined. Arguably the instrument that most defined music production in the 90s was the Akai MPC. The legendary groove box has earned its place among game-changing, genre-defining music gear like the TR-808 and the SP-1200. Arguably, it marked the single biggest […]
The post Akai MPC: What You Need to Know About the Legendary Groove Box appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Plate reverb was one of the first studio technologies for adding artificial ambience to a recording. It changed how engineers viewed the art of mixing and ushered in an era of stylish reverb techniques. But what exactly is plate reverb? What makes it unique and how can you capture its sound in your DAW? If […]
The post What is Plate Reverb? The 7 Best Plugins for Authentic Sound appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Sound effects are an essential component of any great piece of video content. But beyond the flashy sound design and music cues, there’s an audio discipline that makes a huge contribution to the feel and realism of every single scene—foley. Foley is an art form that’s closely linked with the development of film and TV […]
The post What is Foley? How to Get SFX Sounds for Video appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Reaper continues to be one of the most powerful DAW’s out there. The best thing about it is digging in and making it your own. This involves adding scripts, extensions, shortcuts, and of course—changing the look and feel with themes. If you’re switching over from another DAW, there’s a good chance that a corresponding Reaper […]
The post The 10 Best Reaper Themes to Customize Your DAW appeared first on LANDR Blog.
DJing is only getting more and more popular. So it’s no surprise that many DJs rely on at-home DJ software to both practice mixing, record performances and format their USB sticks. The best part is that most basic versions of DJ software on this list come at no charge for their starter kits. Of course, […]
The post DJ Software: The 7 Best DJ Apps to Mix on Your Laptop appeared first on LANDR Blog.
When it comes to album cover art, people will judge your album by its cover. Your music won’t attract attention without good album art in this highly visual world. That’s why it’s so important to put real effort, thought and creativity into your album cover. Every little detail needs to be considered—from typeface to your […]
The post Album Cover Art: The Ultimate Guide For Musicians appeared first on LANDR Blog.
The music distribution landscape is constantly evolving. Today there are countless service providers, each with its own variety of service offerings, pricing and features. With the amount of choice available, chances are you’ve wondered if you’re getting a good deal, especially if you’ve become dissatisfied with your current provider. The truth is, music distribution services […]
The post How to Switch Digital Music Distributors appeared first on LANDR Blog.
TikTok DJs are the latest group of creators to change what it means to make music online. By now, we’re all used to TikTok’s ability to elevate new artists and producers with its viral mechanics. But DJs are also flocking to the platform to showcase their skills and grow their following. So what is the […]
The post TikTok DJs: 5 Creators Rewriting the Rules on Social Media appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Effects pedals are one of the funnest ways to bring unique sound into your music production workflow. If you play guitar you’ve almost certainly got a few in your collection already. But effects pedals aren’t just for guitarists anymore. Emerging producers in any genre can benefit from the cheap and unique hands-on sound processing they […]
The post Effects Pedals: The Producer’s Guide To Stompboxes in the Studio appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Since the 2000s DAWs have become the gold standard for music production. Today, meticulously designed mobile iPad and Android DAWs are both user-friendly and inexpensive. No matter what kind of smartphone or tablet you use, there's an iPad DAW or Android DAW for you. In this article, we’ll look at 8 unique takes on the […]
The post The 8 Best iPad and Android DAWs for Mobile App Music Production appeared first on LANDR Blog.
The 12 bar blues is one of the most popular chord progressions in music. Originating from work songs and spiritual hymns, the blues has been around since the early 1900s. Workers would often share the blues singing catchy melodies with powerful lyrics. It was such an effective canvas for compelling storytelling. So much so, that […]
The post 12 Bar Blues: Basic Blues Chord Progressions Explained appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Music promotion is maybe one of the most challenging parts of being an independent artist today. You’ve put your heart and soul into your music, but how will find an audience and build a fan base? One option that’s crossed the minds of many independent artists is whether it’s worth paying for promotion on Spotify—whether […]
The post Is Promotion on Spotify Worth it for Independent Artists? appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Drums are a different beast than most instruments. They don’t really rely on chords or melody. Instead, they solely lean on rhythm to create interest and catch ears. But, just because drums are simple doesn’t mean drum programming is easy—creating interesting and complex drum patterns is a huge challenge that takes time, skill and practice. […]
The post Drum Programming: 15 Essential Electronic Drum Patterns appeared first on LANDR Blog.
After the tragic passing of Juice WRLD and the subsequent explosion in popularity of emo trap, it’s no surprise that there’s a cottage industry of Juice WRLD type beat makers. Juice WRLD’s sound uses the quintessential sounds of emo trap—and broadly trap music in general. In the majority of his tracks, you’ll hear all the […]
The post How to Make a Juice WRLD Type Beat appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Orchestral VSTs have never been more accessible to producers. Soaring strings, fluttering woodwinds, and deep brass will bring an epic and emotional quality to your tracks and enhance their dramatic energy. Orchestral libraries can contain thousands of samples and several instrument specific articulations. It’s not surprising that many paid orchestral plugins can cost upwards of […]
The post The 12 Best Free Orchestral VSTs for Epic Cinematic Sound appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Bitcrushing is an instantly recognizable audio effect. Its distinctive digital tone can sound like a broken soundcard or corrupted audio file. Even so, it’s a unique sonic texture to use creatively to create interest and variety in your sound. In this article I’ll break down the basics of bitcrushing, suggest different ways to use it […]
The post What is Bitcrushing? The 5 Best Bitcrusher Plugins for Creative Effects appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Music producers love creating in inspiring environments. That’s why it’s so important to put some effort into decorating your home studio with cool lighting, artwork and furniture. But, personalizing your production space doesn’t have to stop at decorating your physical room—it’s just as valuable to customize your DAW and plugins with skins that inspire you. […]
The post The 12 Best Free Serum Skins to Add a Custom Look to Your DAW appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Avid's Pro Tools is the industry standard DAW in professional recording facilities around the world. It was one of the first digital audio workstations to convince engineers to shift their workflow to computers. But Pro Tools is a popular DAW for emerging producers too. So what exactly makes this classic recording software so well-liked? What […]
The post Avid Pro Tools: The Ultimate Guide for Beginners appeared first on LANDR Blog.
If you’ve ever distributed music to streaming services you might be wondering how your music is tracked between the various streaming platforms, radio stations and even on TV. The answer is with a unique code assigned to your music called an ISRC—and if you want to track how, when and where your music gets played, […]
The post What is an ISRC? How Your Music is Tagged and Tracked appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Lo-fi has taken on a lot of different meanings in recent years. The term low-fidelity once referred only to the quality of a sound signal. What is lo-fi music? How to make a lo-fi beat Common lo-fi production techniques How to find lo-fi samples Lo-fi music forever Specifically, a sonic signal of a poorer quality—usually […]
The post What is Lo-Fi? How to Make a Lo-fi Beat appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Music mogul Simon Cowell recently parted ways with Little Mix, the girl group he championed and signed after they won the X Factor in 2011. The reported reason? He had a falling out with their reps Modest Management amid a row over the songwriting splits on their single “Woman Like Me.” Some may think it's […]
The post What Are Songwriting Splits and Why You Need to Agree on Them Now appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Every week there are dozens of new music products announced. The gear industry is moving faster than ever and there’s always exciting new equipment on the horizon. But keeping up with it all can be exhausting, especially if you don’t check in regularly. That’s why we’re bringing you the top highlights and most notable new […]
The post Best New Gear: 7 Releases You Need to Know in June appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Thousands of artists trust LANDR Distribution to get their tracks on streaming platforms worldwide. But did you know we listen to every single submission? Here’s a taste of some incredible talent that comes from our distribution community. Hot summer days mean it's time to bump that new summer jam, check out some local music and […]
The post Staff Picks: 6 LANDR Artists We Loved in June appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Free plugins are one of the best things about being a producer in 2022. Quality music production tools have never been more accessible for the average musician. But with more freeware plugins showing up on the scene every day, knowing which ones are worth your time isn’t easy. That’s why we’re bringing you our top […]
The post Plugin Picks: 5 Inspiring Free VSTs to Get in June appeared first on LANDR Blog.
The birth of hip-hop in the late 1980s coincides with the launch of the E-Mu SP-1200 for a reason—the sampler revolutionized beat making and is largely responsible for the sound of boom-bap drums. It’s possible that hip-hop wouldn’t have gotten where it was without the SP-1200 being such an inspiring tool that was reasonably affordable […]
The post SP-1200: The Sampler That Changed Hip-Hop Forever appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Music-making contests are a valuable way to challenge your production skills and pique your creativity—whether you're participating in a remix contest, songwriting challenge or beat-making battle. Music, of course, is not a competition—but sometimes challenging yourself to create something that’ll get honest feedback is a great way to overcome writer's block and build your confidence. […]
The post The 5 Best Remix Contests and How to Win One appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Superbooth is a big event for anyone interested in synthesizers, modular and electronic music hardware. It’s an industry trade show held in Berlin that welcomes gear manufacturers from all over the world. With this year’s event concluded, it’s time to break down the most exciting releases, announcements and rumors from the floor. 1. Oberheim OB-X8 […]
The post Superbooth 2022: The 8 Best Highlights from the Event appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Working with a big-name producer can be a game-changer for an emerging artist—accessing expertise, new fans and industry attention is often a catalyst for making a big move. But finding opportunities like these can be a major hurdle, even if you have a growing audience. In the past, landing a big collab required some level […]
The post LANDR Challenges: Leverage Your Fans to Land a Big Collab With LXGEND! appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Your audio interface is the centerpiece of your home studio setup. It’s where you’ll connect your microphones, instruments, headphones, studio monitors and more. With such an important decision, it’s essential to choose the right interface for your needs as a producer. If you’re buying your first one, or shopping for an upgrade, you might have […]
The post The 8 Best USB-C Audio Interfaces in 2022 appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Garageband is many producers’ first experience with music production software. It’s a beginner DAW that comes standard with every Apple computer sold. But despite being built for casual musicians and producers, Garageband is still an excellent tool to create music in 2022. Even so, if you’ve never used any kind of recording software before, it […]
The post Garageband: The Beginner’s Guide to Apple’s Free DAW appeared first on LANDR Blog.
With the lack of interaction we’ve all felt over the past few years—it’s no surprise that many artists turned to online communities to foster interaction and meet new peers. But, most social media platforms aren’t necessarily designed with musicians and artists at the forefront. Really it’s not all that clear what’s the best network for […]
The post Network for Musicians: How Artists Find Each Other Online in 2022 appeared first on LANDR Blog.
When it comes to VST plugins, there are a few big names known for their use in electronic music. One of the most popular is Xfer Serum. Loved by emerging producers and pros alike, Serum is responsible for some of the most hard-hitting sounds in modern music production. But what exactly is Serum? How does […]
The post Xfer Serum: The Ultimate Guide for Beginners appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Booking a gig is always an exciting moment. The anticipation of an upcoming live performance is a huge motivator to finish songs and prepare to perform live. With the pandemic of 2020, it felt like live gigs would change forever—and they certainly have in many ways. But playing shows is still incredibly fun. There’s nothing […]
The post Booking Gigs: How to Book Your First Live Performance appeared first on LANDR Blog.
If you’re releasing new music, you might be wondering how to make a music video to help with your music promotion. After all, videos are one of the most engaging ways to get listeners interested in your music. But is it really worth it to make a music video? What does it take to make […]
The post How To Make A Music Video: 4 Inspiring Tips for DIY Artists appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Setting up drums is one of the most important things to consider before learning how to play. The proper drum setup and angle of your drums will affect how you play and learn. But how do you set up drums to optimize space, technique and comfort? In this article, I’ve broken the process down into […]
The post Drum Setup: How To Professionally Setup Your Drum kit appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Whenever you play live on stage, you need some way to hear what you’re playing. Many venues use traditional monitor wedges, but there’s another option. I’m talking about in-ear monitors. These are dedicated personal monitoring devices that go directly in your ears. Plenty of major touring artists use in-ear monitors, and many consider them the […]
The post In-ear Monitors: The 7 Best Earphones to Hear Yourself On Stage appeared first on LANDR Blog.
If there’s one thing that people love to hear in music it’s repetition. In fact, studies have shown that repeating, looping sounds grab people’s ears and activate certain areas the brain—so it’s no wonder that live looping has become a well-loved part of modern music performance. Since the early days of vinyl DJing, tape machines, […]
The post Live Looping: The 6 Best Looping Tools to Use Loops in Your Live Set appeared first on LANDR Blog.
To grow your music, your goal for a new release is to be heard by a wide audience of listeners. Tens of thousands of tracks are released every day on streaming platforms and the competition is tough. That’s why building a great promotion strategy is the first step to reaching the ears of fans and […]
The post Releasing Music in 2022: 6 Promotion Strategies That Work Right Now appeared first on LANDR Blog.
A high-pass filter is one of the most essential frequency shaping tools to understand for emerging producers. They’re found on EQ plugins, mic preamps, audio interfaces and more. But if you’ve never used this type of audio tool before, you might not know where to start with a high-pass filter. Luckily, using one in your […]
The post What is a High-pass Filter? How to Clear Up a Muddy Mix appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Mixing lo-fi music requires a specific approach for the best results. If you’re looking for the dustiest vintage vibes and nostalgic textures, you might not know where to start. Luckily, lo-fi mixing isn’t too demanding when you get the hang of it. In this article, I’ll break down the essential tips, techniques and tools you […]
The post Lo-fi Mixing: 5 Mix Tips for Dusty Vintage Beats appeared first on LANDR Blog.
The ARP 2600 is responsible for some of the most iconic synth sounds in popular culture. From the oscillating and undulating synth sound of The Who’s “Who Are You”, to the sounds of R2D2 in the first generation of Star Wars—you’ll find the ARP 2600 used time and time again. @landrmusic Learn about the beeps […]
The post The ARP 2600: How to Use this Iconic Synth in Your Tracks with Free VSTs appeared first on LANDR Blog.
NI Kontakt is one of the most popular sampling VSTs out there. In fact, it’s so common that users and third-party companies have created thousands of custom sounds for it. These Kontakt libraries are one of the biggest draws of the platform. But with so many third-party instruments available, which Kontakt libraries are worth getting? […]
The post The 8 Best Kontakt Libraries to Expand Your Sound appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Thousands of artists trust LANDR Distribution to get their tracks on streaming platforms worldwide. But did you know we listen to every single submission? Here’s a taste of some of the incredible talent that comes through our distribution community. With spring (nearly) in full swing, so much music is dropping. It makes sense, live shows […]
The post Staff Picks: 5 LANDR Distribution Artists We Loved in April appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Free plugins are one of the best things about being a producer in 2022. Quality music production tools have never been more accessible for the average musician. But with more freeware plugins showing up on the scene every day, knowing which ones are worth your time isn’t easy. That’s why we’re bringing you our top […]
The post Plugin Picks: 5 Free Plugins You Need to Try in April appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Have you ever wondered how the music charts get their results? Are sales and ranking numbers really accurate? The surprising answer has its roots in a program called Soundscan. It changed how the music industry calculates important figures for sales and plays. But how does it all work, and what does it mean for you […]
The post What is Soundscan? How Billboard Tracks Music Sales appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Every week there are dozens of new music products announced. The gear industry is moving faster than ever and there’s always exciting new equipment on the horizon. But keeping up with it all can be exhausting, especially if you don’t check in regularly. That’s why we’re bringing you the top highlights and most notable new […]
The post Best New Gear: 5 Releases You Need to Know in April appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Choosing a DAW for the first time isn’t easy. Making the switch from one DAW to another can be tricky too.
While today’s recording software is easier than ever to use, it still takes a while to learn your way around any new music production app. If you’re new to producing music, you might be deciding between Logic vs. Ableton for your main DAW.
It’s no surprise. Logic Pro and Ableton Live are two of the best DAW platforms for new producers.
So which one should you choose? What do you need to know to decide and what does it take to learn?
In this article I’ll break down the pros and cons of each DAW and explain why you might want to choose one over the other.
How to choose a DAW Before we get started, it’s worth mentioning that all DAWs are created for the same purpose—producing music.
While it may seem like there are huge differences from one to the next, many of the core functions are the same between programs.
In fact, today’s major DAWs are all capable of creating professional productions. The gaps in performance or features between different DAWs aren’t as wide as they used to be.
Making the right choice isn’t a life or death issue, and you can always change it up down the road. Not only that, many producers learn more than one DAW to stay flexible for different projects and collaborators.
That said, your main DAW should feel comfortable for your workflow and shouldn’t get in the way of your creativity.
Logic vs. Ableton—the key differences With the basics out of the way, I’ll break down the key differences between Logic and Ableton and explain who can benefit most from their core features.
Workflow Workflow means the basic process of building tracks in a DAW. There are plenty of different approaches that vary by genre and personal style.
On the surface, the single biggest workflow difference between Logic and Ableton is the loop-based sequencing environment in Live called the Session view.
On the surface, the single biggest workflow difference between Logic and Ableton lies in the loop-based sequencing environment in Live called the Session view.
Instead of a traditional left-to-right timeline, Session view lets you quickly capture loops and arrange them into patterns and sequences.
Clips in the Session view have their own powerful pane of controls—including the famous Warp function that allows you to manipulate tempo and pitch.
If you work with virtual instruments, loops or existing audio, you might find this approach faster and more flexible for creating tracks.
While Apple has debuted a loop-based view in the latest release of Logic Pro, it still feels more traditional overall.
For example, the Logic Pro mixer offers a more familiar experience for mixing full songs with features like configurable buses and per-channel EQ.
On top of that, you may find traditional timeline operations like level automation easier to perform in Logic.
Overall, if you prefer a linear timeline and plan to get serious about mixing, Logic may be the best way forward.
However, it’s hard to deny the creative boost of the Ableton Session view for building up loop-based tracks fast.
Hot tip: Previous versions of Live lacked staple recording features such as groups and comping. Ableton introduced great versions of these essential tracking tools in the new Live 11.
MIDI Logic and Ableton handle MIDI equally well although each has their own strong points.
Logic and Ableton handle MIDI equally well although each has their own strong points.
I mentioned above that the MIDI clips in the Session view are easy to arrange in Live.
But Logic offers deep MIDI editing capabilities that can be helpful for programming expressive parts. Its piano roll editor is sophisticated but not too complex for beginners to jump in and get started.
On top of that, Logic includes a powerful notation editor that can turn MIDI parts into written music quickly and accurately.
If you’d like to use MIDI to emulate real instruments or write traditional scored music, Logic might be a good choice.
That said, Ableton offers perhaps the easiest MIDI control of DAW parameters with external hardware. Simply click the MIDI Learn icon, select any parameter and move any knob, button or slider on your controller—Ableton will map it automatically!
This lends itself especially well to playing…live…which is a big benefit to choosing Ableton.
Built-in tools Today’s DAWs come with powerful instruments and effects that can be just as good as third-party plugins.
While you’ll probably want to curate your own suite of mixing tools over time, it’s good to start out with the basics covered.
Ableton Live is well known for its producer-friendly effects and great instruments. If you need quality synthesis and sampling tools for making beats, Ableton’s built-in options are hard to beat.
Their signature look and feel also makes these instruments some of the easiest to use, even for beginners.
If you’ve ever felt intimidated by FM synthesis or powerful wavetable synths, Ableton’s take on these essentials will have you designing sounds in no time.
Ableton Live is well known for its producer-friendly effects and great instruments. If you need quality synthesis and sampling tools for making beats, Ableton’s built-in options are hard to beat.
But if you’re more concerned with traditional recording techniques, Logic offers some key tools for working with musical performances.
For example, Flex Time and Flex Pitch offer audio editing capabilities that typically come with paid software like AutoTune.
They can be a lifesaver when it comes to vocal pitch correction and rhythm editing.
Logic also comes standard with several virtual instruments built to emulate studio favorites.
I’m talking about classic keyboards like the Hammond B3 organ or Rhodes electric piano.
Rounded out with the the flexible character compressor and new vintage EQ collection, Logic offers a complete set of tools right out of the box.
Extra features Today’s DAWs are more flexible than ever and many include features that go beyond typical audio processing.
I’ll list a few important ones here, but head over to our in-depth DAW guides if you want to learn more.
Video
Both Ableton Live 11 and Logic Pro feature the ability to add a video to the session. This is especially useful for creating soundtrack music or re-editing tracks for sync licensing.
Editing the video file is limited in both DAWs but at least you’ll be able to sync your work to the action on the timeline.
Spatial audio Recorded sound doesn’t just come in two channel stereo anymore. There’s home theater configurations like 5.1 and 7.1 and new standards like Dolby Atmos.
Apple is betting big on spatial audio with the introduction of Atmos to Apple Music in 2021. Conveniently, Logic Pro contains new features for mixing in this format if you’re interested in trying it out.
Live is a bit more limited in this respect, but Ableton recently released a Surround Panner device for their Max for Live modular environment (more on that in a second) that helps for mixing in these formats.
Max for Live This feature is unique to Ableton, but it expands the DAW’s power so much that it’s worth mentioning here. Max/MSP is a famous graphical programming language for audio used by composers and sound designers.
Max for Live is an edition of the software built to run inside Live. You can design and build almost any kind of musical tool you can imagine in Max for Live, but you don’t have to be a programming whiz to use it. There’s a large community out there developing custom devices available to download for free.
Price While features and workflow are certainly important, cost is a big factor at the end of the day.
While features and workflow are certainly important, cost is a big factor at the end of the day.
Pro DAW software doesn’t come cheap, but there are still big variations between apps with different tiers and plans available in some cases.
Logic has recently become cheaper than ever at a surprising $199 USD for the full version of the app. Refreshingly, there’s no subscription model either so paying this amount once means you’ll have access to the DAW forever.
Ableton comes in three price tiers with an introductory edition available for just $99 USD. Unfortunately, Live 11 Intro is severely limited in track count and I/O. I’d only recommend this option if you’re looking to experiment with Live’s basic features to see if it’s a good fit.
That leaves Live 11 Standard at $449 USD and Live 11 Suite at $749 USD. Standard contains all the essential features of Live without limitations, but you’ll need to buy Suite to use the full complement of instruments and effects.
Even with the high price, Live is still worth every penny. However, Logic Pro is cheaper overall.
Hot tip: Many beginner and intermediate music production products come bundled with an introductory version of Live. Look for a copy of Live Lite included with hardware products like MIDI Controllers and audio interfaces or even software.
Hardware Finally, there are a few hardware issues to consider as you decide between Logic and Ableton.
First off, it’s worth noting that Logic is only available for Mac computers. It’s one of Apple’s flagship pro apps, so don’t expect a Windows version any time soon.
Ableton works just as well on either platform, so it might be high on your list if you use a PC for production.
When it comes to hardware, Ableton has a handful of specialized controllers that have been developed to let you go hands-on with all its features.
We broke down the whole list in this article, but the most important one to know is the Push. It was built by the Ableton team to be the perfect hands-on companion to Live.
If you’re planning to play your DAW like an instrument Ableton has the best dedicated controllers.
Hot tip: Although Live is known for its use in performances, Mainstage is the companion app to Logic that many musicians use as a VST host to perform live. Check out our VST Host breakdown to see how this type of app functions in a live setting.
Logic vs. Ableton—the verdict As I pointed out above, there’s no clear winner when it comes to choice of DAW. It’s all about what works for you.
That said, you may have identified some common threads in my breakdown of Logic and Ableton Live, so here’s my advice in a nutshell:
Choose your own adventure Deciding on which DAW to use may seem daunting, but it shouldn’t stop you from getting started as a producer.
In the end, any DAW you choose is a great start, even if you have to make a change down the road.
If you’ve made it through this article you’ll at least have a head start on two of the most popular DAWs for new producers.
The post Logic vs. Ableton: The Ultimate DAW Comparison appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Trap drum kits have such a distinct drum sound that evolved out of the underground scene in Atlanta—the booming bass of car subs and club speakers are why trap producers gravitated to the subby and huge sounds of the 808.
Today, most trap producers use trap drums that are based on the sound of the original TR-808 drum machine—with a ton of modification of course.
808 kicks, bass hits, snare, hats all have evolved through various sound design processes into the loud, slamming trap drums you hear in trap music today.
But, not everyone has the time or technical know-how to make modern trap drums—that’s why many producers use expertly crafted trap drum kits to ensure their sound is up to par.
In this article, we’ll identify 10 of the best trap drum kit sample packs to help you make your next trap hit!
Let’s get started.
- Drill Trap Drums
Drill is a special sub-genre of trap music that came out of the Chicago underground—it’s known for its heavy use of grating hi-hats, complex rhythms and punchy 808s.
Drill is known for its heavy use of grating hi-hats, complex rhythms and punchy 808s.
Drill Trap drums definitely does not disappoint, offering a wide selection of crunchy hi-hat sounds, fat kicks and chunky 808s.
Our favorite sample from the pack: ESDTD_drill_trap_full_drum_loop_140_drop it
- Trap Drums
Trap Drums from Elemental Sound is a glossy trap drum kit with high production quality kicks, 808s, snares and more.
If you’re looking to make beats that are inspired by chart-topping trap hits, definitely give this pack a try.
Our favorite sample from the pack: ESTD_Trap_Full_Drum_Loop_130bpm_Antidote
- Drill Trap Beat Starters
Here’s another great drill-inspired pack, because why not?
In Drill Trap Beat Starters, you’ll find tons of inspiration, drum loops and of course plenty of expertly crafted trap drum samples.
If coming up with Drill-style trap beats is a challenge for you, stop here to get inspired.
Our favorite sample from the pack: LANDR_DTB_HiHat_03_140bpm
- Heat – Explosive Drum Kit
Explosive is definitely a good way to describe the way some trap drums sound.
This trap sample pack is all about that heat, with tons of fiery loops and drum hits.
Our favorite sample from the pack: JSH_Blvck_Top_Loop_135BPM
- Trap Cassette Drum Kits
Lo-fi trap has some unique characteristics that demand a certain set of drum sounds.
Specifically, lo-fi trap drums often use crunchier, filtered, saturated and warbling sounds associated with cassette tape recordings.
Trap Cassette Drum Kits is perfect for creating lo-fi trap vibes on the drums, so definitely give this pack a look if you’re making lo-fi trap.
Our favorite sample from the pack: ESTCD_Trap_Cassette_Drum_Kit_4_Full_Loop_160bpm_Neptune
- Smoked Trap Drum Kit
Smoky studios, neon lights and heavy hitting drums best describe the Smoked Trap Drum Kit sound.
Evoking the drums sound of major artists like Drake and Migos–this is pack shines particularly bright.
Our favorite sample from the pack: ESSM_trap_full_drum_loop_120_matter of slime
- Drip Kit Trap Drums
Here’s a shiny, dripping trap drum kit from Elemental Sound.
In this pack, you get tons of inspiring loops and a ton of high-production-value drum sounds.
Our favorite sample from the pack: ESDK_trap_full_drum_160_sip n juice
- 8-Bit Trap Drum Kit
If you’re looking for a more unique, video game-inspired sound—check out 8-Bit Trap Drum Kit.
A more unique, video game-inspired sound.
The kit features highly processed drums with a particular emphasis on bit crushed kicks, snares, hats and crashes.
Our favorite sample from the pack: ES8B_8bit_trap_full_drum_loop_140_badboi
- Interstellar Kit
The Interstellar Kit is a bit more than just a trap drum kit—it’s a full construction kit that serves as a great place for inspiring new beats with full track loops.
This is a huge sample pack, so don’t be afraid to be specific with the sounds you’re looking for.
Our favorite sample from the pack: SHAKERLOOP3_114bpm
- Zaza Trap
If you still haven’t found a sample pack that fits your taste, here’s a more low-key, slightly emo trap-inspired trap drum kit.
Zaza Trap is all about those new sounds and styles in trap and it’s an inspiring starting point for your next track.
Our favorite sample from the pack: ZAZA_TRAP_Drum Loop_01_143BPM
The post The 10 Best Trap Drum Kits for Booming Beats appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Have ever wondered why there are so many different album formats out there? It’s not always entirely clear why artists treat album formats differently and use them for different purposes.
Most of these formats come from the history of commercial vinyl releases—albums weren’t a popular trend until the 50s when record players were affordable for most Americans.
That’s why album releases fit into a specific amount of time, with two “sides”—it’s because of the physical limitations of vinyl records.
Even though most songs are released through digital means—the album format and its variants carry on, even if these limitations are no longer relevant.
Instead, various album formats are used for different marketing angles, they say something about who the release is for and how the audience is expected to listen to the release.
Let’s explore the history of album formats and look at how they fit within the modern context as both a vessel for musical art and as a tool for framing the promotion of a release.
What is an album? In music, an album is a collection of songs with a side A and a side B representing the two sides of a long-playing (LP) vinyl record.
Before the standard album format, vinyl records were mostly compilations of singles from different artists—or they’d be recordings of orchestras playing through their repertoire.
It really wasn’t until bands like the Beatles pioneered the album format and started recording collections of songs designed to fit within an album format and to be marketed as such.
The 5 most common album formats Let’s explore the five most common album formats in music—the LP, double LP, EP, single and mixtape.
- The LP The LP originally contained space for 23 minutes on each side for a maximum of 46 minutes, that’s why an album will typically fall within that time frame.
Although later on, many albums were a bit longer since technology improved to allow each side to go slightly beyond 23 minutes.
This is of course compounded with digital music removing these barriers entirely.
This length of time made for a great canvas for artists to create their musical releases.
Despite the limitations of a 46 minute playing period, this length of time made for a great canvas for artists to create their musical releases.
An artist could create an entire narrative and explore a good deal of ideas and sounds within the context of an album—and listeners found the length to be a convenient amount of time to commit to sitting down and listening to an entirely finished piece.
Hence why the original vinyl album format is credited for starting the album era of music—and why it’s still the main format for major releases today.
- The double LP The double LP is originally was a release that came with two vinyl records—meaning the album had four sides and an approximate playing time of 1 hour and 32 minutes.
Double LPs have always been associated with being an artist’s magnum opus—or greatest work.
During the 60s to the late 80s—a double LP release would constitute a major release containing the artist’s best work.
Double LPs have always been associated with being an artist’s magnum opus—or greatest work.
This was due in part to the high cost of releasing a double LP—and the work involved with writing and recording an hour and a half worth of material.
The Wall by Pink Floyd and The White Album by the Beatles are examples of iconic double LPs that were received as major releases and widely considered to be a major peak for the artist’s careers.
Double LPs are also often reserved for compilations of greatest hits, especially for post-humous releases that comprise an artist’s entire body of work.
- The EP Extended-play albums, or EPs, are shorter than an LP album but longer than a two-sided single—they’ll typically feature 4-5 tracks with a playtime of 25 to 30 minutes.
Originally EPs became popular because they were cheaper to produce and ship—they were smaller and lighter than heavy vinyl LPs.
That’s why they became popular with punk and indie groups later on in the late 70s and 80s.
In general, EP releases are most often used by up-and-coming artists that are looking to release something a bit more quickly, for a lower cost.
They served as a good medium for an artist to have a reasonable amount of creative space to really show their sound—without having to write a longer, more expensive album.
Many up-and-coming artists today will plan their first release (that isn’t a single) as an EP release since an EP will receive softer criticism from music reviewers and will often be marketed as an artist’s first step towards a bigger release.
- The single The single is arguably the most important type of musical release—especially in the digital streaming era.
In general, the single has always been an important of an artist’s marketing strategy.
Singles are useful for promoting the upcoming release of an upcoming album since it gives press and radio a specific track to promote and review.
The single release usually represents an artist’s best single piece of work—or at least a single should be a memorable, catchy track.
Think of a single as the track that has the most mass appeal for the largest possible audience.
Singles rarely go longer than 3:30 in length and should be specifically written to fit into radio and playlist rotations.
In the days of vinyl, most singles came out as a two-sided—or two-song—release, simply because a single vinyl has two sides and therefore needed two songs.
But, with digital distribution and algorithm-based recommendations on streaming platforms, single releases have become more popular than ever—especially in the electronic music and hip-hop scene.
These genres typically rely on a small, agile team of producers that can output tracks very quickly, so it makes sense for them to constantly be putting single tracks up that’ll attract fans and streaming algorithm attention.
- The mixtape Here’s an interesting album release format that comes from the hip-hop scene during the cassette tape era.
Cassettes could be quickly and cheaply duplicated and then sold or even passed out for free.
In the 90s, cassettes were by and away the most affordable way to release music.
Hip-hop producers and rappers would dub their tracks onto cassettes that could be quickly and cheaply duplicated and then sold or even passed out for free at ciphers, DJ nights and rap shows.
Whether you were marketing yourself as an up-and-coming rapper, or if you were promoting a release—the mixtape was a fresh, light-hearted and affordable format for releasing tracks.
Even with the digitization of music, it’s still very much part of the hip tradition to release mixtapes featuring a mish-mash of tracks—Drake, Chance the Rapper and Young Thug have all released digital mixtapes that were marketed differently from their more serious album releases.
The cool thing about the mixtape is that there are very few rules about how long it should be or whether it needs to have any sort of curation.
It’s simply a collection of songs that the artist simply publishes, often with little fanfare—that’s why the term “dropping my mixtape” refers to a sudden release with a collection of interesting and catchy songs.
Roll out your album format
Producing and releasing music is never easy. Just the fact that you managed to write, record, produce and finalize something that’s ready for release is impressive. Good work!
Don’t get caught up in the semantics about what your release is—if you want it to be an album, not an EP, call it an album.
The realities of releasing music have changed dramatically with streaming platforms and digital mediums, the he physical limitations and cost of vinyl are much less of a concern than they used to be.
Of course, the single release should be an important part of your promotion strategy—but other than that its up to you what format your release will take.
Whether it be an album, EP, double LP, mixtape or single—good luck with your next release!
Hot tip: if you’re releasing music to streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music and beyond check out LANDR Distribution for help with getting your release worldwide.
Start my release
The post Album Formats: What’s the Difference Between an LP, EP, and a Single? appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Click tracks are a fundamental part of any DAW recording session.
In fact, setting the project tempo with a click track is one of the first actions you’ll take when you start a new song.
But how well do you really know your click tracks? Do you know why they’re important and how to use them best?
In this article I’ll go through the basics of click tracks, explain why you always need one and suggest some tips to get more from your metronome.
Let’s get started.
What is a click track?
A click track is a DAW feature that provides a tempo reference for musicians to keep their parts in time.
Click tracks are used to sync overdubs with previously recorded material. They also let producers move audio across the tempo grid without throwing off the rhythm.
In the analog era, metronome clicks were recorded to a spare track on the tape machine to create the timing reference.
Today’s DAWs create tempo tracks automatically, and they often don’t appear as a separate track on your timeline.
When they do, they’re usually in the form of a special VST plugin like Logic’s Klopfgeist or Avid’s Click II in Pro Tools.
Built-in clicks like Ableton Live‘s metronome typically appear as part of the transport pane that can be toggled on and off.
Why use a click track? It’s tempting to think that metronome clicks make music feel soulless and sterile. It can be true in some cases, but the benefits of tracking to a click are hard to ignore.
If you’ve ever tried to play along to a recorded track that’s not in time, you might know what I mean.
Multitrack recording only works if each new layer syncs up with the last. Without a tempo reference from a click track there’s no common pulse to line up new tracks.
For example, most producers lay down percussion tracks early in the production process. If the drummer speeds up and slows down throughout the song, the other musicians will have to match their timing.
While it might feel easy to do while jamming together in person, it’s much more unpredictable when multitracking. The result is a loose and scattered feel without a sense of rhythmic unity.
Click tracks fix it by providing a locked tempo for the whole recording session. Even if a few tracks are slightly out of time, the song feels tighter since each track references the click.
Multitrack recording only works if each new layer syncs up with the last. Without a tempo reference from a click track there’s no common pulse to line up new tracks.
Not only that, tempo-synced audio gives producers much more flexibility during audio editing. They can easily move sections around the timeline without worrying about losing the feel of the groove.
Finally, the idea that metronome clicks make music boring is mostly a myth. The reality is that it’s perfectly possible to play expressive rhythms and stay locked into a tempo.
Metronomes were used in recording for decades before DAWs took over, and it’s only recently that click tracks have come under criticism.
Excessive DAW editing is more to blame for robotic rhythms, so just remember not to go overboard aligning every single note to the grid.
4 tips to get more from your click tracks Click tracks might seem like a minor detail in music production. But they provide the foundation for the tempo that gives your song its groove.
With that in mind, using them well is important for getting the most out of your recording sessions.
Here are four tips to help you use click tracks more effectively.
- Change the metronome sound Click tracks are meant to be heard clearly over the other elements in your mix. That means they have to be loud and easy to recognize.
For some musicians, the harsh metronome clicks can be distracting when you’re trying to feel the groove.
Luckily, it’s possible to change the sound of most DAW clicks to a range of different tones.
Try a more musical click sound like a woodblock if you find the stock click too aggressive.
For some musicians, harsh metronome clicks can be distracting when trying to feel the groove.
- Use a count-in Some DAWs include an option to give yourself a count-in click before recording begins.
This can be especially useful if you’re tracking to recorded rhythm parts and don’t need a continuous metronome throughout the song.
For example, in Ableton Live’s Session view, recording to a new clip begins immediately. If you want to begin playing on the first recorded downbeat, you’ll have to set a count-in.
You can specify how many bars to add to the count-in, but one or two bars works well in most cases.
Hot tip: Setting a count-in is also important while punching in for overdubs. In these cases your DAW may have a specific workflow for defining when recording starts and stops.
- Change the subdivisions A basic click track plays the quarter note pulse of the rhythmic meter you specify in the song’s time signature.
This works well for most musical situations. But it’s not always perfect for very fast or very slow tempos.
In these situations, you may need to change the click behavior for a more comfortable tempo reference.
For slow tempos, a metronome click on the eighth note can help you stay locked in when there’s more space between quarter note pulses.
For fast tempos, using a half-note click can reduce clutter from too many pulses on the rapid quarter notes.
Experiment with different subdivisions if you’re having trouble tracking to quarter note click.
- Tap in the tempo You might not always know the right tempo for your song when you first start recording. Sometimes it can be difficult to find the BPM value that aligns with the groove in your head.
That’s where tap tempo comes in. Instead of choosing a BPM by tempo value, you can use a tap tempo function to sync the DAW to you.
Ableton Live‘s tempo control bar features a handy tap tempo that automatically sets session tempo after you tap it in.
If your DAW doesn’t have a built-in tap tempo function, there are plenty of online tools that let you tap in the tempo with your space bar.
Once you know the BPM you can enter it directly into your session’s tempo field.
Power of the pulse Recording to a click takes some getting used to when you first start. But it’s worth it.
As you produce more music, you’ll see just how important a solid rhythmic foundation can be to a great song.
Use the tips in this article to get better results from your DAW metronome and get tighter rhythms in your tracks.
The post Click Tracks: 4 Metronome Tips for Better Rhythm in Your DAW appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Vocals are one of the most important elements of any mix. That makes mixing them well a major concern for all producers.
And while compression, send effects and proper editing are important for a good sound, many beginner and intermediate mixers struggle with how to EQ vocals for the best fit in the mix.
No two vocal recordings will need the exact same EQ decisions to work, but there are some basic techniques you can use if you don’t know where to start.
In this article, I’ll explain everything you need to know about vocal EQ and suggest 6 mix tips for better mixed vocals.
Vocal EQ basics
First off, you’ll need to understand the fundamentals of EQ to make the right decisions for your vocals.
EQ is the tool used in mixing to sculpt the frequency balance of the sounds in your DAW session.
The raw sound sources in your project have energy at different frequency ranges that can overlap and cause masking.
If you need the full breakdown on EQ in mixing, head over to our guide to brush up.
But if you just need the basics, your main task with EQ is to make sounds fit together so that each can be heard clearly in the mix.
It’s easier said than done, but the best way to get started is to dive in and experiment with EQ plugins.
By boosting or cutting the relative gain of different frequencies with EQ filters, you can give each sound its own space in the mix and let its best qualities shine.
By boosting or cutting the relative gain of different frequencies with EQ filters, you can give each sound its own space in the mix and let its best qualities shine.
How to EQ vocals in 5 steps
With the basics out of the way, here are six tips you can use to mix better vocals.
- Decrease boomy lows with a high-pass filter It’s common during vocal tracking for vocalists to sing close enough to the microphone to introduce proximity effect.
It means an increase in low frequencies that happens with some microphone polar patterns.
The closer you position a cardioid microphone to the source of a sound, the more low end is emphasized in the signal.
This can be a powerful effect to make vocals sound thick, warm and larger than life.
But too much low end can cause muddiness and dull sound that gets lost in a mix.
The first EQ move many engineers make is to set a high-pass filter to remove bass frequencies that aren’t contributing positively to the sound.
For me this is usually between 40-85 Hz. Higher frequencies may work for you, just be careful not to remove too much warmth and authority from the lows.
This technique can also help reduce rumbling sounds from the singer shifting position around the mic.
- Boost the highs Modern vocal production needs to soar above the mix with sophisticated top end.
Even with a bright microphone, you may need to boost the high frequencies with EQ for the sparkle and shine you need.
This is a delicate task since increasing the highs can introduce harshness if you’re not careful.
I generally start with my smoothest sounding EQ plugin and experiment with boosts between 8 kHz and 15 kHz.
It pays to be gentle here since even a few dB at these frequencies can make a big difference for an already bright sound.
The trick is to make sure you’re not accidentally boosting the range where the singer’s voice creates sibilance.
Which brings me to my next point…
- Use a de-esser This technique isn’t strictly EQ, but it affects the vocal’s frequency balance so I’ll include it here.
You may have noticed as you mix that certain vocal sounds are harder to control than others with EQ.
The most common culprit is sibilance, or the harsh scraping sound that can happen with some microphones when the vocalist pronounces an “S” syllable.
De-essers reduce it by attenuating the signal only in the range where the “S” sounds pop out most.
If you need a more in-depth guide to de-esser plugins, we created a list of the best ones with tips on how to use them.
For most de-essers, all you need to do is select the range where the “S” sounds are most offensive and decide how much to reduce them with a threshold control.
- Sculpt the mids The midrange frequencies are where most of the harmonic and melodic sounds in your mix conflict.
The midrange frequencies are where most of the harmonic and melodic sounds in your mix conflict.
That makes it especially hard to manage with EQ for the best sound.
Unfortunately there’s no correct answer here when it comes to vocals. Every mix is unique and requires different choices for the best result.
That said, here are a few common EQ moves and the effect they produce to help you get started.
Add warmth Low midrange frequency boosts can help warm up a brittle vocal track. I sometimes try narrow boosts between 250 Hz and 700 Hz if the vocal track sounds too thin.
This range is often associated muddiness, so boosting too much here can reduce definition. If your vocal is already warm enough might not need it!
Decrease boxiness Some vocal sounds contain so much midrange that they sound filtered and narrow. Many engineers use the term “boxy” to describe this quality.
To help reduce it you can scoop out some midrange between 800 and 2.5 kHz with a broad Q filter. This can make the vocals sound more hi-fi and extended, especially if you’re boosting the high end as well.
Add power On the other hand, some genres call for aggressive vocal sounds that punch through the mix with presence and power.
In these cases smooth, scooped vocals may not have enough edge to sit in the right place.
If you’re facing this issue you can experiment with boosting midrange frequencies between 1 kHz and 2.5 kHz.
It’s especially common to hear this type of vocal EQ in genres with mostly electronic production.
Without midrange instruments like distorted guitar or traditional keyboards, there’s a lot more space for the vocal to pack a punch.
Soften harsh areas Some vocal recordings have harsh elements that get distracting as you add compression.
These tend to occur in the areas where your ears are most sensitive between 3 kHz and 6 kHz.
Sometimes a surgical cut to this frequency range can reign in harshness and give a smoother sound overall.
Just be careful because cutting too much can bury some detail.
- Add saturation for extra glow
Finally, this last technique isn’t exactly EQ, but it’s an alternative you may find useful for some vocal sounds.
Some vocal sounds contain so much midrange that they sound filtered and narrow. Many engineers use the term “boxy” to describe this quality.
Saturation in mixing is musical clipping that adds drive and harmonics to a sound. At extreme settings, it verges into full-on distortion, but that’s not what I’m talking about here.
For vocal mixing, saturation is usually gentle tone-shaping that’s meant to give vocals more presence in the mix.
As you introduce clipping with saturation plugins, the upper midrange frequencies become richer and more apparent in the overall texture.
If simple EQ boosts aren’t giving you enough activity in this area, light saturation can bring it out in a unique way.
Just be careful not to go overboard and create a lo-fi overdriven vocal—unless that’s what you’re going for!
To help keep saturation under control, many engineers blend it in parallel so it doesn’t get overwhelming.
Great equalizer EQing vocals can seem like a daunting task, but there’s nothing to be afraid of once you break it down.
If you use your ears and take inspiration from the tips I described above you’ll have a great start for a better mix.
The post How to EQ Vocals: 5 Tips for a Better Mix appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Mixing bass is one of the most difficult parts of producing a balanced track.
Pro mixes almost always have powerful low end that moves air and gives the song a solid foundation.
But what does it take to make bass sounds fit well in a mix? What are the main techniques and how do they apply to different types of bass?
In this article I’ll break down the basics and suggest five strategies to mix better bass in your tracks.
Bass mixing fundamentals
Let’s start with why it’s so hard to get your low end to sit right in a mix.
First off, there are lots of sources in any DAW session that have energy in the low frequencies.
Drums, synth patches, acoustic instruments and even vocals contain a spectrum of frequencies with some energy concentrated in the low end.
Drums, synth patches, acoustic instruments and even vocals contain a spectrum of frequencies with some energy concentrated in the low end.
One of the main mistakes beginner and intermediate mixers make has to do with this issue. Mixing music is about clearing up space for each sound to sit, but it can feel uncomfortable to filter lots of low end if you listen to your sounds in solo.
But if you listen in the context of the mix, the truth is you can use a high-pass filter to clear out excessive lows on many elements that don’t need to occupy this range.
The key is to start with a plan for which instruments will sit in each range and focus on the most important frequencies to bring out these qualities.
Of course, the best solution is to capture sounds with this in mind so you don’t end up with too much bass in the first place.
Secondly, bedroom studios can have notoriously poor acoustics if they aren’t set up with acoustic treatment.
This means that even if you have an excellent set of monitor speakers, your room might give you an inaccurate picture of your mix—especially for your low frequencies.
It means you’ll struggle to clearly hear the separation between instruments and gauge how low end much is too much.
6 Tips for Better Bass Mixing Even though it may seem difficult, you can mix bass well if you understand the problems I described above and follow a handful of key strategies.
Here are 6 essential tips for mixing better bass.
- Know your low frequencies How well do you know your frequency ranges by ear? If you’ve never stopped to think about exactly which ones you need to boost or cut with EQ, it’s time to brush up.
Try boosting and cutting specific ranges as you sculpt your sounds with EQ. Your results will be different in every mix, but here’s a rough breakdown of the bass frequency ranges to know.
30 Hz and below This is the deepest bass range that some producers call the “sub bass.”
It’s very close to the lower limit of human hearing at 20 Hz. Sounds in this range are more felt than heard.
In fact, sub bass sounds cause issues in the majority of mixes since consumer speakers can rarely reproduce these frequencies well.
Some ultra-low end information may be important depending on the genre, but if your mix lacks clarity, it’s often best to remove it or decrease it with a high-pass filter.
35-60 Hz This range usually includes the low-end body of the bass drum, whether it’s a kick sample or an acoustic kit.
Since it’s the lowest audible range in the mix, many producers like to boost here to make the mix sound deeper and more extended. My advice is to be gentle and choose only one element to accentuate here.
60-100 Hz This range usually includes the power and weight of the bass sound itself. Many of the notes have their fundamental frequency in this area.
It certainly needs to stand out in the mix, just be careful about boosting too much. Extra energy here can conflict with the low mids.
- Carve out around it As you make mix decisions about your bass, the rest of the sounds matter too.
Moving up the frequency range, the low midrange has a strong effect on the space where your bass can fit.
The problem is that most instruments and voices have a lot going on in this area. The trick is to carve it out enough that nothing sounds thin and still provide space below for bass and kick.
You’ll often hear engineers suggest scooping lots of 300 Hz out of kick drum sounds. The reason is to declutter this area so the low end instruments command only one range.
You’ll often hear engineers suggest scooping lots of 300 Hz out of kick drum sounds. The reason is to declutter this area so the low end instruments command only one range.
You can do the same with your bass sound if it has lots of energy in this area.
- Boost the highs This bass mixing technique might be counterintuitive for some. But most bass sounds get their definition from the high frequencies, not just the subby lows.
Just like the other sounds in your mix, there’s a lot happening in a complex bass sound in different frequency ranges.
In some cases, you may need to boost the high end to get enough sparkle for a bass to stand out in the mix.
And while high frequencies like 8 kHz and above are worth exploring, other bass types might need more power in the upper mids.
In these cases, adding energy at 2.5 kHz-5 kHz can give bass sound the extra push they need to compete in an aggressive mix.
Just be careful as you boost frequencies in this range since adding too much can get harsh.
- Focus on the attack It’s tempting to apply heavy compression to bass sounds to make sure your low end elements are consistent and controlled.
Good compression is important for bass, but it’s easy to go too far. The initial attack of the bass is important to give your brain the important details about its timbre.
Squash it down too much and it won’t pop—no matter how much you push the fader.
The initial attack of the bass is important to give your brain the important details about its timbre.
The solution is to use a slow enough attack time to ensure the initial transient has space to breathe. If you’re not sure how that works, head over to our guide to compression for the full breakdown.
If you’re using a synth bass with naturally subdued attack, try adjusting the patch to get more definition at the note onset.
Hot tip: Using the noise oscillator in your patch can help add energy to the onset of sounds created with analog-style subtractive synthesis. Alternatively, FM synth basses are naturally punchy and aggressive, so these are worth a try if you’re stuck.
- Add saturation Many modern bass synth styles require flat, subby bass tones that boom underneath the mix.
I’m talking about any bass synth with roots in the pitched 808 kick oscillator that’s common in trap and hip-hop.
This sound is very close to a raw sine wave with no additional harmonics in the high frequencies.
This can make it tough to attack with EQ since boosting the highs won’t have a strong effect.
It’s the reason why many producers use saturation to help give it a harder edge. Saturation plugins introduce controlled clipping that adds harmonic richness to the sound.
This additional information helps the upper midrange frequencies stand out and be heard in the mix.
A nice trick is to blend saturation in parallel so you can control the balance of the dry and saturated sounds.
Bass is your mix foundation Mixing bass can be difficult for some producers, but it’s nothing to be scared of once you break it down.
In fact, mixing bass well is one of the most important skills for any engineer.
If you understand the basics and have a few key techniques to guide you, you’ll never worry about bad bass again.
The post How to Mix Bass: 5 Mix Tips for Stronger Low End appeared first on LANDR Blog.
If you’ve ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes to produce top 40 music productions, you’d better ask an audio engineer.
Today’s biggest artists wouldn’t sound how they do if they didn’t work with the best of the best audio engineers the industry has to offer.
So if you’re an emerging producer or if you’re wondering what it takes to become a professional audio engineer it’s a good idea to get up to speed with what exactly audio engineers do to produce quality recordings.
In this article, we’ll explore the specific tasks an audio engineer performs, the career path for becoming an audio engineer and a handful of cases where you might want to hire one—even if you’re on a budget!
Let’s dive in.
What is an audio engineer? Audio engineers are music industry professionals that specialize in recording live audio, mixing, post-production and mastering. An audio engineer possesses the know-how to produce and finish recordings.
Typically audio engineers will have some college education or vocational training at a specialized recording studio, however, many audio engineers are also self-taught under the guidance of a mentor.
An audio engineer possesses the know-how to produce and finish recordings.
What does an audio engineer do? Audio engineers can be contracted to record a variety of live sound recordings—this may range from orchestral performances, band performances, sound for film and television, field recording, live audio production and beyond.
In general, audio engineers are responsible for creating high-quality sound recordings that meet the expectations of the contractor whether that be an artist or another media producer.
Audio engineering involves a handful of basic activities, here’s a few of the specific tasks they’ll handle day-to-day.
Maintaining and managing a professional recording studio To record professional sound you need a professional studio and you need to manage said studio.
Audio engineers are responsible for overseeing the design and building of their studio, making sure it has all the necessary equipment and acoustically treating each of the rooms.
Of course, building a professional studio requires a significant investment—so an audio engineer will have to carefully budget for various expenses when building a studio.
Usually, this involves working with a team of engineers to create a business around the studio.
Once the studio is ready for recording—it’s up to the head audio engineer to keep it in good working order and keep bookings and contracts rolling in.
While the business side of running a professional studio isn’t the most appealing part of audio engineering, there’s no doubt that it’s one of the most important parts of the job.
You won’t last long if your studio isn’t professionally built and managed, or if you’re not actively booking contracts and recording live performances.
You won’t last long if your studio isn’t professionally built and managed.
Producing quality recordings The most obvious part of an audio engineer’s job is the process of actually recording live sound.
Audio engineers must be experienced in micing techniques, signal routing and have the ability to understand what sort of recording setup is best for various live ensembles.
They also need to have some people skills to work with producers and artists to get the performances possible.
Mixing recordings Once an audio engineer has successfully recorded quality audio it’s time to take the recordings in the mix room and begin shaping and molding the recordings into something near-complete.
This requires knowledge of various mixing practices including, EQ, compression, filtering, gain staging, effects, layering, pitch correction and much more.
Mixing engineers will often draft a first mix of a track or of an album and then make revisions based on the artist’s comments and requests.
Mastering the final mix After a final version of a track or album’s mix is completed there’s one last step in the audio engineering process—mastering.
This is a technical process that polishes each track to make it sound as good as it can on any speaker—it also makes each track compete in terms of loudness on streaming services and radio.
Essentially, mastering is the final step because it takes a mixed track or album and sets it up to sound as good as it can as a commercial release.
This special process is often done by professional mastering engineers with experience in professional audio mastering.
Hot tip: Human masters are very good, but they come at a high cost. LANDR offers online mastering tools that make it possible to get high-quality mastering done quickly and affordably.
How to become an audio engineer There’s no specific learning path required to become a professional audio engineer.
There’s no specific learning path required to become a professional audio engineer.
Many audio engineers get their start working as junior engineers in larger professional studios—or they hustle to build their name and studio by slowly building their portfolio and network.
The key to becoming a professional audio engineer is getting experience in the studio, working on many projects and finding a way to ultimately own, maintain and manage your own studio.
Your best bet is to start working on your own projects—sometimes getting pro-bono experience is the only way to get your foot in the door, just be careful about being taken advantage of.
Of course, studying the practice of audio engineering at a recording arts school or university won’t hurt your chances and certainly will give you opportunities to build your network—but, just because you have a degree or certificate doesn’t mean you’ll find work right out of college.
When to hire an audio engineer If you’re an emerging producer who’s wondering whether it’s worth your time and money to hire an engineer—now you have an idea of the kinds of services they offer.
Of course, audio engineers offers their services at a variety of price points. Top-tier engineers may charge $300+ per hour, while others may charge per track or per revision.
If you decide to hire an audio engineer it’s definitely best to have a plan and know exactly what you need—it’s better for everyone involved if there’s a clear focus on what tasks need to be done.
For jobs that can be done remotely like mixing, where you might be able to simply send over a .zip file of recordings you can expect a lower price tag.
But, if you’re physically going into a studio and recording with professional gear, you should be ready to budget for something a bit more expensive.
Finding a good audio engineer can be challenging, especially if you don’t live in a major urban center.
Finding a good audio engineer can be challenging, especially if you don’t live in a major urban center.
Luckily there are online marketplaces that make it super easy to network and connect with hundreds if not thousands of audio engineers around the world.
LANDR Network for example, has a wide selection of incredible audio engineering talent all of whom offer a variety of services.
If you’re seriously considering hiring an audio engineer but aren’t sure where to look, definitely go browse the talent available to work for you on LANDR Network.
Best of all, LANDR Network creates an easy and safe space to collaborate and work on music remotely—so you can hire anyone anywhere and access the best from around the world.
The professional touch Writing and producing music is hard, so you shouldn’t expect yourself to know everything about recording, producing and finishing a track professionally.
There’s no shame in hiring someone to help you get your tracks over the finish line—so why not treat your art with the respect it deserves and hire a professional audio engineer.
Learning the ins and outs of audio engineering takes time and dedication, so if you’re just getting started with making music the best way to learn is by working on your own tracks—and sometimes hiring professionals when you need it.
Music-making is a journey and it takes time to learn how to record music and get a great sound.
Never stop learning and don’t be afraid to get the help you need when the time comes!
The post Audio Engineers: What Do They Do and How to Become One? appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Ableton Live is a first choice DAW for producers of hip-hop and electronic music.
With the easy MIDI editing and loop-based workflow in the Session view, it’s purpose-built for building tracks up fast.
But there’s another reason emerging producers flock to Ableton—its great built-in plugins.
And while every producer needs their own custom suite of mixing tools, you can do a lot using only the instruments and effects that come stock with Ableton Live.
Every producer needs their own custom suite of mixing tools, but you can do a lot using only the instruments and effects that come stock with Ableton Live.
In this article, I’ll break down the top seven Ableton plugins in Live 11 and suggest some creative ways to use them in your music.
Let’s get started.
- Simpler
I’ll kick this list off with a classic Ableton plugin from the early days of Live. As the name suggests, Simpler is a straightforward yet powerful sampler tool that puts creativity first.
Simpler lets you manipulate a single sample in three different modes. In classic mode, playing a key on a MIDI controller repitches the sample so you can play it like an instrument.
In this mode, you can adjust the start and end time of the sample as well as the crossover point for smooth sample looping.
When set to 1-shot, the sample plays through once in either trigger or gate modes.
Finally, slicing mode plays back different segments of the sample depending on the MIDI note number you play.
In all three modes, you’ll get a powerful filter and ADSR control to shape the sample’s envelope and frequency balance.
There’s too much you can do with Simpler to cover it all here, but it’s so easy to use that you can just dive in and experiment to see how it works.
Hot tip: No matter how you use Simpler, working with pre-existing audio can cause issues for distributing your music if you don’t have the rights to the material. Use a royalty-free sample library to make sure you can get paid for streams when you publish your work.
- Looper
Live looping artists have used Ableton for years. But in Live 8, the developers introduced an effect built specifically for looping.
It works just like some of the most popular looper pedals out there with reverse playback, half-speed and double time options.
But Looper is more powerful than any hardware looper pedal out there.
First off, it can detect the tempo of the incoming audio and set the project’s global tempo to match.
You can even unpack the recorded layers into separate clips in the Session view once you’ve laid down a few parts.
If you like to start songs by improvising on your instrument, Looper can help turn a quick idea into a finished part.
If you like to start songs by improvising on your instrument, Looper can help turn a quick idea into a finished part.
- Operator
FM synthesis is a notoriously tough sound design method to master.
Between complicated terms like algorithm, carrier and modulator, even the most famous FM synths were mostly used for their presets rather than sonic exploration.
Operator is a great sounding synth that makes it easier than ever to access the unique tones possible with FM.
From classic tines, bells and mallets to unique evolving ambiences, there’s a lot to love with Operator.
Best of all, the most important parameters like oscillator tuning and envelopes are right at your fingertips. That makes it a fun and easy synth to finally learn FM synthesis.
- Glue Compressor
Compression is one of the main tools engineer’s use to mix music so it sounds balanced and controlled.
There are hundreds of great compressor plugins out there, including many that model sought-after analog gear from the past.
Ableton’s utilitarian Compressor effect works just fine, but it lacks the character of some of the classic units that bring a special character and color to the sound.
That’s where Glue Compressor comes in. Based on one of the all-time great console compressors, Glue Compressor provides punch, weight and yes—glue—for any source in your project.
It’s especially strong on drum buses, full mixes or sampled loops with rhythmic elements.
- Tension
If you program your own synth patches, you’re probably used to the workflow in most subtractive synthesizers.
Even today’s advanced wavetable powerhouses like Serum are based on this commonly used architecture.
But there’s much more to synthesis than analog oscillators, filters and envelopes. Ableton Tension is a unique physical modelling synth based on behavior of a real musical string.
If you’ve never used it before, physical modelling synthesis can take some getting used to. Luckily, Ableton’s user-friendly interface style makes it as approachable as ever.
Once you get the hang of it you’ll find yourself getting lost in impossible string sounds that sound both familiar and new at the same time.
- Resonators
Another great sound design effect is the Resonators plugin.
It’s a bank of five individual resonant filters with separate frequency and level controls
You can tune the harmonics by ear with the filter frequency and set their overall level to create a new chord over top of the existing sound.
Each filter adds a haunting resonant harmonic to the existing sound at the selected frequency.
It’s a fast way to turn static sounds into unpredictable textures to fill up space in the mix.
You can tune the harmonics by ear with the filter frequency and set their overall level to create a new chord over top of the existing sound.
It’s especially great for pads or harmonic samples that need some extra shine to stand out.
- Sampler
Finally, for all your heavy-duty sampling duties, Sampler is Ableton’s advanced sampling platform.
It’s the best choice for loading large multi-sampled banks that emulate real instruments.
Sampler’s deep control and sound design features make it one of the most flexible instruments in Ableton Live.
Using the zone panel you can create your own multisamples with different files for each key and velocity group.
Add key-tracking sample pitch, custom loop points for sustain and release, three LFOs, FM/AM oscillator, the possibilities are endless.
Stock DAW plugins There’s a huge world of creative plugins out there to discover for music production.
But that doesn’t mean you should overlook the tools that came with your DAW. When it comes to Ableton, they’re some of the best options out there.
If you’re a new Live user just getting started with the software, you’ll have plenty of great places to start after reading this article.
The post Ableton Plugins: The 7 Best Built-in Tools in Ableton Live 11 appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Mastering is a complex process in music production that includes different operations that affect your sound.
In fact, a typical mastering chain consists of multiple processor types that each play a role. Whether you hire a mastering engineer or use instant AI mastering online, the process includes similar elements that are important to know.
In this article I’ll explain each stage of a typical mastering chain and unpack the effect it has on your results.
Let’s get started.
- Pre-mastering Mastering is the final production touch your music will get before release.
That means it’s the last chance to address any issues that might have slipped through your last checks on the mix.
If there are any imperfections left in the stereo audio file, the mastering engineer can use audio restoration techniques to help diminish their effect.
I’m talking about clicks, pops or other types of artifacts that might become more noticeable after mastering.
While it’s possible to address these problems during the mastering process, it’s always better to submit your finished files without any issues of this kind.
After this step, the mastering engineer might make changes to the level of the file or use subtle automation to balance out sections.
Once again, if your mix has good headroom and dynamics to start, they likely won’t have to bother with this. That’s a good thing—less is often more when it comes to mastering!
If you want to learn more about the pre-mastering process, head over to our detailed guide on the subject.
- Mastering EQ
When it comes to EQ, the goal in mastering is to subtly correct any issues that stand out and bring out the best in the song.
In a typical mastering chain, engineers use equalization in several key points in the signal flow.
For example, It’s common to add a high-pass filter to keep ultra-low frequencies from straining the listener’s speakers.
High-pass filtering also prevents excessive low end from triggering dynamics processors like compression and limiting.
On top of that, EQ is used to sculpt the overall frequency balance of the mix, as well as tailor the response of other processors in the chain.
When it comes to EQ, the goal in mastering is to subtly correct any issues that stand out and bring out the best in the song.
- Mastering compression Compression is another key component of any mastering chain.
It’s the main tool engineers use to control the character of the mix’s dynamics. If you’re not familiar with dynamics in music, head over to our guide to get the full explainer.
But if you just need the short version, dynamic range means the difference between the loudest and quietest moments in a signal.
Good masters maintain a delicate balance between headroom, loudness, dynamics and transients.
Compressors allow engineers to manage these factors and enhance the mix with punch, definition and control.
Many mastering engineers use multiband compression in place of traditional mix compressors for even more precise dynamics control.
This type of compressor can have different characteristics for different frequency bands, giving the engineer the ability sculpt each range in detail.
- Mastering limiters A limiter is just a compressor with a very high ratio, typically ∞:1. It means that no signal is allowed to exceed the level where the threshold is set in dB.
Limiters are used in mastering to ensure that the finished audio file will never cause clipping on a listener’s system.
Limiters are used in mastering to ensure that the finished audio file will never cause clipping on a listener’s system.
They’re also used to bring up the level of the mix to a volume that’s suitable for the release medium.
By setting the ceiling for the loudest peaks in the mix, engineers can increase quieter parts of the mix until the dynamic range is just right.
- Stereo enhancement Good stereo image is an essential quality in a strong master.
Several techniques are used during the mastering process to enhance the spatial qualities of the mix.
These range from subtle stereo expansion to control of stereo information in the low frequencies.
Stereo processing in the mastering chain is much subtler than the stereo widening techniques used during the mix.
In fact, you’ll almost never find traditional stereo wideners or modulation effects used in mastering. If you want to learn more, here’s a simple guide to good stereo imaging.
- Consoles, meters, monitors and more Every engineer’s mastering chain is different.
Besides the basic elements I covered above, it’s common to see mastering setups that include specially built consoles, elaborate metering hardware or even 2-track tape machines.
And while high-end mastering studios usually prefer expensive outboard gear, there are many software mastering tools made specifically for the job.
But if there’s one thing all mastering houses have in common, it’s a set of incredible monitor speakers in an acoustically treated room.
In fact, the listening environment where the engineer does their work is the most important factor in any mastering setup.
The listening environment where the engineer does their work is the most important factor in any mastering setup.
In addition to that, mastering engineers typically use a mastering DAW that includes special features for working with finished files.
- Dither The mastering process includes every operation needed to prepare a stereo audio file for release. For digital formats like CD or streaming, that includes a step called dither.
Dithering means introducing noise to the signal at a very low level below the audible range. It’s done to improve the accuracy of sample rate and bit depth conversion.
If you want to know more about how dither works and why it’s important, head over to our in-depth guide.
Dithering occurs in the software domain before export, so this last step in the chain is applied in the DAW.
Unchained melody While mastering and mixing include many of the same processor types, the role they play in each is different.
Understanding a typical mastering chain will help you know what to expect as you go to mastering with your own music.
Whether you use a pro mastering engineer or an instant AI mastering service like LANDR, understanding the basics is key to getting the best results.
The post Mastering Chain: 7 Stages That Shape Your Master appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Have you ever listened to jazz or blues and wondered why it sounds so different from other genres? Part of the reason why is because this music is played with a swing feel.
Swing is so prevalent in jazz that an entire subgenre literally cropped up named swing in the 1930s—typically consisting of big orchestral jazz bands that played up-tempo ballads.
But, swing as a rhythmic concept has grown well beyond its early-jazz roots—if you listen closely, tons of modern music like hip-hop and R&B make use of swing rhythms.
Today modern producers obsess over DAW swing settings and idolize beat-making pioneers like J Dilla who utilized electronic tools to create electronic variations of swing.
If you want to add a bit of skip to your beats and make tracks that’ll get your audience’s heads bobbing–you might need to incorporate a bit of swing into your music.
In this article, we’ll learn about the music theory and history behind swung rhythms and we’ll explore a few ways you can use swing in your songwriting.
Let’s dive in!
What is swing? In music, swing refers to a specific way of interpreting rhythm where eight notes are played like triplets to create a galloping sound. Swing also refers to a genre of early jazz music that heavily used this style of rhythm.
Swing and jazz are deeply connected—jazz artists from the 1930s coined the term and most jazz from the 1930s up until the 1970s was exclusively played using a swing feel—that includes everything from traditional New Orleans jazz to be-bop.
Swing music theory To understand swing you need to understand a little bit about music theory—particularly the difference between eighth notes and eighth note triplets.
That’s because swung rhythms are written in music notation as eighth notes, but in reality they’re played as though they’re triplets with a rest in the middle.
Essentially, the music notation draws an equivalency between these ways of writing a swung rhythm.
Swing emphasizes the backbeat There’s a bit more to swing it than just that—Beethoven’s 9th symphony used very similar rhythms that were notated as eighth note triplets, but this music is not considered to be swung.
Instead, these triplets were played more like a dotted eighth note barred with a sixteenth note. It’s a subtle difference, but if you listen to the way Beethoven’s 9th gallops, it’s a different feel that doesn’t swing.
Movement two from Symphony No.9 is a good example of this phenomenon. Listen closely to how straight the orchestra plays its triplets.
There’s a difference in timing between how an orchestra plays and feels a triplet, especially when the middle note gets a rest, versus the way a jazz player will play a set of swung eighth notes.
This difference in feel is due in part to variations in articulation that jazz players use and its heavy emphasis on the backbeat—an accent falling on the two and four—that jazz music is famous for.
Classical music emphasizes the one and three counts of a 4/4 measure, making it impossible to swing since the rolling, galloping feel of swung music naturally emphasizes the two and four.
Swing feel is an artistic decision Truthfully swung rhythm defies music theory, in that you can’t really notate it properly on the sheet.
True to its rebellious, “low-brow” roots, the way a musician plays swing really is an artistic choice.
Once you develop an ear for hearing swing in a piece of music, you’ll notice how different drummers play swing differently by moving the emphasis and timing of the eighth notes around.
Jazz drumming legend, Art Blakely puts on a masterclass of swing music in his bluesy track Moanin’—his drumming embodies a more classic swing feel with evenly spaced eighth notes that fit perfectly into a swung pattern.
But other drummers honed their own sound and style of playing swing.
Elvin Jones, for example, is known for having a very tight swing feel—often playing the off-beat quarter notes slightly late and closer to a sixteenth note.
Elvin’s swing style is a bit more jarring and sounds like nearly straight sixteenth notes—almost like Beethoven!
If that’s confusing, just listen to his track “Half and Half” and compare it to “Moanin”—both tunes are played swung—but the two drummers sound completely different.
Playing “in the cracks” This phenomenon of playing around with the timing of swing rhythms was discovered and pioneered during the be-bop and hard-bop era of jazz music.
Drummers, like Elvin Jones, who perfected a specific swing feel, somewhere between fully swung and fully straight were described as playing “in-the-cracks”.
This is a term producers and artists use today to describe a particular way of playing.
Essentially, playing “in-the-cracks” means the swing feel is played somewhere between a triplet and an eighth note.
So an in-the-cracks groove will rhythmically fall somewhere between the above ways of playing within two-quarter notes.
If you ask a drummer to play more in the cracks, you’re asking the drummer to adjust their playing to be somewhere between swung and straight–a skill that many drummers will spend hours if not entire careers perfecting.
In-the-cracks and hip-hop Producers like J Dilla and modern drummers like Chris Dave and Karriem Riggins took inspiration from these jazz drumming roots and re-invented the hip-hop feel.
Dilla was a master at putting hip-hop rhythms “in-the-cracks” to create a genre-pioneering style of hip-hop beat making.
Riggins and Dave are masters of that Dilla-esque feel that took well-known hip-hop grooves and twisted them with off-time, “in-the-cracks” snare hits that still sound somewhat robotic and straight.
It’s a fine line to find a swing feel that sounds good, but today’s jazz drummer is definitely spending time perfecting this new modern way of feeling swing and hip-hop grooves.
Listen to have Dave is constantly playing around the beat—he’s the reason why I say drummers turn their variations on swing into an artistic decision.
How to play swing rhythms Alright, you’re probably wondering how you can learn to feel and play swing rhythm yourself.
The best way is with practice—you need to listen, play along with and even transcribe the great swing players from jazz and blues music.
That track from Art Blakely shared earlier is a great one to jam with—since the shuffle rhythm used throughout fully outlines the swing pattern.
With that out of the way, here’s three things to keep in mind when learning how to play swing rhythms.
1.Chew to-bacca There’s a jazz joke out there that goes something like “why don’t blues players smoke cigarettes? They like to chew to-bacca, chew to-bacca, chew to-bacca”.
The punchline here is playing on the sound of swung eighth notes, with the “bacca” part of the phrase emphasizing the offbeat.
So next time you’re trying to play a swing rhythm, keep that phrase in mind and say it to yourself as you play.
The Chew Tobacco Rag might help you with visualizing this rhythmic phrase too.
By the way, smoking and chewing tobacco is really really bad for your health, we don’t endorse it at all.
Tobacco use killed so many great jazz players, so use this phrase but stay away from that stuff!
- Spang-a-lang Spang-a-lang is another phrase that drummers use to interpret and explain the feel behind swung jazz.
This onomatopoeia refers to the sound a jazz drummer’s ride cymbal makes when playing the most basic of swing grooves.
If you ask a drummer to “spang-a-lang” they should know what you’re referring to.
And if you’re trying to learn to swing on the drums, keep this one in mind and try playing variations of it on the ride and with fills on the snare and kick.
- Practice triplets with a backbeat accent If you’re really struggling to wrap your head around swing feel, you need to go back and practice clapping or playing your triplets.
The best way to practice triplets to learn swing is by placing an accent on the backbeats found on the two and four-count of a 4/4 bar.
Swingin’ away Swing music is a huge part of modern music’s cultural lexicon—it’s the basis for rhythm in jazz and blues, the two grandfather genres that gave birth to rock and roll, R&B and hip-hop.
So it’s super important for musicians and producers alike to learn, understand and feel swing rhythms in their playing, songwriting and music productions.
Now that you know a little bit about the history of swing and you have a bit of context around learning it, go find some jazz records and find a swing feel that inspires you!
The post What is Swing? The Basics of Jazz Rhythm Explained appeared first on LANDR Blog.
If you’re just getting started with music production, you may have heard terms like gain, level and volume used to describe signal strength.
But are they all the same? What does each mean exactly and how do they affect your workflow?
The answer isn’t always simple if you don’t know the concepts behind them. Luckily, there’s nothing complicated about audio gain once you break it down.
In this article, I’ll explain the exact meaning of the term and explain the different ways it’s used in music production.
Let’s get started.
What is gain? Gain in audio is a term for the amount of amplification applied to a signal by any process that increases its strength. It’s measured in decibels, or dB for short.
A good way to think about gain is as the difference in signal strength between the input and the output of an audio system or processor.
If that sounds complicated, don’t worry. For most producers, gain comes into play at a few key points in your workflow.
I’ll go through a few examples to help you understand.
Preamps, signals and your audio interface The simplest way to explain gain is to follow the signal path for a typical sound you record with your DAW.
A good way to think about gain is as the difference in signal strength between the input and the output of an audio system or processor.
A common example is when you use a microphone to record a singer or an instrument.
Microphones work by converting vibrations in the air into a weak electrical signal. When the sound waves reach the microphone’s element, the changes in air pressure turn into changes in voltage, which represent the sound.
This version of the signal isn’t strong enough to record directly. It needs to be amplified several times over to reach a healthy level for your audio interface.
Gain is the term for the amount of amplification introduced to the signal by the preamp. In this situation, your audio interface’s mic preamp is the amplifier that increases the strength of the signal.
Even though it seems like a single device, a typical audio interface includes a set of different components for bringing signals into your DAW.
After the preamp, your sound gets converted by a digital-to-analog converter so it can be stored as a file on your hard drive.
Gain in your DAW Most engineers use the term gain to refer to processes that occur in the analog domain before your signal reaches the DAW.
But there are still plenty of places where gain comes into play in your session files.
One clear example is when using a compressor. If you need some background on how compression works, head over to our guide for a full overview.
But to recap the basics, a compressor reduces the level of a signal when it passes a certain threshold. They’re used in music production so that loud and quiet parts of the signal can be heard equally.
But reducing the signal level with even light compression naturally makes it quieter due to the compressor’s action.
To get it back to the same overall volume, compressors typically include a makeup gain control to boost the signal back up.
You can think of this as a digital version of the same process I talked about earlier.
In fact, gain in general refers to any amplification of the signal that increases its strength and overall volume.
Hot tip: Unlike analog gain, increasing signal level in the digital domain doesn’t cause side effects like increased noise floor. But that doesn’t mean you should record weak signals into your DAW. The best approach is to manage headroom and gain staging together to stay in the sweet spot for both analog and digital.
Does gain also mean distortion? If you play guitar, you’ve probably used gear with a gain control that increases the distortion and saturation in your signal.
You’ll see this on drive pedals, amp controls or even guitar plugins.
These knobs are often labelled “gain” because they create distortion by amplifying the signal beyond the clipping point.
The big difference is that this type of gain stage is followed by a master volume control that brings down the level overall.
Even though it’s related to the same process, gain doesn’t mean distortion in most other audio situations.
It’s true you can create desirable saturation by driving some analog mic preamps and lowering their output with a trim control. But it’s much more common to record clean signals by applying just the right of gain and preserving headroom at each step.
If you need a primer on the basics of good headroom and gain staging, check out our in-depth guides to the subject.
Gain, volume and level If it seems like there are a lot of different ways to refer to the volume of a signal, you’re right.
But in fact, each of them has a specific meaning that’s worth understanding.
As I explained above, gain refers to signal amplification.
On the other hand, volume means the perceived level of a sound. After all, a meter in your DAW can only give you a representation of a sound based on its electrical qualities.
How loud that sound seems to you differs because of the way humans perceive sound.
For example, it takes more signal energy to produce the same perceived volume for low frequency sounds compared to those in the presence zone (2 to 5 kHz) where your ears are most sensitive.
You can still express perceived volume in units in order to make comparisons, but you don’t need to worry too much about that in your DAW.
Instead, the relative balance of each track in your session is best defined by the term level.
Signal level is measured in your DAW using two methods that describe different qualities—Peak and RMS.
If you want to learn more you can find the full breakdown of these terms in our guide.
For the short version, Peak level means loudest single moment in a signal, where RMS refers to the average intensity over a period of time.
Signal level is measured in your DAW using two methods that describe different qualities—Peak and RMS.
Your DAW meters usually include a mix of both to give you the best idea of your signal at a glance.
Amplifying your signal Gain is a fundamental concept in music and audio production.
It’s important to know the exact definition to get the best results from your gear.
If you’ve made it through this article you’ll have a great start for capturing sound with your audio interface and adjusting levels in your DAW.
The post What is Gain in Audio? Level, Volume and Signal Strength Explained appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Transposition sounds like a technical music theory term, but it’s a basic skill that every musician should know.
In fact, the concept of transposition shows up in many musical situations, from cover songs to samples.
But transposing a song or a melody can be confusing if you’re just getting started.
In this article, I’ll break down exactly what the term means and show the easiest ways to transpose any musical fragment.
Let’s get started.
What is transposition in music? Transposition means moving a group of notes up or down in pitch by a constant musical interval.
When you transpose a chord or melody, the relationship between each interval remains the same, so it sounds equivalent.
You may have to transpose to make a melodic or harmonic sample fit into an arrangement. And it’s common to transpose to perform a song in a more comfortable key for the musicians to play or sing.
You can transpose a phrase by playing the transposed notes on your instrument or using a sample transposition tool such as the warp function in Ableton Live.
Transposition means moving a group of notes up or down in pitch by a constant interval.
In both cases you need to know the distance in semitones between your goal and the original phrase to get the right result.
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How to transpose chords or melodies There are two main methods to transpose musical material, but they both use the same core concept. The pitches in your original phrase need to go up or down by the same amount to reach the goal.
With that in mind, here are two ways to transpose musical material to make it work in your arrangement.
Transpose by key signature Musicians who know their key signatures well prefer this method of transposition.
Here’s how it works in two steps:
1. Identify the key of your original material
This step is easy if you already know the key of the original notes. That’s why I recommend this method to those who want to transpose a song to a different key.
Knowing your song’s key is important to situate yourself on your instrument. With this method, you’ll start with that info in hand.
If you don’t know the original key already, there are a few handy methods to help you find out. For the full breakdown, check out our guide.
But for a song, a good clue is the first and last chord. Unless there’s a key change or a deceptive cadence, songs typically start and end on tonic harmony.
That means this chord’s root corresponds to the letter name of the key.
From there you just need to remember the key signature, or find it with the circle of fifths. Head over to our guides if you need help with either topic.
2. Place the material in the new key
When you know the key of a song, you also know the harmonic role of each chord using scale degrees.
To find them you simply count up by scale steps from the tonic to each new chord’s root.
After a while, you’ll get used to seeing the chords used most often in common chord progressions.
It’s the reason why harmonic progressions are often written using Roman numerals in place of chord names. So you can play them in any key you want!
The same concept applies here. Each note and chord retains the same scale degree and harmonic function as the original key.
If you know your diatonic chords, you might already recognize important ones like I, IV, and V in the new key.
This is the method most frequently used by players of harmonic instruments like guitar and piano to transpose songs on the fly.
It’s a great skill to have if you play in a band or ensemble.
Transpose by intervals This method is more helpful if you need to transpose a melody, fragment or individual chord—especially in a sample.
If you’re working with a short snippet of audio, you may not have enough information to determine the key with certainty.
But that’s OK. You don’t always need an exact match for a sample to work in context.
In fact, a melodic or harmonic sample can sometimes work at different transposition intervals.
A melodic or harmonic sample can sometimes work at different transposition intervals.
Not only that, a sample with a minor melody can also fit into a major key song and vice versa. Check out our guide to the relative minor to find out how this works.
Even so, the interaction can be hard to predict, so one great way to transpose samples is to just experiment.
Try shifting samples up and down by semitones until you find an interesting combination. Don’t forget that simply transposing by an octave can also have a cool effect.
That said, if you’re aiming for a specific transposition, you’ll have to identify the musical interval between the original and the target.
A good way to start is with the first or last note in the sequence, or an obvious harmonic or melodic resting place in the phrase.
The next step is to evaluate the distance between the target note and the destination in semitones.
You can do this by finding the note on your MIDI controller and then counting the half-steps to reach the destination.
Remember that most sample transposition tools use the number of semitones rather than the musical interval name.
Here’s a nice resource on musical intervals to help you understand how the two are related.
Transpose and transform Transposing musical material may seem complicated at first, but it only takes a bit of practice to get used to it.
Once you have the basic methods down, you’ll find it much easier to work with existing musical material like samples, melodies and harmonic progressions.
Now that you know how it works, get back to your DAW and keep creating.
The post Transposition in Music: How to Change a Song’s Key appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Getting drum fills right is a tricky beast. Sometimes they need to be a huge and over-the-top climax, but sometimes the drum fill needs to be a subtle yet groovy transition.
Writing or playing a good drum fill is as much about learning drum arrangement skills as it is about having technical drumming ability.
You need to know when to bust out your ultra-high-speed tom-tom chops and when a few taps on the snare drum will do.
Of course, knowing about rhythm, music theory, rudiments, syncopation and polyrhythms will always help with writing better drum fills.
But, learning from the greats is an excellent way to start building your drum fill skills, it always helps to have some classic fills in your bag—especially if you understand how they fit within certain genres and arrangements.
In this article, we’ll explore six iconic drum fills so you can start using them in your own tracks!
Let’s get started.
What is a drum fill? A drum fill is a short section in a song’s arrangement where a drummer is given a short solo—typically ranging from one beat to a full bar. Drum fills will often come at the end of a section to signal a transition to a new part of the arrangement.
Drum fills come in all shapes and sizes—they can be a bombastic climax or a subtle transition it all depends on the genre, arrangement, drummer’s taste and skill level.
While drum fills are not necessarily a solo, they are a short period where the drummer is given creative freedom to deviate from the main beat or groove of the song.
Know when to bust out your ultra-high-speed tom-tom chops and when a few taps on the snare drum will do.
In most drum fills, the drummer will play some pattern around the tom-toms and cymbals before snapping back into the main groove.
6 drum fills every producer should know Here’s six iconic drum fills that every producer needs to know—most drummers will know what you’re talking about if you ask them to play it for you.
Listen closely and learn how these drum fills sound—you’ll hear them used everywhere in pop, rock, R&B and beyond.
- The Motown fill Here’s maybe the most iconic fill of all time—it’s such a classic drum, pretty much any drummer who’s discovered the incredible groove and feel of Motown playing will know it.
The Motown fill uses a bombastic six-stroke roll on the high tom with the last note of the roll ending with accented stroke on the snare drum.
Here’s how the Motown fill looks on sheet music notation and in a MIDI roll.
https://blog.landr.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Drum-Fills_Motown-Fill.mp4 So, as is the case for all fills, you must master the six-stroke roll if you want to play this fill and have it sound good at all tempos.
This is a great fill to use at the end of a song form when the arrangement is either turning around moving into a new section.
Check out “Ain’t to Proud to Beg” by the Temptations or “The Outside” by Taylor Swift to hear how this drum fill sounds in the wild.
- Bernard Purdie’s Psssst Psssst Psssst Here’s a fill that definitely has its roots in funk and R&B drumming.
While Bernard Purdie probably didn’t invent the fill, he definitely perfected it. He’s used in countless iconic recordings, to the point where it’s so common you might not even notice it.
To master the Psssst Psssst Psssst fill you need to practice your hi-hat pedal play since the fill makes use of the opening and closing of a ringing high-hat.
You’ll all need to learn how to play syncopated rhythms because each note of this fill is typically played on the off-beats—or the and’s—of two, three and four.
Here’s how it looks in sheet music notation and on a MIDI roll.
https://blog.landr.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Drum-Fills_Bernard-Purdies-Psssst.mp4 This is an excellent fill to add a subtle push the end of a phrase of funky bass playing or as a way to accent an off-beat vocal or guitar part—like Bernard Purdie does in “Rock Steady” by Aretha Franklin.
This fill is a great way to accent an off-beat vocal or guitar part
This track from The Fearless Flyers featuring the incredible Nate Smith is pretty much entirely inspired by this fill—and it has the splat-boom, another fill in this article that we’ll cover later.
- Pat Boone Debbie Boone This drum fill is pretty much the swiss army knife of drum fills—in that it’s used everywhere in so many different genres—whether it be soulful R&B like Tracy Chapman’s “Give Me One Reason” or hard rock like Guns and Roses’ “November Rain”.
The basic rhythm is pretty easy to pick up—it’s the phrasing used between strokes on the snare, high tom and low tom that make this drum fill particularly interesting.
Here’s how the Pat Boone Debbie Boone looks in music notation and sounds like on the MIDI roll.
https://blog.landr.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Drum-Fills_The-Pat-Boone-Debbie-Boone.mp4 This fill is excellent for making tasteful transitions between sections of an arrangement and it’s subtle enough to be used in quieter, downtempo ballads just as much as it’s useful in bombastic rock ‘n’ roll or hip-hop.
And of course, adding faster sixteenth notes and changing the toms you hit is a practical way to add your own flair and style to the drum fill.
It’s subtle enough to be used in quieter, downtempo ballads just as much as it’s useful in bombastic rock ‘n’ roll or hip-hop.
- Splat-Boom Here’s a chunky, tasty fill that’s so simple yet so good. This is one of those fills that just feels great to play through a huge PA at a nightclub.
That’s because it usually makes use of the two chunkiest instruments in the drum set—the snare drum and the bass drum.
It’s also super simple, it’s just two quarter notes alternating between a flammed snare hit and bass drum hit—a flam, by the way, is a two-handed double hit on the snare drum.
Here’s what that looks and sounds like in sheet music notation and on the MIDI roll.
https://blog.landr.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Drum-Fills_Splat-Boom.mp4 I love using the splat-boom to kick a song off, especially if the song is a dancy disco song with a four-on-floor kick pattern or if the song has a super funky bassline.
The simple yet effective impact of this fill has a driving effect and you absolutely need this one in your bag of tricks if you want to write good dance music.
- The Ringo 6 We’ve decided to call this sextuplet pattern played around the toms the Ringo 6 because The Beatles’ famous drummer Ringo Star used it so often in iconic tracks like Come Together.
The key to learning and playing this drum fill is getting your single-stroke triplet skills on lock and then working to increase your mobility around the tom-toms.
Once you mastered the single-stroke triplet, try and move around the toms and change toms with each group of free—just make sure you stay in time and everything flows.
Here’s how the Ringo 6 sounds and looks like on sheet music and on the MIDI roll.
https://blog.landr.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Drum-Fills_Ringo-6.mp4 6. The Barker To be clear, Travis Barker did not invent this drum fill—but he is an absolute master at getting this pattern of quick sixteenth notes to go around the toms hard and fast.
The drum fill is simple at its core, it’s just a set of really 16 fast single strokes that go around the kid, usually with four strokes hitting each drum.
Again, this is another one where single stroke speed and mobility from tom to tom is key for getting the fill right.
To create a more unique sound, try switching up the order of the toms you’re hitting to create unique patterns of your own!
Here’s how its most basic form looks and sounds like on sheet music and in the MIDI roll.
https://blog.landr.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Drum-Fills_The-Barker.mp4 Fill it up! Drum fills are an exciting moment—by adding a rhythmic element to a song’s transition you give your audience something to latch onto.
So, get creative! Learn these drum fills and use them as inspiration for the drum fills your next track will use.
And of course, never stop learning from great drummers—if you hear someone doing something you like don’t be afraid to try and figure out how they did it.
The post Drum Fills: 6 Inspiring Drum Fill Ideas Every Artist Needs to Know appeared first on LANDR Blog.
A new year, a new crop of free instrument plugins to look forward to.
In 2022 VST instrument plugins have never sounded better. They emulate some of the most popular instruments, synthesizers, and contain high quality audio ready for any production.
On top of that, some free VST instruments are lite versions of paid plugins with many of the same sounds and functions. It’s a perfect way to try before committing to anything.
The best part is how inspiring these plugin tools can be. In this article, I’ll be laying out the top 10 VST instruments to get in 2022, and the best way to start creating with them.
- Love-fi Lite
Love-fi Lite is the free version of Quiet Music’s Love-fi instrument plugin. It’s specifically designed for composing lofi, chillwave, and chillhop. You’ll find 3 different modules that contain presets of pads, keys, basses, drums, as well as foley.
In the lite version, you’ll get access to 19 presets throughout the 3 modules. This plugin runs on Windows and Mac, and comes with 300 megabytes of free content.
This all in one instrument will take you from an idea to a full lofi track without even leaving the plugin.
- Echo Soundworks Vinyl Guitar
Echo Soundworks Vinyl Guitar is a sampled guitar played through an actual vinyl record player, then resampled into a playable instrument.
There are a ton of adjustable parameters to make the sound your own. You’re able to add fret buzz, change the string type, buzz, and the pick noise. It also contains an ADSR envelope to sculpt the amplitude, and a built-in reverb to give it some space.
Vinyl Guitar is a perfect plugin to add those sweet melodies to any lofi jam. With it’s vinyl qualities, it’s a perfect plugin to compliment Love-fi Lite.
- Chromatic
Next up is our top choice for an inspiring free VST instrument to add to your plugin folder.
Chromatic is a loop-based virtual instrument that turns sampled sounds into playable parts with the touch of a key.
You can download it for free and get started with a handful of free loop packs to get your ideas flowing.
Whether you use a MIDI controller or computer keyboard, Chromatic lets you go hands-on with exclusive, artist-curated loops and manipulate them with effects in real-time.
With an expanding library of inspiring loops built by top producers, Chromatic lets you browse by mood to find the perfect sounds to start a song or fill out an arrangement.
If you like loops but you prefer an alternative to the cut and paste workflow of traditional packs, Chromatic is a great choice to get ideas down fast.
Get Chromatic
- Vital Audio Vital
If you’re looking for a synthesizer, Vital is the top free synth available on the market today.
Made by Matt Tytel the creator of the notable free synth Helm, Vital is a step up that competes with a ton of paid options.
Made by Matt Tytel the creator of the notable free synth Helm, Vital is a step up that competes with a ton of paid options.
Vital is a visual synthesizer that features animated controls, filter responses, waveforms, smooth LFOs, oscilloscopes, spectrograms and more. You’ll be able to see every adjustment you make with precision, and preview most decisions before you commit to them.
The spectral oscillator warping gives life to Vital’s approach to synthesis. You’ll be able to create drastically different shapes and timbres from a simple source.
Vital comes with 75 presets, and 25 wavetables. There are paid options to unlock more presets and features made by well known producers.
- U-He Zebralette
Zebralette is a small taste of U-He’s main workhorse synth Zebra 2. With Zebralette you’ll gain access to one of the four wavetable oscillators featured in Zebra 2.AQ
With a 16-slot waveset you’ll be able to edit the waveform with geomorph, spectromorph, geoblend and spectroblend modes. This allows you to literally draw in the waveforms in each slot, and cycle through them with an envelope or LFO.
This small beast of a synth comes with 300 presets, 3 built in effects, and 2 LFO’s.
Not only that, Zebrelatte is Polyphonic up to 16 voices with monophonic and legato modes. That being said, there are a ton more features packed in that are worth checking out.
- Steven Slate Drums Free
If you’re looking for realistic programmable drums, Steven Slate Drums Free is a fantastic starting point.
SSD Free is the free version of Steven Slate Drums. The only difference is the amount of kit presets you get, as well as built in MIDI grooves. You’ll get access to three different drum kits: dry and tight, free, and hugo.
With SSD Free you’re able to map the sounds to different keys, assign the microphones to different channels, and edit the ADSR envelopes for each drum sound.
One of the best features of this plugin is the drag and drop MIDI files. They’re perfectly programmed to emulate real drumming, and are categorized by genre and song form.
- Ample Bass P Lite II
You’re going to need some bass to go along with those drums. Ample Bass P Lite II is a perfect substitute for real bass. It features samples recorded on a Fender Precision Bass, and has a ton of editable parameters to add realism.
There are a ton of notable features on this plugin. The auto buzz system emulates the string buzzing against the frets after a long sustained note, and the hold button lets you sustain the notes without touching the hold pedal. This is super useful for holding down long pedal notes when performing.
Some free VST instruments are lite versions of paid plugins that feature many of the same sounds and functions.
The difference between the lite and paid option is sound quality, number of articulations, instrument range, as well as sampling cycle. The lite version is perfect to get your feet wet in the deep end.
- Piano in 162
Piano in 162 is a sample library of a Steinway Model B grand piano, recorded at 96 kHz with two pairs of Rode NT5 cardioid microphones. One pair was placed in the hall for an ambient sound, and one pair inside the piano. You’ll be able to mix the ambient and piano mics together to meet your taste.
This is one of the most realistic free piano sounds you’ll be able to get your hands on. It features five dynamic levels, two round robins, and separate pedal on and off samples for a true to life sound with realistic sympathetic resonance.
The only caveat is that you’ll need a sample loader to get it working. If you’re already an owner of the full version of Kontakt, then it’ll work perfectly. Luckily, this library works with the free Sforzando sample player.
- Spitfire LABS
Spitfire LABS is a heavyweight belt winning champion when it comes to free instrument plugins. Spitfire’s ecosystem with LABS is nothing short of brilliant, and the quality of the instruments you receive are top of the line.
BBC Symphony Orchestra Discover is just a taste of what Spitfire can do when it comes to orchestral instruments
You can download anything from ambient lap steel, arctic swells, choir, and the list goes on and on. You’ll find Spitfire updating the library regularly with unique sounds that you won’t find anywhere else.
First you download sounds with the LABS standalone app, then loaded into your DAW with the LABS VST plugin.
Don’t sleep on this one! It has sounds that will compliment any genre.
- BBC Symphony Orchestra Discover
BBC Symphony Orchestra Discover is just a taste of what Spitfire can do when it comes to orchestral instruments. Discover is the free version of the core and pro versions of BBC Symphony Orchestra.
It’s worth mentioning right away that there are some strings attached to the price tag of this plugin. You’ll be able to access it for free after a short survey, and a two week waiting period. Otherwise it’s $49 to access instantly.
In the plugin you’ll have the entire symphony orchestra at your fingertips. High quality samples of strings, horns, woodwinds and percussion are arranged in a user interface featuring a map of the physical arrangement of the orchestra.
You’ll have less control of the expressiveness or articulations of the instruments in the free version, but believe me—it’s still worth the price tag.
Free instrument plugins? If you told someone 30 years ago that you could get the exact sound of any instrument inside of a computer, they’d look at you like you were crazy. If you told them you could get them for free, they’d check you into a hospital. Luckily, this is the reality we live in, so start making high quality music now for free, then master and release it.
The post The 10 Best Free VST Instruments to Get in 2022 appeared first on LANDR Blog.
If you know anything about movie production, you know that most of the sounds in a movie are not actually captured live on set—instead there an entire field centered around the creation of what’s called foley sounds to use in film.
Luckily, if you don’t want to spend time field recording or creating a sound stage to record everyday objects there’s a handful of time-friendly ways to get the exact foley sounds you need.
With royalty-free sample marketplaces like LANDR Samples you can find pretty much any sound you need—and you can freely use them in any of your productions.
What is foley? Foley is a recording practice centered around the production of sound for film. Typical foley recordings include everything from everyday sounds like doors closing and footsteps to explosions and more complex sound effects.
Today, foley is needed for uses beyond the silver screen and is a major part of both video game and app production.
Foley sound production doesn’t need to exclusively rely on analog sound recording either—today foley and sound effect production often includes digital sound design practices with synth VSTs and pre-made samples.
That’s why foley sample packs are super useful for cost-effective sound stage production.
Foley is a recording practice centered around the production of sound for film
10 foley sample packs for film, video games, apps and more. If you’re making a film, creating a video game or if you’re a music producer looking to add real-world foley sounds to your tracks here’s our favorite foley sample packs available on LANDR Samples.
- Food Foley for Hip Hop
Hear the Sample Pack
Let’s kick this list off with a music-oriented foley sample pack—Food Foley for Hip Hop.
Using unique sounds that listeners wouldn’t necessarily recognize is a tried and true of making interesting beats and stand out from the crowd.
If you’re looking for kitchen-inspired samples definitely take a look at Food Foley for Hip Hop—you’ll find some interesting percussion and melody samples to get your creative juices flowing.
- Stationary Foley for Lofi
Hear the Sample Pack
For some reason lo-fi hip hop music lends itself well to the sound of ruffling papers, turning pages and tearing sheets.
Maybe that’s because study-hall focus playlists that love curating lo-fi music are looking for relaxing and familiar sounds—or maybe it’s because paper sounds have that ASMR effect.
In either case, lo-fi producers are not afraid to use unconventional foley samples in their music.
Paper sounds have that ASMR effect.
So, if you’re looking for interesting foley sounds for your lo-fi track definitely stop by Stationary Foley for Lofi and have a listen!
You’ll find various paper-related sounds all curated as samples to drop straight into your lo-fi track.
- HD Source
Hear the Sample Pack
Moving on to a more classic style of foley sample pack we’ve got HD Source.
With more than 4,000 samples of various everyday objects, soundscapes and more—a quick search will produce lots of options for whatever sounds you’re looking for.
For your essential foley needs, this is a serious, no-frills pack using only professional HD recordings.
- Iconic Film Trailer 1.2
Hear the Sample Pack
Film trailers need to be explosive and captivating—so it’s no surprise that the sound design that foley that goes into them often falls into a category of its own.
From big explosions to sci-fi sound effects, jet engines, metallic scrapes and slams—Iconic Film Trailer 1.2 comes with everything you need to create epic sounds for cinematic moments.
- Farm Game
Hear the Sample Pack
Every video game comes with its own specific sound design needs—depending on the genre and nature of the release you’ll need different things.
Cartoony country-inspired games likely need something with over-the-top sounds that’ll complement that graphic style.
That’s why the Farm Game sample pack is an excellent source for that specific genre of addictive gaming.
Inspired by games like Harvest Moon, Stardew Valley, Animal Cross and of course Farm Ville—here’s an example of a foley sample pack that’s designed to fill a specific need.
- Smart UI
Hear the Sample Pack
UI sounds are so important for the overall experience of any piece of software. It’s no secret that visionaries like Steve Jobs put a big emphasis on the sounds their technology used.
If you want UI sounds that are as iconic as the Windows or Playstation startup themes you need to find quality sounds to work with.
Smart UI is an excellent play to look for great UI style sounds—you’ll find everything from clicks to themes and beyond.
- War UI
Hear the Sample Pack
Action-packed shooters, war strategy games and battle royale games all need a specific category of foley sounds.
Action-packed shooters, war strategy games and battle royale games all need a specific category of foley sounds.
There’s a lot of sound design needed to make every pull of the trigger, toss of a grenade or trip mine explosion sound as realistic as possible.
If you’re producing a war video game or if you need war sounds for your music or movie definitely don’t skip War UI—it has all the action-packed explosions, clicks and clangs of gear and even the more subtle sounds of zipping flight suits and boots hitting the ground.
- Fantasy World
Hear the Sample Pack
Ambient soundscapes, otherworldly nature sounds, mystical sound effects are all ingredients you need to make fantasy worlds.
If you’re looking for fantastical foley sounds to create your sci-fi or fantasy soundtrack—definitely check out Fantasy World
- Organic Nature
Hear the Sample Pack
Good field recordings of nature are getting harder and harder to come by.
Because of human noise pollution, making pristine sound recordings of diverse habitats without noise from airplanes or other interruptions has become more challenging than ever.
That’s why a good nature recording collection is worth having if you’re in need of foley sounds for your film, game soundtrack or music production.
Organic Nature definitely delivers with a handful of natural soundscapes from different biomes and habitats—this should definitely be a go-to if you’re making realistic outdoor sound stages and the like.
- The Epic Stock Media Catalogue
Hear the Sample Pack
Epic Stock Media are the creators of most of the foley sample packs mentioned in this article.
Epic Stock Media are the creators of most of the foley sample packs mentioned in this article.
And while these packs were handpicked to highlight the diversity of their massive catalog—the label has hundreds of packs with specific use cases that might better suit your needs.
So, if you’re looking for something specific, head over to LANDR Samples and check out the entire Epic Stock Media catalog where you’ll find tons of meticulously engineered samples curated for a huge variety of use cases.
The post Foley Sounds: 10 Foley Sample Packs for Cinematic Effects appeared first on LANDR Blog.
LANDR FX is the first bundle of mixing plugins from LANDR.
It’s a suite of easy-to-use tools purpose-built to help you shape the most important parts of your mix.
In fact, LANDR FX’s simplified control set and release-ready presets were designed to make mixing faster.
Even so, using any mix processor requires a bit of background info if you’re just getting started.
In this article I’ll explain how LANDR FX plugins work and show five creative ways to use them for a better mix.
Let’s get started.
Get LANDR FX
LANDR FX Basics
Each LANDR FX plugin is designed for a specific element of your mix. The bundle includes dedicated processors for Voice, Beats, Bass, and Acoustic and Electric textures.
All five plugins share the same basic workflow. The main parameter is a blend control that sets the balance between the dry signal and the effect.
Turning this control clockwise adds more effect to the blend, making it stronger and more apparent. At the rightmost extreme of the dial, you’ll hear 100% effect signal.
This can be a dramatic way to make sounds stand out, but you can create a subtler effect by blending in some dry signal.
I like to audition presets at 100% wet to get a feel for what they do, but I usually blend in some dry signal so it’s not overwhelming in the mix.
Speaking of presets, the heart of each LANDR FX plugin is its preset library. Instead of tons of finicky parameters, we’ve opted to build dedicated presets that put the most important sounds at your fingertips.
Hot tip: Some LANDR FX presets built around compression and EQ work better when set to 100% wet.
All five plugins share the same basic workflow. The main parameter is a blend control that sets the balance between the dry signal and the effect.
One LANDR FX preset can contain several effect types in one, so the preset banks cover a lot of ground. Make sure to experiment with different presets to hear everything LANDR FX can do.
Finally, the last two controls are for input and output levels. The input control sets the strength of the signal sent to the effects engine. You may need to turn this up for softer signals, or trim it down if you’re hitting the effect too hard.
The output control is used to set the level of the sound after the effects processing. I generally set this to match the dry signal level so I can easily compare between the two.
If you’re not sure how to gauge your levels, head over to our guide to headroom and gain staging to brush up.
And with the fundamentals covered, here are 5 ways to use LANDR FX to shape your mix.
Make sure to experiment with different presets to hear everything LANDR FX can do.
- Add punch, weight and color to beats
First up is LANDR FX Beats.
It features specialized presets for individual instruments like kick and snare as well as several great settings for drum bus.
If you’re working with a drum loop on a single stereo track, the “Drumkit” page of presets is your first stop.
Here you’ll find six stylish effects that combine dynamics, EQ, saturation and ambience to shape the sound.
For example, the “Tight’n’Punchy” preset clears up boomy low end and adds energy in the mids and highs on a drum bus.
- Make vocals stand out with style
Vocal processing can be tedious.
After comping, editing, pitch correcting and everything else that goes into modern vocal production, setting up lots of effects can be tiring.
When I do it manually, I typically work with parallel buses for different effects, carefully blending each to taste.
LANDR FX makes it easy to apply a curated selection of vocal processing all at once—and adjust the intensity with a single control.
From full presets on the first page to individual settings for compression, EQ, saturation, delay and reverb, there’s a lot to work with in LANDR FX Voice.
I like the Rap God preset for giving hip-hop vocals the perfect amount of lively ambience, saturation and midrange push to work in the mix.
- Bring your bass forward Bass is one of the most difficult parts of a mix to get right.
Many modern genres rely on fat, subby bass tones like those from the 808 drum machine.
It’s a classic sound, but it’s very close to a raw sine wave and can easily get lost in a mix.
The reason why? The sine wave 808 bass lacks harmonics in the presence zone where our ears are most sensitive.
That’s why engineers often use saturation in parallel to give it more detail and definition.
I like the “Heavy” preset in the Amp FX section of LANDR FX Bass to add some saturation in parallel for 808 bass.
I typically blend in about 40% of the wet signal to get the right effect.
- Accent effects for any instrument It’s easy to end up with static, repeating sounds when you work with sampled loops.
To create interest between sections or to add drama to builds, fill and drops, you may need to add creative effects that transform your basic tracks.
To create interest between sections or to add drama to builds, fill and drops, you may need to add creative effects that transform your basic tracks.
That’s exactly what you can do on the Creative page of LANDR FX Acoustic.
From chorus to flanger and pulsing tremolo, you’ll find time-synced rhythmic effects, deep modulation, lo-fi and more.
It’s one way that LANDR FX Acoustic can go beyond typical effect styles for acoustic instruments.
That said, if you’re looking for a tasty reverb, delay or EQ preset for guitar or piano, you’ll find those here too!
- Define a space in your mix
Distorted electric guitars and lush synth patches can take up a lot of space in a mix—sometimes even too much.
If you mix in a genre that relies on sounds like this, you probably struggle with carving out enough space to make them fit.
LANDR FX Electric comes with handy presets for putting these sounds in their place.
Whether you need smooth, dark heaviness or raw, cutting edge, these settings will help you sculpt these tricky sources much faster.
One knob, no limits LANDR FX was made for creators who need quick access to powerful processing without the creative drain of endless tweaking.
If you like the idea of picking a preset, setting the intensity and moving on with your workflow, this bundle is certainly worth a try.
Even if you’re used to more traditional mixing tools, there’s plenty to explore on the creative side of these straightforward plugins.
Download LANDR FX now to try all five for free and hear for yourself.
The post How to Use LANDR FX Plugins to Shape Your Mix appeared first on LANDR Blog.
Plugin bundles are one of the best ways to get deals on music production software.
When you buy plugins in bulk, the savings stack up. Not only that, plugin collections typically go on a sale as a package. If you’re lucky you can get entire suites of pro mix tools for far less than list price.
With so much savings potential, it’s crucial to know which plugin bundles are worth your time.
That’s why today I’m rounding up the 9 best plugin bundles every producer should know.
Let’s get started.
- LANDR FX
I’ll kick this list off with the plugin bundle we’re most excited about right now. It’s the first suite of mixing tools from LANDR.
LANDR FX includes five simple yet powerful plugins made specifically to help you shape the most important elements of your mix.
The bundle includes purpose-built plugins for Voice, Bass and Beats as well specialized processors for Electric and Acoustic textures.
Based on producer-approved presets from LANDR’s team of audio engineers, Each LANDR FX plugin features a simplified control set.
It’s a perfect balance of flexibility, quality sound and quick, easy results. If you ever find yourself bogged down tweaking plugin parameters when you’d rather be laying down tracks, LANDR FX is worth a try.
Get the plugins
- Soundtoys 5
Founded by a team of ex-Eventide engineers, Soundtoys has a legendary reputation for quality effects.
Plugin collections typically go on a sale as a package. If you’re lucky you can get entire suites of pro mix tools for far less than list price.
You’ll find classics like EchoBoy and Decapitator in many pro engineers’ plugin collections.
And while the company hasn’t released too many new plugins lately, buying a bundle is still a great way to get your hands on their offerings.
The main bundle product includes all 21 Soundtoys effects. Each one is excellent, but in addition to the two mentioned above, Devil-loc, Microshift and Little Alterboy are essential!
- Waves Platinum
Waves is known for their popular plugins and near-constant sales and discounts.
While individual plugins are regularly marked down 60% or more, Waves bundles frequently feature discount offers that are too good to ignore.
With such a massive library of plugins, it may be tempting to hold out for
But sometimes too many options can get in the way. The top-tier Waves bundles can feel a bit bloated, especially if you’re already using tools from other manufacturers.
If you’re new to the Waves library, I recommend the Platinum bundle to get acquainted with the classics. But the Abbey Road series features many of their best plugins!
- Fabfilter Pro Bundle
Fabfilter’s user-friendly suite of incredibly powerful plugins have become a new industry standard for mix engineers.
Like most respected music software, pro quality comes at a price. And while Fabfilter plugins aren’t often seen on regular deep discounts, the bundle offers can help you save.
Hot tip:Want more gear roundups and software picks? Join the LANDR Newsletter to get the best equipment guides in your inbox.
That said, Fabfilter’s Total bundle is probably out of reach for most producers, even during sale season.
Luckily, there are different combinations of Fabfilter plugins at different price points.
My pick is the Pro Bundle, which offers the most practical selection of the brand’s plugins for mixing.
It includes their flagship Pro-Q 3 EQ as well as their incredible takes on compression, limiting, reverb, gating and de-essing.
- NI Komplete
NI Komplete was one of the first mega bundles on the production software scene.
It’s still a great offering with a larger and more powerful collection than ever.
The classic synths like FM8, Massive or Absynth are still there, but you’ll find plenty of newer instruments like Super 8 and TRK-01.
On top of that, you’ll get an impressive collection of sampled sounds for Kontakt 6 and a powerful suite of effects.
These days several editions of Komplete are available, making it slightly hard to figure out what each one offers and how much it costs.
- Arturia V Collection
Who wouldn’t want a rack full of the best hardware synths ever made in their studio?
That’s essentially what you get with the Arturia V collection.
With quality emulations of countless studio favorites, V collection has some of the best vintage synth sounds anywhere.
Some of the highlights include iconic synths from Roland, Oberheim, Yamaha, ARP and Sequential.
You’ll also get excellent takes on the Hammond organ, Wurlitzer electric piano and traditional acoustic piano.
Even if you’re not a keyboard player you’ll find plenty to love with the Emulator II and Fairlight CMI sampling and even a Moog-style modular rig.
If you’ve ever fallen for the sounds of classic synths, Arturia V should be on your radar.
- UAD Custom Bundles
If you’re on the UAD platform you know that investing in new plugins doesn’t come cheap.
That’s why taking advantage of sales and bundles is so important.
It’s easy to see why bundles are your best value when it comes to software.
Luckily, UAD offers an ongoing custom bundle offer to help you combine and save. Available in various sizes from 2-13 plugins, custom bundles scale the savings as you go.
At the top tier you get 13 plugins for the price of 10, bringing the cost down to about as manageable as you can get.
On top of that, several collections of UAD plugins are regularly sold in bundle format. Brand collections from Neve, API and SSL as well as their flagship Analog Classics bundle contain many of their best offerings.
- D16 Silverline
D16 regularly makes our lists of the best plugins for creative effects. From modulation to lo-fi sampler emulations, their offerings are known for flexibility and unique sound.
The Silverline collection features great effects processors like the Syntorus 2 tri-chorus, Fazortan 2 space phaser and Decimort bit crusher.
If you’re looking for a bundle to help with sound design, texture or unique atmosphere, Silverline should be on your list.
- Goodhertz
This one is sort of a secret bundle since this unique developer doesn’t have a specific bundled product offering.
That said, the more plugins you buy, the more you save—up to 25%. This discount jumps during sales so watch for seasonal deals to come up.
Even at the relatively modest 25%, snatching up these plugins is worth it for their creative approach to bread-and-butter effects like compression and reverb.
You won’t be disappointed!
Bundle up and save It’s easy to see why bundles are your best value when it comes to software.
But beyond the great savings, it can be helpful to have a solid set of tools built to be used together.
Whether you need the deep features of a pro production suite or a reliable set of creative processors to get inspired, there’s something for every producer on this list.
The post The 9 Best Plugin Bundles for Music Production Savings appeared first on LANDR Blog.
The clave is one of the most important rhythms in modern music—and while it’s rooted in Afro-Cuban and Latin American music traditions, its influence is felt in pop, hip-hop and beyond.
That’s why learning about the music theory behind the clave, its variations and how modern producers use claves to add addictive rhythms to their music is super useful.
In this article, we’ll explore everything you need to know about the clave rhythm—its origins and the instruments that traditionally were used to play these rhythms.
We’ll also explore the son, bossa nova and rumba variations of the clave and we’ll look at some examples of how claves are used in modern pop music.
Ready to master the clave? Let’s dive in!
Hot tip: We’re constantly publishing new articles about music theory, so if you want to keep learning share your email and get new ideas, theory lessons and music production tutorials delivered to your inbox every week!
What is a clave? The clave—pronounced clah-vé—is the underlying rhythm pattern used in Afro-Cuban and Latin American music—it is used particularly in mambo, salsa, Brazilian bossa-nova music and other forms of Latin jazz.
Since the clave serves as a tool for rhythmic organization in traditional Afro-Cuban music, the clave rhythm is usually played throughout a song with minimal variation.
Clave is the Spanish word for clef or key—hinting at the importance of rhythm in these genres.
What instrument is a clave played on? Traditionally the clave is played by a percussionist on… the clave—a specific percussion instrument made from two round dowels of wood that are hollowed out to create a high-pitched clicking sound.
However, the clave of course is not limited to being played on the wooden clave instrument.
Drummers will use a cross-stick on the snare drum to recreate the wooden click of claves.
For example, drummers will use a cross-stick on the snare drum to recreate the wooden click of claves.
You’ll also hear it played on cowbell and woodblocks or even simply clapped out in many Afro-Cuban tunes.
The clave isn’t solely played by percussionists either—bassists and pianists will often center their ostinatos around the clave’s rhythm.
The percussionist may be the primary instrumentalist playing the clave, but in reality, everyone plays to the clave—since in Latin music it represents the center of rhythm.
Types of clave There’s many variations of the clave in Latin music since different genres will demand different claves.
In general, one repetition of a clave rhythm will take up one bar of 4/4 music and revolve around a complete 3:2 or 2:3 rhythmic ratio.
If you don’t know much about rhythmic ratios you might want to brush on your polyrhythm and polymeter theory and you might want to learn how to read sheet music.
But to explain rhythm ratios as simply as possible—the first half of the 4/4 bar in a 3:2 clave will have three beats played over two quarter notes with two beats played over the remaining two quarter notes in the second half.
Really, the best way to understand claves is to see, hear and play them yourself, so let’s explore the five most popular clave variations.
- The son clave The son clave is the most common clave, it’s used extensively in mambo, salsa and other styles of Latin jazz.
Here’s what a 3:2 son clave looks and sounds like.
https://blog.landr.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/SON-CLAVE.mp4
Notice how in the 3:2 version, this third note is an eighth note played on the “and” of two.
This placement of the third note is what makes this clave a son clave instead of the nearly identical cousin the rumba clave.
To create a 2:3 version of any clave you just reverse the rhythm.
To create a 2:3 version of this clave you would reverse the rhythm, starting with the group of two and following with the group of three.
This Tito Puente track “Salsa Y Sabor” authentically uses the son clave throughout.
Let’s look at the rumba clave next.
- The rumba clave The rumba clave is the less common cousin of the son clave, you’ll hear it used as a variation to the sol clave in Afro-Cuban music—especially in rumba music itself.
Here’s what a 3:2 rumba clave looks and sounds like.
https://blog.landr.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/RUMBA-CLAVE.mp4
Take a look at the placement of the third note in the 3:2 version of the clave. Instead of being played on the “and” of two, it’s instead delayed by one-sixteenth note written on the “a” of two.
Like the son clave, to get a 2:3 version of this clave you reverse the pattern.
If you want to play this clave pattern you’ll definitely need to brush up on your syncopation chops, since the added sixteenth note is a very small difference that can be hard to feel.
Here’s an example of a track using the rumba clave.
- The standard bell pattern The standard bell pattern combines elements of both clave patterns and it’s used extensively in afro-cuban, latin music and even Brazilian samba music so we’ll group it in with them.
But, unlike the rumba and sol claves, it doesn’t alternate between rhythmic ratios and it’s typically played on a cowbell or the bell of a drummer’s ride cymbal.
Here’s what the standard bell pattern looks and sounds like.
https://blog.landr.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/STANDARD-BELL-PATTERN.mp4
Carlos Antonio Jobim’s famous tune “Wave” oscillates between the bell pattern and the bossa nova clave, for example.
- The bossa nova clave Since we touched on Brazillian music with the bell pattern, it seems appropriate to mention on the most famous claves out there—the bossa nova clave.
This variation of the Son clave is heavily used in bossa nova music from Brazil, here’s what it looks and sounds like.
https://blog.landr.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/BOSSA-NOVA-CLAVE.mp4
Notice how it’s identical to the Son clave, except for its last note which is played as a delayed eighth note on the “and” of four—instead of as a quarter note landing squarely on the count of four.
Here’s a classic example from the great bossa nova artist Carlos Antonio Jobim with “Desafinado”.
- The tresillo The tresillo rhythm uses the first three notes of a 3:2 clave and is considered to be an incomplete rhythm since it only uses half a clave and has no rhythmic cadence.
Here’s an example of how a tresillo looks and sounds.
https://blog.landr.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/TRESILLO.mp4
This incompleteness makes the tresillo an excellent rhythm for building tension—which is why you’ll hear it used often in pop and EDM build-ups as well as reggaeton music.
The tresillo is often used often in pop and EDM build-ups as well as reggaeton music.
Here’s an example of a tresillo being used prominently and the main rhythm in Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You”.
Specifically, the dem-bow beat used in reggaeton is directly inspired by the basic clave pattern and of course the tresillo being the rhythmic basis for so much pop music.
@landrmusic Can you feel the beat? #learnontiktok #learnwithme #drummertok #drummersoftiktok #songfacts #whatdoesitmean #reggaeton #rnbvibes ♬ original sound – LANDR
There’s no one way to clave If you’ve been paying attention, it’s clear that claves aren’t exclusively used in Afro-Cuban music—these rhythms are used everywhere and have even inspired entire genres.
So don’t be afraid to take inspiration from the clave and use it in your own music.
Follow a clave pattern in your bass parts, or use it on the keys or as a way to create and ease tension. These tricks are go-to’s for so many producers out there.
And remember, you don’t necessarily have to follow any rules with your clave patterns, there’s nothing wrong with switching up a classic clave pattern to make a new rhythmic centre.
In fact, now that you know what to listen for, you’ll probably hear variations on clave patterns in a lot of different music.
So, practice clapping out clave patterns on your own, learn to identify them in the music you hear and have fun experimenting with them in your own creations!
Did enjoy learning about claves? We’re constantly putting out new articles about music theory so if you want to keep learning share your email and get new ideas, theory lessons and music production tutorials delivered to your inbox every week!
The post 5 Clave Variations: How The Clave is Used in Afro-Cuban Music and Beyond appeared first on LANDR Blog.