words: MARC ‘01 and DAVID ESERIN
TECHPRODUCER
MIX DOCTOR
Every month, we pluck a track from our
forums at
djmag.com and our Mix Doctor
We reveal some handy tips and tricks to help you on
gives it a medical. For your check-up, surf to
the road to wicked productions...
the Pick ‘n’ Mix section and check out the
Mix Doctor sticky for instructions.
DISCO RECKA
KILLER SOUNDS
whatisthis.tk
How t
o creat
e the fr
eshes
t sounds
ECHO TECH DELAYS
‘THE BREAK’
on the dancefl
oor...
soundcloud.com/mixdoctor
A moody and experimental track, ‘The
BEST EXHIBITED by labels like Break’ explores the breakstep/dubstep
Mark Knight’s Toolroom, the territory that labels like Rag & Bone fi rst
minimal-tech sound balances pioneered. Incorporating menacing bleeps,
simple, hypnotic rhythms with low crushing subs, fi erce clattering drums
crisp, clean production. This and eerie analogue leads, it has all the
leaves plenty of space in the mix elements in place to destroy the darkest
to experiment with intricate dancehalls. But the stabby lead line that
echo effects over something as kicks things off is a bit too dull in the high
simple as a two-note riff — a end. A bit of brightening would go a long
trick expertly demonstrated way.
in Koen Groeneveld’s remix of After an atmospheric build, the warbling
‘Rockafeller Skank’ on Toolroom. bassline kicks in and it becomes instantly
obvious that the mix has been over
When attempting this, the fi rst compressed at the mastering stage. The
trick is to set up several effect compressor chokes the other sounds in the
sends on the sequencer. This can mix and eats up a lot of energy.
be done using a multi-tap delay Only the snares manage to cut through as
plug-in such as Logic’s own Delay they are short and sharp bursts of energy.
Designer or Sound Toys’ Echo Boy. ingly intricate echo delays can be rhythmic crescendo. The process Even the bass itself suffers through
Both these plug-ins have a rhythm added, giving the track a constant of shifting between straight delays distortion and the whole mix jumps up and
mode, which allows users to map sense of unwinding drama. and swung delays is almost impos- down in volume as the bass drops in and
multiple echoes in individual steps But the real twist comes when the sible to achieve with a regular echo out.
in order to create a progressively effect is switched up by automating plug-in, which is why the multi-tap
complex rhythm. By starting with a the swing parameter. This makes delay plug-ins are so essential to the The remedy to this is simple — give the
simple riff, layer by layer of increas- the echoes speed up into a climatic sound. track a more subtle mixdown by using less
compression and balancing the instrument
levels.
SAMPLE TANK: TIM HEALEY & MARC ADAMO: ALTERNATIVE HOUSE
Alternatively, try a multi-band compressor
such as those that come with Logic and
Cubase. This will compress the bass, mid
MOST sample packs are highly specialised collections and high frequency ranges separately and
but Tim Healey and Marc Adamo have created an armada avoid the sort of unwanted pumping that
of sonic material that will work across just about any the original mix produced.
sub-strain of modern house music.
With over 1GB of unique loops and hits, this ‘Alterna-
tive House’ collection really does cover it all. From the
fi lthiest ghetto grooves to razor sharp minimal tech, all
the most upfront sounds are represented.
Producers and remixers will also fi nd plenty of inspira-
tion for new tracks thanks to hundreds of distinctive
new beats that range from 125 to 128 BPM.
Aside from the tried and tested four beat grooves, there
is also a wealth of interesting beats that meld chunky
drum hits with quirky analogue percussion, weird vocal
effects and unquantifi able head noises. Forget dated
formulaic rhythms, these are proper designer drums.
Quality, diversity and a freshness of sound are again
represented through the array of basslines, which
range from wobbly fi dget basslines to thick melodic
Moog lines, whilst the effects and music licks are also
expertly crafted. PRICE
VERDICT
Add in the several hundred hits, tones and dubs on of- £39.95
fer and it all makes for a sample pack that will spice up
any production. CONTACT
loopmasters.com
5/5
158
www.djmag.com
DJ474.tech_producer.indd 158 30/4/09 14:51:27
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179