Happy Thanksgiving 2011 from Producer’s Edge Magazine (+ Free Sounds from Big Fish Audio)

Happy Thanksgiving 2011 from Producer’s Edge Magazine

Clap yo hands, stomp your feet

Live and Direct

 

Sometimes I feel like a pastor trying to come up with a sermon when I try to connect my recent experiences or encounters into a meaningful theme. But it hit me this morning when I got up. See, I spent last night watching a live band rehearse a few numbers. They are preparing for a battle of the bands coming up on December 3^rd. I was invited by Shea the Doll, who worked with me on the Domino Grey albums and D.A. the Future;  a skillful rapper making a big impact in my city. They needed a guitarist with both Soul and Rock so I called Jennifer Campbell from Issue 08 DJ Premier, Summer of Synths [http://issuu.com/producersedge/docs/pe_issue08_dj_premier] and in a few minutes a brand new member, with his electric guitar, walked into the session. Thanks Jen!

At first, the vibe was very studio-like and controlled- like practice-through repetition. Their band leader Curt, wanted more emotion and jamming and for everyone to loosen up. It wasn’t happening until the band started talking in-between run-throughs. Once they connected on a personal level, they were able to connect as a band.

D.A. the future and the band jam out

Not every idea sounds good to the band.

Okay, here am me thoughts:

At times, our one-man-army production flow can become a dry and static experience. You rotate from instrument sound to instrument sound, never taking on the persona of someone who would be PLAYING THAT INSTRUMENT. Yeah, that’s a cool bassline, but no bass player would play the same pattern for the entire track. Same for all the other elements in your track, except maybe the person with the cowbell, who’s dating the main cat or his manager or the non-musician buddy. Where was I?

As (beat creating) producers taking on the huge task of creating all the music ourselves, we need to consider the Dynamics of Interplay the next time we construct a track. You might be saying: “Well shoot Drew Spence aint you about to give us a bunch of loops from Big Fish Audio- what a contradiction?!”

No, not really, there are numerous means of manipulating your samples into motion and adding life to your tracks.

1. Chop those loops. Avoid just using the 4 parts of intro, verse, bridge and hook and create subtle variations. Yes you can do more than double the snare.

2. Use effects (a slight EQ increase or decrease) to accent the drums for the hook or a huge change in Q at transition points.

3. Learn to modulate your bassline, over time, to create a light sweep over several measures.

4. When laying down drums from a sampled break beat, use additional versions of the different hits and avoid using only 1 snare, 1 kick and 1 hat element from an otherwise varying drum loop sample.

5. When creating drums from multi-sample pack, lay down the same pattern with different velocities so you have the same drums recorded at different intensity levels.

6. If you are creating from a limited palette, you can actually swap out drum elements. More than just swapping out the snare for a stick, you can trade between similar snares. I know you had a second choice for snare in that folder.

7. Instead of pattern recording, you know, tick tick tick of the metronome for 4 or 8 bars- try letting the track play and jamming over it for …well, until the track runs out. Use different areas to create longer loops instead of a short, repetitious perfect take.

8. Turn off that quantize. nuff said.

9. When creating different loops or manipulating loops, choose new defining names- instead of intro, bridge and hook, think about “verse with more energy”, “hook and louder hook” You get the idea.

10. And finally; try adding a traditional musician into your mix. A live player will give you energy to feed off of and if you roll with a drummer, you can experience tempo changes as a way to control the feel of a track.

Usually at the end of a sermon they pass the plate, instead, I’m hitting you with some free sounds from our good friends over at Big Fish Audio. Don’t forget to take advantage of their Thanksgiving sale and also support the companies that support us. Have a good Turkey day. Keep producing, keep creating.

-Drew Spence Producer’s Edge Magazine

Happy Holidays from the staff at PE Mag 2011

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Subscriber’s Link to FREE SAMPLES

http://www.ProducersEdgeMagazine.com/GriffinAvid/2011Thanksgiving.zip

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 http://www.producersedgemagazine.com/ 

Read about a Battle of the Bands in New York on Dec 3rd