DnB / Dubstep help

Hi WATMM. How are we?

So basically one of my part time jobs involves tutoring beginners in pieces of software. Nothing special, just to a medium level as it's usually a short course and they start from knowing fuck all. But part of it involves creating a track where we can showcase a few different production/mixing techniques. Throughout my time doing this I have so far managed to avoid any student with a penchant for dub step and drum n bass; two genres I have relatively little time for. However my luck has run out and today I started tutoring someone who loves that shit.

So my question is;

Do any of you have any particular tips & tricks that you'd recommend for specifically dealing with these genres. General mixing and production I have covered but it'd be cool to throw a few things out there specifically covering those styles.

Yes I'm aware of the irony of asking for help when they could simply stay at home and go on the internet themselves, but a brother's gotta pay rent somehow so go easy on me.

Cheers.

I can help out!

dnb is basically

kick snare, kicksnare, kick snare, kicksnare

and dubstep is like

kick-kickWOBWOBOWOBsnarrrrrrrrrrre, kick-kickWOBWOBOWOBsnarrrrrrrrrrre

hope that helps

show them how to chop up an amen break, then teach him to assign LFO to filter cutoff. </job>

what software are you using?

  On 3/5/2014 at 2:20 AM, usagi said:

I can help out!

 

dnb is basically

kick snare, kicksnare, kick snare, kicksnare

 

and dubstep is like

kick-kickWOBWOBOWOBsnarrrrrrrrrrre, kick-kickWOBWOBOWOBsnarrrrrrrrrrre

 

hope that helps

*marks as solved*

  On 3/5/2014 at 2:24 AM, andihow said:

show them how to chop up an amen break, then teach him to assign LFO to filter cutoff. </job>

what software are you using?

For this it'll be in Logic Pro X.

I'm surprised you've not come across people who like dubstep.

DON'T let them know about the Amen Break and the world will soon be a better place.

Teach the guy who loves dubstep that it's a beautiful genre as long as it doesn't sound like brostep and YOIYOIYOI basslines. And then play him this...

I'd browse dubstepforums. They have some pretty in-depth threads about LFOs, sub-bass mixing, sources for sub-bass, etc. here including specific DAWs, VSTs, etc. There's just as many brostep producers as there are classic dubstep/garage guys on there...or at least there used to be, haven't been there in ages...

http://www.dubstepforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=159713

Show them how to make a reese

  On 3/5/2014 at 2:20 AM, usagi said:

I can help out!

 

dnb is basically

kick snare, kicksnare, kick snare, kicksnare

This is true.

  On 3/5/2014 at 2:10 AM, b born droid said:

Do any of you have any particular tips & tricks that you'd recommend for specifically dealing with these genres. General mixing and production I have covered but it'd be cool to throw a few things out there specifically covering those styles.

1. Make a lot of music

2. While sick wobbles make the track, percussion makes the difference, there are a lot of unique instruments out there that can make the track pop if you look around

3. If you're lazy, Massive + Sausage fattener

4. Nah but seriously, you can make sick patches in Massive, you just gotta spend a lot of time - use the sync oscillators rather than the normal ones and tune them to taste (DON'T USE MODERN TALKING!!!), then add LFO's - like performer modulation, use the back and forth setting and experiment your way around

5. Buildup is 50%, the drop is the other 50%, you have no idea how many good tracks get ignored because they don't build up enough energy

6. use a key between F and A if you want DJ's to spin your track

7. 80-100hz kick, 150-200hz snare, I guess everybody knows this?

8. This is an old DNB trick, add a chorus or flanger on a clap or snare, cut off everything but the highest highs, then layer it onto a fat 200hz boosted snare (maybe a 909?) and compress them both

8. There are no rules when it comes to sampling - your favourite artist's snare or your girlfriend's queefs, whatever makes the track work. Vocode something for the wobble!

9. ...Did I say make a lot of music?

1. you don't even need to use a synth for "wobblez" all you need is a long line of 1/64 notes and a filter plug-in. I've done it this way and have had people ask me for my massive presets LOL they didn't even know how clever i was.

2. consider adding samples on top of your kit pieces and then rendering them for an entire new kit. you don't wanna get this kid off to a bad start. also, make sure he realizes that downloading sample packs and mindlessly dragging and dropping them is for the birds.

3. write thirty different bass lines with diff filters on each, chop them up and then add them to a sampler that way you don't have to continuously repost automation or bounce and paste etc. and with the repetitive nature of dub step, it won't really matter if the same sound happens more than once.

Sorry guys, poor form for not replying earlier, but there's been some very nice suggestions by you all. Thank you very much indeed.

side chaing is a must know.

ok for me if you really want to go to town teach them the roots first?? how music use to be made ??

its easy enough now to get a laptop download some software and samples and put together a tune but what about all the guys who made the foundations

im not saying go and buy a big rig of hardware but if they know the roots they then have some understanding about what makes a good tune??

i call dnb the art of sampling and it is an art!!!!

and norman cook??

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=yea4I8EgdqQ

all the best :)