The Drop Thread // How To Make Drops

[OfficialDAPT]

dude, those old datisk tunes had MAD groove. it had a sort of warped organic funk behind it.

okay, you don't like jungle or funk, AT LEAST LISTEN TO SOME FRIKKIN HIP-HOP

don't tell me you don't like hip-hop
or REGGAE

if you don't understand hip-hop or reggae you will never fully understand dubstep.. remember OP, you came here asking us why you're ish doesn't flow.

i like hip hop but I don't see how that pertains to the matter

Soulja boy doesnt count

haha Soulja Boy is so bad...

[KnowWhatAmeen]

you need some voice saying "BASS" right before your drop. this is how people know that there is a bass in there somewhere but it should be obscured by high frequency screeching, decepticons passing kidney stones etc.

honestly though i find doing a main section first helps a lot cause you know how relatively more/less intense the drop section needs to be, how much tension is appropriate etc. the buildup before the drop is all about creating tension and anticipation, and the drop is release of that tension. shitty dubstep results from starting out with the most fwaaaapowpowpowyuhhhyuhhhyuhhh in your face drop and then adding some parts around it with some of the loud stuff removed.

some of the previously mentioned stuff about groove etc is defintely true too...when im at dubstep nights a lot of the best stuff i hear doesnt even have a massive drop, its grooving, pauses the bass for a couple bars and then brings it back possibly with a different rhythm etc.

that being said if you are looking for the dramatic/epic/explosive type drop, the previous section should definitely cut out any bass...either a basic minimal kick snare or some syncopated stuff with hi hats and other percussion...buildups can be accomplished with a combination of melody, filter sweeps (either white noise sweeps=whoosh, opening up a low pass filter on a synth, or even moving around an EQ peak on a synth), increasing complexity or speed of drums (something that accomplishes the same thing as the 10 minute snare rolls in anthem-trance but maybe more original...) basically anything that evokes the feeling of anticipation. everything these days is a buildup>vocal sample or silence>drop. try and find a creative way to transition into the drop.

the actual drop section is supposed to be where anybody who wasnt dancing before starts dancing. a big part of that is creating heavy energetic intense sounds....but its just as important to keep some rhythmic aspect to the wobbles and switching of bass sounds, if its too random youre just gonna confuse everyone. putting a little snippet of the melody interspersed with the bass can be very effective if its placed strategically. you can have the filthiest face melting bass sound in the world but if the arrangement is awkward its gonna suck.

[SMOR3S]

I am trying to figure out what approach to take making a drop for this track I am working on.... I used some samples for the drop, and they don't sound to good.... I want to get that layered effect, like in most electronic music, where it sounds like there is multiple layers of sound...

Here's the track: http://soundcloud.com/smor3s/sup-bishes-unmastered-demo

I will critique my self real fast.... The claps sound like garbage, so I might EQ them a bit.... the drop is total crap, that's why I am making this thread ^__^

[mikeyp]

the samples themselves don't sound too bad.

for layering, i can't really describe the sounds to you but just listen to other songs which are kind of what you're going for and listen to the mid-high end. this is tough cause they're subtle but focus on them and write over what you have.
also, your drop kinda comes out of nowhere.. a big part of what makes big drops big is the buildup just before. try a a short reverse crash leading up to the first beat of the drop and other f/x like that, and maybe the same crash not reversed on the first beat to add some flow

edit - the best way to do this though is practice practice practice and experiment every time

[SMOR3S]

Should I make the intro synth longer for the buildup?... ^_- I might need to look at some tutorials, but my main concern is the kicks, hats, claps, and snares for the drop, cause the modulation I can get down, but even with modulation I have seen that adequate kick patterns sync well with the modulation, making them flow even better... I am no pro, but just by observing, that is my conclusion.....

[Dankstep]

Really -_-. You used a vengeance sample for your entire melody lol

[Brothulhu]

The claps sound like garbage

If you think this then change the sample, no point using a shit sample and trying to make it sound good when you can find a good sample and make it sound better.

Just out of interest where is that melody from? It's also in Torus - Deception but he is known to sample other melodies.

[Brothulhu]

Really -_-. You used a vengeance sample for your entire melody lol

This answers my question then, haha

[SMOR3S]

The claps sound like garbage

If you think this then change the sample, no point using a shit sample and trying to make it sound good when you can find a good sample and make it sound better.

Just out of interest where is that melody from? It's also in Torus - Deception but he is known to sample other melodies.

My friend gave me a bunch of vengeance samples, so I have been using those...

[mikeyp]

Should I make the intro synth longer for the buildup?... ^_- I might need to look at some tutorials, but my main concern is the kicks, hats, claps, and snares for the drop, cause the modulation I can get down, but even with modulation I have seen that adequate kick patterns sync well with the modulation, making them flow even better... I am no pro, but just by observing, that is my conclusion.....

i don't mean the entire buildup.. i mean that split second before the first beat of your drop

some songs can sound good without what i'm talking about and they hammer straight out of silence to that first beat but generally a tiny little riser does wonders

& for the drums.. find better samples, practice processing them, practice making beats

[mikeyp]

after listening again the little sweep crash wouldnt make as big of a difference. i'm just a sweep/white noise nerd and i use them like crazy and if this were my track that's what i'd do..

there are plenty of ways to go about this but that's my 2 cents

[SMOR3S]

after listening again the little sweep crash wouldnt make as big of a difference. i'm just a sweep/white noise nerd and i use them like crazy and if this were my track that's what i'd do..

there are plenty of ways to go about this but that's my 2 cents

I like sweep ins, and sweep outs... they kind of give the song that level of clarity, and make it work, but ya, it's a preference, we all have our own style, but I am here to learn, and to collect knowledge, to incorporate that into my work.... I have a strong passion for music, and I want to push forward no matter what...

That sounded cliche and cheesy ^_-

[haZzarOus]

Hello everyone! Im haZzarOus, and I have just recently started getting into dubstep. I have made electro house before, and have a profound understanding of my DAW, ableton live 8, and my three primary synths, sylenth1, NI massive, and CA alchemy. I can recreate any bass sound I hear without any problem, but what I can't do is put them together to make anything decent sounding. I made a crapload of samples, modified them in every way possible, and I definitely have the right elements of drops, but I cannot for the life of me put them in the right sequence to make them sound any good.
Should I be working more with midi or resampling? What kind of dubstep sounds should be at what part in the track? I'm definitely doing something wrong, but I just cannot figure out what it is. Any tips or links to arrangement tutorials would be awesome! Maybe someone could explain their process in making a drop as well? I've never heard of how people approach it, im sure that would help a lot.
Thanks in advance!

[JTreeZY]

Well I mean if you just pump up the bass after 32 bars its automatically a drop but fuck a drop anyway if your still in the beginner stages of producing dubstep like me i think its bettter to keep it simple. just revolve a track around a sub bass loop add in some simple synths and you'll slowly get better at synthesis as you make more tracks and you'll find them gettin dirtier if you expect a sick drop out of your first few dubstep tracks you'll just frustrate yourself. Also dodge and fuski have great dubstep tutorials. and i'm a beginer also so sorry if my advice sucks

[jrisreal]

I can't figure out how to make drops.

Then forget the drop! Progress the tune in the direction you actually feel it should go, rather than always trying to make a "drop."

[ehbes]

1) are you producing in a key?
2) make sure all sounds are in the same general frequency
3) send all your basses to a buss and compress and reverb them so they sound "together"

[ehbes]

another note, a "drop" can be subtle changes and a sub...doesnt take much if you do it right

[JTreeZY]

And wobbles are an easy way to sound like you know what your doing

[solidus]

What I'd do in this situation is:
1) continue your sub bass through the drop to add depth and drop the floor of your music;
2) write your break after the drop. hard attack on your first notes
3) add a secondary drum loop and sync up some 808 drum hits with the start of the break (end of drop)
4) rather than have your sub bass be one continuous note, restart another note, fast attack, slow decay synced up with the start of the break

[mrusername]

Ha, I was just about to post about the same subject..however, with me, I fully get the arrangement phase, I just can't get the sounds right.
For example

Beat/Bar - Sound
1 - Opener (what makes a good opener? aside from pitched/filtered up note, I read fast attacks yes, but does anyone have any good opening massive patches please?)

2 - Gated synth - again, I get this, but can't find the right kinda sound.

3/4 - Synth melody, ending one hit.

5 - Falling synth, same as step 1 but rather than rising, falling

6 - Gated synth again.

7/8 - Climbing notes

Get it? but yeah, if anyone knows what makes a good opener, or where to get some would be greatful.

Also, when trying to beef up your Massive synths, what effects do you use? so far i'm just WOW, Camel Crusher...what else you guys use?

thanks.