Dubstepforum.com

Too many 'how to make ___ bass' threads/videos these days (and more often than not it's not actually about bass, rather mid-range synth sounds).
One thing I notice in those threads or tracks is the tunes have poor drums and boring patterns with no groove or swing in them. It's like they spent 3 weeks making a bass patch, then threw some placeholder drums into it. To me the most important thing about music is drums. Not really into crazy sounding synth patches, it just sounds like a bunch of copy+paste patterns of distorted saw waves to me.

Can't have a good tune without a solid drum groove IMO (not talking ambient music here). So how about a thread only about great drum patterns and grooves? Tips or examples welcome, but mostly I want to remind people it's okay to step outside of the boring half-step patterns.

There's more to music and dubstep than just crazy synth noises. The soul is in the drums; it's what makes you move.

Blackdown's old drum programming tips post: http://blackdownsoundboy.blogspot.com/2 ... -jazz.html

                                                       

seriously, shackleton's percussion is UNTOUCHABLE

I also like me some experimental ambient percussion, been listening to a lot of this stuff lately:



this one has SUCH A GROOVE, sorry the only video I could find of it was this illegal dl one lol, it's because it's not out on digital yet, I bought it on a CD:



Then you always have Burial :

ehbrums1 wrote:

TUNE!

makeah some nooise for da skream!

wormcode wrote:Can't have a good tune without a solid drum groove

can't agree more. groove is what makes you wanna DANCE, and we're supposed to be making DANCE music right? went to a forest party last night, and i played first.. the second DJ came on and played some all right stuff... but the dude after him, played half all right songs... then half i just stood there like a dolt, because the tunes had no goddamn groove to it. i literally can NOT dance to lots of dubstep.. i'd only wanna move to that stuff if i was on a buncha speedy pills or something, in which case i'd just be wanting to move period..

Big tracks. I love the drums in this:

wormcode wrote:Too many 'how to make ___ bass' threads/videos these days (and more often than not it's not actually about bass, rather mid-range synth sounds).
One thing I notice in those threads or tracks is the tunes have poor drums and boring patterns with no groove or swing in them. It's like they spent 3 weeks making a bass patch, then threw some placeholder drums into it. To me the most important thing about music is drums. Not really into crazy sounding synth patches, it just sounds like a bunch of copy+paste patterns of distorted saw waves to me.

So much truth in this. I can't name how many tunes I hear that as soon as that generic Kick + Over the top 200hz super reverb snare hits I just stop listening. Also dudes need to get some shuffle and something interesting going on with their hats, a hat every note in between you're robotic kick/snare makes me cry. On to the youtube links!



I'll stop before I break the thread

http://www.fabriclondon.com/blog/view/k ... e-to-swing

Sully
Seven (and his various collaborations)
Jakes and Benga, both of whom are guilty of using "kick-snare" patterns to drive tunes, but it's what they do in between that makes them special.

Yeah, Coki is another one who has 'normal' patterns with crazy synths, but they have so much groove and feel to them that sets them apart.

Great examples already. Familiar with these except that Swarms track Sonika posted. Digging that, it reminds me of this tune. A good example of not needing crazy drum patterns, but still having the drums drive the tune instead of being just an afterthought:

Shum wrote:http://www.fabriclondon.com/blog/view/k ... e-to-swing

Sully

this is awesome

If it ain't happening with the drums, then forget about it.

drums > everything else

Phaeleh. Listening to Afterglow this afternoon, it sounded like his kicks were either very similar sounding but diff samples, or automated with volume or cutting away sub freq? Crazy good percussion, as well as intricacies, Phaeleh.

Nice one. I was not aware Martyn remixed that tune. I love Karin Andersson's work but only heard the Marcel Dettmann remix before. Scuba did a couple of remix versions for When I Grow Up a while back, 2 years or so. They were released free afaik, I got them from her site or maybe FACT I think... so not sure if they are still free. Good tunes though.

wormcode wrote: Familiar with these except that Swarms track Sonika posted.

Yeah man I just found Swarms a month or so ago, they're a seriously underrated group. That was the opening track on their album 'Raves End' which is an amazing piece of work.

Noone mentioned Toasty yet?

johney wrote:Noone mentioned Toasty yet?

Toasty