Dubstep Production Methodology

lomak · Post by **lomak** » Wed May 21, 2008 2:14 pm

I used to mainly spin house. But now I've switched over to dub world and found great knowledge and information on this forum as far as production. But it seems I still find it difficult to "organize" everything and just keep jumping from one thing to the next and so forth as well as difficulty blending everything together and remove the "blocky" sound. I just am seeking guidance to a methological form on starting a track from scratch correctly. Ive used ableton live but now have switched to FL8.

POND LIFE · Post by **POND LIFE** » Wed May 21, 2008 2:15 pm

i have the very same problem. maybe as house producers getting into dubstep we need to get over our need to keep on layering in new sounds?

beerz · Post by **beerz** » Wed May 21, 2008 2:30 pm

i juss start with a main riff looped over 2 bars with a durm pattern behind it nailing that. n then wen it done i make an intro n then a lead up 2 the drop to link the intro with the main part. then juss extend the 2 bars of riff over say 16 n tweak it every bar or uno....every 4. then break down/2nd drop n finish. after that juss slam in fx n mix it down.

slothrop · Post by **slothrop** » Wed May 21, 2008 2:47 pm

I'm not exactly great at this, but it seems to help if you go for some sense of progression through each 8 / 16 bar segment - tweak the repeated melodies so you skip a couple of notes each time or vary the timing a bit, put different little fills in the drums at the end of every couple of bars, or even go the whole hog and actually through-compose sections, ie actually write a 16 bar drum phrase or a melody rather than looping a bar or two and tweaking it.

If you have more development and variation through a section then there's less need to drop a whole load of new stuff in at the end of the section and it feels more natural and less like an arbitrary attempt to keep things interesting when you do...

I'm still pretty shit at structuring stuff (it's one of the areas of my writing that I'm least happy with, and tends to be what stops me finishing stuff) though, so more advice is good...

lomak · Post by **lomak** » Wed May 21, 2008 5:32 pm

How many bars do you guys work with at a time especially for drums?

slothrop · Post by **slothrop** » Wed May 21, 2008 11:22 pm

Lomak wrote:How many bars do you guys work with at a time especially for drums?

I tend to start out with one or two or maybe four bars, repeat them, add some variation, repeat the whole thing again, add some more variation and so on until I'm up to about 16 bars. Come up with a couple of different sections like that and use them as needed for different parts of the tune.

I'm not entirely happy with this as a way of working, though, so I'd be interested to hear how other people do it.

I've tried writing extended phrases with drums but it always seems to come out a bit cheesy, especially if I repeat the phrase.

miss_molinari · Post by **miss_molinari** » Wed May 21, 2008 11:31 pm

go on youtube and type in something like 'Benga Future Music' or wothavyer. there should be a vieo in three parts which is basically him answering your exact questions...and if you like dubstep then who better?

peace.

POND LIFE · Post by **POND LIFE** » Thu May 22, 2008 11:45 am

Lomak wrote:How many bars do you guys work with at a time especially for drums?

i think drums tend to sound very loopy if its any less than 2. i've never really tried 4, as i dont like not being able to see all the hits at once.

james fox · Post by **james fox** » Thu May 22, 2008 11:52 am

for drums a good way i've found is to have an 8 bar pattern, a 4 bar pattern, a 2 bar pattern and a 1 bar pattern all looping together. keeps things ticking along and doesn't get boring

lomak · Post by **lomak** » Thu May 22, 2008 12:39 pm

The Benga you tube video was very helpful.

lomak · Post by **lomak** » Thu May 22, 2008 12:46 pm

I know there have been endless threads of "where does the snare go" "kick goes here and there" and then other people are just like it doesnt matter put anything anywhere (just not into making a pile of shit unmixable song) For example: In house youre gonna get that break or beat change or new sounds after that 8th or 16th bar for certain, that 4 to the floor bass, etc. In dubstep are there any set in stone rules for proper dubstep production? And no not anything that is at 140 is dubstep as i've read so often here. C'mon you guys know when you a wicked dubstep track it just has that unique sound with the bass snares claps....

barryhercules · Post by **barryhercules** » Thu May 22, 2008 12:54 pm

this link is good...

http://www.dubstepbynumbers.com

james fox · Post by **james fox** » Thu May 22, 2008 1:07 pm

why not listen to a load of tunes you like and work out what happens when? how the elements come in and out of the arrangement, how the mixdown is focused to emphasise the important parts, how to create tension, etc etc. rather than asking on a forum i mean

buzzy · Post by **buzzy** » Wed May 28, 2008 12:34 pm

Lomak wrote:I know there have been endless threads of "where does the snare go" "kick goes here and there" and then other people are just like it doesnt matter put anything anywhere (just not into making a pile of shit unmixable song) For example: In house youre gonna get that break or beat change or new sounds after that 8th or 16th bar for certain, that 4 to the floor bass, etc. In dubstep are there any set in stone rules for proper dubstep production? And no not anything that is at 140 is dubstep as i've read so often here. C'mon you guys know when you a wicked dubstep track it just has that unique sound with the bass snares claps....

Yes well that's the thing with that unique sound, it's unique. So you can get all sorts of different sounding stuff and different ways of doing things.
Most of the best stuff I've heard is often very different to each other.
If you're wanting to emulate that 'unique sound' it's going to suddenly cease to be unique any more.

So when you're reading posts saying that it doesn't matter where something goes and to put anything anywhere, they really do mean it. It's often not just fobbing the other person off, it's usually genuine good advice. Snares and claps, that really is a case of it not mattering because as far as I see it there is no standard to adhere to in that respect. The drums are so often done so differently by different people, so I'm not sure what you are referring to by the unique sound on that score.

I don't know about any set in stone rules, but I'd listen to dub music and keep your ear out for certain things you think sounds and feels right.
Just try to make elements sound good by reading up on various production techniques which aren't even necessarily Dubstep specific.
And if I could offer any personal advice I'd listen to stuff that you like which isn't even Dubstep as well.

This post may be absolutely no use to you. But I think in many regards it's a case of trying to throw out many already learnt habits of doing some things and starting again on a fresh page and allowing yourself complete freedom. Which may be tricky if you're very used to doing things a certain way with another music.

buzzy · Post by **buzzy** » Wed May 28, 2008 12:42 pm

d1rt1989 wrote:i have the very same problem. maybe as house producers getting into dubstep we need to get over our need to keep on layering in new sounds?

Yes, probably. A lot of my favourite stuff tends to be quite minimal.
A lot of good stuff I've liked seems to have a feeling of depth and space.
If you were throwing in loads of layers of sounds right from the off you'd probably make it harder for yourself to find room for things like reverbs, delays, and echoes, as a lot of room may be taken up by the mix very quickly if you're used to adding lots of things like pads very early on.

Probably best to start off minimal and only add new things gradually if you think it needs it.

edwin katzer · Post by **edwin katzer** » Wed May 28, 2008 1:12 pm

Buzzy wrote:Probably best to start off minimal and only add new things gradually if you think it needs it.

and don´t forget to take things away as well, think about the countless times, you have seen people getting crazy to the sound of a simple kick drum all by itself,...

this does not apply to dubstep in particular, but to all music in general - from a sounddesign point of view - if you take away something that does not necessarily mean that the tune is weaker but instead it could mean there is suddenly more room for other parts to shine...

just my 2C

also, nothing worse than generic tunes...

buzzy · Post by **buzzy** » Wed May 28, 2008 1:30 pm

Yes you're right Edwin. Good advice.

John Locke · Post by **John Locke** » Wed May 28, 2008 10:41 pm

Buzzy wrote:
Lomak wrote:I know there have been endless threads of "where does the snare go" "kick goes here and there" and then other people are just like it doesnt matter put anything anywhere (just not into making a pile of shit unmixable song) For example: In house youre gonna get that break or beat change or new sounds after that 8th or 16th bar for certain, that 4 to the floor bass, etc. In dubstep are there any set in stone rules for proper dubstep production? And no not anything that is at 140 is dubstep as i've read so often here. C'mon you guys know when you a wicked dubstep track it just has that unique sound with the bass snares claps....
Yes well that's the thing with that unique sound, it's unique. So you can get all sorts of different sounding stuff and different ways of doing things.
Most of the best stuff I've heard is often very different to each other.
If you're wanting to emulate that 'unique sound' it's going to suddenly cease to be unique any more.

So when you're reading posts saying that it doesn't matter where something goes and to put anything anywhere, they really do mean it. It's often not just fobbing the other person off, it's usually genuine good advice. Snares and claps, that really is a case of it not mattering because as far as I see it there is no standard to adhere to in that respect. The drums are so often done so differently by different people, so I'm not sure what you are referring to by the unique sound on that score.

I don't know about any set in stone rules, but I'd listen to dub music and keep your ear out for certain things you think sounds and feels right.
Just try to make elements sound good by reading up on various production techniques which aren't even necessarily Dubstep specific.
And if I could offer any personal advice I'd listen to stuff that you like which isn't even Dubstep as well.

This post may be absolutely no use to you. But I think in many regards it's a case of trying to throw out many already learnt habits of doing some things and starting again on a fresh page and allowing yourself complete freedom. Which may be tricky if you're very used to doing things a certain way with another music.

a rare moment of intellect on the production forum.

dont let it happen again or u'll b banned

FSTZ · Post by **FSTZ** » Wed May 28, 2008 10:59 pm

^^^haha!

edwin katzer · Post by **edwin katzer** » Wed May 28, 2008 11:16 pm

Battle Gong wrote: a rare moment of intellect on the production forum.

dont let it happen again or u'll b banned

+1

Dubstep Production Methodology

Dubstep Production Methodology

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