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Seeing as it's the end of the week and all, and I'm feeling hungover, how's about a nice thread to share some tips to other DSF production heads.



- For a simple drum fattening tip, try copying your kick channel and move the hits down one octave. Mess around with EQ etc to find the sweet spot.

If you aren't already get familiar with using EQ's to remove unwanted frequencies and free up room in the mix.

I've started to do this quite a lot recently and I'm finding that tracks are coming out much more punchy than before even if it seems stupid there are like hidden frequencies that you cant hear that use up room.

Eg. Low pass all your kicks, subs, low end stuff. High pass all your snares, claps high hats etc... If you've got a phat sounding synth that is creeping too far down cut that out, it might not sound as good on it's own but when you've got a sub in there as well it will help you alot etc...

manray wrote:If you aren't already get familiar with using EQ's to remove unwanted frequencies and free up room in the mix.

I've started to do this quite a lot recently and I'm finding that tracks are coming out much more punchy than before even if it seems stupid there are like hidden frequencies that you cant hear that use up roo.

Word, that's something I've only just started doing myself. Luckily the Parametric EQ2 thing in FL has lots of bright colours to hold my interest

Dont eat yellow snow

Nice one. Good thread and good tip.


Ive got a tip for ya, why dont ya reach on into my pocket there and grab it...




-- If doing a remix of a sample based tune, try to find as many versions of the tune as possible and as many of the samples used in the original version as possible... (i.e. Original version, Original radio edit, Instrumental version, accapella) Cant find the original source material? - check the credits / google

Keggah wrote:Dont eat yellow snow

There's always one

kidlogic wrote:
-- If doing a remix of a sample based tune, try to find as many versions of the tune as possible and as many of the samples used in the original version as possible. Cant find the original source material? - check the credits / google

Good shout - the drum & bass remix of Warren G - Regulate took the synth sample at the start from the Michael McDonald track I Keep Forgettin', where the original sample came from

Wub wrote:

kidlogic wrote:
-- If doing a remix of a sample based tune, try to find as many versions of the tune as possible and as many of the samples used in the original version as possible. Cant find the original source material? - check the credits / google

Good shout - the drum & bass remix of Warren G - Regulate took the synth sample at the start from the Michael McDonald track I Keep Forgettin', where the original sample came from

The original Warren G tune used that sample too


I did this for my Runnin' remix and it made it so much more flexible in regards to what I could do with the tune. I essentially re-created what Dilla did originally and the adapted that to what I wanted to do. Biggup DJ Odeed of hd4000 for the heads up on the original source material.

Hip hop cats like Kanye with huge budgets actually have a go-to multi instrumentalist guy who will recreate chunks of old songs note by note so they have a multi-tracked version of a sample.

kidlogic wrote:
Hip hop cats like Kanye with huge budgets actually have a go-to multi instrumentalist guy who will recreate chunks of old songs note by note so they have a multi-tracked version of a sample.

Fair play, but getting sessions musicians to recreate everything does kinda take the fun out of it IMO. But hey, maybe I'm only saying that as a way of hiding my jealousy


Another one I've been doing recently;


- If you're stuck for ideas, build up your sample library. Pick one random CD out of your collection, preferably not dance music related, and load up each song into your editor. Get at least one sample off each track that sounds cool - horn stab, perc loop, vocal, swirly intro bit, etc etc. Did this with my gf's copy of some Soundgarden album the other day, proper good stuff to work with

try to seperate your stereo channel into 2 mono channels. pan them and eq the 2 channels seperatly. this gives you a weird new dimension in ur mix. Give L bit more mid and R some high etc. be creative with the knobs so both mono channels eq'd different.

Wub wrote:

kidlogic wrote:
Hip hop cats like Kanye with huge budgets actually have a go-to multi instrumentalist guy who will recreate chunks of old songs note by note so they have a multi-tracked version of a sample.

Fair play, but getting sessions musicians to recreate everything does kinda take the fun out of it IMO. But hey, maybe I'm only saying that as a way of hiding my jealousy

Id rather do it the old school way myself too, more fun / challenging

Wub wrote: Another one I've been doing recently;


- If you're stuck for ideas, build up your sample library. Pick one random CD out of your collection, preferably not dance music related, and load up each song into your editor. Get at least one sample off each track that sounds cool - horn stab, perc loop, vocal, swirly intro bit, etc etc. Did this with my gf's copy of some Soundgarden album the other day, proper good stuff to work with

That my friend... is gold. Such a good suggestion!



-- Remember that its easier to organize well from the begining than to try to re-organize a 250gb hd when you begin to run out of room. (Yes, I speak from experience)

-Layer your drums
Get fat drum from mixing in, the low, end and highs form 3 different kick hits. Do the same for snares, except layer with claps and crashes too maybe.

If your hi hats are sounding a bit to rigid try adding a simple delay and varying the feedback to produce some different accents and patterns that you might not have thought of.

was gonna say avoid yellow snow but it's been taken...

This might be obvious to some but to get idea's up and running quicker...keep a 'Master Project' file where mundane things are already set-up (like drum busses for example, with EQ, compression gate plug-ins already set-up)...then all you have to do is sequence drums accordingly.

if you wanna use different drum hits/samples...then a tweak of effects/eq's is pretty simple.

double post

Like layering your drums for depth and seperating frequencies, do the same with the track colour. Keys / pads / bass layers ...

danoldboy wrote:If your hi hats are sounding a bit to rigid try adding a simple delay and varying the feedback to produce some different accents and patterns that you might not have thought of.

On this vibe... dont be afraid of the randomize function that a lot of DAWs have for midi notes. Just remember to save what you already have.


And from that tip...

-- Dont be afraid to "Save As" and create multiple versions of the same song. Like if you're feelin what you got so far, but think it needs a different something in that one spot... "Save As", rename it something like "Untitled_ver2-1" and go nuts with your new idea.

kidlogic wrote:

danoldboy wrote:If your hi hats are sounding a bit to rigid try adding a simple delay and varying the feedback to produce some different accents and patterns that you might not have thought of.

On this vibe... dont be afraid of the randomize function that a lot of DAWs have for midi notes. Just remember to save what you already have.


And from that tip...

-- Dont be afraid to "Save As" and create multiple versions of the same song. Like if you're feelin what you got so far, but think it needs a different something in that one spot... "Save As", rename it something like "Untitled_ver2-1" and go nuts with your new idea.

Fruity Loops has this feature built in, just go to file > save new version

glottis5 wrote:

kidlogic wrote:

danoldboy wrote:If your hi hats are sounding a bit to rigid try adding a simple delay and varying the feedback to produce some different accents and patterns that you might not have thought of.

On this vibe... dont be afraid of the randomize function that a lot of DAWs have for midi notes. Just remember to save what you already have.


And from that tip...

-- Dont be afraid to "Save As" and create multiple versions of the same song. Like if you're feelin what you got so far, but think it needs a different something in that one spot... "Save As", rename it something like "Untitled_ver2-1" and go nuts with your new idea.

Fruity Loops has this feature built in, just go to file > save new version

Ctrl + N

Wub wrote:

kidlogic wrote:
-- If doing a remix of a sample based tune, try to find as many versions of the tune as possible and as many of the samples used in the original version as possible. Cant find the original source material? - check the credits / google

Good shout - the drum & bass remix of Warren G - Regulate took the synth sample at the start from the Michael McDonald track I Keep Forgettin', where the original sample came from

To carry on from this idea if your doing a remix and you have no access to the part used try and find a midi file for it instead. This will have all the parterns used in the track and saves hours of time trying to figure out the pattern.