The "Drop"

kidlogic · Post by **kidlogic** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 9:45 pm

Earlier I was having a discussion with my girlfriend, who is just getting into production, about the 'Drop' and its importance, relevence, and other aspects in regards to electronic music and bass music in particular.

It started with her question.... "How important is it to have a drop?"

... which got me thinking, how important is it really?

As a DJ, I both love and hate the drop.

On the one hand, nothing really beats that moment... packed dancefloor, everyone gettin down, cut the outgoing record at the breakdown of the incoming and the beat drops out... then BOOM! Instant skankage.

On the other, tunes with a really strong drop kinda limit what you can do mix wise. Its either double drop it with another, or cut it at the drop for full effect. Granted, with certain tunes, you have a few more options, but for most of the tunes built around a huge drop thats about it.

As a producer, Im now wondering how important it really is the more tunes I make and more directions I want to take them in.

This isnt necessarily meant as a plea for advice on the subject, I just wanted to start the conversation...

For you, how important is the drop?

What might you use in place of a drop?

Is it necessary to have a breakdown before a drop?

deadly_habit · Post by **deadly_habit** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 9:54 pm

necessary for dance music especially when it's bassline based
edit: maybe i should rephrase that a bit
meaning it's a staple of music meant to be played by djs seeing as it's used like a cue while mixing

wirez · Post by **wirez** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 10:01 pm

kidlogic wrote: This isnt necessarily meant as a plea for advice on the subject

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeego

kidlogic · Post by **kidlogic** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 10:34 pm

WiREZ wrote:
kidlogic wrote: This isnt necessarily meant as a plea for advice on the subject
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeego

How is that egotistical? Im trying to start a conversation about it, not get advice. I have my own ideas about it, but wanted to hear others opinions. Please explain to me how that is egotistical.

3za · Post by **3za** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 10:53 pm

if your making music for dj's/dancefloors (feet) then i think a drop is very recomended but not essential.

if your making music for home/chilling (head) then a drop is a bit annoying.

and if your making music for feets and heads the its a bit of a balancing act.

my 2p

wirez · Post by **wirez** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 12:16 pm

kidlogic wrote:
WiREZ wrote:
kidlogic wrote: This isnt necessarily meant as a plea for advice on the subject
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeego
How is that egotistical? Im trying to start a conversation about it, not get advice. I have my own ideas about it, but wanted to hear others opinions. Please explain to me how that is egotistical.

I was joking

Although personally, I think that if you hear other peoples opinions and then change your own opinion due it it, it is a form of advice?

connection · Post by **connection** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 12:25 pm

For me it depends on what style of music it is.

Something dark and heavy needs the drop, else it becomes less effective when the bass kicks.

On the flip, something easy and mellow doesn't need it IMO. Tunes that 'roll' especially don't benefit from the breakdown ---> drop.

I find it all a bit formulaic, but something that I can never really get away from when I produce, although I am working on a couple of tracks at the moment that don't have any drop at all.

ELLFIVEDEE · Post by **ELLFIVEDEE** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 12:28 pm

WiREZ wrote:
kidlogic wrote:
WiREZ wrote:
kidlogic wrote: This isnt necessarily meant as a plea for advice on the subject
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeego
How is that egotistical? Im trying to start a conversation about it, not get advice. I have my own ideas about it, but wanted to hear others opinions. Please explain to me how that is egotistical.
I was joking Although personally, I think that if you hear other peoples opinions and then change your own opinion due it it, it is a form of advice?

But he was just asking for peoples opinions on it, that's called a discussion remember.

For me as a DJ, the drop is important obviously, but some tunes have hella annoying drops which just leave it impossible to do anything with.

But when a tune has a nice drop, then it helps a lot with set building, double drop crew where you at!

Although some tunes without typical drops can still be nice to play around with, leaves you more room to get creative with EQ's, filters and FX in order to create more dynamic mixes and in some senses, make your own "drops"

blunt-dmo · Post by **blunt-dmo** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 12:36 pm

i think it depends on what you are wanting from a tune

i make tunes i like to listen to. the thoughts on how it can be mixed doesnt come into it for me as songs are created so they can be played in full.

in my car i like tunes that have a build up and then a massive drop. i like to pull back my head the nod hard when the drop kicks in and really feel the tune.

i also like random and unexpected drops whete its not the clichéd chillout creep and BOOM type drop but rather a sudden twist or change to the dynamics of the tune.

from a dj aspect it would be different though.
tunes like "this way" by nero that seems to be many drops with a drop and if need be feels like its dropping every 4 bars is something i would tink about lol

serox · Post by **serox** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 12:46 pm

It is not all about the drop at all. When I hear people talking like this it just makes me think of jumpup or people who wants to make hits and be a superstar.

You will grow out of it.

blunt-dmo · Post by **blunt-dmo** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 1:23 pm

Serox wrote:It is not all about the drop at all. When I hear people talking like this it just makes me think of jumpup or people who wants to make hits and be a superstar.

You will grow out of it.

i dissagree, its what i want to here in a tune when listening by myself or with a friend.
its a matter of opinion so its a bit brash to post a statement like its fact.

As for people making it big and be a superstar, you think that would happen if people didnt like it?
thats wierd logic mate, theres nothing wrong with wanting to be popular with something you enjoy doing aslong as you dont sell yourself out and be who people want you to be rather than the person you are

FSTZ1 · Post by **FSTZ1** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 2:06 pm

I agree with both sides of the discussion

there is something very rewarding about the drop and to watch a crowd freak out when the bass hits, etc...

but lately I have been mixing and looking for tunes that are just forward moving... where the elements of the tune build gradually and people keep dancing without even noticing that there was a new tune introduced

however...

hearing skream and hatcha drop banger after banger, rewind after rewind

EPIC

just not my style

legend4ry · Post by **legend4ry** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 2:24 pm

Wellllllllllllllllllllllll!

Interesting subject..

You sit at your lab and you've finished a tune so you try and structure it..

do you go for 16/32 bar intro then a voice sample/big sweep to a dirty drop and then hit that for 64 bars, mini 16 bar breakdown to a alternative drop for 48 bars to a break down..

OR

Do you build progression and have the sub come in around 32 and still bringing elements in till 64 bars and then add variation for another 64/96 then hit a breakdown?

Both structures (and not the only structures you can do) work very well for most tracks one has more "BOOM" to the drop the next one has more style and to me... makes you think more about the track and appreciate it more.

nearly everything drops in dubstep - its just.. does it drop instantly or do it drop over a course of a few bars.

Yes a drop is important, very important cause it establishes a mark in the tune where its moving somewhere and not just one long intro the first main change in a tune defines a drop to me..- but the way you show the drop in the tune is totally up to you, if people "get" it or not is really the only aspect you'll have to take into consideration when making a club-orientated tune.

Not to piss off anyone or try and start beef..

but I find people whom keep going for the big drop structure are aiming towards radio/club/getting signed and it feels like when all their tunes are working like this - you seem to think are they doing it for theirselfs or that thing we call money.....If a DJ is good - aslong as the things are not dropping in weird ways and have odd-bar structures like.. 26 bar drops and the DJ likes it - he/she will play it people need to remember that.

futures_untold · Post by **futures_untold** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 2:57 pm

I saw Caspa play recently.

The first two tunes of the set were big drops and sounded fresh. Then he played the worst set I've heard since I saw Pendulum live. All the kids were loving it though. At that point though, I left them to their midrange shite and went to the dub/reggae room.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Remember that 'drop' doesn't equal bass weight.

Drops aren't condusive to 'head nod', and the majority of the time, especially while I'm working, I like to nod my head. I'd rather nod my head and feel the pressure in my chest than become a sweaty, stinky, overheated mong.

One problem I found when I used to dj d'n'b was that if I focussed on the drops, I quickly got bored of listening to the actual tunes. Instead, I just fiended for the next drop, and what should've been a 40 minute set quickly became condensed into a 10 minute drop fest.

I guess djing is all about target markets. Pilled up student kiddies who've never raved before will always like jump up. Jaded critics and travellers may appreciate more subtlety in their music.

serox · Post by **serox** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 3:03 pm

futures_untold wrote:
One problem I found when I used to dj d'n'b was that if I focussed on the drops, I quickly got bored of listening to the actual tunes. Instead, I just fiended for the next drop, and what should've been a 40 minute set quickly became condensed into a 10 minute drop fest.

That is like the main thing that put me off DNB and what puts me off most Dubstep DJs. That and the fact too many of them cannot mix lol.

Some wicked producers who can make good tunes but dont know how to mix or how to structure a set with flow:(

droskidubz · Post by **droskidubz** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 4:04 pm

futures_untold wrote:what should've been a 40 minute set quickly became condensed into a 10 minute drop fest.

Haven't we all been there a time or two?

I think if a track is properly arranged and produced w/ a logical structure it, obviously lends its self to be a more versatile for the dj to work with.
As a dj who is just now exploring the world of production I can see how in the epicness of the track one could overlook its mixability.
I view drops as not being essential, but a defined plus depending on the vibe you are going for. I don't feel that, if properly done, a drop hinders a track.
Personally, I'm trying to bounce my tracks out and throw em into serato for a spin... test em out and rework as needed.

I probably should have prefaced this whole post with the fact that I am a complete amateur and have no clue what I am talking about. If you feel I like flamin', save yourself the trouble, I CONCEDE MY NOOBNESS.

hugh · Post by **hugh** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 4:12 pm

dubstep is built around the whole drop culture, has anyone who is dissing heavy drops actually been to an even like subdub vs exodus? Theres a reason for those umpteen million reloads you know

anyway i generally just go for the pitch bending method, with some kind filter automation and reverb thrown in to muddy evverything up before it clears up for the drop. Nothing wrong with doubling the pace of your kicks and hats etc as well

20twelve · Post by **20twelve** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 4:17 pm

Essential..

The "Drop"

The "Drop"

Re: The "Drop"

Re: The "Drop"

Re: The "Drop"

Re: The "Drop"

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