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For this module, my plan is to create a 2 track dubstep EP, inspired by the early UK sound such as Skream & Benga, and perform a 20 minute dubstep & grime set, with both of those tracks included.

For my event, i want to hold a multi genre rave in a club. I want it to be a ticketed event with multiple supporting djs and a headliner.

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My SMART targets for this term:

S - I am going to make a 2 track UK dubstep EP and perform both tracks in a 20 minute DJ set. I am also going to put on my own multi genre club event with multiple DJ's

M - I want to have both tracks finished by week 8. (mixed, mastered & released)

A - I want both tracks to be released on all of the main digital streaming platforms (spotify, soundcloud), With my event, i want it to be at least 75% sold out.

R - I am setting this goal in order to meet the demands of the assignment but to also gain experience in how the ins and outs of events management works and also how to independently release music onto bigger streaming platforms as i ultimately want to take those skills further in my career.

T - I will have my targets complete by the 16th December.

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Example of a sleng teng drum beat i put together in Logic ^

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In this session I learned about the foundations and characteristics of Dub and Reggae music, such as the common features and different types of 'riddims' used. Some of the main features are heavy amounts of delay, reverb & panning, syncopated drums & off beat instruments and a prominent, simple, repetitive bass.

Two types of riddims that are commonly used in dub music are 'one drop' and 'sleng teng'. A one drop riddim is when beat one is left empty and the kick and snare play on the 2nd & 4th beat at the same time.

Sleng Teng is a type of pattern focused around drum machines instead of live drum elements.

Learning about the foundations of dub music was particularly helpful as I am making dubstep tracks in this module, which draws heavy influence from dub and reggae drum patterns. It allowed me to gsin a deeper understanding into how to lay out drums in such a way that prodives the skippy rhythm i am looking for in my dubstep tracks.

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In the first sonic art session, I was set the task of sampling real life objects in order to create a track using the samples i recorded. I sampled all sorts, such as hitting a bin, mouse clicks, a fan & many more. This made me realise that you can make a desired sound from pretty much anything, and it is something i am definitely going to incorporate into my production and it think it adds an interesting, unique element to my sound. By using sounds i have recorded, they are individual to me.

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the first track i am using for my EP is a track I started over the summer, and the progress i have made on it so far is shown in the image above. All i have currently is a 16 bar section of the drop which contains the drums (kick, snare, clap, hi hats, perc loop), the inital bass patterns (4 variations) with a top line, sub bass and a filler bass hit between the longer bass notes, accompanied by some sweeping white noise to add some texture.

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In the first week of the electronic music workshop, i learned how to synthesise drums in Serum. I only managed to make a kick drum in this lesson which can be seen above. I used a sine wave a -2 octaves witch a very fast attack, no hold, a very short sustain time and a short release time to shape the sound of the kick. I applied the LFO to the coarse pitch of oscillator 1 which is what creates the thumping sound of the kick. I also applied a low pass filter to make sure the sine wave was only hitting in the low frequencies. Learning how to use serum to make my own drums was very helpful as i think it adds an extra element of uniqueness to my production, and I have an extra layer of control over how i want the kick to sound.

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This week I thought it would be a good idea to start thinking of some ideas for my second track for my EP, which led me to forming the idea shown above. It is relatively simple, with only a sub bass and 3 mid basses, alongside a simple, typical dubstep drum pattern wit ha kick on the first and just after the 3rd beat of the bar, with a clap hitting on the second beat accompanied by some hi - hats and cymbals filling in the empty space. I also added some drum rolls from a jungle sample pack and a dub siren to give it that classic dubstep feel

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In this session, we developed on what we did with dub music in session one but put some dub mixing into practice. I learned that the most common effects used when creating a dub mix tend to be plate and spring reverb, echo and delay. By using thse effects on one of my own drum beats, i was able to understand more in depth on how each one worked, which was very helpful as the music i am aiming to make in this module (dubstep) draws heavy influence from dub music in terms of the types of effects used thropughoput the track. Whilst i wont be doing live dub mixing with my tracks, it was interesting to find out more about the effects that are so commonly used in the genre of music i am currently exerimeting with.

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In this session i discussed the progress i have made over the last year and how i have set myself up to achieve my goal of being a professional DJ and Producer.

I wanted to progress from just being an amateur bedroom dj and producer to playing in clubs regularly and getting my music to a stage where it sounds professional and is getting noticed by bigger labels/ other djs. In relation to this goal I believe I am still very far off but I do think I have set myself up in a way that makes it seem much more achievable than it did one year ago. By actually setting time aside dedicated to learning producing in depth, I feel as if I am getting to a stage whereto the end product would be good enough to see an official release. While that would not be with a big label, the fact I even feel that my music is at that stage shows to me that I am progressing somewhat.

I think the progress I have made has been steady but good. In terms of my actual skill as a DJ, I have now had the practice of reading crowds and adapting sets to what people want to hear, which is a skill I didn’t have this time last year which is definitely something that will help me progress further. My production has definitely got better, I understand what parameters I am using in a synth and what processing is needed to certain elements for example. I am getting better at visualising ideas and actually making them happen as opposed to having an idea and not really knowing where to go with it due to my limited knowledge.

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This is the bass patched i designed which is playing in the 16 bare drop section shown to the left of this post. I used an FFT_Add_3rds wavetable with LFO 1 applied to the wavetable position to create some movement on the sound. i applied a formant filter to oscillator one, which gives a 'human sound' to the synth as it works in a similar way to the human vocal tract. LFO 1 is apllied to the cutoff of the formant filter to allow the filter to hit different frequencies as it plays, creatiung some more interesting variation. LFO 2 is being used to modulate the master tuning, which makes the sound 'bend' downwards in pitch at a quarter note rate. In the effects section, i have applied some distortion to b ef up the sound along with some chorus to make the bass appear wider, and finally some EQ to take out some of the high end as it was slightly harsh sounding.

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This is how the track is sounding at this point in time.

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In the second study group session, we discussed the difference between influence and inspiration, and what that meant to us as musicians. We discussed our music influences and inspiration, such as who our earliest influences are and the different sources we get our inspiration from:

Influence: the artists and music that has led to the music I attempt to produce today

Inspiration: hearing something or seeing something that sparks an idea for a track.

Common sources of inspiration: other artists music, hearing music live at club or festival, my mood

Earliest influences: pendulum, the prodigy, metalllica

Was about 9/10 when I listened to pendulum, the prodigy etc, led me down a rabbit hole over the next decade of different types of dance music. Metal bands influenced my taste to enjoy darker, heavier music which I think is what led me to liking jump up drum and bass (loud, noisy)

Sources of inspiration & influence:

Hearing music live at clubs or festivals - 1

Being in a crowd and seeing people enjoy the music being played, makes me want to do the same - 2

My surroundings

The people I am with at a certain point

My mood - 3

Making a sound in a synth that I think could work in a track - 4

Listening to older dance music records, allows me to see the uniqueness in production when dance music was still relatively new, gives me inspiration to try and be unique myself.

A random idea in my head at any point of the day - 5

Written above is a ranking from 1 to 5 on what my biggest sources of inspiration are.

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After last weeks session of collecting some real world samples, i spent some time during the week sorting them and coming up with a 4 bar beat that implements some of the samples i recorded, layered with some samples i already owned and some bass patches i created.

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example of the live dubbing we were doing.

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In this session, we went into the studio to make a basic reggae track which we could then use to do some live dubbing using delay, reverb and echo pedals.

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I didnt manage to spend enough time on this track as i would have liked this week, however i did have enough time to work on an idea for the into/ build up section. All i have done here is consolidated the main bass patch and automated a high pass filter to slowly let more frequencies in over 8 bars. I also applied reverb and delay which drops off 2 bars before the drop to release the build up of tension. So far i think this is a good start to the introduction section, however i would like to make it longer and add some more atmospheric sample and sounds to ad to the unsettling feeling i am going for.

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In this session, we went in to depth on research techniques for the case study and also what kinds of things i could research to ultimately provide a detailed analysis on the djs i am writing about.

What can I research?

Marketing strategies/ the business side of the music industry

Production techniques

Cultural impact/ influence of certain types of music

Historical context

Equipment (instruments, plugins, DAW’s etc…)

Biographical research - understanding backgrounds/ influences/ upbringing and personal experiences

Artist discography and the themes within that (artist evolution)

Critical reception (critiques, reviews & general opinions) allows to see the impact and innovation of a certain artist

Commercial success (chart performance, track sales, awards)

Social media presence and the artists relationship with their fans

Visual identity and branding; how do they present themselves to shape their persona?

Behind the scenes insights (interviews, documentaries) to gain a deeper perspective on an artists creative process and their personal motivations for the way their career has panned out.

^ these elements allow you to gain a comprehensive and deeper understanding of an artists musical contribution and their cultural significance within the music industry

Research Tips:

Clearly define my question to guide where to look with my research

Use reliable sources; academic databases, scholarly journals, reputable websites

Start broad and then dive into specifics; can get a general understanding and realise what parts are more or less important

Critically evaluate sources - look at the author and their views/ reputation/ check the date to see relevancy of the research/ who is funding the research (conflict of interest)

Find multiple sources to gather different viewpoints and see what different people agree/ disagree on (cross - referencing) and make sure that website references are valid.

Be mindful of own bias - do not do research that aims to reinforce an already existing opinion you may have, be prepared to find answers you may not want to hear - leads to a more objective final product.

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In this session I was able to take a snare sound i wanted to use in my tracks and run it through a delay and reverb pedal to create some interesting variations. A few examples are shown above. This was a good exercise as i was able to see the process of running audio through external effects, which was a common production technique in early dubstep. Now i understand how to do this, i will use it more in my music to provide that old school feel.

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This session revolved around looking into drum sequences and the inflence thay have had on electronic music since their introduction, in particular, the Roland TR-808 and 909. The 909 has been used in almost every electronic music genre at some point, mainly influencing 90s house and techno. Whilst this isn't the type of music i make, it was still interesting to learn about the foundations of such influential genres that ultimately led to the formation of the genres i am interested in making, like dubstep, UK garage and drum and bass.

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I didn't spend much time on this track this week as i decided it would be better to focus on getting the first track finished before going all in on this one, however i did a small variation with the bass just to keep it interesting.

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This week I continued on the drop section, I repeated the first 16 bars but added the snare sound i made in the electronic music workshop, and also a small break in the drums and bar 17 with the maiun mid bass being filtered out then back in again, just for a bit more variation.

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I did this in the electronic music workshop lecture this week

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After finishing the first 32 bars of the drop last week, it only made sense to start working on the second half of the drop this week. My first idea was to create a smooth transition between both parts, which can be heard above in the screen recording. The transition is relatively simple, all i have done is add. simple kick build up for 4 bars, alongside some white noise risers. The synth sound heard in the last 2 bars of the build up is the main synth bass bounced, reversed with some bitcrush & flanger automation. At the end of the screen recording above you can hear my idea for the synths and pattern for the second half, which i will go into more detail on another post.

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This week we talked about how our different lectures have benefitted us in terms of working towards the assignment, and we also went over the case study and i took some notes about how i am going to go about completing mine, which are shown below:

Sound design - will help to gain a better understanding on how to create sounds using synthesisers which can lead to  tracks becoming more unique and professional ultimately giving me a unique selling point

Stylistic development - drawing influence from other genres can be useful, could potentially provide a different outlook on my production techniques as we learn many different types of how music has been made in the past.

Sonic Art - collecting original samples - supports usp as they are samples only you have access to

Case Study:

A detailed research approach focused on understanding n individual or group of people.

Involve multi - media

Types of case study:

Single- in depth analysis of a single case

Multiple - analysis of several cases similar in nature

Illustrative - examining a familiar case to help others understand it

Useful to gain useful contextual insights and develop research skills

2 PARTS TO MY CASE STUDY:

1. Artist Research

2. Musical Analysis

SUBJECT - what am I looking at?

RESEARCH - what do I want to find out?

METHOD - how am I going to find out?

CRITERIA - what am I looking for?

DATA - what is the data?

EVIDENCE - what have I learned?

I am going to do my case study on Skream & Benga

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This session was focused around LFO's and how they are used. LFO stands for low frequency modulator which is an oscillator below the frequency range of human hearing that can be manipulated to give character and movement to a sound. I applied what we learned in this lecture to my first track idea when creating a synth variation for the second part of the drop (example above). For the synth patch in the second half of the drop, i duplicated the first synth patch but changed the LFO rate from a 1/8th triplet to a 1/2 triplet, and i also changed the LFO shape to have a steeper and quicker slope compared to the first bass (The LFO for that bas can be seen in a week 1 post). The changes i made to the LFO may not be drastic however it provides a cool variation in the track whilst retaining the character of the original sound. I also adjusted the wavetable position slightly and moved the filter cutoff up slightly.

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This session consisted of learning how feedback loops work and how they can be used to create interesting atmospheres. Shown above is the simple feedback loop i came up with. I used a plugin called patcher to link the audio input to a reverb, delay and a frequency echo to the output. I automated the delay time and the frequency echo shift time within the feedback loop which created the cool effect which can be heard above. I am planning to use a feedback loop in my first tracks intro in order to create an unsettling atmosphere.

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This week whilst messing around within my DAW, i came up with the idea heard in the screen recording above. Currently it is just a typical dubstep drum pattern alongside some mid bass synth patches i made in serum layered with a sub bass, however i think that this idea has the potential to be better than my other idea i had for the second track on the EP, so i am going to work on building this track going forward this term.

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this patch is the main bass heard in the second track. It is relatively simple, using 2 spectral wavetables and a rising LFO at a 1/8th triplet rate, with a comb filter also added to bring out some mid/ high frequencies to make the patch brighter. The noise oscillator is activated to add some texture to the sound. My favourite technique to use on dubstep basses like this is to map the LFO to the master tuning of the synth, which provides a constant pitch modulation that adds so much movement and character to the sound.

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This patch is also simple, but effective in the way i am using it. It is being used in this track as a filler between the main bass to fill out any empty space. I used a scout wavetable with a unison of 5 to widen the sound, with a low pass filter applied. The LFO is automating the filter cutoff in order to shape the pulsating sound that can be heard. LFO 1 is also automating the master tuning (similar to the main bass) which is what gives it that pitch bending effect.

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As this first track is quite aggressive sounding when it drops, it felt only right to start it off with an eerie, atmospheric intro. The stage i am currently at with the intro can be heard above. I layered a sample named 'hollow places' with a synth sound that sounded like banging and applied a flanger. I consolidated part of the bass from the drop and automated reverb ands a low pass filter to slowly let the sound through, to act as a teaser of the actual drop, I also added a riser.

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This week was based around using filtering in synthesis to shape and mould sounds, and add extra character and movement to wavetables that may otherwise be quite static. A filter i commonly use in my production is a comb filter, which can accentuate many frequencies to add brightness. An example of a comb filter on one of my synth patches is attatched above, where you can hear the slight but noticeable difference in the brightness of the sound.

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This session focused on modulation, and more specifically using low frequency modulation when synthesising a patch. A Low Frequency Oscillator (or LFO) is a frequency below the range of human hearing (20Hz) that is used to influence the movement of a sound by creating a rhythmic pulse/ sweep. LFO's are a big part of my process when creating synth patches, especially with the kind of dubstep i am currently making. The best example of my use of LFO's is the main bass on my first track.

LFO 1 is conrolling the movement of the first oscillator and the filter cutoff, which allows the formant filter to move over different frequencies.

LFO 2 is controlling the master tuning of the whole synth, i set this at a 1/4 rate at a level of 2, which gives a slight pitch bend effect.

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This session was focused around the idea of unique selling points and value propositions. I have written below my personal definition of what a USP and VP are,, along with what i want mine to be in my future career.

USP vs VP

USP - unique differences in my production that sets me apart from others in each track that I make

VP - The overarching message I am portraying through my music/ image, and the impact that was on the music industry as a whole

I want my unique selling point to be centred around certain production techniques that I utilise, such as sound design or drum programming.

I want my value proposition to be the emotional impact my music leaves on people. The music I make tends to be suited to raves, so I want my songs to be the ones that people remember hearing after they leave the rave

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For the second half of the drop, I haven't made many changes however i think what i have done adds some nice variation and stops the tracks from getting boring. I took the bass patch from the first part of the drop and changed the lfo rate in order to slow the movement down, and i also made a droning sound to play over the top of the bass to add some texture. To allow the track to feel like it is progressing, i brought back in the vocal hook i used before the drop. The drum pattern has remained the exact same.

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In this session, we learned how to create sub drops, filter sweeps and noise risers in serum. Being able to make these elements for my productions is very useful to add texture and extra 'information' to my tracks. My attempts at making all 3 are shown below.

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This week, we were tasked with making a remix of a track called Hypergreen in the style of drum and bass. This was a challenge as the original song is a rock song, which is quite far removed from drum and bass. i was stuck on this for a while until i managed to come up with the loop in the screen recording above. This excersise was useful as it forced me to look for different sources of inspiration in the track that i could start with, which is a great way of getting into the creative mindset.

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In this session we learned about aesthetics in music and how it can shape and define your image as an artist. Wa analysed a song by Stormzy to determine his aesthetics and i made notes on what I ultimately want my aesthetic to be.

Aesthetics

Definition: "In pop culture, an aesthetic refers to the overall style of someone or something, like a musical sound, interior design, or even a social media presence."

This is the contemporary definition, and fits in more with the discussion we had in the lesson today.

My Own Aesthetic:

Nature: dark, gritty, underground music inspired by previously existing genres to emerge from the UK (dubstep, jungle, drum and bass). In terms of the visual aspect of my aesthetic, I want to present a raw, almost unfiltered image that provides a visual representation of how my music feels to listen to.

Purpose: I want the purpose of my music to be to make people energised through dark baselines and heavy synths

Context: The UK underground electronic music scene

Importance: I feel my music will be important to people who appreciate authenticity and experimentation. I make music for me and don’t follow certain musical trends in order to garner popularity, which I think will resonate with people who listen to my music.

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In this session, we analysed hip - hop songs from the past and did a track breakdown of a track of our choice. My notes from the lesson are below.

TRACK BREAKDOWN - MF DOOM (MadVillain) - FANCY CLOWN

Tempo - 90bpm

Time Signature- 4/4

Key - G sharp/ A flat major

Structure - Intro, Verse 1, Break, Verse 2, Outro

Instrumentation - Chopped sample, sampled drum break, vocal

Tonality- ???

Rhythmic Patterns - Snare on the 2 and 4, triplet kick in bar 1, sample chops are syncopated

Chord Structure - ???

Lyrics/ Themes - story from a 1st person point of view that relates to the contents of the sample; story of a heartbreak he is going through, his partner being unfaithful

Dynamic Range- steady dynamics, no major changes apart from when the drum come in and drop out

Equipment - sp303

Performance - ???

Production techniques - most of the track is made up of samples

Melody - ???

This excersise was useful as it showed me how to critically analyse a song and understand the decisions the producer made when writing/ composing the song. This type of analysis may be beneficial when writing my case study, as i am able to listen out for elements in production that formed the USP for the artists I have chosen.

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This week in our sonic art lession, we were set the task of working with somebody else in the class who produces a different style of music, and attempt to merge both of our styles together in one track. I worked with Kian in this tack, who makes house, and what we managed to come up with is shown above. Whilst house and dubstep do not mix particularly well, this was still a good activity to draw inspirarion from different styles of music and learn other producers ways of thinking.

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After attempting to do a mix down of my first track, I found that the main bass was very difficult to fit in the mix properly, so i started a new version where I changed the bass, drums, and added some new elements in to create a new track with the same structure as the previous version. After arranging the drums and changing the bass, I decided to stick to working on this version. The changes I made are shown in the screen recording above.

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The bass patch I made for the new version of track 1 is a simple patch; I am using an FFT add 2nds wavetable with a formant filter applied. LFO one is in the shape of a shark fin, set to a 1/8th triplet and applied to the wavetable position of oscillator A and the filter cutoff. This allows for a greater amount of movement and character in the sounds. The FX applied can be seen in the screen recording above.

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Shown above is the patch for the top line that can be heard in the updated version of the first track. It is a patch I made a long time ago however it seemed to work well in filling up empty space in the track. The wavetables I used can be seen above in the screen recording. Oscillator B is pitched up by 7 semitones along with a fine tune of 30 which makes the patch sound slightly de tuned. I also put a low pass filter over both oscillators with LFO 1 modulating the cut off to open up and close the sound.

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This sub patch is used under the main bass to fill out the low end. It is a simple sine wave with a low pass filter as can be seen above in the screenshot. I have copied the LFO information from the main bass so when played at the same time, the pitch bend rate is the exact same.

I also have a sub bass playing staccato notes in between the main bass to fill in empty space, which is just a copy of the patch above but with a lower sustain value.

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Although it is late on in the term and it is probably not the most practical idea to start a new track at this stage, I started to dislike the track i was planning to use for the 2nd song on my EP. I found that i had a real lack of inspiration whilst trying to think of ways to keep the track interesting. I took a few days off making music and when I started up again, the idea above is what I came up with. I planned to make a more atmospheric dubstep track compared to the first track on my EP in order to create contrast.

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Although I haven't started a proper mix - down of track 2, I did do some parallel compression on the drums.

I routed the drum bus to an extra channel that is soley being used for heavy compression. You can see the settings I am using in the screen recording to create a heavily compressed signal that i then blended with the original signal going into the drum bus. This allowed me to kepp the original transients and dynamics of the drums as well as having a heavily compressed signal which gives the drums so much more character. The difference can be heard in the screen recording.

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talk about shortening track down

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This is the first bass that can be heard in the track. It is a very simple bass using my current favourite wavetable FFT_add_2nds. I am using LFO 1 ,which can be seen in the screen recording, to move the wavetable position up and down which provides the 'whoosh' effect. I added some noise to give some extra texture but it ended up sounding quite harsh, so I added a low pass filter to take out the high end. LFO 1 is also applied to the filter to add some extra movement. In the 2nd section of 8 bars, I used this bass with an extra FFT_add_2nds wavetable on oscillator B, but I it had set to play 7 semitones up to add a nice harmonic layer.

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Here is the sub bass i am using to layer underneath the main bass. All i habe done to create this sub is clone the main bass patch and turn off oscillator one, and turn on the sub oscillator. I also turned off the low pass filter as it was not needed and changed the distortion type from hard clip to tune as it provides a 'warmer' feel.

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In this session, we talked about how to write programme notes for our tracks this term.

SESSION 8

Programme notes - an article written in a programme for a play or concert

These notes serve as a guide for concert goers, offering insight into the musical and historical background of a piece of music

For me - programme notes will help the assessor make sense of my work.

How to write programme notes:

Understand the audience (in my case the assessor)

Identify how and where my influences are evident in my tracks

Clear, concise and engaging writing style

Cite sources

Keep notes concise (250 words approx.)

Proofread

Structuring Programme notes:

Introduction (of artist & track)

Historical context (when and why piece of music was made)

Musical analysis (structure, form, themes, other musical elements)

Performance considerations (any challenges or techniques this track had)

Significance (why is my track important in the context of music history)

Conclusion (key points)

For my programme notes, I think I am going to talk about the reasons as to why I decided to make dubstep this term and explain my influences for how my tracks end up.

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To make some variation in the next 16 bars of the track, I decided to automate the wavetable position of the main bass which gives the effect heard in the screen recording above, it removes some of the higher frequencies and then brings them back in the next time the bass plays. I added some extra hi hats in a different positions compared to the first 16 bars to create some variation in the drums. I didnt want to change the drum pattern too dramatically, as repetitive drum beats are synonymous with dubstep.

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I found a vocal chant in a sample pack i have and i dragged it into the arrangement window and added reverb, delay and a frequency modulation plugin that i automated in a crazy way, which can be seen in the screen recording. This vocal is subtle in the mix but it adds some much needed texture to the high - mids.

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For the second section of the first drop, I wanted to make sure the track was constantly evolving; to do this, i removed the sub stabs that played at the start of each 4 bars and replaced it with a sub drop style bass (see below this post for the patch). This changes things up in the track without removing the fullness of the low end. I kepe the flute style synth the same as in the first 32, but changed the notes in the melody, again to make sure the track is changing and developing as it goes on. To add some more texture, I used a vocal from a jungle sample pack saying 'run it rudeboy' that I am planning to use in the intro.

To make a clear difference between the teo 32 bar sections on the first drop, I created a variation of the main bass, which can be heard in the screen recording above (patch can be seen below). It has the same 1st oscillator but to make it different I used the second oscillator playing at a high frequency to add some harmonics to the sound.

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To create the intro, I started by consolidating the main bass from the drop and automating reverb and delay over 16 bars along with a low pass filter that slowly opens up, in order to create tension and slowly introduce elements that are fully heard in the drop. I added some 'knocking' sound effects with frequency modulation to form some interesting texture. The vocal I used in the second part of the first drop is also used in the intro, but I used the full length vocal instead of just a short clip. I added a hi hat on each beat and ab build up kick and clap on the 8th to the 14th bar.

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To give the track some variation and to allow it to progress, I used some of my favourite FX on the bass, as can be heard in the screen recording above. I added a Valhalla frequency echo plugin which gives it that 'wobbly' effect compared to the bass before hand.

You can also hear I have added extra kick drums in this section, alongside some extra cymbals that i have panned fully left and fully right respectively, with some delay automation to create an interesting feel in the background of the track.

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To add some much needed texture to the drop, I went looking for a vocal that i could use to drop into the background of the track. I came across a sample of a Brazilian man singing on freesound.org and chopped it to only have the first second or so. I time stretched this vocal and pitched it to fit in with the key of the track. As the track goes on, i added extra layers of this vocal and pitched them up an octave and 2 octaves respectively, and also panned them wide to fill out the stereo field. This creates a very wide and satisfying atmosphere.

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For the second drop, I wanted to include some slight variation, however I didn't want to change things around too much as i wanted this track to closely resemble early UK dubstep, which was synonymous with a lack of variation.

To achieve this, I used the same bass used in the first drop and automated the LFO rate to be slower, then faster the next time it plays and vice versa. Its a noticeable change compared to the first drop however the foundations set in the first drop are still very much present.

(The LFO rate automation can be seen at the end of this screen recording)

I kept the drum pattern throughout the second drop the exact same as the first drop.

The second half of the second drop is kept virtually the same as the first drop.

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FINISHING TOUCHES TO ARRANGEMENT - TRACK 1

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FINISHING TOUCHES TO ARRANGEMENT - TRACK 1

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To finish off the arrangement of track one, I added some effects that can be heard in the screen recording above. It is all very simple with a few white noise risers and some FX to till out some empty space as well as to indicate section changes.

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In this part of the drop, i used the same bass patch that had been playing previously but changed the LFO information to give is a different modulating sound. For the melody synth, i added an acid wavetable on oscillator B and opened up the low pass filter slightly to give the sound some more high end and some more 'grit'.

To add some variation in the drums, I added a triplet hi hat.

Bot bass patches used in this part of the track are shown next to this entry.

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For the intro, i did something quite similar to the first track on my EP. I bounced out the bass and added reverb, delay and a low pass filter that slowly automates to let the sound through more to create tension for the drop. I used the vocal that is in the drop, however i used a larger section of it ad it compliments the consolidated bass i just mentioned when more of it was used, it also fills out more space in the intro creating a larger atmosphere. Alongside these two elements, I added some percussive elements used in the drop as some extra texture and 'foreshadowing', as well as vinyl crackle.

The build up section consists of a kick, snare and a revere hi hat that is used in the drop, which I then slowly filtered out as the drop got closer. I turned off this filter in the last 2 bars before the drop with a clap to indicate the drop was coming. I think this is a good way of building the final bit of tension before it is then released with the drop.

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During this week I learned a cool vocal mixing technique that I wanted to use in this track.

To achieve the effect heard in the screen recording, I took the dry vocal heard at the start, pitched it down, chopped it and added reverb and delay. I then copied this, reversed that copy and bounced it out to make it one audio file. I then layered it over the top of the vocal that is not reversed with led to this cool effect that i used in the drop to fill out some empty space as whell as an atmospheric element in the intro.

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The blue channels in the mixer are all of the drum elements used in the track. As you can see above, I have set the levels appropriately to have the kick and snare as the most prevalent elements, with the rest of the drum elements sitting just behind.

I routed all of these elements out of the master channel and into a drum bus which is then sent to the master. This allowed for greater control of processing and and overall volume of the drum group.

I have shown all of the processing that is used on the drums. I stated with a saturation to give the drums some more distortion and weight, followed by a multi - band compressor to glue all of the elements together a bit more. I then applied a transient shaper which gives the drums some much needed punch, as well as cutting off some of the harsh transients in the highs. I added a bit crusher to give more of an 'old - school' feel to the drums and finally an EQ to take of a small amount of the high end as it was quite harsh due to the bit crusher.

All drum elements have appropriate EQ settings on the individual channels.

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All of the red channels are the bass channels.

Both main basses have identical settings: EQ to bring out the low mids and take out some unwanted frequencies in the mids, followed by OTT which really helps the sound to stand out in a crowded mid range. A dimension expander helps the sound to fill out the stereo field and then the final bit of processing is a small amount of reverb to provide some brightness

The sub basses only have an EQ and a limiter applied as the original signal from the sub bass patch sounded full and clean as it was. The EQ is to just boost the low end to make it more prevalent, and the limiter is being used to sidechain both subs to the kick to get rid of any muddiness in the lows. This was quite an important step in the mix as it is a very low end focused track.

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The rest of the elements on the track required minimal mixing to be quite honest. A lot of the samples used were from packs that had already been processed. Every element has a low cut applied to remove the low end to ensure no muddiness is present.

I have used some delay on the vocal and taken off the top end for no other reason than to make it less boring.

Other than that there are no noticeable interesting mixing techniques other than setting the levels for each element.

Towards the bottom of the mixer you can see a dial that is either dark blue, light blue or neutral. The channels with the dark blue are set to be full mono, such as the kick and basses, and the light blue elements are set to have a large amount of stereo seperation.

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This week I did not take any notes or complete any activities in my lectures that I am able to talk about (apart from parallel compression in my electronic music workshop).

I was allowed to use my time this week to work on my tracks which I have included information on in seperate posts.

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Due to the limitations set on track length (both tracks must equal 4 - 8 minutes in duration) I am not able to have a second drop on track 2, which is something I would have included otherwise.

After a 64 bar drop, I simply just let the track fade out. I do not like having to do this, however I made the intro longer and more atmospheric in comparison to my first track in order to compensate for this.

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The red channels in the mixer are the drum channels. You can see that i have set the levels in a way that makes the kick and snare stand out above the rest of the elements, and from that i have blended in the rest of the drums to a level that fits in with the rest of the track.

On the drum bus, all I have added is saturation to bring out the dynamic range and add extra character, along with a tape cassette plugin which I am using to provide some warmth to the drums.

I have not included a compressor on the drum bus as i have the parallel signal doing the compressing for me, and it felt a bit unnecessary to ad a second compressor.

All of the elements have been EQ'd individually.

I also have a reverb bus for the snare which just gives me a bit more control over the amount of reverb I want on the snare to allow it to cut through.

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For the basses, I have done minimal processing, as I didn't think it was needed as in the serum patch itself (see week 8) has compression and distortion already. All I have done to the main bass is EQ to roll off some low end to make room for the kick and sub.

I have taken off any high end that was apparent in the sub bass and boosted the low end to make it more present. I habe also added a limiter which is acting as a sidechain to the kick, to prevent muddiness.

The melody bass has an EQ boosting the mids and rolling off some of the high end, as the white noice oscillator was overpowering the high frequency range, which was negating some of the hi hats.

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For the vocals, again they did not require much processing. I used an EQ on each vocal channel to take off all of the low end as it was not needed, and I added a reverb to thew main vocal drone to add some brightness and fill out some space in the mix. I didn't think that the other vocal drones that are panned fully left and right needed any reverb as they filled enough space in the stereo field from panning alone.

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Here is a screenshot of the full mixer for track 2 after a mixdown.

Annoyingly, I did not leave myself enough time to do a proper master, so the master channel consists of a soft clipper and a soft clipper only. This is on there to boost the overall level of the track so it is ready for my DJ performance.

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For the master channel on track 1, i added an EQ to lightly reduce the level of the low end as it was quite powerul, the high end was also pretty harsh so i dropped the level of that ever so slightly.

Following the EQ, I have a soft clipper which is just increasing the overall level of the track, whihc is the followed by a limiter to ensure the track isn't distorting.

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Overall, I think this term can be considered a success. I was able to deliver on making 2 high quality dubstep tracks and a professional sounding performance by the end of the term.

In my smart targets at the start of term, I said i would have both of my tracks mixed, mastered and released by week 8. I didn't manage to achieve this however I am not disappointed as all it meant was that I was able to spend more time on the mix and master of the tracks, I have plans to release them independently in the new year.

One thing I would possibly change if I was to do this again would be to choose a set idea for my tracks earlier on in the term. As I highlighted in this development diary, I changed my first track idea at around week 7, and my second track idea was changed twice before I made something I was happy with in week 8. I think if i was able to pick my track ideas and stick with them earlier on in the term, I probably would have had a better end product due to having more time available to work on them. I don't think this was a particularly big hinderance to the quality of my work though so I am not too disappointed.