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Okay, this tip is not really a new one. The plugin I’m referring to here is the PSP Vintage Warmer 2 by those Polish boffins of Audio Software PSP.

If you had the chance to check out the latest CM mag with heavy weights Icicle, Reso and the Qemists then you’ll know what I’m talking about.

If you didn’t. Go out and grab the magazine or Google that shizzle.  Most definitely worth it.

Works absolutely brilliant on drums and well… er anything. Perfect if you need to add a bit of life to your drum break or fatten it up 200%!

Using The PSP Vintage Warmer 2

1. Turn up the drive knob.

2.Play with the Knee. 0-12 should do it.

3. Put it into FAT and Multi mode.

4. Turn the Limit OFF (use the Sonnox Oxford Limiter)

5. Adjust the High and Low band EQ to taste. I use them subtractively to flatten out the break whilst using Voxengo Span.

The thing about PSP VW2 is its pretty ease to use but the results are awesome.

Now… go out there and FU*K up some breaks!

Well, to be honest I’ve struggled in the studio in the last few weeks. Some times its been good but most of the stuff I’ve been firing out just has been an utter ball ache. So what to do when things aren’t going well for in the LAB?

Well, I needed some inspiration and I turned to the Q&A on “The Grid” for some much needed advice and boy was I glad I did! One of my all time favorite producers in Optiv from the Cause4Concern and his Q&A was a blinder.

Here are a few notes from the Q&A:

1. We start off with a relatively simple drum kit or loop,
2. Find a sample that evokes some kind of vibe,
3. Work on some bass and from there just add elements that reinforce the idea.
4. Usually the first half of any session is about sound design and preparing samples. Then we arrange the sounds and start on the arrangement.

This is how I kind of work right now but notice point 4? First half sound design and the second half arrangement. Optiv mentions that he never starts to arrange until he has all the sounds just right. This is a BIG BIG BIG tip. If you’re trying to do some major tweaks to your samples in the arrangement phase things are NOT going to go well for you. DON’T jump the gun with the arrangement. Get the sounds right before moving on. Keep adding and adding parts to your track until you can’t add anymore. Then arrange. This should help you keep your flow when arranging and, ultimately help you finish tunes as well.

Let’s face it. Drum and Bass Production is tough. So getting your work flow right is CRUCIAL if you want to write good quality tunes in a small space of time.

Best of luck.

Well, its been a while since the last drum and bass production tip. What’s been happening? Well, a colab with Fuj which is turning out pretty nice is nearly complete and some of my own stuff is starting to get there as well.

The biggest difference to my production has been the purchase of my Sennheiser HD650 headphones. As you know, I  ain’t in no flashy studio so I’m a victim of room acoustics like most bedroom producers out there.(the Ultracurve can only do so much)

Working on headphones is a good way of dealing with a bad room. Sure its harder to gauge reverb and pan positions on headphones but I can live with that because of the level of detail you get whilst working on your cans. So I spend maybe 50-60% on the cans these days.

The headphones feel and look professional and the detail and clarity is pretty damn good as well. Mixes (besides pan and reverb etc) translate really well.

Anyways… Sennheiser HD650 Headphones=WIN!

What else have I been up to? Well, (besides boring work) I’ve just been busy building up my drum hits like snares and kicks and shaker loops etc. I just create a Cubase project and load up a snare/kick/hi hat and phatten it up using layers, compression, EQ etc. Then I bounce out a few variations and move on.

*** I don’t save the project. I don’t want a whole load of Snare Projects in my Cubase Folder. If I don’t save it kind of finalizes my work.  ***

So yeah. These self created drum hits/breaks/bass stabs/bass etc have been a big help in getting tunes finished quickly and has improved the quality of my work.

So if you don’t feel like writing a tune. Take some time out and create some new snare/kick samples for your personal library.

You’ll be glad you did when you feel like writing a tune.

Listen, in this day and age of unlimited downloads, torrents and cracks its easy to have a VST folder that’s jammed packed full of synths that you have absolutely no idea about what they do or how they sound.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.

STOP

Go back into your folder and uninstall all of them except 1/2/3.

I don’t really care which one’s you pick. Just pick them and be done with it.

“Its easy to make a wrong decision right then to make a decision”

This was a famous quote by somebody who I can’t remember but anyways… you get the point.

Make a decision and move on.

Okay, so after you choose the synths you want to work with have a play around with them. Work your way through some presets and get to know how each one of them sounds. Turn off the effects and appegiators on the presets if they have them and have a good listen. Bounce out some sounds if you like and maybe draw in a bit of automation if you feel inspired.

Now after playing around you should load the initial/initialize preset (if there is one). Some synths come with an initial preset and some don’t. I reckon EVERY synth should have one. Its only when you start to build your own synth patches will you start to understand the synth. Which brings me to a good point.

I struggled with synthesis for ages. Sure I had a rough idea about what stuff on a synth did, LFOs, Envelopes, Detune etc. However, it wasn’t until I went through www.Nickstutorials.com courses that I started to really understand synthesis. Do yourself a favor and check them out. They start at the crazy price of $8 US and the amount of stuff you’re going to learn is worth WAY MORE than that.

Okay, so after you get a grasp of synthesis (by watching the videos etc) start building up your own presets and bounce stuff out for your own sound library. In next to no time you’ll have a large collection of your OWN sounds and your tracks will have start to develop your own personalized sound. Which is what making drum and bass music is all about.

Okay, over the last couple of months I’ve been formulating some cool new drum and bass production techniques and song writing techniques. Some haven’t worked as well as I wanted but some have proved to be “outstanding!” This one technique below is absolutely smashing my productivity meter through the roof!

SET A TIME LIMIT

Yep, I’ll say it again… “set a time limit”. This one killer technique has improved productivity a million% and I’ve written more stuff in the last month than I have all year!

Here’s the steps I go through:

1. 2 hour time limit. (yep, 2 hours is all you/I get! )

2. Find your samples, drums, bass, atmos, vocals, etc…

3. Fire up Ableton Live 8

4. Put down the atmos to get a vibe.

5. Work out the Bass line.

6. Drums go next.

7. Fx goes in about now.

8. Arrange the thing out to about 240 bars.

9. Freak out about the lack of time!

10. Allow 15 minutes for quick mixdown.

11. Done.

Now, before people freak out about the 2 hour time limit. DONT! Its only a time limit. I just made the damn thing up. It helps me work quickly. Which is the point. Also it ain’t going to be no Noisia, Current Value mega production standard tune. No, its just a technique to fire up the tune making juices and get some finished tracks under your belt!

Now, I don’t go back and do the tune when the 2 hours is up. I MOVE onto the next track. I’ll revisit the tune in a few days. This lets me be critical and judgmental later. Which is when you want to be, not when you’re trying to be creative!

So to sum every thing up.  SET A TIME LIMIT! I can’t say that enough. Oh and be really strict with it as well, no distractions, no emails, no Facebook etc. When 2 hours is up, your done! Put down the mouse. Take a break. Have a coffee. Go for a walk blah blah blah. You get the point.

Most importantly. Give it a whirl. See how you go. Even if you write a tune in 4 hours 19 minutes 34 secs you ain’t doing too badly are you?

Anyways, enough yacking from me.

If you have a bunch of questions about this technique or any others just write them below or shoot me an email.

Speak to you soon.

Dauntless