Production Master Class: Intros and Outros

By Francis Preve
Welcome to the Beatportal Master Class series on production techniques.
Starting this month, well be polling Beatport artists and producers on their approaches to
various production techniques and reporting their answers in roundtable format.
As artists, we all have our own preferences and philosophies that comprise our sound,
and those philosophies are what makes each artist unique and to some DJs and
audiences, even inspirational.
In the interest of increasing that inspiration, well be getting insights and tips from
producers with tried-and-true techniques that have earned them their place at the peak of
many DJ sets.
This month, well be talking about approaches to track intros and outros.
Some artists start with full-on music, some with just drums, some with just a floaty pad or
heavily effected passage.
Personally, Im a fan of the old school drum in/out, since it makes track selection an
almost painless process, especially with brand new remixes youre itching to try out later
tonight.
That said, I also know a few DJs that skip over tracks that have intro qualities that make
them more PITA than HITA.
Heres what some of Beatports top artists have to say.
(Note that the responses are in alphabetical order, since everyone involved is a star in
their own right.)
Richard Dinsdale
Nowadays, I think you are able to start a record however you want, it doesnt always
have to start with a 32-beat (or eight measure, if you prefer) intro of drums alone.
I tend to start with a beat intro to make it easier for DJs to mix-in, but I think if you have
a good enough musical hook at the beginning then why not start with that?
Dont think you have to be the same as everyone else, try something new because you
want to stand out from the rest.
MySpace link: www.myspace.com/richarddinsdale
Josh Gabriel
When approaching the beginning and end of a track meant to be played by other DJs I
always try to have no music present in either the beginning and the ending.
The reason for this is simple: It makes the track more playable.
There is less of a chance of keys clashing when the new track enters and also leave a
clean slate for when the next track comes in.
Also, I try to build the energy in the intro of a track, adding instruments one at a time so
the new track feels like its taking over the old one.
Same on the outro, take away parts until you are left with as little as you can handle.
MySpace link: www.myspace.com/joshgabrielmusic

Wolfgang Gartner
I personally come from the old school of formatting tracks with the DJ in mind, without
any concern for the casual listener.
Having done this for the past 15 years, its just become second nature when arranging a
trackI dont even think about it anymore.
Usually the technique calls for at least one minute of beats / minimal groove at the
beginning, and the same at the end.
I like to build the groove and the drums for the first minute, adding little percussion
elements, and teasing in sounds that are fun to mix.
I do the opposite at the end.
I almost always bring in the bassline sometime between 1:00 and 1:30, whether through a
simple drop in or a small build-up.
And I do the same at the endremoving the bassline with 1:00 left in the track.
This technique allows a DJ to work with minimal concern over melodic elements & key
matching, and slam in new basslines without worrying about clashes. In short, its
extremely DJ-friendly.
MySpace link: www.myspace.com/djwolfganggartner
Jaytech
Nowadays theres certainly nothing wrong with having a very short intro or no intro to a
track at all it may make the tune a little more difficult to be placed in a set, but the DJs
of today shouldnt have much of a problem with that.
When I make intros and outros I generally try and keep at least 15 seconds free of any
basslines or melodic parts, so theres a bit of headroom for DJs to mix with.
I have some tracks are just beats for the first minute or even longer, and they can be fun
to mix with as theyre a bit more versatile.
If you are going to have a long beats intro to a tune, you can still make it interesting with
little fills and effects!
MySpace link: www.myspace.com/jaytech
Morgan Page
Intros and outros are definitely important aspects of a song that make it DJ friendly.
Im very particular about how they are structured, and it often annoys me when people
get too clever with this or dont provide a strong transient in the beginning (kick, snare,
something) that I can set my warp markers to, or set the cue point on CDJs.
I think you need to strike a balance simply doing drum intro and outros is boring. The
records need elements that talk to each other, and space so the record coming in and can
have some breathing room.
I try to put in syncopated parts that mix well, but maybe arent so tonal that they will
clash musically.
One trick I like is starting the intro with the small kick, and moving into the big one after
32 bars this allows you create impact and excitement without having to manage the DJ
mixers EQ so much.

Using FX, percussive hits, and subtle musical stabs especially with automation is
essential to creating an interesting record for DJs to mix.
I also love filtering chords and sweeps to build up to the first breakdown, where the next
record can drop.
MySpace link: www.myspace.com/morganpage
Tritonal
[Pictured above with Cristina Soto]
Creating the introduction of a piece of dance music can be a tricky thing.
Most producers stick to theology that says, begin the track with a basic kick, snare, and
hi-hat so that the DJ has something tangible to latch onto in the mix.
As DJs who use the decks, we understand this and to a certain degree subscribe to this
method as well.
The thing that we try to do is to make our percussion and effects unique in the intro, so
that the new track coming in sticks its head up in one manner or another.
We also like to take one element of the track, bounce it and create a unique stab or effect
out of it in order to get that, oh here it comes moment.
We also use Ableton Live 7 in our sets, and in this case do not need a traditional mix-in.
We feel that as more and more DJs begin to see the magic that can take place within an
environment such as Live, the entire way that dance music is introduced could change.
MySpace link: www.myspace.com/tritonalmusic
Outro
Speaking of outros, if there are any producers out there with a body of solid Beatport
tracks under their belt who are interested in participating in future roundtables, please feel
free to contact me directly at: fap7info@gmail.com
Production Master Class: Kick and bass

By Francis Preve
In the last Master Class, we had our roundtable of producers relay their take on creating
intros and outros for tracks.
This week, we tackle the complex interplay between kick and bass.
Some of the answers may startle you, as every producer has a passionate perspective on
this topic, which isnt surprising, as kick and bass are probably the most important
aspects of any mix.
So lets go kick some (b)ass.
Ben Brown
I use a combination of EQ, sequencing, and sidechaining to make sure everything has its
own space in the mix.
For sequencing, the most basic thing I do to ensure that the kick and bass each have their
own space is just write the music so they dont hit at the same time.
This is a really simple solution and reduces frequency problems as the music gets more
complex.

Sometimes, Ill use a simple EQ to get rid of the lower end of kicks to make room for the
bass frequencies.
For sidechaining, I like using a sidechain compressor that is set to duck the bass sound
whenever the kick hits, so that the kick stays prominent in the mix.
I use sidechaining of some type in all my music.
When used in moderation its a great tool for ensuring separation between elements,
particularly the low-end elements, and can also lead to a really unique sound.
Live 7s compressor is really quick and easy.
There are always exceptions, though
In some cases many of these steps are broken to get the right sound for a particular track.
MySpace link: www.myspace.com/djbenbrown
Richard Dinsdale
The first thing you need to decide is if you want either the bass or the kick to contain the
most sub.
If you have a kick that has lots of sub and a bass line that has a lot of sub to then you are
going to smother your track and maybe get some conflicting frequency interference.
For my tracks, I tend to make the kick quite punchy as I want to pump it out in the club,
then make the bass with hardly any subs almost making it into a lead in its own right.
MySpace link: www.myspace.com/richarddinsdale
Wolfgang Gartner
This can indeed be the toughest part of a track, as far as mixdown and levels are
concerned I still battle with it on almost everything I do.
A part of the solution, for me, is sidechainingnot as an effect, but as a tool.
I sidechain the bassline to the kick (or a muted trigger track that plays quarter notes) so
that they arent interfering with each other as much.
Be careful though With the settings too high, you can sometimes lose a lot of the
energy of the bassline you still want that bassline to come through on top of the kick,
just not so strong.
Sometimes sidechaining isnt enough and it will require some more trickery, and thats
usually when things get hairy for me.
Multiband compression can help, but not always.
To be honest, the problem usually lies in your choice of sounds (kick and bass tone) and
how their respective frequencies interact with each other.
Changing a kick sound or a bass tone mid-track is a pain in the ass and screws with your
ears, but its often the best solution when sidechaining doesnt fix the problem.
MySpace link: www.myspace.com/djwolfganggartner
Jaytech
Getting a good balance between kick and bass can often make or break a track, and is one
of the most important things to pay attention to in your mix.
My advice is to use a sidechain compressor on your bassline that keys off the kick drum.

If you use a lot of compression youll get that ducking effect which sometimes works
wonders, but even using it only slightly can help give the bass some more energy, as it
gives the kick a bit more space in the mix.
Another good piece of advice I once heard is to pick a kick drum that doesnt strain itself
too much to have its effect.
This is kind of hard to explain, but if you use a kick that achieves a nice punch with
seemingly little effort as opposed to one that has to really try itll help the overall
groove.
MySpace link: www.myspace.com/jaytech
Mike Monday
From 15 years of dealing with thousands of kick and bass combinations, the one thing I
have learnt is that each individual track is different and Im afraid there are no hard and
fast rules.
But here are three bits of advice I can give:
Take the plunge! Make the decision! Often Ill be in a situation where I love both the
kick and the bass sound, but they are conflicting with each other.
If you want the track to work well in a club make the decision on which to lose or
change. Get on with it and make the decision.
Dont over-compress. If you are using a kick or bass sampled from another record you
really dont need to go mental on compression.
Even if you are using a sample library kick or a synth-produced kick, this is also
frequently true.
You might think it sounds better or more punchy, but what you are probably doing is
losing the lovely fat bass end, unless you really know what youre doing.
Use another sound if theres a problem.
And if you or your label get your tracks mastered properly before release (and I sincerely
hope they do) the mastering engineer can sort out stuff like that then on much higher end
compressors and limiters than you will have.
I used to compress kick and basses as a rule in the past but after a while, I stopped
compressing almost everything and they sound fuller, fatter, warmer and more human
as a result.
Listen to everything you can find. This applies not just for the kick and bass, but for the
whole mix.
Listen to your efforts on as many speakers, amps, ghetto blasters, sound systems or
whatever as you can.
Even if you are mixing down on the worlds most expensive set up, you cant beat
listening to your work on a range of setups as it will give you a better idea of what is
actually going on in the mix, and this is particularly true of the bass end.
MySpace link: www.myspace.com/magicmikemonday
Patch Park
[Pictured above, at right, with Dirty Disorder]
I agree that its most important to get these two sounding perfect together.

Actually now that I think of it, I dont really have a theory for this other then that I
always start a track with the kick drum.
Not too long after that, I start looking for a suitable bass sound.
When I get these two elements working together, the vibe is set and I find that adding
more layers from this point onwards works just so much easier for me.
MySpace link: www.myspace.com/patchpark
Tim Sheridan
Using the bass drum (sorry, I was a drummer I can never get used to calling it a kick), I
either program or perform what a real drummer would do.
A very slight delay mimics the action of the bass drum pedal springs, returning the beater
and slightly bouncing off the skin of the drum.
A real person, especially a loose funk drummer who is possibly in a bit of a trance, very
rarely kicks precise notes.
A lot of records of tight funk bands are looser than you might think!
The bass part is sonically very close to the bass drum I select.
Often a differently tuned kick plays the role of the bass part on top of the featured
main 4/4 bass drum.
For added roll, I often use low-tuned toms to echo the kick, sometimes the toms are the
bass line.
After that, I humanise them which in the old days was hours of moving notes tiny
amounts and individual velocity commands, but these days I use a live electronic drum or
at the very least proper weighted keys to give a real feel.
Then I edit hard That is, I take stuff out, because it can always be simpler.
From there, I marry the bass parts to the kick drum pattern in a production sense by
giving them the same subtle FX.
For example both may have a slight delay that crossover with each other giving a more
unified sound.
I am a bit fan of 120-ish Hertz, since that is the strike of the beater on the skin of the
drum (the lower end afterwards is more bass resonance).
So those frequencies somewhere at the top of the bass EQ and the lowest of the bass
middle range are a key factor for my mixes.
This gives the notes clarity and presence and leaves you room in the low end to make an
impression.
MySpace link: www.myspace.com/timmysheridan
Production Master Class: Hi-hats and top-loops

By Francis Preve
In our previous roundtables on intros/outros and kick and bass, we laid the foundations
for building a groove like the pros.
This week, were going in the opposite direction hi-hats and top loops and taking a
closer look at the trebly stuff.
Shakers, hi-hats, tambourines and related high-frequency percussion parts add the jiggle
and shimmy to a track.

Some producers focus on swing or shuffle, some zero in on the sounds themselves, others
talk about ditching quantization entirely.
The bottom line is that all of them have a slew of successes to back up their advice.
Let the advising begin
Ben Brown
I always use some swing in tracks, playing with the built-in swing setting in Ableton until
it fits the percussion.
I like detailed perc work in general, where its more than just a simple hi-hat on the
offbeat.
Also, doing some fine-tuning of percussion elements, moving them to hit just a little bit
off a given beat, can add more groove to a song.
MySpace link: www.myspace.com/djbenbrown
Richard Dinsdale
Well, once I have the bass and kick established I tend to move onto the hats.
I try to make the hats swing nicely around the bass putting in 8ths or 16ths and removing
a few hits until you have that swing you are looking for.
Im using tighter hats these days so that I get a more electronic feel.
I suppose it depends on what kind of track you are doing if its a kind of live feel, I
would use more acoustic hats.
Also, Ill sometimes use actual samples and synth blips for the hats.
MySpace link: www.myspace.com/richarddinsdale
Wolfgang Gartner
This varies a lot on each track for me.
When it comes to drums, I always start with individual drum hits after the kick comes
the clap or the hi hats.
My snares usually consist of at least three distinct samples (snares or claps) on top of
each other, but often times its as many as 7 or 8 (yes, really) all individually EQed and
tweaked, then laid on top of each other to get exactly the sound Im looking for (youll
want to export your new snare sound after all of that!!).
Hats are a similar approach but I tend to do less layering there as I often am able to
achieve the sound I want with only two or three sounds layered on top of each other.
If I use loops, they are the last step in the process, and serve to fill up space in the drums
that I feel is lacking and needs to be filled.
They are very rarely at the foreground.
Quantization varies a lot as well, from no swing to mild or moderate swing, it just
depends on the feeling Im going for with the track.
Lastly, dont be a slave to your quantization grid get in there and move sounds around
to get exactly the energy youre going for.
Not everything needs to be quantized, believe it or not!
MySpace link: www.myspace.com/djwolfganggartner

Jaytech
Usually I have a few hat patterns going in a project.
A good track is to get a closed hat pattern hitting on every click (1/16 beat) with a 30%
mix of 3/4 beat delay (a.k.a. dotted eighth notes) and a sidechain/ducking effect after
that.
This makes a washed out kind of effect between the beats in the high end, which can
really fill out the sound space quite nicely.
Im a sucker for the big open hat on the offbeat as well, as this kind of pattern really steps
everything up a notch energy-wise.
MySpace link: www.myspace.com/jaytech
Mike Monday
Again, it really depends on what you are producing, but my rule of thumb is always less
is more. Always.
Often the sheer volume in a club will make a tame high end in the studio sound like the
apocalypse on the dancefloor and cause your ears to bleed.
Not ideal for a good night out on the tiles.
MySpace link: www.myspace.com/magicmikemonday
Patch Park
[Pictured above, at right, with Dirty Disorder]
Swing!
Adding swing really makes the track come alive.
Years ago I actually never used swing, I guess I never bothered to try really, until a friend
was coming over and sort of introduced me to it by adding some swing to a track I was
just starting.
It really became more alive, so to speak.
Nowadays I vary the amount of swing.
For example, Ill add 15% or 20% swing to the hi hats to make it sound more speedy.
You can really see what swing exactly does if you just draw one part of just one bar with
closed hi hats on a grid quantized to plain 16ths.
Copy that bar and add 20% swing to it.
Loop the two parts and press play.
The one with swing sounds less stiff or robotic.
Now if you add some more percussion like some woodblocks, set the swing to 40%, for
example.
As youll hear, with just a little percussion going on you have just built yourself a nice
groove.
Another trick I rely on is using multiple hi hats.
When you have simple closed hi hat going on (four hi hats in one bar positioned between
the kicks), simply copy the hi hat so you get two identical ones, but each having their
own output now change the length of the one you just copied, then make sure the first
and the third note on your grid trigger that new hihat you just copied.

From there, you can also change the pitch a little.

Using these tricks help all these little top elements become more alive.
MySpace link: www.myspace.com/patchpark
Tim Sheridan
Sometimes less is more.
On Daft Punks best work the hats are rock solid and the bottom moves around.
In creating the top end, I always find that you end up with quite a lot of parts, as many as
a mambo band sometimes!
If thats the case, its time to strip it down, as frequently some events are all paying at
once and therefore cluttering the mix.
This clutter can happen in single note events, as well as in frequency ranges.
Several parts all within the same frequency range can be replaced with a single
instrument that has all those frequencies (and more).
I try to hone down the clatter to just a couple of well chosen sounds.
These days I tend towards more wooden, organic sounds for the upper end.
They sit better and when you do bring in something high it really arrives.
I hate 12 kHz: That hissing sibilant frequency.
The very top end I like to be relatively gentle and chiming rather than harsh.
I think its good to hold the beat on a well-chosen warm snare and let the hats and bass
wander.
Again, I always play in the hats. I never program.
I have a sign a mate made for me because I used to say it so often. Fuck Quantize!
MySpace link: www.myspace.com/timmysheridan
Production Master Class: The Whoosh
2 SHARES
By Francis Preve
One of the most requested class topics to date involves something producers
affectionately refer to as The Whoosh.
Thats just a fun, onomatopoetic way to refer to those transitional sounds that are
reminiscent of wind, waves and other assorted natural (and unnatural) rises and falls.
In honor of the wintry season thats upon us, our holiday lesson in production techniques
will focus on creating the sound of The Whoosh.
[Cue transitional effect]
Richard Dinsdale
I love doing the whoosh white noise in my tracks to create a great build up.
A great technique is sidechaining a kick to the whoosh so that it sounds as though the
track is throbbing.
An easy way of doing this is by selecting a compressor on a Bus Channel (say Bus 1),
putting a kick drum to an audio channel (e.g. Audio 4, sidechain the compressor on
Audio 4), and then selecting the whoosh plug-in that creates the whoosh sound on Bus 1
which gives it this great suction sound!

This technique also works really well on basslines and leads to get that suction sound
without having to put your whole mix through a huge compressor.
MySpace link: www.myspace.com/richarddinsdale
Wolfgang Gartner
There are a lot of ways to create whooshes and transition / emphasis effects.
The most common one thats been used in dance music since the disco days is just white
noise put through a lowpass filter, but people have gotten extremely creative with them
over the past decade with all of the advances in synthesis and technology.
I use a lot of different techniques these days, so Ill pick out a couple of them here and
explain.
Reverb: with the right verb, you can pretty much turn any sound into a whoosh. For
example, in Wild Card, one of the whooshes was created using a Walrus sound effect,
just drenched in a very long reverb and filtered down.
Another good technique is a pitch envelope on a synthesizer; take any sound like a
simple saw wave put a very steep pitch envelope on it (like 2 or 3 octaves), and make it
sweep downward or upward depending on what you are trying to do.
Then add onto that with a bit of pitch LFO, some reverb, maybe another oscillator on top
of it doing the same thing but an octave lower, and you can really fatten it.
I like to do a little trick by creating a whoosh on the left channel, copying it to the right
channel, and changing the modulation settings a bit on the right channel, then combining
them together.
This creates a super wide and thick sound since both whooshes are doing slightly
different things.
Dont deviate the two channels too much from each other though, or it loses its
continuity.
MySpace link: www.myspace.com/djwolfganggartner
Paul Maddox
On the Spektre stuff we use quite a lot of found sounds for stuff like this my favourite
was on A Glimpse Outside where the crackly buildup noise was the sound of a
sunglasses case being unzipped.
Its just close-miced with loads of reverb and delay to thicken it up.
Other than that though, white noise with various filtering is best for the swooshy stuff.
If you have any old analogue synths with a white noise generator it can be fun to record
all the whooshes live over the track rather than automating it, that way theyre all a bit
different and give the track a bit more life.
MySpace link: www.myspace.com/paulmaddoxdj
Tyler Michaud
The whoosh might be the most simple and effective thing for build-ups in dance music.
And if you are interested in exploring it further, you can try literally almost any effect on

the sound but the simplest way to start is two words: White noise.
Open up your favorite softsynth, and choose the white noise patch or function.
Next thing to most commonly do for a build-up effect would be to apply a filter of some
sort.
Now start playing with the cutoff, and voila, you have your Whoosh buildup.
Automate the cutoff as needed.
Theres an infinite amount of things you can do from here.
Apply any of your favorite effects to the audio channel flanger, reverb,
compressor/sidechain or layer new synths/sounds with it.
The options are absolutely endless.
MySpace link: www.myspace.com/tylermichaud
Mike Monday
I try not to have a favourite method of doing anything in the studio because that way
lies boring, inevitably predictable tunes which go against the whole point of electronic
music for me.
Dance music is at its best when its innovative, and this applies everywhere in the studio,
even the lowly whoosh.
For instance on my recent club remix of one of my album tracks I Am Plankton, I used
a sample of some waves crashing on a beach to create a whoosh as I felt it would fit with
my watery theme.
I tried reversing the sample to get the sucking effect, but it stopped sounding like
water, so I ended up using some volume automation on an exponential curve to create an
enormous whoosh into the big bleeps which form the basis of the whole tune.
I also added some serious chorus (using the Spreader plug-in in Logic) and subtly
brought down down the chorus amount so not only did the waves feel like they where
getting closer, but also, erm, narrower if you get my meaning.
Even though the chorus thing is very subtle, it sounds amazing on a big system in a club
and definitely adds to the whole shebang.
Another really cool thing you can do if youve got some vocals is to bring them in with
some reversed reverb.
Im sure theres an easier way of doing it now, but what I have sometimes done is to
record a large reverb (a hall reverb works best with a nice long tail) from the first line or
word of the vocal, then reverse it and then place it as you would place a whoosh into the
where the vocal comes in.
It creates a quite bizarre and unsettling effect, but works a treat.
I havent used vocals for quite some time, so I cant remember when I last did this but I
remember doing it a lot a few years ago when I was using samplers and outboard effects
machines which took a lot longer than doing it all within the computer (although to be
fair it probably wont sound as good as it did when it was done on outboard gear).
One thing I would be careful of though is to make sure you dont use these whooshes (no
matter how spectacular the sound) too many times in a track.
The woosh follows the law of diminishing returns whereby the more you use something
the less its impact.
I think I only use my Plankton whoosh twice in the whole track.

MySpace link: www.myspace.com/magicmikemonday

Tritonal
One of our favorite and unique methods for creating a whoosh, or white noise sweep is
by utilizing a tape delays feedback and wet parameters.
Your basic whoosh is nothing more than white noise with a high pass filter sweeping it
over time with a very high Q.
We like to take one element of the track, something that is creating the melodic groove of
a piece, and automate the feedback of a tape delay plugin with Logic Pros Tape Delay.
We also do some nifty things with iZotopes Trash, but well keep it simple here.
At a certain feedback amount, Logics tape delay begins to distort because it is feeding
back on itself I believe this is right around 52.
We love to automate the feedback to around 56, hold it there, and then gradually
automate the low cut and wet/dry over time.
As the sound begins to distort, it also begins to build and create white noise much like
you amateur swoosh.
If harnessed correctly, you can sweep out the low end while keeping the high in check
with the high cut and wet parameters.
An even cooler thing to do is to get automation just about perfect, and then bounce the
entire thing.
Once you have your little section of gold, you can use a basic EQ and sweep the low
again with a high Q to enhance the resonant peak.
Again, this is all done with automation.
Try sidechaining the entire thing, and then adding reverb for an absolute gorgeous
pumping distorted white noise swooosh!
With iZotope Trash, you can do all the above with the extra bonus of having an LFO
modulate your cutoff point, and choosing different distortion modules.
Absolutely wicked!
Production Master Class: Automation

By Francis Preve
After a brief US holiday break, our master classes are back in session.
In this lesson, a bevy of EDMs top producers reveal their insights into the process of
automating tracks.
By automating effects and synth parameters, producers keep things interesting by
constantly changing sounds and textures as a track progresses to its peak.
Some artists discuss their approach using broad theoretical brushstrokes, while others go
much deeper into the specifics of the various tools in their arsenal.
Either way, these insights are sure to help producers of all skill levels add intensity and
drama to their mixes.
Ben Brown

Automation definitely plays a large role in my production.

I use automation to create tension in builds or breakdowns and also automate effects to
create more natural sounding fills between measures in a song.
For example, Ill automate the return channels in Live, adjusting the amount of an
instruments output to a single return for, say, a ping-pong delay.
The dry/wet and feedback on the ping-pong delay will be also be automated over time
and might have other additional automated effects in the chain.
In some cases I also send the output of the initial return channel to a second return with a
different effect.
This can be a bit much in some cases, but allows for more creative sound routing.
It also lets me share effects between instruments, which can result in some really unique
sounds.
MySpace link: www.myspace.com/djbenbrown
Richard Dinsdale
For me, automation has been a lifesaver ever since it was invented.
I tend to use the track automation in the breaks of a track, which is especially useful if
you want the track to build into something else maybe by opening up the release on the
lead or the bass, depending what sounds the best.
Adding reverb on the vocal in the break is a favourite trick of mine, then by opening up
the wet mix and reverb time, the tracks atmosphere is enhanced.
Another cool trick is to cut up the vocal in small snippets and put that through a delay
adding more and more feedback on each sixteenth note.
MySpace link: www.myspace.com/richarddinsdale
Josh Gabriel
Automation is the key element in telling a good story with your tracks.
Since I switched to Live for my productions, the biggest change has been the use of
macros in the instrument and effect racks.
By assigning multiple synth and effect parameters, like reverb, filter cutoff or exotic
stuff in Operator, like modulator amount or tuning you can make a sound completely
transform over time.
The idea behind my automation techniques is to set up a sound so that it goes from one
extreme to another.
When the macro knob is set to zero, the sound is small and restrained, but at maximum
its huge.
By continuously varying the value of one or more macro knobs, I can play with the sound
over the course of a track, making it build all the way to the peak via automation.
Another great thing about macros is that if you want to add an effect to an already
automated track, its just a matter of tying the new effect to the range of the macro so it
follows the feel of the existing automation.
MySpace link: www.myspace.com/joshgabrielmusic

Wolfgang Gartner
For me, every track uses some form of automation.
Volume, reverb (amount and delay time) and echo (amount and feedback) are parameters
that always end up getting automated.
Then there are some more creative and tricky ones that I do from time to time.
My most common trick these days is automating the sidechain amount on a sound that is
being chained to the kick I do this a lot during breakdowns and buildups.
For example, Ill have a lead sound in a track thats sidechained to a muted trigger kick.
During the breakdown Ill automate the sidechain amount on that lead sound so its not
pumping at all with the kick, its just dry, but then as the track builds up Ill automate
and increase the compression, so the sound starts to pump and breathe a bit in
anticipation of the big drop.
I like to keep my trigger kick going during the breakdown so that I have complete control
over the sidechain amount of all other sounds that are linked to it, so if I want them to be
unaffected or compressed I can control it individually for each sound.
MySpace link: www.myspace.com/djwolfganggartner
Jaytech
As one of the most laborious parts of the production process the automation phase is
often the most overlooked patience is really the key here, as getting all your envelopes
just right makes a big difference.
Things like buildups can depend heavily on volume, filter and delay/reverb automation.
In a track I finished recently called Nemesis, Ive taken a washed-out spoken vocal
sample and automated reverb and Lives grain delay to disintegrate the sound into a big
whoosh.
I love playing around with stuff like that because the possibilities are virtually endless!
MySpace link: www.myspace.com/jaytech
Patch Park
[Pictured above, at right, with Dirty Disorder]
I personally cant live without automation, it really changed everything for me.
You can make parts of the track, or actually the whole track really more interesting by
automating some parameters very gently, such as increasing the wetness of a sound or
sample thats playing.
This can really help to build some tension.
But its also really useful to make subtle changes in a groove just by switching to another
delay setting for example.
One of the things I came to understand much better over the years is filtering.
When I first started producing I used to have all the filters of the lead sounds wide open,
cause that just sounded more fat and intense at first.
But once you discover that all lead sounds dont need to blow off your ears, you can keep
a track much more interesting just by automating the filter.
Instead of just leaving it fully open after the breakdown, its a great effect to bring it

down when the kick jumps in, so it allows you to bring in some more tension again by
going full throttle somewhere later on in the track, instead of giving it away too soon.
With proper automation in combination with good arrangements you can keep a track
exciting while using just a few sounds and drums.
MySpace link: www.myspace.com/patchpark
Tritonal
As trance producers, automation is an absolute must we automate anything and
everything that has movement over time.
It may sound obvious, but for us the single most automated parameter is volume, but
theres a trick to it.
Many producers jump right in and start automating the fader on a track.
What many do not realize, is that once all of your faders are automated, re-leveling can
be a nightmare.
A slicker thing to do is to use Lives Utility plug-in on each track and automate its gain.
This way, if you need to drop all the faders to gain headroom, all the tracks are still
automated in relation to one another, and obtaining a tighter mix is still possible.
As Live and Logic users, we work differently depending on the environment.
When using Lives Instrument Racks, we will map the cutoff, release, overdrive,
envelope amount, pitch, and attack of a synths parameters to the macros.
This is very efficient, because it allows you create a giant layer that opens and closes in
unison.
The trick is to get your parameters correct, so that no one layer opens or closes too much.
Inversely mapping parameters is also possible, and very nifty if looking for giant swells.
We also utilize the morphing tools on Native Instruments Kore 2, which allows you to
control multiple parameters on more than one synth.
Once your parameters are set, Kore 2 allows us to morph between these settings creating
undulating and warbling sounds that are truly unique in origin.
Time-based plug-ins like reverb and delay can muddy a mix and create a very washy
sounding track if left unchecked, so in those cases well automate not only the feedback
and wet parameters, but also the low and high cutoff on these plugs.
Taking out the lows on several tracks can really help eliminate the mush in a crowded
mix.