Laptop Recording Studio Logbook
02-04-22
DRUMS
This is a pattern I have worked on before. It is pretty driving and has very up dancefloor tempo at 123BPM. Possibly in the Disclosure type of vibe... commercial. I work in Logic, I used Ultrabeat (Drum Machine) in multi-output mode. This means I can have each drum sound in Ultrabeat on a separate track in Logic. I can't remember If I loaded a preset kit or searched for samples. I think it was the Grimey 909 kit then I have tweaked and tuned some sounds. I have uploaded four bounces of the 16 bar loop. I worked on a 4 bar pattern initially and copied it to make 16. I then edited each 4 bar pattern to create movent and interest. I guess this 16 bar pattern feels like it would sit as the main rhythmic driver for a dancefloor track. I work inside templates I've setup in Logic to streamline my workflow... Meaning I already have my go to processing plugin's ready to go on things like Drum Bus, FX Bus, Master Bus.
UltraBeat is instansiated as a multi instrument. This allows for each instrument sound to be given its own track. That offers me the freedom to balance the mix and add processing to the individual instruments. This bounce has basic eq and balance mixing.
This bounce has processing on each sound and over the Drum Bus as a whole.
This bounce has no processing. I group similar sounds and route the output to a bus. In this case a Drum Bus.
This bounce I experimented with some swing on the clap, tom 3, and ride. Not sure how I feel about it, but it was pretty robotic before.
I use FX and other dynamic plugin's (compression) to sculpt the sounds of each part of the drumline, I tend to do this within my workflow of beat creation. At this stage there is a little mixing happening between the various sounds (drum hits) and in DrumLine2 a fair bit of processing. I have yet to do any real panning, I think it will require more space as at the momnet everything is sitting in the center. The cymbals and ride have some tape compression for a bit of width. As I add more melodic parts this drumline will definitely need some more balancing and paning to make room and/or support whatever eles is comming.
My Track Inspirations…
I really like the percussive elements of both tracks I have selected below. They are 4/4 dance beats that use many different percussion sounds to create a laidback swing groovy type feel. I love the African sounding instruments that percolate through each track creating interesting moments and lead into melodic and rhythmic changes.
Solar Kings. “A Kings Strut.” 2022. Track 1 on Saraswati. DowntempoLove, https://downtempolove.bandcamp.com/track/a-king-strut.
The tempo of this track sits at 105pm, it is in the ‘House’ genre but is no where near the typical 120bpm driving beat. Instead this track is very laid back and funky, while it is in straight 4/4 time, there is a lot of swung feel to it. Shakers begin the rhythmic introduction of 4 bars before a strong kick and clap take over. Interest is maintained throughout with the addition (and often times subtraction) of many different percussive elements. Pulling from African sounding percussion instruments, they are introduced every 4 or 8 bars. Each of the elements introduced sits within their own frequency and rhythmic area and hence adds to the track without saturating it.
Chambord. “Wonderland.” 2022. Track 1 on Wonderland. Kindisch, https://wearechambord.bandcamp.com/track/chambord-wonderland
This is a ‘Slo House’ dance track. The BPM is 116. There are quite a lot of percussive elements within the drum section. The beat is a driving dance floor 4/4 kick with clap/snare hit on beats 2 and 4. The tracks first rhythmic element is actually the plucking guitar playing an 1/8th not pattern. A rimshot like sound in 1/16ths is struck on off beats in the first 8 bars, giving the 4/4 an almost lopsided or behind the beat feel. Also in the second section of the first 8 bars (5-8), we hear a little short plucked bass line that contributes to the swung feel and lead into a bass response that begin from bar 9. Claps/snare come in on beat 2 and 4 from bar 9 and the kick comes in from bar 17. This is a typical 16 bar intro for a dance track with the minimal rhythmic introduction. This allows a DJ to mix out of the previous track and into the new one without a lot of clashing and heavy percussion. From bar 17 on the track is driven forward by the 4/4 kick and clap sounds. Every 8 bars another percussive element is sparingly added. These sounds are quite subtle, consisting of rattles, shakers and cabassa. In the 7th (also sometimes the 3rd) bar of each section of 8 there is a percussive choice made that surprises the listener and keeps them interested. This ranges from a single cymbal crash, to removing some elements from the sound.