Learn These 33 Tips If You Are a Music Producer in 2022

• Sub bass should be below 65 Hz • Below 20 Hz is inaudible to humans • Between 20-35 Hz most systems struggle to reproduce • 55-65 Hz is the transition zone from bass to sub bass

The optimal frequency range for kick and sub bass is 35-55 Hz, which corresponds to the musical notes E, F, G, and A.

Alter the same patch by changing envelopes and adjusting filter settings to create variation, resulting in smoother and noisier sounds that add groove.

Layering multiple versions of the same patch with different envelope and filter characteristics creates a cohesive, groovy low end.

Low end separation creates a loudness difference between the very low end (below 150 Hz) and the mid-low range (150-400 Hz).

• Emphasizes the bottom of your track • Pushes back the mid-low frequencies • Maintains overall loudness while redistributing it

By boosting the low end and decreasing mid-low loudness, listeners perceive more bass than actually exists.

Use separate bass sounds rather than tuning kicks to serve as bass lines. Reserve kicks for punch and kicks, using dedicated sub bass or synthesizers for bass frequencies.

• Don't blindly tune every kick to the root key • Experiment with the first, third, and fifth intervals • Try different color schemes for variation

• Hard style and heavy techno: longer kick length • Tech house and progressive: medium kick length • Harder styles: shorter kick length

Kicks serve as transients and punch, not as bass lines. Understanding the genre determines the optimal kick characteristics.

A kick drum is a percussive element that provides punch and transient, separate from the bass line itself.

Start with a high-energy break and build section, gradually increasing loudness while remaining tilted to the high end.

• Create fine mata (tension) before the drop • Drop energy level unexpectedly • Often followed by a teller sound • Play short lead sounds to hint at the drop's character

After the delay, shift the track into red focus, moving from high end to mid-range with tighter, more controlled sounds.

The most energetic part of the drop occurs later than the original anticipated drop point, creating surprise and maintaining engagement.

Create a tail from an original sound, reverse it, and place it in front of the original sample to create an epic and drastic ambience.

Automate the beat to move from super stereo to center just before a note hits, creating dynamic spatial movement.

Layering the reversed sample with the original creates a distinctive textural quality that enhances the overall sound design.

Capture synthesizer filter behavior by examining oscillators, removing filters and effects to understand the underlying pitch drift and modulation.

Use wave tables as the primary oscillator source and analyze pitch drift by examining the fundamental oscillator.

• Apply unison to create harmonic richness • Space oscillators one octave apart • Layer multiple wave table instances

Add subtle filter movement and envelope modulation to create dynamic, evolving textures that sound organic and natural.

Combine the unison wave tables with filter modulation and additional effects to achieve lush, juicy, and modern sounds.

Distribute sounds to the right side by boosting one channel rather than simply moving them hard-right for a more natural effect.

Take a small amount from the left side to gain-compensate the overall sound, maintaining natural balance.

Use this technique for elements like shakers to create distributed, spacious stereo imagery without harsh panning.

Achieve a more subtle and professional stereo field by distributing rather than hard-panning sounds.

Recreate the friction sound of a drum stick rolling on a snare by layering the initial hit with friction sounds that follow.

• Decrease attack to reduce the initial hit • Create multiple hit layers • Soften the attack for smoother transitions

Apply very fast delay (around 34 milliseconds) with short feedback to create a fast echo that sits naturally in the snare.

Use a vocoder to make the sound more frictionless and organic, reducing harshness while maintaining character.

Artists like Burial created loose, organic drum patterns by using Sound Forge (not a DAW) for sample editing, avoiding traditional quantization.

• Deactivate fixed grid quantization • Use Ctrl+U to manually move notes around • Apply grooves afterwards for organic feel

Sound Forge is primarily a sample editing tool, not a full DAW, which naturally prevents rigid quantization and creates looser rhythms.

The lack of quantization creates loose, garage-like and jungle-influenced drum patterns that sound more human and less robotic.

• Two rhythms play simultaneously with the same length • Different divisions create different rhythmic feels • Example: three hits on top, two hits on bottom

• Same rhythm with same divisions but different lengths • Rhythms sync at regular intervals • Example: one bar loop with four hits vs one and a half bar loop with six hits

Polyrhythms have different divisions with same length, while polymeters have same divisions with different lengths.

Many amateur producers compress everything without understanding compression's effect, resulting in lost dynamic impact.

Compression reduces loudness when signal exceeds a threshold, altering the shape of attack and decay envelopes.

• Use extreme compression settings on a parallel track • Blend with original signal for bulky, fat sound • Maintain initial attack spike while gaining volume control

Don't use compression everywhere in a master track unless you fully understand its effects on your sound.

Vary compression settings and amounts on individual hits to create dynamic, evolving character while maintaining punch.

Use FM synthesis with envelope modulation on the filter cutoff to create aggressive, resonant, and dynamic sounds.

• Apply extreme distortion on the primary filter • Add a secondary filter to remove super-high frequencies • Balance harshness with careful EQ

Create two aggressive envelopes: one for amplitude and one for filter cutoff to achieve rich, evolving textures.

Combining FM modulation, dual filters, and aggressive envelopes produces distinctive, punchy, and characterized sounds.

• High frequencies lose energy in air faster than low frequencies • Low frequencies travel longer distances • Reflections from surroundings affect perceived sound

• Low-pass filtering creates the illusion of sound from underground or far away • High-frequency emphasis suggests sounds from above • Solid materials block high frequencies more than low frequencies

Our ears interpret frequency characteristics as spatial information, allowing sound design to create convincing environmental positioning.

Use filtering and effects to create atmospheric risers and sounds that appear to come from specific spatial locations.

Start with a percussive sound like an engine start and layer it with vocoder, delay, and frequency cutting for ambience.

• Add vocoder for texture • Apply delay for spatial depth • Cut low frequencies for perceived height • Automate gain and pan for movement

• Use distortion plugins like Trash to add aggression • Apply EQ to manage harsh frequencies • Layer multiple distorted elements

Move beyond classic cheese risers by creating authentic, dynamic effects using creative sound design rather than presets.

Create a dedicated sub bass by boosting the F fundamental note and layering it with additional sub frequencies for depth.

• Pick random samples and loop layers • Turn down high-frequency content • Focus on super-low frequencies below 100 Hz

Automate sidechain compression to create dynamic contrast between the kick and sub bass, enhancing the groove.

Layer high-frequency noise samples on top to add air and perceived size to the bass, making it feel bigger without adding low-end mass.

Sample vocals and place them in a sampler to process with pitch envelope modulation for vintage vinyl-stop effects.

• Activate pitch envelope with high amounts • Add attack for pronounced initial sound • Create downward pitch sweep with decay • Reduce sustain for quick transitions

• Adjust curve style for darkness variations • Add release time for smooth tail • Layer multiple pitch-enveloped vocals

Pitch envelope modulation recreates the vinyl stop effect where pitch drops as if a record is slowing down.

Duplicate the processed vocal three times, each with different pitch envelope curves to create richness and complexity.

• Create brighter versions with softer curves • Make darker versions with steeper curves • Vary the pitch envelope amounts across layers

Multiple vocal layers with different pitch envelopes create rich harmonic content that sounds more authentic than a single layer.

Layered vocal processing with varied pitch envelopes produces lush, expensive-sounding textures suitable for modern production.

Use a simple single-oscillator synthesizer like Fabulus One without complex layering for clean, focused sounds.

• Create stereo width using the Timeless Five-filter plugin • Add chorus or chorus-like effects • Maintain tight control of frequency response

• Keep super lows below 56 Hz in mono • Everything below 64 Hz should remain mono • Allow rest of spectrum to be stereo

Minimalist synthesizer design with strategic stereo treatment and subtractive filtering creates sophisticated, modern sounds.

House Music Anthem by Marshall Jefferson was initially rejected by Trax Records owner Larry Sherman who didn't consider it true house music.

• Marshall Jefferson added the anthem to the title • British journalists visited Chicago clubs • The track was playing everywhere in the clubs • Crowd reaction forced the label to release it

The track became iconic and was sampled by 71 different songs, demonstrating how crowd response can change a song's trajectory.

A track's success and legacy can be determined by crowd reaction and community support rather than initial label approval.

Create unusual atmospheric textures by emphasizing resonance and pushing sound through distortion and amplification.

• Use amp distortion plugin • Apply extreme distortion settings • Add ping-pong delay for spatial effect • Layer with massive reverb

The combination of distortion, amp modeling, and ping-pong delay creates expansive, unusual ambient textures.

Ambient sound design techniques add depth, space, and otherworldly qualities to electronic music productions.

Standard compression reduces volume above threshold and alters the shape of attack and decay envelopes.

• Use extreme compression settings on a parallel track • Maintain fast, extreme settings • Sum original and compressed signals together

• Initial super-spike attack remains audible • Compressed signal adds bulk and fatness • Combined signal sounds significantly thicker

Parallel drum compression creates thick, punchy drums with maintained transients while adding perceived weight and impact.

Use back melody elements to enhance ambience without adding complex contours or overcomplicating the main arrangement.

• Focus on enhancing ambience • Avoid unnecessary contour complexity • Support the main arrangement

Layer additional background sounds to enhance the beginning of drops and rhythmic sections for added depth.

Use less dramatic effects compared to other arrangement elements, keeping back melody understated and supportive.

• Create a dedicated room reverb return with 2.5-second decay • Remove low end from reverb • Apply sidechain compression • Send drums to the reverb

• Use additional send for distortion and compression • Apply tube warmer distortion • Compress the distorted signal • This creates parallel compression effect

Using return channels creates cohesive glue across drums rather than applying individual reverbs to each channel.

Parallel processing and return sends significantly improve track loudness competitiveness by adding controlled aggression and thickness.

Shuffle the track using 4-16 bar loops to create concrete ideas and story progression without worrying about transitions or effects.

• Focuses on transitions and automations • Not important until happy with main idea • Shouldn't spend time on effects early

• Create a chorus with all possible elements • Copy this loop throughout the track • Delete elements that don't belong in each section

Start minimal and gradually build elements up, creating arrangement through addition rather than subtraction.

Place a channel EQ on the master with automated low and high-frequency adjustments for dynamic frequency shaping.

• Gradually shell out lows by minus 3 to minus 6 dB • Automate high-end cutting or boosting • Create dynamic tonal movement

Add white noise with reverb on the master to serve as a reference for frequency movement and atmosphere.

Master channel EQ automation balances other cut-off automations in individual sounds, creating cohesive frequency movement.

• Untreated rooms have room modes that color frequency response • What you hear while sitting isn't accurate • Common issue: 40 Hz boomed 20 dB louder than 60 Hz

• Some frequencies ring longer than others • Creates uneven reverb decay across spectrum • Example: 40 Hz sustains while others decay quickly

Don't trust your ear when mixing low end. Account for room modes and use reference monitors or measurement tools.

Create reference EQ curves to demonstrate and compensate for room coloration during low-end mixing decisions.

• Overtones are harmonics above the fundamental • Undertones are below the fundamental • They define the timbre of instruments

• Overtones occur at integer multiples (100, 200, 300 Hz) • Lower octaves have tighter harmonies • Higher octaves have wider harmonic spacing

Placing the same pitch one octave higher doubles the harmonic frequencies, creating different harmonic density and perceived richness.

Lower pitch sounds have tighter harmonic relationships that create richer, more complex timbres compared to higher pitches.

• Center should be completely mono • Gradually introduce stereo enhancement • Low frequencies should remain mostly mono

• Kick should be centered and mono • Synths can be slightly stereo • Effects should be more stereo

When synths and effects bleed into low-frequency space, reduce their stereo width to maintain clean mono bass.

Maintain mono control in certain sections to make stereo sections more impactful and appreciable when they appear.

• Ceiling note is the highest note • Floor note is the lowest note • Central note is where others gravitate toward

Identify whether the arpeggio emphasizes upper or lower focus in the first and second halves of the pattern.

• Named from literature, not original terminology • Oscillates between ceiling and floor notes • Creates distinctive arpeggio character

Understanding arpeggio structure and focus patterns allows intentional creation of melodic character and emotional arc.

Activate noise sources and modulate the filter to create filter noise, which adds organic, unstable character.

• Use noise as a modulation source for filter cutoff • Increase modulation amount carefully • Creates natural-sounding instability

Filter noise modulation recreates the analog character of vintage synthesizers that had inherent instability.

This technique makes digital synthesis sound more analog and organic compared to perfectly stable digital oscillators.

• Higher frequencies are easier to hear than low frequencies • Fletcher-Munson curve shows humans favor mid-range • Sub bass requires sustained envelopes to be felt

Humans perceive mid-range frequencies more easily and sensitively compared to low frequencies at the same loudness level.

• Create plucky high-pitched bass sound • Layer with sustained sub-end on lower frequencies • Brain focuses on higher pitch while sub provides foundation

Separate filter envelope from volume envelope: short filter attack for plucky character while maintaining volume sustain for depth.

Create sustained sounds in old jungle by duplicating samples and using re-pitch mode with doubled tempo.

• Duplicate the same sound three times • Set each to re-pitch mode • Double the tempo on each layer • Add effects and layer together

Re-pitch doubling can sound too much like Warcraft if not managed carefully. Use subtle settings and additional effects.

Multiple re-pitched and time-stretched samples create the characteristic loose, organic sustain sound of old-school jungle productions.