5 juicy techniques modern music producers use

Parallel drum compression uses extreme compression settings to bring down volume levels while preserving the original signal's initial attack spike, then sums both signals together to create a fuller, bulkier drum sound.

• Create a parallel chain with compression on the return channel • Use extreme compression settings to achieve significant pumping • Add saturation (like Soft Tube saturation) to make the compressed sound dirtier • Optionally add a plate reverb on top to glue everything together

Apply fast and extreme compression to really compress the body while maintaining the transient hits at the beginning, creating a compressed yet impactful drum sound.

The final sound becomes more in your face and more organic, with a noticeably fuller and fatter drum character compared to regular compression.

When applying a large reverb to snares, the reverb tail becomes too big and mashes up the mix, making the snare lose its definition.

• Create a double signal chain: one dry chain and one with the reverb • Use a gate sidechain controlled by the source snare sound • The gate opens when the snare hits and closes when the snare duration ends • This allows the reverb tail to exist only during and after the snare hit

Add drive to control the color of the snare and splash more character into it. Adjust the overall peak volume as needed when distorting to maintain balance.

The snare becomes more present and defined in the mix while maintaining the spacious reverb character, creating an in-your-face yet ambient snare sound.

Use extreme auto-tune settings with the speed turned all the way down and 100% wet signal to pin vocals heavily on the track key, creating an over-controlled, artificial pitch sound.

• Adjust formant settings to achieve a more robotic sound • Play with formant shift to create unique vocal character variations • The plugin allows adding additional harmonic layers to the effect

• Introduce overdrive to bring newly added harmonics to the front • Apply saturation to add more color and character • Use subtle EQ to brighten the sound slightly • Add sidechain pumping to the kick for rhythmic movement

The vocals become heavily distorted and processed with a continuous, artificial character that sits prominently in the track while maintaining rhythmic consistency.

Reverse tail technique creates expectation and build-up before a drop by using a reversed reverb tail instead of the main sound, adding ambience and anticipation.

• Resample the reverb signal to a new channel • Reverse the resampled signal to create a rising expectation effect • The reversed tail builds anticipation before the drop arrives

• Apply a pink monk delay to extend the effect • Add reverb on top of the delay to create authenticity • Use drive/distortion to make the sound more aggressive • Cut unnecessary frequencies to keep the mix clean

The listener already expects the drop before it arrives, creating a beautiful build-up with enhanced ambience and a more impactful drop moment.

• Use a sampler with chopping mode to slice vocals into segments • Drag and drop the vocal into the sampler and use the slice button • Adjust sensitivity to arrange cutting points correctly • Slicing avoids manual chopping which is difficult and imprecise

Apply compression to smooth out the drastic volume level changes between chopped segments, creating a more even and polished sound.

• Add a shimmer reverb to create immense ambience • Include echo or delay to panic and spread things around • Layer effects to build a rich, spacious vocal texture

• Play around with the keyboard to find sounds that fit the track vibe • Apply sidechain pumping to the kick for rhythmic consistency • The sustained chopped vocal becomes a textural, ambient element