A Beginner's Guide to Rave Stabs

A beginner’s guide to rave stabs. I kick off with a little context, then cover how to make some classic stabs with various synths.
Check out my DnB music on Spotify!
tinyurl.com/dfchzrdz
Check out my latest happy hardcore EP:
tinyurl.com/bdz4xmpd
Chapter markers:
00:00 Intro
00:20 Chapter 1: What are rave stabs?
01:30 Chapter 2: Hardware samplers
04:56 Chapter 3: The digital 80s
07:20 Chapter 4: Hardcore rave
11:05 Chapter 5: Sampling and resampling
13:35 Chapter 6: Where do I get rave stabs?
15:39 Chapter 7: The Landlord stab
19:04 Chapter 8: Moog saws
21:09 Chapter 9: What the...
24:46 Chapter 10: Elec.Organ
27:32 Chapter 11: Bass stabs
Tunes mentioned:
LA Style - James Brown Is Dead
• L . A . Style James B...
Wax Doctor - A New Direction
• Wax Doctor - A New Dir...
Human Resource - Dominator
• Human Resource - Domin...
The Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever
• The Beatles - Strawber...
Jazz & the Brothers Grimm feat. Baby D and MC Juice - Casanova
• BROTHERS GRIM - CASANOVA
Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force - Planet Rock
• Afrika Bambaataa & The...
Kate Bush - The Dreaming
• Kate Bush - The Dreami...
Freeez - I.O.U.
• Freeez - I.O.U. (Exten...
Nightwriters - Let The Music Use You
• The Night Writers ‎- L...
Rhythim is Rhythim - Strings of Life
• Rhythm Is Rhythm - Str...
Nexus 21 - Self-Hypnosis
• Nexus 21 - Self Hypnos...
MC Duke - I’m Riffin’
• MC Duke - I'm Riffin
Wayne Smith - Under Mi Sleng Teng
• Wayne Smith - Under Me...
Frank De Wulf - The Tape (Remix)
• The Tape (Remix)
Mimmo Mix feat. Valerie Etienne - All Your Love
• Mimmo Mix feat. Valeri...
The Orb - Little Fluffy Clouds
• Little Fluffy Clouds
Happy Mondays - Hallelujah (Club Mix)
• Happy Mondays - Hallel...
Manix - Feel Real Good
• Manix - Feel Real Good...
2 Bad Mice - Hold It Down
• 2 Bad Mice - Hold It D...
Acen - Close Your Eyes (Optikonfusion!)
• ACEN - Close Your Eyes...
Boogie Down Productions - South Bronx
• Boogie Down Production...
Nitro Deluxe - Let's Get Brutal (Brutal Dub)
• Let's Get Brutal (Brut...
Inner City - Good Life
• Inner City - Good Life...
Outlander - Vamp
• Outlander - Vamp - R...
Landlord - I Like It (Blow Out Dub)
• Landlord - I Like It ...
2 Bad Mice - Bombscare
• 2 bad mice bombscare
Neon - Don’t Mess With This Beat
• NEON - DON'T MESS WITH...
Jessie Deep! - S.H.U.M.
• Jessie Deep! - S.H.U.M...
Spectrum - Brazil
• Spectrum - Brazil (1990)
Second Phase - Mentasm
• Second Phase - Mentasm...
Fatback Band - Kool Whip
• Kool Whip - Fatback (1...
Urban Shakedown - Some Justice
• Urban Shakedown feat. ...
Electric Light Orchestra - So Fine
• Electric Light Orchest...
Patti LaBelle - Something Special
• Patti LaBelle - Someth...
Shades of Rhythm - Sweet Sensation
• SHADES OF RHYTHM-SWEET...
Jumbo Records & Tapes - 250 Discojingles
• jingles( nrj club ( mo...
The Prodigy - Your Love
• Video
Vibena - Positive Energy Part 1
• Vibena - Positive Ener...
Blame - Music Takes You
• Blame - Music Takes Yo...
SL2 - DJs Take Control
• SL2 - DJs Take Control...
Altern 8 - Evapour 8
• Altern 8 - E Vapor 8
DJ Seduction - Hardcore Heaven
• DJ Seduction - Hardcor...
Terrorize - It’s Just a Feeling
• TERRORIZE - IT'S JUST ...
Acen - Close Your Eyes (XXX Mix)
• Acen - Close Your Eyes...
Bizarre Inc. - Plutonic
• Bizarre Inc. - Plutonic
Agent Orange - Sounds a Bit Flakey (Jungle Mix)
• Agent Orange - Sounds ...
DJ Force & The Evolution - Simply Electric
• Simply Electric (Origi...
Psychotropic - Hypnosis
• Psychotropic - Hypnosis
N-Joi - Malfunction
• Video
Hyper on Experience - Lord of the Null Lines (Foul Play remix)
• Hyper On Experience - ...
Andy C - Something New Part 2
• ANDY C SOMETHING NEW P...
Further viewing, reading and resources:
Vox video
• The sound that connect...
Prodigy in FM
tinyurl.com/mr34k3wb
Creating the Spectrum Brazil stab
• Creating the Spectrum ...
Rave Generator 2
tinyurl.com/yenrjz29
Chroma
tinyurl.com/yckjfpph
DX7 ROMs
tinyurl.com/2p8a4k8d
The real origin of the "Landlord" stab
tinyurl.com/yt33metb
Eric Persing interview
tinyurl.com/3cbcau5s
Arturia CZ-V presets
tinyurl.com/y67amdfj
Ron Wells - Jungle Techno Vol 1
tinyurl.com/5n7w2jej
PG-8X at Martin Lüders’ VST site
tinyurl.com/2p9d6w8t
Picture credits:
Thumbnail photo by Zachary Smith on Unsplash
Mellotron:
tinyurl.com/2s3bv82y
Silicon Chip:
tinyurl.com/yj58u2p2
Roland TB-303:
tinyurl.com/fn2v9tb4
Roland SH-101:
tinyurl.com/2p94vcrp
Roland D-50:
tinyurl.com/5fkfspck
Korg M1:
tinyurl.com/y7885cm7
Roland TR-808
tinyurl.com/2t4z6jvb
Roland TR-909
tinyurl.com/ycy8vun3

[@snoozyboio]

Oh, RAVE stabs, not rave STABS.

[@DJBathtub]

This video is a work of art. You need a Netflix documentary!❤

[@TimCant]

Thanks for watching buddy, I’m glad you are enjoying these 😊

[@JoelWest]

Your guides are unreal man, crazy you only have 5k subs...

[@GODAR_MUSIC]

It will Change soon 🎉🎉🎉

[@Bittamin]

This is actually how I know the information will be helpful unfortunately, for some reason the most brilliant minds are often not the most popular. So lucky we all found eachother!!! Let’s make dirty house!

[@natus49]

John B - Up All Night probably my favourite instance of rave stabs ever

[@bentibbs8919]

These beginner's guides are fantastic Tim, packed full with helpful information and really well presented. Please keep up the great work!

[@SamO-jf8zq]

every video you've posted is absolute gold. there's massive value in learning where the sounds i've been hearing my whole life have come from and your delivery is fantastic. massive fan of the channel.

[@magnusr3428]

This was amazing, so well researched and comprehensive. Loved every minute of it.

[@stylusnation]

Amazing history and great tips, I really appreciate the thought and care that you put into these videos - respect!

[@djdren]

it just so amazing the amount of knowledge you drop on each episodes ..

[@jonoaerts]

❤ this soo much. More of this please. Didn’t want it to end

[@KevDmusic]

Fantastic Tim, this goes for all your videos! so much great information in all of them, really appreciate you sharing your knowledge with us

[@ruuen]

Love all your videos Tim, such a massive source of useful information and history. Keep up the good work!!

[@Spacek531]

Listening to each stab individually is like a hit right in the noggin. I love these stabs!

[@H34DR00M]

Great video! I really like your well researched content and your calm way of presenting it.

[@cerbulvechi]

Amazing work my dude! Keep posting, we like it!

[@ORPEdnb]

You're a genius, man. What incredibly valuable information, looking forward to your future videos!

[@evaldasazbukauskas3811]

Love your content! Incredibly educational and informative. Keep them coming!

[@karimayoubi74]

Cracking bit of music history. Two thumbs up and a monster gurn for you, Tim!

[@junorave]

Ahh. So nice to hear someone that knows & understands these classics and how they were sampled.

[@RAISING_WOLVES]

Loving this Tim!! Really deep into breaking down the sources, Seriously solid content 💯💯

[@yungstigmatamanne]

your doing great work bro i highly anticipate these videos, super insightful stuff

[@iKiWY]

Started researching rave stabs more deeply yesterday for fun and now this poped up, amazing timing!!

[@Matt_10203]

These videos really expanded my knowledge on a lot of these subjects as they can be pretty obtuse to research. Thanks Tim

[@elliem_music2122]

Thanks for this video! Been trying to figure out rave stabs for a while and love knowing the history.

[@federico7367]

I love u please dont ever stop doing with these guides its amazing content

[@chopiesthechook]

I'm just starting to learn about music production, so this video is perfectly timed and super valuable. It's a great insight to how these stabs came to be and a bit about the subculture in general

[@NTMTR_OFFICIAL]

Incredibly grateful for your listing of the tracks mentioned !

[@armignac]

just found your channel today and you upload now. Really nice! Thanks a lot!

[@maschinelab8598]

Love your content! The two jungle videos are soooo dope!

[@erikno2992]

I have watched your last two vids, the bass one i started today
And now, without even having notifs on, this!!!
Awesome!

[@CarrotUK]

Hearing the Landlord stab pattern as a Happy Hardcore one was kind of cursed but brilliant at the same time haha, impeccable research and great video!

[@addisondragon7899]

Been watching tutorials on youtube for over a decade and ive never seen anything as informative as your videos!!

[@thomasschumacherOFC]

Stellar job Tim, so much valuable information with a lot of attention to detail. Danke.

[@TheActualTed]

Amazing video, thank you for an intro to all the amazing tracks which name's I've never heard, many landed in my playlist.

[@lxxwj]

this is a fantastic video, ive always wanted to learn more about early rave music and just never knew where to start. ill definitely be using some of these tracks in my dj sets. theres just something so otherworldly about parallel harmony (using the same chord structure and moving it around) and i cant get enough of it

[@BrandNewByxor]

Very helpful. This video taught me the source of so many different sounds that I've wanted to search for but didn't know any names for

[@AvithOrtega]

Great video and docummentary! is nice to see another fellow music producer to also show some sample based music history.

[@Epic501]

Fantastic series, such high effort and clear communication.
Notifications on for this channel easily

[@dovydasgataveckas427]

Incredible videos! Keep up the great work!!

[@ijimedia]

dam just finished the breakbeat vid and this one just dropped, absolutely worth the subscription

[@bakesbasha]

dude i love your videos so much, really appreciate the historical context.

[@austinmontgomery6683]

This is one of the best electronic music tutorials I've seen

[@andrewrossy]

An absolutley brilliant forensic breakdown of Rave Stabs. Indexed, all tracks linked. Gold standard stuff. I am so glad that the algorithm suggested otherwsie would never had discovered. Have now subscribed ... and thank you so much for doing this.

[@prod.natejalo1122]

this is my first time discovering this channel, this is awesome thanks. subbed

[@urphakeandgey6308]

If you just want something to give you a bunch of sounds to work with out of the box, "Rave generator" is a free VST that is basically nothing but a bunch of stab samples.

[@connorhall70]

absolutely love the history you delve into. mint video

[@NathanPatton]

Awesome video! Easy to follow and a wealth of info! 🙌

[@flaberant3774]

THE GOAT RETURNED

[@gonzalo3046]

probably the best video I've ever watched, rave stabs are my favorite kind of sound and seeing where they come from is amazing

[@PilzE.]

Seriously though, Tim, you Sir, are fucking nailing it!
These videos are phenomenal!!!
Who else is busting with pride at the amount of tracks mentioned in these videos that are sitting in their vinyl collection? Also, anyone else got one of their kids, in my case my youngest, my 15-year-old son, whose now obsessed with vinyl? We went to HMV in Truro a couple of weeks back, and, as I browsed the dance section, he kept running up, clutching a slab of the precious plastic, beaming with passion and desire at his various finds. Takes me right back. 😍

[@soundstothecore3714]

Good videos. Good knowledge. Put together well. Keep up the good work!

[@BenCaesar]

This is unreal, what a Goldmine of a video

[@Remzcore]

Good work Tim! Many many useful information there 🤩

[@dave07drummer]

just watching this while cooking roast dinner and woke up to a bad morning, this has cheered me up no end 👌

[@walterkerr1194]

These videos are great man keep it up!!

[@dxtrs_mnpltr]

Wow! Amazing Tim! For someone like me who lived the hardcore rave era in his teens, this is pure gold!

[@idlevice1935]

Tim, what a legend! I've watched all of your Beginners Guides... amazing. The history, tutorials AND the links to the featured tracks!!❤‍🔥I'm 52 and have rediscovered tunes from my youth and discovered similar/adjacent music. Not to mention what you're doing for my production skills. Keep up the great work.

[@PilzE.]

Where did the years go, Brother?
It was perhaps 7 or 8 years ago, that I was a fresh-faced 18-year-old, excitedly getting on a tube to Vauxhall, destination the Arches, Godding Street, for Club Sandwich, the awesome club night put on by Smart Boys pirate radio station.
However, in twelve days time I too will be 52 years old!!! How'd that happen??? 🤪

[@ThomwoththeWeather]

good time for us, as I am 52 next month, and just saw The Flaming Lips live in Vancouver last week.. This era is OURS to share with everone!

[@airfixx_8952]

Cool vid, man! Nice little nostalgia trip and some cool tips too. :)

[@templeofleila]

That was so good! It was like a history/music appreciation class with a retro tutorial for the kids coming up in it.. Very nice!

[@templeofleila]

@@sparklesparklesparkle6318 weird and cool.. it sounds like the music is inducing a sympathetic experience causing you to overuse your serotonin. I think your body is remembering a VERY good times. Just get some sun to re-balance out your melatonin/serotonin level... I've had that happen with darude sandstorm

[@wostmusic8482]

i just got into your videos and i love them! big ups

[@shortattentionspa.....]

I really love these videos, you do such a great job on them thanks for taking the time! Cant wait to see what comes next in this series! A beginners guide to acid lines?

[@TimCant]

That’s an interesting idea, but I’m not much of an acid expert. There are many people better-qualified (and better equipped) than me to make such a video 🙃
On the other hand you’re the second person to ask about this in the last couple of days, maybe there’s something useful I could make at some point 🤔

[@nobbystyles4807]

awesome. i always assumed the landlord stab was a piano heavily processed. rave generator and rave generator 2 are must haves. great stuff, subbed the channel thanks!

[@whatthepeoplewant6953]

Love the history!!!! Excellent video mate

[@Finndog1973]

I love the history and the actual source...fantastic!

[@RuffneckBizniz]

Brilliant video! Very interesting incite into the background of race and where the samples originated from

[@londaillexber9571]

Thank you some much, I have been needing this video

[@andyrechenberg]

As soon as I heard that CMI orchestra hit I immediately thought of DEFCON by Impakt. Great video. 👏🏼

[@jamesorr4061]

This series is amazing. I'd love to see you do an overarching history of dance music at some point.

[@lxxwj]

INSTANT subscribe from me, this is one of the best videos ive ever seen

[@lukemaximian]

Absolutely excellent information/education - thank you!

[@EG-cs3wv]

This is pure gold. Thank you so much

[@RonWellsJS]

Fantastic video that shows the benefit of learning sound design

[@TimCant]

Thanks for the help Ron, and all the amazing music of course 👊

[@kitsuneandcake]

Okay so I listened to Tim's latest A/B and I LOVE those tracks. Wilderness is so perfect. Reminds me quite a lot of my favourite tracks from Logistics.
Absolute find! You guys should go listen!

[@rave-vinyl-reminiscence]

This video is bloody brilliant.
The exact education I need 🙏

[@freelounge6001]

Great video. FYI you can turn down unison stereo width right in Serum in the unison settings (defaults at 100 but you just turn it down to 0) no need for the utility after.

[@joshuaaaron7639]

Top notch 😀 love the history lessons too !

[@oOBeagleOo]

Great video. Like the history aspect to it. Beginners guide to pads would be quite nice

[@renatinn]

Congratulations and thank you for the video, subscribed! Hugs from Brazil

[@drastically143]

Your channel unironically helps me bonding with my daughter, thanx man!

[@TimCant]

That’s wicked ☺️

[@hlgrv]

Thank you, this is beyond awesome! The only reason this is not the best video on the internet ever is because what about A beginner's guide to Jungle Bass & Jungle Breakbeat then :)

[@palaHD]

Your attention to detail is exemplary,I’ve been making music since notator on the Atari up to ableton12 currently and in all that time I’ve seeked answers that I’ve never been able to get up until now April 2024,the landlord patch amongst others 🙌

[@rleriche5044]

So good!
Did a knowing nod when the re-sampled Spectrum stab got its 3rd gen.

[@genuinesoundsmusic]

So good! Brings it all back!! :) Thx!

[@petemaxwell_dj]

Amazing detail in the video!

[@maxlemke9.5]

Top tier TH-cam video right here 🙏

[@phil76414]

What an incredibly interesting video. Thank you.

[@HAZARDOUS88]

Brilliant video. Thanks so much!

[@philyoung5434]

This is bloody brilliant.

[@Rooballeux]

I found a real treasure clicking on this video, immaculately done

[@vinoxo]

On the square bass at 29 mins you add a utility to narrow it. You can reduce the osc width in Serums global tab

[@harrymoschops]

I am now enlightened when it comes to rave stabs. Hoover nice day

[@Malfunkn]

here i am, realizing that I do not in fact know everything and deciding to educate myself on rave stabs.. looking down the list of videos... and I see this one.
if a "begginer's guide" is 32 minutes long, that's the begginers guide I want. thank you for this.

[@geoff7894]

Hey Tim, You're a G, that is all.
Love from Fort Worth, Texas!!

[@leerobinson8257]

helpful and informative more of these please!

[@rhinozz43]

awesome video, tim! small thing - you say around 29:20 that you may want to turn width down using something like Utility. this can actually be done within serum in the Global tab at the top by turning down the Width!

[@modelchanger1332]

Great channel, keep posting videos please

[@yaguetinyagueton]

If you made a beginner guide of hardgroove it would be awesome, this videos are massive

[@fortymileswest]

Brilliant videos Tim :)

[@martink9785]

Man! Amazing! Subscribed!

[@geomardomingo1672]

I have heard these sound for so long but I have never listened to them. Amazing work