I agree. I thought it was marc riley at 1st. Absolutely gem and just tells everything as it is. 1 comment he made in 1 of his vid was if you can't hear the difference then you need to go and do some ear training. Brutal but bang on.
This channel gets an official "Wow" from me. One of a small number of truly high quality sources of really useful stuff. It doesn't matter if I figured out a bunch of this on my own or elsewhere, it's still super helpful because of the highly relevant context. Sometimes to really get it I need to learn things more than once, unfortunately. One suggestion: the 'buy me a coffee' thing is fine for people who might just want to throw a couple quid your way, but you might consider the Patreon route if there's a way to share useful files that people could pay a bit to gain access to.
Thankyou. Yeah it's mostly a time thing, I can't promise rewards of any kind at this stage so Patreon or TH-cam membership didn't feel right. Having said that, I'm not doing it for the money anyway, I already make music for a living that makes me one of the luckiest people on the planet! Trust me you don't want to get into music for money reasons 🤣! I already give away what files I can legally. I think one of the reasons people find my videos useful is because it's coming from someone that's already doing it as their day job, as opposed to being a 'TH-camr'.
The difference between artists and producers is producers can repeat the process over and over. As you see in this video he’s telling you exactly why he’s doing what he’s doing. Great video right here!
I don't even know how I got to your channel... but WOW! I've watching one or two videos every day for a some days now and it's been so enlightening. Thanks!
Well, I'm locked into this one. I can honestly say you are the first person to ever reply to a question I've posted and then made a full video out of it. Watching and listening to you in this video is PURE GOLD!! This one has been saved to what I like to call my "Uber Favs". 🙂 All kidding aside, the amount of knowledge to take from this video is just mind boggling. Thank you Bthelick for taking the time to knock this out. The automation work was 💯.
Thanks Jason. You just happened to post that question while I was in the middle of planning out a "how to finish a track" video. But the original video idea was getting waaaay out of hand. I had 3 genres and comparing them, a big psychology rant about how a certain part of the brain is scared of commitment etc etc etc 🤣. Then you posted that and I thought "did I ever finish that track? 🤔" Turns out no I didn't, and the video idea suddenly became clear! So thankyou, Good timing haha 👊 (Btw I did finish a rej tribute which ended up completely different to the video track also, so they are both heading for release now)
@@Bthelick Glad my timing finally paid off. 😎 😀 Thanks for the Re update. I’ll keep my eye out. I know if I play some of your tracks down here in Florida, people will think/wonder “who is this and where can I hear more”? And the rest is history as they say.
Love a good polyrhythm, seriously love what you did with this track!! Giving me Tron vibes, could totally see this track being the back track for a disc/light cycle battle!
Just found your channel and loving the whole thing. This is a very subtle thought but I truly love how the piece of music your using to teach the topic you have chosen, stays there from beginning to end. I cant think of a single 'Tuber who I respect, that uses this method. It definitely "glues" the whole vid together, and I really like it, and learn tones of stuff along the way because we are not constantly jumping around, being subjected to cool noises that are really only there as ear candy. Love your channel and really pleased to be a Sub'er.
I’m amazed at your ability to fly though Ableton with such speed. I can work similarly in FL Studio but not Ableton, though I’m trying to learn Ableton as well. I am curious how to manage to keep everything so organized in the arrangement view- when you added the second hook for example, the track immediately was assigned the color red. Was that automatic? With the “reverb” trick you mention, is that simply increasing the decay/wet level on the selected track? I’ve employed similar techniques but to see you apply them so tactfully really helps to solidify my understanding of the underlying principles.
The colour assignment is automatic yes (by default) The reverb automation is not wet dry it's a send, so the tail continues afterwards. But it's done with a rack I built ( I go over those in the next video as everyone asked for them haha)
I'd love to see a video where you design a sound, make a loop, and then finish it like you did here. I'm trying to make tech house but I keep finding myself stuck when I try to design sounds that fit the genre. I keep ending up with retrowave and stuff from other genres
I rarely work that way tbh. I'm usually making something with an aim already to a reference or several references. I don't usually just play around with sound until I'm inspired, that happens by accident rarely. I usually start with groove and bottom end. Sound slots in after the foundation is solid. You just probably need to copy your heroes more. Just forego originality until you understand what is at the core of the vibe. If you can mimic 5 - 15 sounds from other good references then you'll start to feel out the commonalities between them , which will let you experiment in the same space. And if you're still new at sound design then you'll definitely hit some 'happy accidents' along the way which don't sound like what you were aiming for but totally work! As always the answer is usually to reference more. A lot more.
Ok I dig your point on reference,in that light. Why would you say most EDM producers use Abbelton? I have Cubase use FL and machine. I have always used a lot of sample in my work. But I'm looking at the work flow in Abbelton I love the Cubase mixer. But looking at Abbelton again cause I've been working on EDM stuff and really want to get into that style. I like the access to sounds. But the bottom section throws me
A good number use Ableton but I'm not sure if it's "most". Martin garrix , avicci, porter Robinson, are plenty of successful FL users regardless of genre I know FL is by far the most popular daw overall. Daw shouldn't matter though, They all do the same thing. I've been trained in all of them from my sales as a music software salesman , trust me the grass is always greener! As the great Dan Worall said "you already have all the tools you need, use them don't blame them"
@@Bthelick thanks I love Cubase, but there are certain things that each daw does differently. I want to understand how to work in Abbelton and transfer that into Cubase.
Thanks for the Videos, you're like a magician. One of my problem atm is I don't have any music theory knowledge and can't get up with ideas for hooks, hope its getting better with watching many of your videos and the building blocks course im doing right now. You deserve a whole truckload of coffee
@@Bthelick feel like I’m patronised you now as it was the first vid I’d watched of yours. Moved on to the Paul Woolford ones and you are some sort of pro/genius. Would love to know your background/day job? Ghost producer?!!
Thanks. My day job is indeed making music yes. originally classically trained, then rebelled because that world was full of snobs, so I played in metal bands for a while. worked 8 years of retail in a music shop where I discovered music software and got trained in all the daws, started a side hustle engineering from my bedroom and got a reputation, started my own recording studio and ran that for 8 years, over that time I started to prefer working with producers in electronic music instead of bands, through that I often found myself as the 'musical conduit' between music writing and the djs as the go-to guy for chord knowledge etc. I've been a professional engineer, writer, session musician, producer and ghost ever since, 15 years now.
Thanks Joey 🙏. The original video is this one th-cam.com/video/Sddo4J9UXY0/w-d-xo.html I don't think I explain it very well though tbh my video /presentation skills leave even more to be desired back then 🤣
When that kick hit at the start for the first time it was exactly how I wanted it to sound. Such a nice loop Definitely a roller lol that’s like a free 50seconds in a club 😅
your videos always remind me that less is more and that a few tricks can bring a track to bounce. one question: you are using the reverbs directly on the tracks right? i often struggle to deside, when to use sends and when to use effects on the tracks.
I don't work like must others, I don't use any sends for speed reasons. I explain it in my video about my Ableton racks called "speed up your workflow" 👊
First comment but your videos are phenomenal. Thank you ♥ The identification of the hooks and addition of new parts to the track as required is fascinating. It is in complete opposition to the almost universal arrangement advice of "duplicate your loop, then add stuff and remove stuff". What suggestions would you have for someone that wants to get better at knowing what's missing? Either suggested reading, a topic or videos worth watching? Studying references and identifying hooks vs support elements is probably a good start?
Hey thanks! Yes you already answered your question, References definitely would be my first advice. Try to pick apart your favourites, that's how we develop our own tastes, through our influences. Also, bear in mind there's no right or wrong here. If you 'only' have a simple track and you can't hear anything missing, or can't imagine how to develop the idea , but you like what you have, then its finished! hit export, upload and on to the next one! You'll develop new tastes and skills over time regardless , so there's absolutely nothing wrong with taking an idea as far as you can at your current level and then moving on. Not all tracks turn into epics, or deserve to. especially if you're new, its better you get 20 simple ideas finished than agonising over 1 for a year! Imagine you wanted to program your first computer game, you're not going to make God Of War in your first years, you're better off trying to create a Pacman / Space invaders 2D type idea! whether its simple by design by accident, does that make it a worse game or song??? no, it has just as much value to exist along side any other piece of art. Try not to 2nd guess what you can and cannot do, or how 'good' you think you are or are not. We are always improving, me included, so there is no 'right' time to call anything finished all you can do is show the world where you're at right now 👊 See my vids on finishing tracks , and amateur sound for a little more on that. hope this helps 👍
I have watched a bunch more of these over the past week. They are great, thanks again. One thing I’ve noted from a few different videos is the terminology you use to describe different parts of an arrangement that make so much sense when said out loud. The example above is the "hooks" and I guess the 'percussion synth thing' in the track above is more a support (not sure if my naming is correct)? "Pickups" I think it's in the Arrangement Inspiration video. There are others which are arguably obvious "fills" is one that springs to mind. ("Drop" obviously 😂) or Breaks, Builds, Pre's etc. Similar to your numbered chords video, I wonder have you made a video that discusses the type of things that make a complete arrangement? (I did check and can't see anything) Labels that might be innate to an experience producer, but not necessarily the novice.
@@soundslikessidechain I haven't yet, it's a good request though. I'm slowly putting together a "my first track" kind of experience which will cover these things. 👊
This is brilliant. Polyrhythm and polymeter are my favorite things in music marketing ever. That's where clipped base DAW like Bitwig, Ableton and FL studio shine the most. I also want to do a metal cover of this track.
Are you 'avin' a laugh? You are the jam for sure. Just takin' the piss to make it easy for everyone else to understand? Tell me 'oo you actually are? Some ridiculously famous producer just tryna educate the masses without getting caught for givin'all the secrets away? Thanks for that. SUB
Why is the dB bar of your master channel almost always red as far as I saw? 🤔Don't you use limiter? It doesn't sound distorted. Is there another trick you apply there like putting the ceiling above 0 dB?
"the best mixes don't need mastering " - Bob Katz. Correct, I don't use limiters, I don't usually like the sound of them. They can crush the groove. I don't master my tracks, I just mix them at decent level and release like that. It doesn't (audibly) distort because my mix works. there is no 'trick' I just use my ears and my ears are very trained and experienced by this point! Understand, limiters add distortion too , the red light on your master channel is not the same thing as your ears. I could put a soft clipper on the master and make it stay 'in the green' but it would sound terribly distorted. Does that suddenly mean it's not distorting now because there's no red light? No. Use your ears , because meters, numbers and red/green lights are not music.
I'm trying my absolute best to sound like him that's why! I think his pacing and cadence is fantastic for learning ❤️ So that's a massive compliment thankyou
Hello! First things first...I love your channel. I'm super happy I found it, was looking for some insights in how to better arrange House drums and discovered it and boy I'm happy :D! This video is super interesting, fast paced, groovy, I was dancing along your mix and at the same time I've gained a lot of insights looking at your workflow, so thanks again 🙏! I noticed your effect racks and really liked the delay and reverb that you named "DelayTape", do you perhaps have a video where you went trough the process of creating them and the macros you choose to assign? As a beginner and amateur I rarely combine effects in reusable effect chains that make sense for a specific genere, more often than not I just place effects on a track to taste, but was considering to create a few ones that would even be repurposed for some live playing by mapping them on a controller. Any insight on that would be much appreciated!
I'd like to know what you think about the optimum track length in the age of a short attention span pandemic? Back in the day, 6 mins was a mere minimum and 6 to 9 was standard while even 10-12 minutes tracks were not uncommon. Now, I see 2 minutes long House tracks on spotify. is it now an industry standard to have "spotify radio edits" while saving extended mixes for platforms like traxsource and beatport? or finding some sweet spot between two is a better strategy?
Entirely depends on your audience and your brand, and what you want to achieve. I'm kinda in the thick of it as it's my career, and I'm not known for cool underground tracks haha. So my reputation isn't harmed by taking advantage of 'non-club' formats. I do 3 lengths on every release. A 2 min-ish edit for reels and tiktoks, with all the hooks moved to the start, released via European distributor so Facebook etc are forced to pay me by law haha (short form platforms do not pay in America) Then I do a Spotify edit of 3 minutes ish if it deserves more time as a 'song' and then an extended for beatport. Most DJs I work for are just releasing extended and streaming edits.
depends on a couple of factors: A) groove. If I don't want the part to permanently 'pump' and instead 'breathe' when the kick stops I use sidechain to save me automating that. but sometimes the tremolo (volume flo) is the only way to a get a certain feel with those non-'natural' curves that you can't get from a compressor release. B) Low end precision. When pushing the limits of loudness, those bespoke curves from a tremolo plugin are sometimes the only way to guarantee the sub track and kick are not adding together and taking up precious head room. I talk about this very distinction in the "how to not master your tracks pt2 video"
@@Bthelick and Sir, don’t forget to provide pre-save link for us! I really love it. This sounds for me similar as a Dilby or even Damon Jee in some of his tracks! Cheers 🍻
Another vid, another gem. You do use the copyright sample pack from defected. Bought it because of you, no rAgrets! It's pretty good. Thanks for the tip.
No magic, just a little science, or should I say psychoacoustics. I'm just clipping the parts that are too fast to hear, the transients. I've always preferred this the sound to limiting. some of the more 'transparent' sounding modern limiters are part clipping the signal anyway so the whole red light/green light thing is a lie. I don't master anything so this is how I work, i just copy the reference at 0 and any time there is audible clipping I take to be a mix issue that needs fixing.
8:08 Hi, can you make a video on how you know the key and that you had to move it 4 up to be in key? I get music theory is difficult but your videos are top
To do it like that is just ear training I'm afraid. I'm sure A.I tools will get there pretty soon but right now they are confused by 'noisy' sounds like this. I do have an older video on "how to find the key of a sample" which has a few hacks you can try
Ah good question. I do show it briefly @1:18 but didn't explain. It is indeed on 1 note, as the bass part is jumping between 3 octaves so would be unreliable for bottom end. 👊
For someone that is not so musically advanced, is it good to make lots of different parts that fit with the basic bass and rhythm (keeping the mood) and then swap between them? A loops and mutes type construction method, and what this tutorial seems to allude to. Your parts seem to fit really well, even without transitions; just by muting or un-muting.
In dance music, arrangement can sometimes just be 'loop and mute' yes. like most things though It is genre / audience dependant. The more underground genre's tend towards minimalist elements, arrangement, and production. that is certainly easier when the parts fit well yes, but I always advise that all parts share both groove and harmony. Just as how parts that are not in the same key and scale sound bad when used together, parts that are not in the same groove will also sound bad when used together. And even if you try to separate those parts from each other , so they appear at different sections of the track, because they are not related the track will not 'flow' , sound disconnected and risk confusing the audience. You don't need 'lots' though, keep it simple until you get the hang of it. look at a track like "Odd Mob - Left to right", or "Ewan McVicar - Tell Me Something Good", very very few parts but those tracks are masterfully crafted in arrangement and work incredibly in the club.
@@Bthelick Thank you so much for your detailed answer. I'm not so great with the creativity, so was trying to come up with a dumb method until sounding ok. I got the idea from playing with something online called the WD1 DJ trainer.
Great, but a qq . How do you mix your levels (track faders) when you automate volume? Is there a way to do so? I use Utilities only for track volume automation so i can use the faders later, but i'd love to see if theres a way to move all your automated volume fader too
Yeah I use utilities too. Sometimes I do automate the fader sometimes I automate the utility it doesn't really matter to me. Or I throw stuff in groups.
Really nice thank you for the video. Do you have a video where you highlight how you create your custom reverb / delays presets with some explanations of the choices?
Why you don’t mind the master channel going red while you doing those things? Wouldn’t make sense to have a simple built in limiter in there just in case?
It's managed so It's only transients, Limiting removes the transients, and therefore groove, I just hate the sound of them. I don't recommend it for most people it's just the way I work from decades of experience
Yeah organic house is planned. Not an easy one though, I basically got to figure out how to teach real instruments like guitar, marimba etc without actually playing them haha
Because Ableton allows me to drag in sounds from other sessions, so when I do, all the effects and automation of them come with it. If I used sends that would be lost. These reverbs /delays I use still behave like sends however because I have created racks that 'send' into the insert on a parallel path. Of course there is more CPU overhead but not like today's machines can't handle it.
@@ALBUQUERQUEMusic these vids ARE the mentoring! 😁 Seriously though the music and videos take all my time right now so I can't unfortunately. Just keep leaving questions in the comments, I guarantee you won't be alone on most issues, then we can make a video everyone can benefit from 👊. I'm working on uploading the racks, many unfortunately are built around 3rd party plugins so I can't redistribute those. But the ones built from Ableton stock plugins will be available soon.
Your tutorials are so good! I'd think about paying a designer to whip up some modern and eye catching thumbnails that help represent the quality of your videos!
I'm not chasing numbers but it would be nice not to suck at them haha. It's mostly a time consideration honestly. I would like to pick the brains of a thumbnail expert on what a good thumbnail design should look like without a face on it because I have done some minimal research but none apply to this kind of channel. Dan Woralls aren't great either in honesty and he's doing fine haha.
Listening to this on my mobile, your kick and your bass really punches through on the speaker, obviously it's not a great speaker.....but my question, have you done any kind of processing on your kick and bass previously so that they punch through with such clarity..??
@@Bthelick I didn't mean the bass was punchy, I think I was just meaning that the kick and the bass are so clear in the mix, the clarity of them is fantastic on such a small speaker.....I'm still very knew at all of this and my kick and bass just doesn't seem to cut through as good on a small speaker.
@@rikgreen520 no problem. well it's the same explanation. It's all in the sound selection. You just need more time and more ear training don't worry you'll get there with time. 👊
The Techmoan guy always reminds me of a Northern version of James May, particularly the series 'The Reassembler", in which May tinkered about in his shed rebuilding things like lawnmowers and record players. There's something quite cathartic about watching people tinker about with things until they are finished.
please make any of these genres into stylized track breakdowns glitch hop - Artists like Opiuo, K+Lab {Soul City Remix} Psytrance - Infected Musroom or any psytrance tips Dubstep Artists - Rusko {Woo Boost} Ganja White Night Truth {Dark Light} Breaks/DnB The Prodigy Pendulum The Crystal Method
How did you drag a non midi sample in and be able to change the key in the midi area? How can you get a non midi samples into midi area without converting it to midi, harmony, melody, or drums?
Let's just clear up some terms in case that is part of the confusion. There is no such thing as a "midi sample" as midi cannot contain any audio. Midi is data only. The sample when dragged to a blank midi track in Ableton tells Ableton to create an instrument track ,with that sample being loaded into a sampler instrument so it can be triggered via midi. If your midi track already has an instrument on it , that is Ableton attempts to convert the music info from the audio to the midi.
@Bthelick Your right, I should've said midi file not sample But I'm still lost because when I attempt to do it I get a pop up asking me if I want to convert the sample to Harmony, Melody, or Drums Other times when I drag it into a open midi slot it will just automatically change it to an audio slot Maybe I have some settings wrong?
@@artfulmindmusic if its asking to convert then your midi track must already have an instrument on it. If it changes a midi track to audio its because you dragged the audio sample onto the track , not the bottom effects section.
The high synth is not 31 sixteen notes - its 33, otherwise it would'nt be possible to do the triplet thing you do with it :) Sounds freaking rad though
I personally don't much. It's totally possible to work like that but I prefer to be able to see the arrangement of my drums at a glance. I might need to automate something whenever the kick is in so it's easier just to glance at that track as I draw. If you make everything in the one rack the arrangement gets buried in the one midi track. Also I mostly use audio top loops for non-kick /clap sounds so those are better on tracks than triggered. It's all about speed overall. I try to finish at least a couple of tracks per day.
@@Bthelick Yes I figured. Makes sense. I guess I'm used to work with the basic Ableton version so you cant have more than 16 channels so it came natural to "cram" drums in one track to free the others 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to reply
@@lennyblandino ah I see yeah makes sense. You still get access to all the separate outputs for mixing purposes so you don't lose out in any functionality don't worry you're good to go!
Since a little kid I've always wanted to do this but always got so overwhelmed with my cracked version of FL Studio, think I might try it again what is this software you're using?
I'm working on something. Most of the racks are just a volume knob into a 3rd party plugin like tal reverb for example. But I can't redistribute plugins that aren't my own.
So none of ya'll gonna acknowledge that thumbnail huh? we got no gamers in the chat or something? 🤣🤣
This made me think a game inspired by music and loop hero would be cool
Haha I definitely played this game for a bit.
Could not comment - started a new run :-D
yes! it's why I clicked... what is it??
@@JoeBellVideo a great game called Loop Hero. Recommended.
I love how your videos always sound like a radio show with that sidechained music in the background. Keep the good stuff coming! :)
I agree. I thought it was marc riley at 1st. Absolutely gem and just tells everything as it is. 1 comment he made in 1 of his vid was if you can't hear the difference then you need to go and do some ear training. Brutal but bang on.
I was just about to comment this, it's really refreshing
Phenomenal as per usual. Pure gold. Please don’t die. You are the best we have to learn from.
The more likes, the closer he gets to immortality.
I agree!
Producer never dies.
Love your style of teaching. The music is banging too. Hypnotic
what a ride
31 - days
6 - working days
You're making a calendar
This channel gets an official "Wow" from me. One of a small number of truly high quality sources of really useful stuff. It doesn't matter if I figured out a bunch of this on my own or elsewhere, it's still super helpful because of the highly relevant context. Sometimes to really get it I need to learn things more than once, unfortunately. One suggestion: the 'buy me a coffee' thing is fine for people who might just want to throw a couple quid your way, but you might consider the Patreon route if there's a way to share useful files that people could pay a bit to gain access to.
Thankyou.
Yeah it's mostly a time thing, I can't promise rewards of any kind at this stage so Patreon or TH-cam membership didn't feel right.
Having said that, I'm not doing it for the money anyway, I already make music for a living that makes me one of the luckiest people on the planet!
Trust me you don't want to get into music for money reasons 🤣!
I already give away what files I can legally.
I think one of the reasons people find my videos useful is because it's coming from someone that's already doing it as their day job, as opposed to being a 'TH-camr'.
This channel is the best out there right now. So stoked you’re making videos dude! Thank you!
The difference between artists and producers is producers can repeat the process over and over. As you see in this video he’s telling you exactly why he’s doing what he’s doing. Great video right here!
I've got Banksy on the phone. He's concerned about your diagnosis
This channel is pure gold. So many interesting information. Thank you
I don't even know how I got to your channel... but WOW! I've watching one or two videos every day for a some days now and it's been so enlightening. Thanks!
I enjoy your enjoying of the sections. You can hear the fun
Pure golden half an hour
Well, I'm locked into this one. I can honestly say you are the first person to ever reply to a question I've posted and then made a full video out of it. Watching and listening to you in this video is PURE GOLD!! This one has been saved to what I like to call my "Uber Favs". 🙂 All kidding aside, the amount of knowledge to take from this video is just mind boggling. Thank you Bthelick for taking the time to knock this out. The automation work was 💯.
Thanks Jason.
You just happened to post that question while I was in the middle of planning out a "how to finish a track" video. But the original video idea was getting waaaay out of hand. I had 3 genres and comparing them, a big psychology rant about how a certain part of the brain is scared of commitment etc etc etc 🤣.
Then you posted that and I thought "did I ever finish that track? 🤔"
Turns out no I didn't, and the video idea suddenly became clear!
So thankyou, Good timing haha 👊
(Btw I did finish a rej tribute which ended up completely different to the video track also, so they are both heading for release now)
@@Bthelick Glad my timing finally paid off. 😎 😀 Thanks for the Re update. I’ll keep my eye out. I know if I play some of your tracks down here in Florida, people will think/wonder “who is this and where can I hear more”? And the rest is history as they say.
More of these videos please!. That style of track is 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Dude youre good .. like a smooth operator !
"mmm didn't mean to leave the kick behind but lets run with it"
i cannot thank you enough for your content! you are an angel sent from the heavens! 👏
These tutorials are so good. Best format too. Thank you!
I just came across your channel, it is a goldmine! Thank you very much, you have a wonderful way of bringing these bits of knowledge across 😊
Love a good polyrhythm, seriously love what you did with this track!! Giving me Tron vibes, could totally see this track being the back track for a disc/light cycle battle!
Just found your channel and loving the whole thing. This is a very subtle thought but I truly love how the piece of music your using to teach the topic you have chosen, stays there from beginning to end. I cant think of a single 'Tuber who I respect, that uses this method. It definitely "glues" the whole vid together, and I really like it, and learn tones of stuff along the way because we are not constantly jumping around, being subjected to cool noises that are really only there as ear candy. Love your channel and really pleased to be a Sub'er.
You are one of the best at these tutorials. The way you are speaking and doing is so helpful
Thanks your videos give me the passion back of producing that was gone for more than 2 years.
one of my favorite tutorials ....no more sticking in the loop. thank you so much!
Magic! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much. More arrangement videos please. I just can finish these damn songs. I start new ones. Fvck😱
One of the best channel on TH-cam.. Great Ben!!! 👍👍👏👏💯💯
Thanks for the continued support Mark ❤️🙏
You're a legend. Thank you for what you do 🙏
I’m amazed at your ability to fly though Ableton with such speed. I can work similarly in FL Studio but not Ableton, though I’m trying to learn Ableton as well. I am curious how to manage to keep everything so organized in the arrangement view- when you added the second hook for example, the track immediately was assigned the color red. Was that automatic? With the “reverb” trick you mention, is that simply increasing the decay/wet level on the selected track? I’ve employed similar techniques but to see you apply them so tactfully really helps to solidify my understanding of the underlying principles.
The colour assignment is automatic yes (by default)
The reverb automation is not wet dry it's a send, so the tail continues afterwards. But it's done with a rack I built ( I go over those in the next video as everyone asked for them haha)
Great to see this process. Your channel is amazing!
Boss mate. Your videos are so cathartic I could happily watch all day. 💙
great video and great music. Progressive Melodic techno house. Thank you
I'd love to see a video where you design a sound, make a loop, and then finish it like you did here. I'm trying to make tech house but I keep finding myself stuck when I try to design sounds that fit the genre. I keep ending up with retrowave and stuff from other genres
I rarely work that way tbh. I'm usually making something with an aim already to a reference or several references.
I don't usually just play around with sound until I'm inspired, that happens by accident rarely.
I usually start with groove and bottom end. Sound slots in after the foundation is solid.
You just probably need to copy your heroes more. Just forego originality until you understand what is at the core of the vibe.
If you can mimic 5 - 15 sounds from other good references then you'll start to feel out the commonalities between them , which will let you experiment in the same space. And if you're still new at sound design then you'll definitely hit some 'happy accidents' along the way which don't sound like what you were aiming for but totally work!
As always the answer is usually to reference more. A lot more.
Ok I dig your point on reference,in that light. Why would you say most EDM producers use Abbelton? I have Cubase use FL and machine. I have always used a lot of sample in my work. But I'm looking at the work flow in Abbelton I love the Cubase mixer. But looking at Abbelton again cause I've been working on EDM stuff and really want to get into that style. I like the access to sounds. But the bottom section throws me
A good number use Ableton but I'm not sure if it's "most". Martin garrix , avicci, porter Robinson, are plenty of successful FL users regardless of genre I know FL is by far the most popular daw overall.
Daw shouldn't matter though, They all do the same thing. I've been trained in all of them from my sales as a music software salesman , trust me the grass is always greener!
As the great Dan Worall said "you already have all the tools you need, use them don't blame them"
@@Bthelick thanks I love Cubase, but there are certain things that each daw does differently. I want to understand how to work in Abbelton and transfer that into Cubase.
You sir, are my guru. This is good stuff!!!
keep it up !
Awesome videos and cool track!
Thanks for the Videos, you're like a magician. One of my problem atm is I don't have any music theory knowledge and can't get up with ideas for hooks, hope its getting better with watching many of your videos and the building blocks course im doing right now.
You deserve a whole truckload of coffee
thankyou
ask away with any questions 🙏
SICK TRACK
Pumped i found this channel. Legit knowledge here.
absolutely lowkey banging track
It's in A minor it's not that low 🤣
@@Bthelick feel like I’m patronised you now as it was the first vid I’d watched of yours. Moved on to the Paul Woolford ones and you are some sort of pro/genius. Would love to know your background/day job? Ghost producer?!!
Thanks. My day job is indeed making music yes. originally classically trained, then rebelled because that world was full of snobs, so I played in metal bands for a while. worked 8 years of retail in a music shop where I discovered music software and got trained in all the daws, started a side hustle engineering from my bedroom and got a reputation, started my own recording studio and ran that for 8 years, over that time I started to prefer working with producers in electronic music instead of bands, through that I often found myself as the 'musical conduit' between music writing and the djs as the go-to guy for chord knowledge etc. I've been a professional engineer, writer, session musician, producer and ghost ever since, 15 years now.
As always, practical videos. Would you be able to share a video with some tips about balancing levels, references and more? Thanks and big hug!
Bought you a coffee cause you deserve it fair and square! Do you have a vid where you actually make this track and explain the multi rhythm? Cheers
Thanks Joey 🙏.
The original video is this one th-cam.com/video/Sddo4J9UXY0/w-d-xo.html I don't think I explain it very well though tbh my video /presentation skills leave even more to be desired back then 🤣
When that kick hit at the start for the first time it was exactly how I wanted it to sound. Such a nice loop
Definitely a roller lol that’s like a free 50seconds in a club 😅
This has been immensely helpful. I'm gonna try to put this into practice after work. Thanks King!
Thanks for this - inspirational for us loop rogues...
Wow you are realy fast in Ableton Live. Nice Presentation. Thanks. I like the 6/16th 7/16th 31/16th Idea.
Wow the beginning of this reminds me of a very old track by secret knowledge called sugar daddy. Love it!
Also you're bang on about the audience.
your videos always remind me that less is more and that a few tricks can bring a track to bounce.
one question: you are using the reverbs directly on the tracks right? i often struggle to deside, when to use sends and when to use effects on the tracks.
I don't work like must others, I don't use any sends for speed reasons. I explain it in my video about my Ableton racks called "speed up your workflow" 👊
First comment but your videos are phenomenal. Thank you ♥
The identification of the hooks and addition of new parts to the track as required is fascinating. It is in complete opposition to the almost universal arrangement advice of "duplicate your loop, then add stuff and remove stuff".
What suggestions would you have for someone that wants to get better at knowing what's missing? Either suggested reading, a topic or videos worth watching?
Studying references and identifying hooks vs support elements is probably a good start?
Hey thanks!
Yes you already answered your question, References definitely would be my first advice. Try to pick apart your favourites, that's how we develop our own tastes, through our influences.
Also, bear in mind there's no right or wrong here. If you 'only' have a simple track and you can't hear anything missing, or can't imagine how to develop the idea , but you like what you have, then its finished! hit export, upload and on to the next one! You'll develop new tastes and skills over time regardless , so there's absolutely nothing wrong with taking an idea as far as you can at your current level and then moving on. Not all tracks turn into epics, or deserve to. especially if you're new, its better you get 20 simple ideas finished than agonising over 1 for a year!
Imagine you wanted to program your first computer game, you're not going to make God Of War in your first years, you're better off trying to create a Pacman / Space invaders 2D type idea! whether its simple by design by accident, does that make it a worse game or song??? no, it has just as much value to exist along side any other piece of art.
Try not to 2nd guess what you can and cannot do, or how 'good' you think you are or are not. We are always improving, me included, so there is no 'right' time to call anything finished all you can do is show the world where you're at right now 👊
See my vids on finishing tracks , and amateur sound for a little more on that.
hope this helps 👍
I have watched a bunch more of these over the past week. They are great, thanks again.
One thing I’ve noted from a few different videos is the terminology you use to describe different parts of an arrangement that make so much sense when said out loud.
The example above is the "hooks" and I guess the 'percussion synth thing' in the track above is more a support (not sure if my naming is correct)?
"Pickups" I think it's in the Arrangement Inspiration video. There are others which are arguably obvious "fills" is one that springs to mind. ("Drop" obviously 😂) or Breaks, Builds, Pre's etc.
Similar to your numbered chords video, I wonder have you made a video that discusses the type of things that make a complete arrangement? (I did check and can't see anything) Labels that might be innate to an experience producer, but not necessarily the novice.
@@soundslikessidechain I haven't yet, it's a good request though.
I'm slowly putting together a "my first track" kind of experience which will cover these things. 👊
Insane tutorial, keep your work ❤
This is brilliant. Polyrhythm and polymeter are my favorite things in music marketing ever. That's where clipped base DAW like Bitwig, Ableton and FL studio shine the most. I also want to do a metal cover of this track.
sounds like someone is a Messugah / Tool fan! 🤘
A metal version would be rad!
@@Bthelick yes!
@@henriquematias1986 right? This track has that metal intensity with that beat and riff!
Great content.
Are you 'avin' a laugh? You are the jam for sure. Just takin' the piss to make it easy for everyone else to understand? Tell me 'oo you actually are? Some ridiculously famous producer just tryna educate the masses without getting caught for givin'all the secrets away? Thanks for that. SUB
Brilliant video, want more of this ❤
You're an expert (shame not using Reason) but also love the: "see if that works..." and invariably it does 😏
Why is the dB bar of your master channel almost always red as far as I saw? 🤔Don't you use limiter? It doesn't sound distorted. Is there another trick you apply there like putting the ceiling above 0 dB?
"the best mixes don't need mastering " - Bob Katz.
Correct, I don't use limiters, I don't usually like the sound of them. They can crush the groove.
I don't master my tracks, I just mix them at decent level and release like that.
It doesn't (audibly) distort because my mix works. there is no 'trick' I just use my ears and my ears are very trained and experienced by this point!
Understand, limiters add distortion too , the red light on your master channel is not the same thing as your ears.
I could put a soft clipper on the master and make it stay 'in the green' but it would sound terribly distorted. Does that suddenly mean it's not distorting now because there's no red light? No.
Use your ears , because meters, numbers and red/green lights are not music.
Your voice reminds me so much of Dan worrall, and you're pretty damn knowledgeable as well!! Thanks for posting, these videos are gold :)
I'm trying my absolute best to sound like him that's why!
I think his pacing and cadence is fantastic for learning ❤️
So that's a massive compliment thankyou
@@Bthelick You're welcome, I agree, it's a confident delivery and no nonsense approach which i really like as well. Keep it up!
This is gold!
I like the aesthetics, its simple and awesome
Very informative, thank you :)
Your vids are so useful to me. Thanks very much will get you a coffee
Great video
Hello! First things first...I love your channel.
I'm super happy I found it, was looking for some insights in how to better arrange House drums and discovered it and boy I'm happy :D!
This video is super interesting, fast paced, groovy, I was dancing along your mix and at the same time I've gained a lot of insights looking at your workflow, so thanks again 🙏!
I noticed your effect racks and really liked the delay and reverb that you named "DelayTape", do you perhaps have a video where you went trough the process of creating them and the macros you choose to assign? As a beginner and amateur I rarely combine effects in reusable effect chains that make sense for a specific genere, more often than not I just place effects on a track to taste, but was considering to create a few ones that would even be repurposed for some live playing by mapping them on a controller. Any insight on that would be much appreciated!
Yes you're not the only one to ask, we can certainly look at that.
I'd like to know what you think about the optimum track length in the age of a short attention span pandemic? Back in the day, 6 mins was a mere minimum and 6 to 9 was standard while even 10-12 minutes tracks were not uncommon. Now, I see 2 minutes long House tracks on spotify. is it now an industry standard to have "spotify radio edits" while saving extended mixes for platforms like traxsource and beatport? or finding some sweet spot between two is a better strategy?
Entirely depends on your audience and your brand, and what you want to achieve.
I'm kinda in the thick of it as it's my career, and I'm not known for cool underground tracks haha. So my reputation isn't harmed by taking advantage of 'non-club' formats.
I do 3 lengths on every release. A 2 min-ish edit for reels and tiktoks, with all the hooks moved to the start, released via European distributor so Facebook etc are forced to pay me by law haha (short form platforms do not pay in America)
Then I do a Spotify edit of 3 minutes ish if it deserves more time as a 'song' and then an extended for beatport.
Most DJs I work for are just releasing extended and streaming edits.
@@Bthelick thank you for the detailed explanation! ❤️
10:49 sidechaining.. compressor vs lfo vst which and why for what?
depends on a couple of factors:
A) groove. If I don't want the part to permanently 'pump' and instead 'breathe' when the kick stops I use sidechain to save me automating that. but sometimes the tremolo (volume flo) is the only way to a get a certain feel with those non-'natural' curves that you can't get from a compressor release.
B) Low end precision. When pushing the limits of loudness, those bespoke curves from a tremolo plugin are sometimes the only way to guarantee the sub track and kick are not adding together and taking up precious head room. I talk about this very distinction in the "how to not master your tracks pt2 video"
Perfect thanks.
Awesome tutorial. Awesome thumbnail 🙂.
You definitely need to release this cool preparty mix
Already pressed render! it's uploaded and will be submitted to stores this week!
@@Bthelick and Sir, don’t forget to provide pre-save link for us! I really love it. This sounds for me similar as a Dilby or even Damon Jee in some of his tracks! Cheers 🍻
Another vid, another gem. You do use the copyright sample pack from defected. Bought it because of you, no rAgrets! It's pretty good. Thanks for the tip.
Well done my friend! What program is this?
The Daw?
This is Ableton Live
some of the best tutorials i have seen in a while. I am curious though, why do you let your master clip? Doesn't it distort your monitors?
Thankyou.
Before I answer that I have to check, Is it distorting your monitors?
@@Bthelick no, but when i clip in ableton, it does. so I don't know what magic you are doing here lol
No magic, just a little science, or should I say psychoacoustics. I'm just clipping the parts that are too fast to hear, the transients. I've always preferred this the sound to limiting. some of the more 'transparent' sounding modern limiters are part clipping the signal anyway so the whole red light/green light thing is a lie.
I don't master anything so this is how I work, i just copy the reference at 0 and any time there is audible clipping I take to be a mix issue that needs fixing.
8:08 Hi, can you make a video on how you know the key and that you had to move it 4 up to be in key? I get music theory is difficult but your videos are top
To do it like that is just ear training I'm afraid. I'm sure A.I tools will get there pretty soon but right now they are confused by 'noisy' sounds like this.
I do have an older video on "how to find the key of a sample" which has a few hacks you can try
@@Bthelick Cheers. Will check it out
You didn't show the SUB. I would like to know if it follows bass midi, or if just stays at the same note, please. Many thanks.
Ah good question.
I do show it briefly @1:18 but didn't explain.
It is indeed on 1 note, as the bass part is jumping between 3 octaves so would be unreliable for bottom end. 👊
@@Bthelick Fantastic! I appreciate that. Well done!
For someone that is not so musically advanced, is it good to make lots of different parts that fit with the basic bass and rhythm (keeping the mood) and then swap between them? A loops and mutes type construction method, and what this tutorial seems to allude to. Your parts seem to fit really well, even without transitions; just by muting or un-muting.
In dance music, arrangement can sometimes just be 'loop and mute' yes. like most things though It is genre / audience dependant. The more underground genre's tend towards minimalist elements, arrangement, and production. that is certainly easier when the parts fit well yes, but I always advise that all parts share both groove and harmony.
Just as how parts that are not in the same key and scale sound bad when used together, parts that are not in the same groove will also sound bad when used together.
And even if you try to separate those parts from each other , so they appear at different sections of the track, because they are not related the track will not 'flow' , sound disconnected and risk confusing the audience.
You don't need 'lots' though, keep it simple until you get the hang of it. look at a track like "Odd Mob - Left to right", or "Ewan McVicar - Tell Me Something Good", very very few parts but those tracks are masterfully crafted in arrangement and work incredibly in the club.
@@Bthelick Thank you so much for your detailed answer. I'm not so great with the creativity, so was trying to come up with a dumb method until sounding ok. I got the idea from playing with something online called the WD1 DJ trainer.
It’s like every week you gain 1000 new subscribers. 👏🏻
Rightfully so
What program is that? I kinda like it! Great video!
The Daw? It's Ableton Live.
Great, but a qq . How do you mix your levels (track faders) when you automate volume? Is there a way to do so? I use Utilities only for track volume automation so i can use the faders later, but i'd love to see if theres a way to move all your automated volume fader too
Yeah I use utilities too. Sometimes I do automate the fader sometimes I automate the utility it doesn't really matter to me.
Or I throw stuff in groups.
Really nice thank you for the video. Do you have a video where you highlight how you create your custom reverb / delays presets with some explanations of the choices?
Yeah a few people have asked we should do that.
Why you don’t mind the master channel going red while you doing those things? Wouldn’t make sense to have a simple built in limiter in there just in case?
It's managed so It's only transients,
Limiting removes the transients, and therefore groove, I just hate the sound of them. I don't recommend it for most people it's just the way I work from decades of experience
I just found this channel! You explain things so well! Thank you :)
Any chance you could make something on how to "Organic House"?😅
Yeah organic house is planned. Not an easy one though, I basically got to figure out how to teach real instruments like guitar, marimba etc without actually playing them haha
Can't get enough of your videos! Do you plan on making your secret racks available somehow?
Secret?! Haha
Yeah some will be, working on it. The problem is i built many around 3rd party plugins, and I can't legally re-distribute those.
I would love to see these as well. Willing to trade. I have like 11 years worth lol. Both Third party and not.
Love it! Reminds me of Einmusik
Nice ❤
Great video! I've learned a lot from your videos! Can you tell me why it's called 31/16 loop? Because I look like 33/16! Is it the same? 2:08
You're right it was a mistake sorry 🤣
Awesome! Why do you prefere to drop the reverbs inside the channel instead of doing on a bus?
Because Ableton allows me to drag in sounds from other sessions, so when I do, all the effects and automation of them come with it.
If I used sends that would be lost.
These reverbs /delays I use still behave like sends however because I have created racks that 'send' into the insert on a parallel path.
Of course there is more CPU overhead but not like today's machines can't handle it.
@@Bthelick thank you! Do you sell this racks somehow? And do you make some kind of mentoring? Im really into your lessons, you’re great!
@@ALBUQUERQUEMusic these vids ARE the mentoring! 😁
Seriously though the music and videos take all my time right now so I can't unfortunately.
Just keep leaving questions in the comments, I guarantee you won't be alone on most issues, then we can make a video everyone can benefit from 👊.
I'm working on uploading the racks, many unfortunately are built around 3rd party plugins so I can't redistribute those.
But the ones built from Ableton stock plugins will be available soon.
@@Bthelick 🙏👊🎼
Your tutorials are so good! I'd think about paying a designer to whip up some modern and eye catching thumbnails that help represent the quality of your videos!
I'm a graphic designer by trade.
@@MrJmhess77 I am too haha. I just know how good his tutorials are and I'd love him to reach a wider audience.
I'm not chasing numbers but it would be nice not to suck at them haha. It's mostly a time consideration honestly. I would like to pick the brains of a thumbnail expert on what a good thumbnail design should look like without a face on it because I have done some minimal research but none apply to this kind of channel.
Dan Woralls aren't great either in honesty and he's doing fine haha.
@@Bthelick haha totally fair. honestly, keep making banger videos and the people will come.
@@rowanhamilton8988 I agree. I found him about 3 weeks ago and can’t begin to explain how much I’ve learned already.
very nice
Great content! How does one get that light purple Ableton skin?
It's in the description 👊
@@Bthelick thank you!
Would you mind sharing the link to the video where you built the original loop please?
Sure ,
th-cam.com/video/Sddo4J9UXY0/w-d-xo.html
Listening to this on my mobile, your kick and your bass really punches through on the speaker, obviously it's not a great speaker.....but my question, have you done any kind of processing on your kick and bass previously so that they punch through with such clarity..??
how is my bass so punchy on a phone speaker?
@@Bthelick I didn't mean the bass was punchy, I think I was just meaning that the kick and the bass are so clear in the mix, the clarity of them is fantastic on such a small speaker.....I'm still very knew at all of this and my kick and bass just doesn't seem to cut through as good on a small speaker.
@@rikgreen520 no problem. well it's the same explanation. It's all in the sound selection. You just need more time and more ear training don't worry you'll get there with time. 👊
Love your work. I must add that your voice is virtually identical to the guy who does the 'Retro Tech Repair' videos.
Tech moan?
@@Bthelick This guy; th-cam.com/video/MUGiFQZuLjg/w-d-xo.html
haha yeah I can hear it, he's definitely from the middle to north of england not south.
The Techmoan guy always reminds me of a Northern version of James May, particularly the series 'The Reassembler", in which May tinkered about in his shed rebuilding things like lawnmowers and record players. There's something quite cathartic about watching people tinker about with things until they are finished.
please make any of these genres into stylized track breakdowns
glitch hop - Artists like Opiuo, K+Lab {Soul City Remix}
Psytrance - Infected Musroom or any psytrance tips
Dubstep
Artists - Rusko {Woo Boost}
Ganja White Night Truth {Dark Light}
Breaks/DnB
The Prodigy
Pendulum
The Crystal Method
How did you drag a non midi sample in and be able to change the key in the midi area?
How can you get a non midi samples into midi area without converting it to midi, harmony, melody, or drums?
Let's just clear up some terms in case that is part of the confusion.
There is no such thing as a "midi sample" as midi cannot contain any audio.
Midi is data only.
The sample when dragged to a blank midi track in Ableton tells Ableton to create an instrument track ,with that sample being loaded into a sampler instrument so it can be triggered via midi.
If your midi track already has an instrument on it , that is Ableton attempts to convert the music info from the audio to the midi.
@Bthelick Your right, I should've said midi file not sample
But I'm still lost because when I attempt to do it I get a pop up asking me if I want to convert the sample to Harmony, Melody, or Drums
Other times when I drag it into a open midi slot it will just automatically change it to an audio slot
Maybe I have some settings wrong?
@@artfulmindmusic if its asking to convert then your midi track must already have an instrument on it.
If it changes a midi track to audio its because you dragged the audio sample onto the track , not the bottom effects section.
The high synth is not 31 sixteen notes - its 33, otherwise it would'nt be possible to do the triplet thing you do with it :)
Sounds freaking rad though
Oh yeah whoops 🤣.
I think I saw 2 bars + 1 and thought it must end in 1 haha.
do you ever use Drum Rack and keep some drum tracks there or separate each drum channel/component every time? Thanks
I personally don't much. It's totally possible to work like that but I prefer to be able to see the arrangement of my drums at a glance.
I might need to automate something whenever the kick is in so it's easier just to glance at that track as I draw. If you make everything in the one rack the arrangement gets buried in the one midi track.
Also I mostly use audio top loops for non-kick /clap sounds so those are better on tracks than triggered. It's all about speed overall. I try to finish at least a couple of tracks per day.
@@Bthelick Yes I figured. Makes sense. I guess I'm used to work with the basic Ableton version so you cant have more than 16 channels so it came natural to "cram" drums in one track to free the others 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to reply
@@lennyblandino ah I see yeah makes sense. You still get access to all the separate outputs for mixing purposes so you don't lose out in any functionality don't worry you're good to go!
@@Bthelick Yep thanks!
You should do something similar but with an uplifiting trance melody!
Oh yeah we're getting to trance don't you worry! 👊😉
Since a little kid I've always wanted to do this but always got so overwhelmed with my cracked version of FL Studio, think I might try it again what is this software you're using?
This is ableton live
Where can we get the delay and reverb devices you have in the video? Also, would they work with Live intro ?
I'm working on something. Most of the racks are just a volume knob into a 3rd party plugin like tal reverb for example. But I can't redistribute plugins that aren't my own.
Ableton mastercraft!
As an aside, I am not familiar with Ableton. I am the FL Studio 😉
Well this slaps