Arts & Entertainment, Music, Science & Tech

In the Studio, Part 4: Adding Groove and Bass

Lesson time 08:55 min

Now that Armin and Benno have some melodies they like, it’s time to build out the low end of the track. Watch how the techniques Armin’s showed you for creating grooves come together in the context of a new track.

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Topics include: Importing Groove Elements • Adding Bass

Armin van Buuren

Teaches Dance Music

Learn how to make dance music from the platinum-selling producer voted No. 1 DJ in the world five times by DJ Magazine.

Preview

- So just to be clear, we were working in two separate Logic projects. was working on his laptop creating some grooves and throwing some elements together. I was working on the main DAWs set-up right over here. What he's doing now, he's importing all the media information and the instruments into my project. The one that's running on the DAW, but just to see if we throw those elements together, see if they make sense. - Right, so now it sounds like a big mess. What are we going to do? - Um-- - What would your suggestion be? - I would suggest to make more of an energetic baseline and kind of-- If we really want to go down this route-- - Yeah. - Be my guest. - --maybe mute the baseline that you've got going. - Yeah, sure. - It has a different feel to it. - In the mean time, shall I get some risers and stuff? What would you like? - Could do. SPEAKER 1: Do you mind if I change the kick? SPEAKER 2: No, no, no. Not at all. It needs to be changed. Melodies are a bit loud as well. - Yeah, we need to. I need to lower the volume on that one because it's clogging up the mix. Um, so that is-- SPEAKER 2: That sounds more decent. So. I think we need a riff right? - Da luh luh luh. - Yeah. SPEAKER 1: Let's put an LFO tool on the kick. So we-- SPEAKER 2: I could try to see if I could find a sound for it. For, like a big sound for it. Or do you want-- SPEAKER 1: Yeah, absolutely. We could try it both ways. SPEAKER 1 (VOICEOVER): We're looking for a kick drum that fits the rest of my element. And I feel this is a pretty standard trance track with a unique melody. I want to use a kick that really works on the dance floor, has a beautiful bottom end, but isn't fighting with my baseline. [DRUM SOUNDS] - Also, that block sound is a little bit muddy. - Maybe you should start working on a dooga dooga dooga dooga. - Yeah. - On an arpeggiated bassline. - Arpeggiated. Yeah. With perhaps a square-like sound? SPEAKER 1: she had a solid bass-- SPEAKER 2: Square it. SPEAKER 1: --kind of-- SPEAKER 2: Solid. SPEAKER 1: Solid bass. SPEAKER 2: Right? SPEAKER 1: Solid bass-like. Not saying like solid bass. SPEAKER 2: Ish. SPEAKER 1: Or why don't we try the new one, plugin that we just bought? Like this one. See, it's got that solid bass. [BASS SOUNDS] - I kind of like that. [BASS SOUNDS] It has a solid bass feel to it. What I'm going to do now is-- So-- [BASS SOUNDS] SPEAKER 1 (VOICEOVER): I'm trying different rhythms with my bassline in order to give the track a certain groove. A bassline is extremely important, especially in combination with your hi-hats and your kick. That is your groove. SPEAKER 1: I don't know if this is particularly the bassline sound that I'm looking for but-- I'm looking more for do do do do do do do do do do. [BASS SOUND...

About the Instructor

Every week, Armin van Buuren puts 41 million listeners into A State of Trance on his radio show. In his first-ever online class, the platinum-selling DJ breaks down his hits and builds a track from scratch to show you how he produces, performs, and promotes dance music. You’ll learn his technical process for using samples and plug-ins, mixing, recording vocals, and how to DJ a set. Your crowd is waiting.

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Armin van Buuren

Learn how to make dance music from the platinum-selling producer voted No. 1 DJ in the world five times by DJ Magazine.

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