Creating a trance/electro synth using Reason 4 (Lucky Date)

Watching how the pros work can really spark some inspiration in your own tracks. Lucky Date is one of those producers that prefers to let his fans in on how he creates his sounds, so watching though the tutorials on his YouTube page can be really useful for the novice producer.

I've said it before but I'd like to say it again; learning a bit about sound design and how to create your own sounds is vital to electronic music. It's not really enough to rely solely on presets and sound banks, sure they are good for the odd sound here and there but if you learn to create your own sounds then your tracks will benefit from it. Not only that, but you will quickly learn to replicate sounds from your favourite tracks.

The video that I've embedded below is one of his older tutorials (over two years old at the time of posting this article) but the sound that he's focusing on is still relevant in today's popular music.
Trance and electro synths are still really big in both chart music and the underground scene. In the video Lucky Date shows us how to go about replicating this synth sound using Propellerhead's Reason 4.

Creating an 808 style cowbell with Dune CM (Computer Music)

I've posted on here before about drum synthesis when we looked at the Dubspot tutorial about creating a TR-808 style kick drum with NI Massive. This time I'm going to share a video from Computer Music with you. In the video (below) you will be shown how to create a synthesised cowbell sound (again, similar to the one from the TR-808) using the Synapse Dune CM synthesiser.

Dune CM is a great synth that is available on the free DVD that comes with Computer Music magazine. It might not be considered to be a beginners synth but it's definitely worth checking out. Along with Dune CM, you will find a treasure trove of freebies on the Computer Music DVD, including other synths, effects and software. The magazine itself is also packed with valuable information about music production, so it's a must read for beginners and experts alike.

Although the tutorial below is much easier to follow than the DubSpot one, it still gives you valuable insight into drum and percussion synthesis. Creating your own drums can be fun and it will also give you a set of sounds completely unique to you, meaning that it will give your tracks that extra personal feel.

If you do go about creating your own drum sounds, then I recommend that you sample them. By doing this, you will build up your very own sample library that's full of original drum sounds. this way, you can call upon them in future projects. Sure, there are plenty of drum samples readily available on the Internet but nothing can compare to making your own.

Using Massive to Create Sub-Heavy Kick Drums (Dubspot)

This tutorial from DubSpot might be geared a little more at the advanced user. It goes into detail about how you can use Native Instruments' Massive to create a classic 808 type kickdrum sound with lots of sub. To follow this tutorial you might need to put on some headphones as it works primarily in the low end of things and you might find it difficult to hear if you don't have high end studio monitors.

Drum synthesis is a very important skill to have when it comes to electronic music production. If you can learn how to create drums and percussion using synthesis then it can save you a lot of hassle when you're looking for that certain sound.

The guys over at DubSpot know their stuff when it comes to electronic music production and you can pick up quite a lot of valuable knowledge from their free online tutorials. It's also worthwhile looking at their online courses; if you're looking to learn about music production then maybe their courses are something that you could benefit from.

Malström Micro Tutorial (Propellerhead)

Malström is probably one of the most underrated and unusual devices in the Reason rack. Propellerhead introduced it to the rack back in version 2.0 and since then it's been a staple in many producers sound design arsenals.

The Malström synthesiser uses graintable synthesis (Similar to granular synthesis) to create its sounds. The use of graintable synthesis allows Malström to create some very complex and interesting sounds. At first, Malström might seem a bit intimidating (especially if you're new to synthesis and sound design) but once you dive in, it's actually very easy to use.

Propellerhead have uploaded a brand new micro tutorial to their YouTube page that takes a look at some of Malström's features.


Propellerhead have many useful music production and sound design videos on their YouTube page. Why not check out the 52 Reason/Record tips presented by James Bernard.

Subtractor micro tutorial (Propellerhead)

Back when Reason was first introduced back in December 2000 there were only a few virtual devices in the rack. Subtractor was one of those devices, and it's still contained in today's 6.5 version of the software (over ten years later). Even with it's age, it's still a very useful and a very versatile instrument. I still use it in nearly all of my productions along with some of the more powerful RE synthesisers such as the Korg Polysix and Rob Papen's Predator.

Even with the choices that the Rack Extension format has given Reason users, it just shows that the included stock devices can still hold their own. You don't have to spend a lot of money to get a great sounding synthesiser in your Reason rack. The ones that come bundled with the software are more than capable of getting nearly any sound that you're after. Sitting down and getting to know the instruments that you already have can save you a hell of a lot of money.

Propellerhead have uploaded a new micro tutorial to their YouTube page that shows of some of the features of the Subtractor synthesiser. Check it out below.