How to spice up your drum patterns in Reason (Propellerhead)

When you're programming your drum tracks you might often find your self using the same old patterns. Every track you write doesn't necessarily have to have the same old 'four-to-the-floor' beat going though the whole song. Why not spice things up with some variations and changes.

Having the same drum loop throughout your track can get boring, not just for you but also the listener. Changing the drums every now and then can give your tracks a little more interest and a new breath of life.

In the video below Mattias from Propellerhead Software takes us through a few tricks that he uses when programming drums. He shows us how to use ghost notes to give a basic pattern a little more interest. Using ghost notes can make your electronic drums sound a bit more human especially when you change them up every two bars or so.

Mattias also shows us how he creates a simple top loop using Reason's Dr. Octorex. using the built in highpass filter he removes all of the unwanted low end elements (primarily the kick and snare) from the percussion loop and places it over his existing drum pattern.

Reason's 'alter notes' feature is also mentioned in the video. Personally this is one of my favourite features in Reason as it can be used to instantly change MIDI data (much like a randomizer function). This is a good way to create some alterations to your beats when you're feeling a bit stuck with the creative process.

The final thing that is mentioned in the video is polyrhythms. Polyrhythms might seem confusing at first but they are a great way of giving your beats a more organic or evolving quality. A polyrhythm (or polymeter in the case of this video) is where you take two parts and play them in different time signatures. for example: if you program your kick in a traditional 4/4 measure but your hi-hats in a 5/4 measure then you can get some quite interesting results. If you're still confused about polyrhythms after watching this video then there are plenty of resources online that go a little more in depth on the subject.

One thing that wasn't mentioned in this video is adding groove to your beats. All DAWs have a groove function where you can add some swing or shuffle to your programmed beats. Giving your beats a bit of swing or shuffle is a great way to get them sounding more human. If you combine the groove feature with ghost notes (mentioned earlier) then it is possible to fool the listener into thinking that they're listening to an actual drummer rather than programmed beats.

Even though the video is created for users of Propellerhead's Reason all of the techniques mentioned can be recreated in any DAW. So next time you're working on a track pay a little more attention to your drums, if they're lifeless and uninspired them maybe try a few of these mentioned tricks. They can change a dull track into something a lot more palatable.

Thinking of mastering your own music?

Mastering is one of those things that can really drive people mad. Everyone wants to know how to get their tracks sounding like the pros, but it's just not that simple. You cant just feed the final mix into a limiter and expect good results. Mastering is an art and it's very difficult to explain it, the process can greatly differ between engineers and genres.

Many experts will tell you that it's wrong to master your own tracks; a fresh set of ears and high end tools are essential to get your track sounding its best. So sending your track to a professional mastering engineer is the way to go.

However, I don't think this is always the case. Sending every track you make to a professional engineer is expensive and counter productive (you want to make a little money from what you've created).  Many of us don't have the money to get everything mastered professionally and we just want a quick fix before sending them out.

If you're sending your tracks to record labels I find that it's best to do a rough final master before you send it out, nothing too complex, just something to give it that shine. A bit of light compression and EQing can make a world of difference. Sending everything through a limiter will also make your track sound louder so that it stands out from other submissions.

If you do choose to do a rough master then you need to be careful. Don't make drastic changes and only apply a small amount of compression and limiting, driving everything on the master bus to the limit can completely destroy your work. Their's tonnes of video tutorials on YouTube that can help you with mastering, so I recommend you familiarise yourself with the process before you attempt it.

If you're not confident enough to master your own stuff then don't. Record labels won't look over you just because it's not been mastered. If your track's good then they'll take it and if they do they'll probably master it for you.

Below I've embedded a video from Future Music, it features mastering engineer Mazen Murad who talks us through the mastering process. This isn't a tutorial though; it's more like an inside look at how the pros do it.

How organised is your studio space?

Music creation should be the sole focus of your studio time but an unorganised approach can be a heavy downfall. Distractions and hindrances are everywhere for the computer musician which means that your studio time can be wasted and your productions will suffer as a result. You might have top end audio gear, and awesome controller and everything that you need to create professional sounding tracks, but if things aren't completely organised then you might not be as productive as you could be.

There are a few things that you should take into consideration when organising your workspace.

How organised is my computer?

Having an unorganised computer can be a nightmare. When your desktop’s cluttered with icons and you have hundreds of unnamed project files it’s more than easy to lose vital data.

Keeping samples, instruments, effects, etc. organised can make your life a lot easier. Knowing where everything is on your computer will increase your productivity and make the process of producing music a lot smoother.

Samples and loops can cause hassle to any computer musician. When you create your own samples it’s easy to give them vague names that you’ll forget and then put them in a random folder on your hard drive. The same goes for purchased sample packs; you've brought it, downloaded it and placed it in a random place within your documents. Weeks (or even months) later you forget where it is and have to download it all over again, causing you to have duplicates on your computer.

Keeping track of everything is important and if you have quite a large sample collection then it’s really easy to let it get out of hand. Having a dedicated folder for these samples and loops is highly recommended. Even if you just take one day off from producing music every now and then and sorting through your system can make a lot of difference. You will find that having an organised computer with everything in one place can make music production more fun.

Is my workspace tidy and clutter free?

The organisation doesn't have to stop with your computer; a clean and tidy workplace will also help. Keeping your desk and surroundings clutter free will keep your mind focused on the music. A messy work area can result in a messy outlook on the projects that you’re working on.

It doesn't take long to have a quick tidy before you start work. It’s not the most glamorous activity but it will help you in the long term and a clean studio with give you a positive approach to any tasks that you are about to undertake.

What am I going to be distracted by?

So far we've talked about keeping things clean and tidy but there are other things that can get in the way of productivity. The Internet is an amazing thing and it has opened up a lot of doors for musicians but it can also take up a lot of your valuable time.

Taking your computer offline during studio sessions can be a real time saver. It’ll take away the temptation to check social networking accounts and stop you from falling into that endless void that we know as YouTube. That time that you spend roaming around the Internet can be put to good use.

 You might justify yourself by saying that the time that you spend on the Internet is used to seek out new sounds or plug-ins that will ultimately benefit your future projects. However, while you’re looking for that new plug-in you could be learning how to use the one’s that you already own. Spending some quality time with the plug-ins that you already have can save you both time and money.

There are other things that are likely to distract you as well. A TV in your studio area can give you that well earned break from working, but it can also draw you away at times when you’re supposed to be knuckling down. The same can be said for books, magazines and pretty much anything else that is likely to draw your attention away from the task at hand. 

Keeping your relaxation space and work space separate can highly benefit your productivity.

Is my studio a comfortable environment?

If you work on music for long periods of time it is essential both to your health and morale that you are working in a comfortable environment. The most overlooked thing in any studio is the furniture. A decent chair and desk can ensure that you’re comfortable when you’re hard at work on that new track. It will keep your mind focused on your art without that worrying numb sensation creeping up your back.

And remember: no matter what you’re doing, if you’re working with computers then it is advised that you take a quick break every now and then to make sure that you’re not doing any long term damage to your body.

When you sit down at your desk in your studio there should be one sole focus and that’s music creation. If you haven’t optimised your work area then you might find that you spend more time tidying, searching and even getting-side tracked by something completely irrelevant. Don’t let these tasks get in the way of what truly matters to you: the music.

Kick drum compression in Reason (Lucky Date)

Drum processing is always a hot topic when it comes to electronic music. everyone wants to know the secrete to huge sounding punchy drums. Getting your kick to stand out in the mix without dominating everything else is a task that most of us face in pretty much all of our productions.

In the Video below Lucky Date shows us how he processes his kicks. It's a fairly basic method using just the Mclass compressor and EQ that come with Reason. This is a fairly minimalistic approach but it does show how easy this can be, all that you need is a basic knowledge of compression and you can get the job done with little to no effort.

However, like most things in the world of music production this is a matter of taste, things can vary depending on the style of music that you're working on and the kick that you're using. I find that it's best to experiment a little bit before deciding what works best for you. The technique that Lucky Date uses in this video is ideal as a starting point but don't expect it to work flawlessly for all of your productions.

Vocal Processing tips with Morgan Page and Waves

Waves plugins are pretty much studio standard for many pros in the industry. Fair enough, they're a little on the expansive side but I suppose you get what you pay for, and with Waves what you're getting is quality. If you're looking to splash out and spend a little money on your studio, then it might be wise to invest in a few decent post production plugins such as the ones offered by Waves. Post production isn't the most glamours processes when it comes to music, but it is an important one and it will help your tracks to shine.

Below you will find a video from Waves' YouTube page that shows house legend Morgan Page discussing a few tips on how he processes his vocals using Waves Plugins.

When working with vocals you have to be careful and really use your ears, as different vocal styles leave you with different results. What's worked for you on past productions won't nessicerrily work for you every time.

Even if you're just working with sampled vocals, you have to have at least a little knowledge of mixing to get it to sit right with the rest of your mix. Just putting a compressor on your vocal isn't enough, you have to have to really work with the track to get it to sit nicely. This might sound a little confusing at first, but like with everything else, practise makes perfect. A little trial and error never hurt anyone, and remember to use your ears not your eyes.

Using shortcuts to increase productivity in the studio

Keyboard shortcuts can help you to increase your work flow and generally make your experience inside software a hell of a lot easier. Music software is no different, there are a lot of tasks and window switching that goes on in professional DAWs and sometimes knowing the basics will hep you navigate your projects with ease.

Beware though, keyboard short cuts aren't universal and will differ between different kinds of software so if you use a combination of DAWs when you produce, then you might have a hard time remembering what's what for each DAW. A good tip is to keep a print off or a note book containing the shortcuts near to your workstation.

There are also Keyboard overlays for your computer keyboard that display the shortcuts on the keys themselves. If you're a power-user then it's probably worth having a look at these; they're available for pretty much any DAW that you can think of. With a quick Google search you should be able to find the overlays that you're looking for.

Here, we have a video that was uploaded by Reason Explained that demonstrates some of the most common keyboard shortcuts in Propellerhead's Reason. Of course, these aren't all of the shortcuts that are available in Reason, but they should get you started. If you want to have a look at all of the shortcuts then there is a PDF file on the Propellerhead site that documents all of the shortcuts in detail.