Chopping Science episode 2 [VIDEO]
I'm slamming you with Chopping Science episode 2 to get you into the mood to work on some drums!
(no sharing the link!)
Who's gonna work on some drums this weekend? Well, I know I am?
Anyways, here I continue from where I finished in Episode 1.
I'm making the drumloop more aggressive and talk about how to do it, while showing you, of course.
Talking about the importance of different drumhits in a drum pattern and how they accentuate the energy.
Let's take a mellow drum pattern and make it much more energetic!
Way more will come – feel free to slap me with Qs again!
PS: What's next? Weeell, Metalheadz and Dispatch tunage drops soon, so expect some DAW song walkthrus for example ;--)
Comments (18)
Really nice video just watching you substantiate your various decisions in programming the break. As a side note, I’d be interested to know about how you organise your Ableton library. Perhaps a future video, if it’s not too dull a subject? I just saw your Collections categories at the end of the video, and it’s pretty different to how I do mine - but at the same time, I am not totally loving the new changes to the Live 12 browser, and also find how those changes have translated to the Push, especially, has not really been super intuitive. Since dabbling in a small amount of hardware (Digitakt and a Nord Lead), I’m always trying to set up my Ableton templates and Macros in such a way that attempts to bring that immediacy of having the most important parameters immediately on hand, as per hardware with minimal menu diving. Maybe trying to reduce the complexity and broad functionality of a DAW in such a way is an impossible task, but I do miss the immediacy of working on hardware when working in Ableton.
My sample library isnt much to write home about: it'd look real messy to someone else looking at it, haha...but it works for me as i kind of remember where everything is. I kind of have folders for breaks, one shot drums, bass, vocals, and everything else, and i have those for bass music and hip hop (and hip hop has more subfolders: sax, guitar etc). It's a slightly unorganized mess, but I like it. Also I often use Sononym for sample search/preview/similarity these days, and also use the automatic tags that Ableton browser has.
So when using an acoustic drum break you still change around the velocities? That's interesting, that's what I need to do. I figured an acoustic drum break had the dynamics already, so I never thought to change around the velocities. Good stuff brother, keep it coming.
Yeah being dynamic adds to the human feel. With multisampled kits like Addictive Drums 2, it’s great as the tone changes with the velocity.
This series is exactly the type of breaks education I’ve been looking for. When you get to processing will also cover things like building effected hits? I.e. reverse hits, creative time stretching, filters etc.
Hmm, good ideas for sure…I'll think of that!
Brilliant stuff you are sharing as alwalys! Cannot wait for Northern Exposure to hit! :)
Glad you dig! Yes that EP drops soon (will cover some of the songs for sure)
This series is really helping me to get deeper into how to make good drums. Nice one!
Super happy to hear that :)
Hey Janne, thanks again for a useful and inspiring video! These techniques and ideas apply even for a non-Ableton user like myself. I use Groove Agent in Cubase for all my sample-based stuff, drums and melodic tracks. You mentioned possibly discussing workflows with some other samplers as well in future videos - is GA one with which you are familiar with?
Hey man! Never used GA but I’ve heard some ppl recommend it. I bet it’s nice!
That's what I've found. Bought the MPC as I wanted a way to get away from a computer screen in the evening but it doesn't seem suited to what I want to make. Might meet in the middle and sell it for a Push2.
(NB Janne, feel free to take down if not cricket) If you want to have a go have a look at tube digga channel on YT some drum and bass related mpc vids and such
Great video as always! Would/do you ever use an MPC to chop and program breaks for jungle/d&b? I'm trying with an MPC One, but finding it slower than in Ableton and not getting great results.
I don't really do DNB with the MPC. I fully could, but the reason why I don't is almost demonstrated by this video: I make long patterns and a lot of moving 16th notes around. While, as you know, it's 100% possible with the MPC, it's much slower. So with the MPC I mostly do hip hop, house, and the slower stuff.
Was about to send a message asking when this was coming up. Will give this a watch later! Keep up the great work Fanu
Ez Charlie! Hope you dig it. Have a great weekend!