Dubstep sounds like it was made in other galaxies by robots consuming too many energy drinks. In a good way. But seriously, where does it come from? How can ordinary human beings make this kind of music? By learning about the equipment, software and structure of dubstep songs, you can start creating your own music with the coolest wobbly bass on this side of the Milky Way. Read step 1 for more instructions.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Get the Equipment
Step 1. Get a laptop with a fast processor and plenty of memory
Many dubstep and dance producers use separate computers dedicated to creating music, in addition to a personal computer that they might have for other things. You don't have to go that far or need any particular brand or style of computer. Producers use PC and Mac computers, laptops and desktops, cheap and expensive computers.
- If you want one Mac, make sure you have:
- 1.8 GHz, with an Intel processor
- 2 to 4 GB of RAM
- OSX 10, 5 or later
- If you want one Pc, make sure you have:
- 2 GHz Pentium or Celeron processor
- 2 to 4 GB of RAM
- Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7
- A sound card with support for ASIO drivers
Step 2. Get some kind of music production software
This is what you will use to prepare some individual tracks, load samples, sequence beats, mix and record all the other components of your dubstep songs. As with hardware, dubstep producers will have a variety of different settings and opinions when it comes to software, but the bottom line is that you can create dubstep music on any computer using any production software. This software can be free (like GarageBand) or cost up to several hundred dollars (Ableton Live). Remember: you are only limited by your creativity. Get something you can afford that will help you get a foot in the door. Popular recording software packages are:
- Fruity Loops
- Renoise
- Ableton Live
- Cakewalk Sonar
- GarageBand
Step 3. Consider adding more hardware to your setup
All you really need is the software to begin with, but as you start creating beats, you can really complete your dubstep sound by adding some basic hardware elements to your setup.
- Having a basic USB mic on hand to record vocals or raps is a good idea and a good way to create new sounds to use. If you are interested in incorporating original songs you have found or acoustic elements and manipulating them into your dubstep music, a good quality microphone is a good idea.
- It won't take you long to experiment with the GarageBand on-screen keyboard to get ready to use a true MIDI keyboard. The Axiom 25 is a popular model that allows you to balance timing and is connected directly to the Ableton system. It's a great addition to any dubstep setup.
Step 4. Consider investing in a custom dubstep sample pack
Producers in the dubstep and dance music community occasionally create their own all-in-one packages to start with, including software and a supply of samples and rhythm loops from which you can build tracks. It can be difficult to start creating music when you're just struggling to figure out how the software works at first, so investing in one of these packages can reduce the learning curve and get you started creating music more quickly.
Most of these packages only cost $ 200- $ 300, making them quite affordable and a good way to determine if dubstep production is right for you and something you'd want to spend more time and money on
Step 5. Get informed and get excited
If you're starting to create dubstep music, do your research. Learn the history and techniques of the genre and immerse yourself in the vibrant culture of dance music. You will need to know more about dubstep than just the name Skrillex and that there is something called "the fall".
- Take a look at the Box of Dub compilation and other mixes with various artists, such as Five Years of Hyperdub, Soundboy Punishments, and other collections of artists who create challenging, high-quality dubstep music. Listen very carefully and try to analyze the sounds. Find out what stands out, what you like about certain songs, and what you don't like about others.
- Listen to Burial, Scuba and Scream.
Part 2 of 3: Learning about the software
Step 1. Experiment
At first, worry less about finally recording your dubstep piece, the one you've had in your head for years. Instead, focus your efforts on experimenting with the software and familiarizing yourself with its peculiarities. Create prank tracks, record extreme or weird sounds that you normally wouldn't want to hear. The time you spend learning about the software will help you later when you want to stream something you hear in your head to the computer. Software is an instrument, so learn to play it.
Whichever software package you choose to download and install, take a tour of the software or check out how-to videos on YouTube to learn all you can about it. Reach out to experienced dubstep producers who are willing to show you how it all works and teach you about the software and how to use it
Step 2. Build a sample library
Samples can be found with a quick internet search, in your own recording sessions, or you can spend money and invest in a few sample libraries to get a host of high-quality sounds to experiment with. Organize them into categories that you can remember and start creating music with song snippets that grab your attention.
- Consider getting an external hard drive to keep your samples on. Organize them into practical categories such as "acoustic drums," "spoken songs," and "synth sounds," or by textural descriptions to make it more interesting. Maybe give your categories names like "spatial" or "knotty" to start combining interesting textures with your samples when creating music.
- Go back to the old way and start rummaging through drawers for used vinyl and converting your analog samples to digital. Find old songs you've always liked and get a taste of the hook.
Step 3. Practice developing drum beats
Typically, you will set the tempo when you start a new track, and the software will manipulate any preset rhythms or other effects to match the intended tempo of the song you are working on. However, if you are working with your own samples, this will not work, so it is helpful to become familiar with how creating beats works.
- Rhythm tracks are made by arranging some combination of kick, snare, and hi-hat cymbal sounds into a base rhythm from which you will build the track. Choose a kick drum sample and elevate the bass and punch, or layer 3 different kick drum samples for that distinctive kick drum sound in dubstep.
- The tempos in dubstep are generally around 140 bpm. You don't have to stick to this, but dubstep songs are typically no less than 120 or 130 bpm.
Step 4. Practice wobbly bass
One of the most distinctive elements of dubstep music is the iconic wobbly bass tone, which is typically recorded using a MIDI keyboard or synthesizer and composing a simple bass line yourself. You can find many free synthesizers online, or you can invest in a professional synthesizer package, such as Massive from Native Instrument or Albino 3 from Rob Papen.
Wobbly basses typically require a bit of synth modification and understanding to achieve, but most synths come with ready-made "patches" that you can take a look at and choose from
Step 5. Start by adding effects and layers
When you get more experience, start recording each wobbly bass on a double track and add other delays, distortions and effects to create a tapestry made of a collage that is a piece of electronic music.
- Record double-track wobbly basses at the top end and clean subs at the bottom. When you start to distort and run the upper end through a number of effects to get it a bit dirty, this will also mess up the lower end if it is not separated.
- Take the bass head, copy the whole track onto it with the synth, and then on the copy, use an oscillator and change it to a sine wave. Then apply a high pass filter to the high end using an EQ (at around 70 Hz) and a low pass filter to the sub (at around 78 Hz).
- Get some variations on your bass sounds by bouncing the samples against the audio, tweaking the synth a bit, and bouncing them back. Do this a few times and you've got a library of wobbly basses that all follow the same bass line. You can expand this idea even further by running them all through different effect chains.
Part 3 of 3: Create a song
Step 1. Build it from scratch
It starts with the rhythm. Many dubstep tracks start with a very subtle beat, incorporating a few simple drum sounds and gradually and continuously developing them until the beat drops. After the pause the lead melody, bass line, and rhythm come in.
- Choose a snare sample or layer 3 for a big, deep sound. Also look for any other percussion sounds that you would like to have in the rhythm.
- The typical kick drums, snares, cymbals, toms, and cowbells will suffice, or you can create a completely unique rhythm by choosing less obvious samples. Try a gunshot, a stadium stomp, a clap, or a car sound. The percussion of dubstep has a lot of presence, so feel free to experiment with the reverb and effects in the samples. Now program that rhythm!
Step 2. Create a memorable melody
You can most likely use the same synthesizer to create the sound of the melody or sample. Either take a look at ready-made patches or start tweaking to get the sound you're thinking of.
- Hum it before you start recording. Find out the notes using your piano, keyboard, guitar, or any other instrument you'd like to compose music on, and record the idea.
- While dubstep doesn't layer sounds to the same extent as some other genres, it can be a good idea to add additional layers over your melody. Even if they closely mimic other patterns, you can add layers as you get closer to the fall, creating excitement.
Step 3. Break it down
A must in any attempt to create a classic dubstep track is what is affectionately known as "the fall." At the climax, decompose the song until you are left with just the beat, some modified wobbly bass, and the effects. Go crazy. This is basically a machine-like digital guitar solo that makes people on the dance floor go berserk.
Gradually work your way up to the drop and fool people by placing the drop in an unexpected place or adding an extra beat here or an extra wobbly bass there. One of the great things about dubstep is keeping the beat a bit loose and unexpected. It stays on the beat, but never falls into the same spot every time, which keeps it exciting and constantly evolving
Step 4. Be creative
Recreate what you hear in your head. Sometimes what you stumble upon trying to recreate what you hear in your head can be even better, so feel free to stick with that if it sounds good, even if it wasn't your original idea. If the idea was that good, it will occur to you again.
Step 5. Maximize it
Have a pro to mix the track (well worth the investment) or take the quick and easy route: add a maximizer to compress and lift all levels. You will achieve a more appropriate volume for the radio.
Advice
- Don't be afraid of failing. Dubstep is still pretty undefined and unexplored. Many dubstep tracks experiment on the periphery of the electronic realm. Many dubstep fans simply want to dance, hear a memorable tune, and get a healthy dose of something new. Brand new digital sound.
- Something fun you can do is find a quote from a movie to introduce before the bass drop.
- Be modest with the bass levels. Deep bass lines can drown out the melody and muddy the track if you're not careful. Simplify it if you can. If you're not going to play the track in nightclubs, you'll give it to your friends to listen to on their iPods through headphones with very low bass response rates. (If you mix it correctly, you can use additional programs that maximize the harmony of the bass so that it appears loud and deep in systems that cannot produce those notes. Search "MaxxBass waves" in Google).
- Post it on YouTube. There are many people who are looking for the next great dubstep track. Label it "dubstep" and whatever artist it looks like. You will get visits and more feedback.
- Learn how to mix. A professional mixing engineer is basically going to use hardware versions of all the tools that you have at your own disposal. Knowledge is on the Internet; you just have to find it and practice it. Most dubstep artists mix on the fly, at least part of it. For example, most equalize the drums and bass so that they both fit together. There is nothing worse than spending a week on a song, waiting at the end to mix it up, and finding that all the wobbly basses are in the same frequency range as the kick drum. And, if you learn to mix yourself, you will have a lot more options when it comes to creating unique sounds. Plus, you won't have to pay someone else to do it, which means you can put that money back into the studio.
- Show it to a friend and be open to trying the ideas he suggests, especially the minor ones.
- Compare your work with other clues. Play your track after listening to a dubstep track and compare the structure (order), mix, volume, and most importantly, ambience. You want hipsters to gather in crowded crowds and sweat in syncopated rhythm to the sound of digitized machinery and sonic booms. Create THAT environment.
- The part you create next will differ from track to track depending on your inspiration, but it's always a good idea to hum either a bass line or a melody to begin with.