Click here to view the embedded video.

In the lower left corner of Live’s interface you can enable the Info View which will display information about whatever your mouse is hovering over at the time.  This is very helpful when you are approaching a new instrument or effect for the first time.  But wait there’s more…

What I didn’t know was that you can actually write your own notes in the Info View. You can right-click on a clip or track and select Edit Info Text from the contextual menu, which allows you to type your own notes that will be displayed in the Info View whenever someone hovers their mouse over that particular clip or track. This can be very useful if you are sharing your Live sets with other people. For example, let’s say you need someone else to mix a song for you; you can write little notes about the tracks or individual clips and all of that info will be saved with your set and displayed in the Info View for your mixing engineer’s reading pleasure (but of course that’s just one application).  Yet another feature that is conveniently hidden… haha! – Thavius Beck

Our music production program is custom-tailored to fit your musical style. You can choose from several Digital Audio Workstations including Ableton Live, Logic Pro, or Propellerhead’s Reason.

After completing this program, you will leave with 4 completed tracks (EP), a remix entered in an active contest, a scored commercial to widen your scope, and the Dubspot Producer’s Certificate in Ableton Live.

What’s Included:

• Ableton Live Level 1: Shake Hands with Live
• Ableton Live Level 2: Completing Your First Track
• Ableton Live Level 3: Production Essentials
• Ableton Live Level 4: Sound Design & Instrumentation
• Ableton Live Level 5: Advanced Composition & Production
• Ableton Live Level 6: Taking Your EP Global

“So far the experience through Dubspot is incredible, and I can’t wait to go through the next levels. It’s just getting better each week, and I can not wait to start putting an EP together, not just being able to put a successful track together!” - Dan Carter, United Kingdom

Start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

Or if you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Processing Live Vocals With Ableton Live: This video is really aimed at folks who want to take advantage of Ableton Live’s powerful effects and use them for live vocal performance, whether you’re a singer for a band or a DJ who wants to process some vocals during a set. This is also for producers who what to know how to route vocals into Live and work with the vocoder effect.

A Little Background: I’ve always been a bass player and have spent countless hours obsessing about my sound. In order to get the sound I wanted, I learned to process my bass through effect pedals. As a producer, I spend a lot of time processing vocals and tweaking the sound. The first shows I did with Comandante Zero, were typical of New York City clubs: the sound engineer sticks a Shure SM-58 in front of your face and the sound of your voice is at the mercy of the guy behind the board. I quickly realized that, if I had full control over my bass sound, why not my vocal sound? At first I bought vocal effects pedals. There are some great pedals out there, however, since we were using Ableton Live to run our set anyway and I use it to effect vocals when I produce, I decided about 2 years ago to figure out a way to route the vocals through Ableton Live in order to streamline my equipment, and also replicate on stage the sounds I was getting in the studio.

Pros And Cons Of Processing Vocals With A Laptop:

The Pros: There are really powerful advantages to processing your vocals through a laptop running Ableton Live. Firstly, you have far greater control over the sound than most pedals. Secondly, if you are playing tracks though a laptop as well, it is really simple to synch the effects to your global tempo, especially delays. Thirdly, you can create vocal arrangements using tools like vocoder or looper that would be perfectly synched to your master tempo.

The Cons: Firstly: You really have to understand the signal path and get it right. In figuring this stuff out, I’ve definitely had some unhappy encounters with feedback etc. The signal path below definitely comes from trial and serious error. Secondly, you may run into latency issues, however, if you keep your buffer low (as I’ll explain below) and avoid external plug-ins that my use too much CPU or destabilize Live you should be OK. Thirdly, there is always the slight danger that your laptop may fail. I would say, get to know your signal chain and gear inside and out and come up with a back-up plan. Live is very stable and in the hundreds of shows I’ve done with it, it hasn’t failed me yet (knock on wood!) however, I still have a back-up plan in case it does.

My Signal Path for Processing Live (And Studio) Vocals:

My signal path for running vocals through a laptop running Ableton is as follows: Mic –> Pre-Amp –> Compressor –> Soundcard / Laptop –> DI Box –> PA.

Let me just say a little about each one:

Mic: I tend to use an SM-58 dynamic mic for live performance. It’s sturdy, relatively cheap and doesn’t require phantom power and I’ve found that dynamics have fewer feedback issues than condensers which is important when really processing the vocals. (I love condenser mics in the studio though). Plug the mic into a pre-amp, ideally using an XLR cable

Pre-Amp: You want to get something that adds some gain to your vocal signal before it hits the laptop. I’ve found that it always works better to have plenty of gain on vocals going into a laptop rather than use your laptop to add gain. In the studio I use a Great River ME-1NV. For live I use a TC Helicon Correct Pedal which provides a pre-amp and compressor in one pedal.

Compressor: A Compressor in your signal chain will smooth out some of the dynamic peaks of the vocal and also give you an opportunity to add a bit of gain if necessary. Ideally, for vocals going in you want to use a gentle ratio 2:1 with a faster attack and slower release. In the studio, I love the Empirical Labs EL-8 for vocals. For live I simply use the TC Helicon’s built in compressor.

Sound Card: The soundcard is what converts your audio to digital so that your laptop can process it. For live performance I use the MOTU UltraLite-MK3. If you’re going to be doing live vocal performance with a laptop, there are a couple of important things to keep in mind about your soundcard: 1. Make sure it’s Firewire rather than USB. 2. Make sure it has more than two outs. 3. Unless you have some serious cash to spend, or have some techs taking care of your stuff, get something in the 300 – 600 range. For live, unlike the studio, pristine audio is not as crucial and stuff happens on gigs. Check out this blog post I wrote to see more on this topic and some options.

DI Box: Once the the signal is processed by Ableton, it goes back out through the laptop and gets converted to audio once again by the sound card. (In my case the MOTU Ultralite-MK3). I like a DI at the end of my signal chain because the MOTU only has 1/4 inch outputs. My Radial DI Box allows you to plug in an unbalanced 1/4 cable and convert it to a balanced XLR cable. Thus you will send an XLR out to the house which will cut down on the noise of an unbalanced cable.

Setting Up Ableton Live to Process Vocals:

1. Go to Live’s Preferences and select the ‘Audio’ tab. Select your audio input and audio output device there. Also, make sure to set your Buffer Size to either 128 or 256 Samples. You want to keep it low to prevent latency.

2. Create an Audio Track in Session View (Use to Command-T key command) and then hit Option-Command-I to access the track’s In/Out Section. (You can also do this by hitting the I-O button on the lower right hand side of Live’s Session View)

3. Bring the fader all the way down! In the ‘Audio From’ tab, choose ‘Ext In’ and the channel you are sending stuff into your sound card. Set the ‘Monitor’ section to ‘In’ and you’ll see the track activate button turn orange. Then in the ‘Audio To’ tab select Ext Out and select the channel the audio will go out of on your sound card. (You can also send it to the master and set up the master to go Ext Out) For live performance, I generally don’t route through the master because I like each track (Vocals, Drums processing, Click, Tracks) etc. to exit on their own channels of the sound card, but that’s just me.

4. Now slowly bring your fader up slowly and you should see the audio registering in the meter and hear yourself coming from the speakers, headphones. If you hear feedback, immediately kill it by pulling the fader down, de-activating the track or pulling down the volume on your PA.

Building A Vocoder:

The vocoder is a cool and fascinating effect. It was originally developed as a telephone communication technology in the 1920’s and 30’s and during World War II it was used to transmit encrypted messages for high level military communications. This vocoder, known as SIGSALY weighed 50 tons and took up a whole room. If you want to read more about how it works, read here.

To set up a Vocoder within Ableton, we need two tracks: an audio track and a MIDI track. Let’s use the audio track that you set up to get your vocals into Live and create a new MIDI track (Shift-Command-T). Here are the steps to set it up:

1. Go to Live’s Device Browser and find the Vocoder in the Audio Effects folder. Drop it into the Audio Track. The track with your voice is known as the ‘Modulator‘ part of the vocoder. Speak into it. It’s default is set to ‘Noise’ which is probably not the sound you want, but you should see signal going into it.

2. Now we’ll create the ‘Carrier‘ track that will provide the harmonic information. In the MIDI track, place an Analog from Live’s Device Browser. Click on the section that says ‘Amp 1′ and you’ll see it turn white. Inside the black display section of Analog, you’ll see a number under the heading ‘Sustain’. Raise this up from 0 to 1.00. You should see the shape of the envelope change so that it looks almost like a rectangle.

3. If you want to control your vocoder with a keyboard, either arm the MIDI track to record or set the Monitor to ‘In’ (As we did with our original audio track). Don’t do both through. Now when you connect a MIDI keyboard, you should hear the Analog play longer tones with its default sawtooth wave.

4. Really Important – Now deactivate the track by clicking the yellow (or orange) square with the number below the track’s pan knob.

5. Go back to your audio track and go to the Vocoder effect in the track. On the menu on the upper left of the instrument, select ‘External’ and in the menu tab below it, select the track that has the Analog. (Your carrier track)

6. Now hit a chord on your keyboard and speak into your mic and you should have a vocoder. Remember that with a vocoder you need both a Modulator and a Carrier. If you speak into the track without holding down a note from the Analog, you won’t hear anything. If you hit a note on the Analog without saying anything, you won’t hear anything either.

Some Settings On Ableton Live’s Vocoder:

A couple of useful knobs and parameters to tweak to get different colors from the vocoder:

1. Bands: Fewer bands = More Old School. More bands = More intelligible. Try it.

2. Range: I tend to set the lower range of the vocoder to about 200 Hz since I don’t want the lower frequencies interfering with my mix.

3. Precise/Retro: Different Colors – try it.

4. Gate: For live performance, this is very useful. It sets a gate so that below a threshold the vocoder won’t pick up noise. I tend to set mine to -40db.

5. Formant: To the left you get more of a ‘Male’ character. To the right more of a ‘Female’ character. Try it.

6. Dry/Wet: How much vocoder versus how much of your natural voice you want.

Using Live’s Vocoder For Live Performance:

The challenge with a vocoder for live performance, as opposed to using it in the studio, is that to get it to work, you need to play chords on a keyboard as you sing. If you’re not a keyboard player, or don’t want to be burdened with the extra gear, it can be a pain. (This is one reason I don’t use my MicroKorg vocoder, which I really like, for live shows since I’m a bass player and don’t have 3 arms). This is one nice thing about using Ableton to process your vocals, because not only can you create a hands-free vocoder, but you have a lot of power to create cool vocal arrangements with it. This is the technique that I use:

1. I take the song that I want to use the vocoder on and place it in Live’s Session View and Warp it.

2. I copy and and paste the clip (using the Command-C and Command-V key commands) into Live’s Session View, so it’s laid out left to right and I can see the entire track and which bars I’m going to be singing on.

3. In arrangement view I create a MIDI clip (Shift-Command-M) the exact length of the song and program the chords that I want to use at the exact points in the song they will come in. For example, if my chorus starts at bar 16, at bar 16 in the MIDI clip, I’ll pencil in or play a B – Flat chord that lasts, say, two bars.

4. Once you’ve finished programming this MIDI clip, copy it and drop it into the same scene as your backing track. Make sure you place it in the ‘Carrier‘ track with the Analog . When you launch the the scene, the MIDI notes in the carrier with be send to the modulator track as you sing into it. Then you will have a hands-free vocoder.

Our music production program is custom-tailored to fit your musical style. You can choose from several Digital Audio Workstations including Ableton Live, Logic Pro, or Propellerhead’s Reason.

After completing this program, you will leave with 4 completed tracks (EP), a remix entered in an active contest, a scored commercial to widen your scope, and the Dubspot Producer’s Certificate in Ableton Live.

What’s Included:

• Ableton Live Level 1: Shake Hands with Live
• Ableton Live Level 2: Completing Your First Track
• Ableton Live Level 3: Production Essentials
• Ableton Live Level 4: Sound Design & Instrumentation
• Ableton Live Level 5: Advanced Composition & Production
• Ableton Live Level 6: Taking Your EP Global

“So far the experience through Dubspot is incredible, and I can’t wait to go through the next levels. It’s just getting better each week, and I can not wait to start putting an EP together, not just being able to put a successful track together!” - Dan Carter, United Kingdom

Start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

Or if you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

“Ableton Live is one of the most flexible, capable, and robust pieces of software I’ve ever been lucky enough to use on a day to day basis. But even as an Ableton Certified trainer and daily user, there are still a few easter eggs that I stumble upon and think, “Wow, had I known that last year I would have already gone platinum by now!” Haha! Not quite, but I think you get the idea.

Inspired by the tip that you all are about to learn in the following video, my fellow Dubspot colleague Steve Nalepa suggested that a video tutorial series be done about all of the hidden things in Live that can be revealed by a simple Right-click of the mouse. After giving that a bit of thought, I tweaked the initial idea and decided to focus on a handful of things that all users, no matter how novice or advanced, may have never known was possible in our beloved piece of software. Thus the brand new video tutorial series entitled, “Did You Know?” was born! I hope you enjoy and continue to be creative!” – Thavius Beck

Our music production program is custom-tailored to fit your musical style. You can choose from several Digital Audio Workstations including Ableton Live, Logic Pro, or Propellerhead’s Reason.

After completing this program, you will leave with 4 completed tracks (EP), a remix entered in an active contest, a scored commercial to widen your scope, and the Dubspot Producer’s Certificate in Ableton Live.

What’s Included:

• Ableton Live Level 1: Shake Hands with Live
• Ableton Live Level 2: Completing Your First Track
• Ableton Live Level 3: Production Essentials
• Ableton Live Level 4: Sound Design & Instrumentation
• Ableton Live Level 5: Advanced Composition & Production
• Ableton Live Level 6: Taking Your EP Global

“So far the experience through Dubspot is incredible, and I can’t wait to go through the next levels. It’s just getting better each week, and I can not wait to start putting an EP together, not just being able to put a successful track together!” - Dan Carter, United Kingdom

Start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

Or if you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.

Click here to view the embedded video.

In our latest video series Road Test – dedicated to road testing portable electronic music performance and production tools and gear — Dubspot Instructor, DJ and producer Abe Duque takes various music equipment out of the comfort of the studio and puts them to use while on the road as a traveling musician and performer. He documents his findings and details the creative possibilities these tools offer in a live performance setting.

In the first installment of Road Test, Abe brings the Novation TWITCH back into the Dubspot lab after a tour in Germany where he utilized the new DJ controller as his primary DJ equipment. Presented here are the results of his experience with the Twitch – from its light, compact, durable design, tactile and precise knobs, buttons, and faders to the multifunctional touchstrip controls and Fader FX feature. As you can tell by now, the Twitch absolutely passes Abe’s Road Test. Stay tuned for more.

Related Dubspot Courses Starting Online & in New York City:

Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Program starts February 5th Online.

DJ Extensive Program

Immerse yourself in the complete art of DJing from beatmatching to stage presence. Whether you’re a beginner in search of the fundamentals or a seasoned pro looking to take your talent to the next level, our curriculum is designed to accommodate all skill levels and styles of music. This comprehensive DJ program covers everything from basic mixing to advanced digital DJing. Learn more about our DJ courses and programs.

What’s Included:

• DJ Level 1: Rookie Sessions | Essentials I
• DJ Level 2: Phrase Mixing | Essentials II
• DJ Level 3: Beyond The Blend | Intermediate Skills
• DJ Level 4: Preparation | DJ Psychology
• DJ Level 5: Classroom to the Club | Advanced Techniques I
• DJ Level 6: Club to the World | Advanced Techniques II

“I love the class, and the content! Shiftee and Endo are very funny, and very clear, so the material is easy and fun to follow! I wish my college   teachers  were more like these two!” – Leandro Martinez, Chicago IL

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

First, we’ll connect the iPad to the Lemur Daemon using an Ad-Hoc WiFi network. After both the iPad and computer are connected to the same network, the Lemur Daemon is relatively simple to use. The Daemon will translate incoming Lemur messages from your iPad to MIDI that can be used in your DAW.

In Ableton’s MIDI preferences, select the appropriate Daemon Input. Enable MIDI Learn by hitting cmd+M on your keyboard. Now click on a parameter in Live, and move the object on the Lemur you’d like to control it. For faders, this is a relatively straightforward process, but for Lemur’s Multiball object, it can be helpful to move the ball to the bottom left corner so that you can be sure and learn only one axis at a time.

The Effects Rack in this Ableton Live set features Redux, two Auto Filters, Corpus, Chorus, Frequency Shifter, Beat Repeat, and Auto Pan. Additionally, there is a Reverb on Send A, and a Granular Delay on Send B. Many of the effects are set so that when the relevant fader is moved, the effect is engaged. When the fader for any of the effects is set to zero, the effect is bypassed.

Once all of your controls are set up, it’s time to get busy.

- Dubspot Instructor Evan Sutton

Evan Sutton is an electronic music producer, sound designer, and audio engineer. He is an instructor of Electronic Music Production and Sound Design, as well as a Curriculum Designer and Developer of the Sound Design Program at Dubspot. You can hear music, and find more about him at his outfit, Astrolith.net and SoundCloud.com/Astrolith.

Become fluent in the language of sound design with this comprehensive program. This six-level Sound Design program uses Native Instruments’ Komplete as a platform for learning synthesis and sampling techniques. Starting with an introduction to the properties of sound, this comprehensive series of courses covers most common synthesis methods available for music production in the DAW of your choice.

Discovering the right sound is like finding a needle in the digital haystack. Learn the fundamentals to make this easier, and gain the depth of knowledge to make a good sound better. Factory content is great, but everyone has it – your mix needs something special.

What’s Included:

• Sound Design Level 1: Introduction to Komplete 8
  
• Sound Design Level 2: Synthesis with Massive, FM8 and Absynth
• Sound Design Level 3: Sampling with Kontakt and Battery
• Sound Design Level 4: Advanced Sound Design
• Sound Design Level 5: Reaktor Ensembles and Instruments
• Sound Design Level 6: Reaktor Programming

Start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

Or if you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.

Click here to view the embedded video.

In this video tutorial, Ableton Certified Trainer Martin Delaney explains and demonstrates how to sync Liine’s Lemur controller app for iOS with Ableton Live. Martin starts by explaining the basic setup process; from downloading the app from Liine’s site, creating and connecting the software to an ad hoc network to synchronizing the Lemur Editor on your computer with the Lemur app on your iPad and Live’s MIDI preferences. At the end of the tutorial, you should have a strong idea of how to setup the Lemur with Live and have the two programs talking together. If you’re unfamiliar with the Lemur Editor, check out our previous video tutorial in which Evan Sutton explains how to create a Lemur template. Please stay tuned for more.

Our music production program is custom-tailored to fit your musical style. You can choose from several Digital Audio Workstations including Ableton Live, Logic Pro, or Propellerhead’s Reason.

After completing this program, you will leave with 4 completed tracks (EP), a remix entered in an active contest, a scored commercial to widen your scope, and the Dubspot Producer’s Certificate in Ableton Live.

What’s Included:

• Ableton Live Level 1: Shake Hands with Live
• Ableton Live Level 2: Completing Your First Track
• Ableton Live Level 3: Production Essentials
• Ableton Live Level 4: Sound Design & Instrumentation
• Ableton Live Level 5: Advanced Composition & Production
• Ableton Live Level 6: Taking Your EP Global

“So far the experience through Dubspot is incredible, and I can’t wait to go through the next levels. It’s just getting better each week, and I can not wait to start putting an EP together, not just being able to put a successful track together!” - Dan Carter, United Kingdom

Start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

Or if you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Our Example

To start things off, check out this drum beat I wrote for the purpose of this article:

Click image to enlarge Drum Beat Example

This one example includes all eight rhythmic devices that we’ll cover below: the downbeat, the upbeat, the pickup, syncopation, polyrhythm, cross-rhythm, sesquialtera, and linear drumming. The way to get the most out of this article is to read the segments below and then keep referencing this example making sure that your listening is focused on one device at a time.

1) The Downbeat

If you’ve ever taken a DJ class at Dubspot, either online or at our school in NYC, then you’d be familiar with the idea of “finding the 1″. The downbeat is the first beat of a measure, hence “the 1″. Historically the term downbeat refers to the downward motion of the orchestra conductor’s hand on the first beat of every measure, regardless of the time signature. Here’s what you would see if you were sitting in the orchestra:

Notice the highlighted line that shows where the one is. In my example above, all of the downbeats are highlighted in violet – listen again for the downbeats. The downbeat is the strongest and most important beat of the measure so make sure you always know where it is and give the listener a chance to find it / feel it themselves. Check out this video of one of my favorite bassists, Bootsy Collins, explaining the formulaic use of the one (the downbeat) in funk:

Click here to view the embedded video.

If the downbeat occurs when the conductor’s hands go down, then the upbeat occurs when the conductor’s hands go up. The upbeat is the last beat of a measure and is weaker than the downbeat. Notice the arrow from the 4th beat back to the 1st beat of the conductor’s 4/4 beat pattern:

In my example I’ve highlighted all of the upbeats in blue. To hear the upbeat in action, check out Burial’s “Archangel” where the side-stick hit can be heard on the 4th beat of almost every measure (also, try to hear the boomy bass drum on the downbeat immediately following the upbeat):

Click here to view the embedded video.

3) The Pickup (Anacrusis)

The downbeat is the main beat of the measure with the upbeat leading us back to it – this makes sense when we hear it and the order makes for a nice cycle. But what would it sound / feel like if more emphasis was placed on or near the upbeat? Here in the US, it is tradition to sing as a group “Happy Birthday” to someone on their birthday. This song is in 3/4 (three beats per measure, each beat is a quarter-note in length) and begins on something called the pickup, also known as an anacrusis – one or more notes sounding prior to the first downbeat of a musical phrase. The first word “Happy” does not start on the downbeat of the first measure – it actually starts on the upbeat (beat 3 in this case) of the lead-in measure. Then the word “Birthday” lands on the downbeat of the first measure (after all, the birthday is the purpose of the song so it makes sense that the word lands on the strongest beat of the measure). In my example above, I’ve highlighted the pickup in teal, right where the start marker is on the upbeat of the final measure. When you listen to the example again, notice that you don’t hear the kick drum on the downbeat right away – the first thing you hear is the pickup.

Finding a true pickup in today’s music is a little bit difficult since so much emphasis is placed on the downbeat, for example with “the drop”. However, check out Joker’s masterpiece titled “Digidesign” where the melody comes in at the 1:22 mark. Listen for the pickup, not landing directly on the upbeat, but landing precisely in-between the upbeat and the following downbeat (FYI, the bassline lands on the downbeat).

Click here to view the embedded video.

4) Syncopation

Click image to enlarge

Before you read this section, do yourself a favor and go listen to some afro-cuban music. Check out groups like The Buena Vista Social Club and The Afro-Cuban Allstars. This should get your ears in the right place.

In a measure of 4/4 time, there are four powerful beats and one of them, the first one, is the strongest beat. While those beats are cool and important and all, it’s way cooler to bring out the in-betweens – the subdivisions of the beats. Now, imagine a house track. What’s one of the first things you will typically hear? The kick drum on all four beats of the measure and the hi-hat directly between them highlighting the weaker beats. This constant, regular shift of the accent from the stronger beats to the weaker beats is known as syncopation. This house example is probably as simple as it gets. Things really start to get interesting as you subdivide the beat into smaller, odder increments. In my above example, notice that the hi-hat (highlighted in brick-house red) is syncopated the entire time, always accenting weaker beats.

Syncopation is much easier to find in today’s music than the pickup mentioned before. Here’s one of my favorite examples by Mount Kimbie from their track “Mayor”. Listen closely to the vocal part while bobbing your head on the beats. Notice that the voice tends to highlight the weaker beats:

Click here to view the embedded video.

If that went by a little too quickly for you, I found this slower alternate version of the same track:

Click here to view the embedded video.

5) Polyrhythm (Rhythm against Rhythm)

Let me back up for a minute: The main reason that a true pickup was difficult to find in today’s music was because it has been, like other devices, a bit forgotten. This is not because these compositional devices were not cool anymore, but because they required a higher level of concentration and listening skills. I’ve been told by many producers and composers – now get this – that you can’t write what you can’t hear, and I think that’s what happened to these useful devices. One such device that I would like to help bring back is polyrhythm.

Literally “more than one rhythm”, polyrhythm is the term use to define the occurrence of two or more conflicting rhythms sounding simultaneously (rhythm against rhythm). In my example above, the polyrhythmic, conflicting element is highlighted in green. Down in the kick, snare and hi-hat, everything sounds normal. With the addition of the toms, a certain tension is created. Look closely and you’ll see that there are five tom hits in the time of one beat that is essentially subdivided into four 1/16 notes. The ratio heard is 5:4 and that’s where the tension lies. It is important to note that this tension resolves almost immediately after the said measure – more on this in the next section.

As with the pickup, a good polyrhythm is hard to find. What usually happens is the conflicting rhythm is heard while the more constant rhythm is omitted, therefore easing the tension. Well, I say learn to be comfortable with those tension and challenge your listeners a bit. Check out this beautiful example from James Blake titled “I Never Learnt to Share”. The kick drum enters at the 1:51 mark followed by the voice and keyboard. Notice the lavish keyboard fills that purposefully conflict with the rhythm of the kick and the voice. This helps to bring out the emotional, tension filled value of the lyrics:

Click here to view the embedded video.

6) Cross-rhythm (Rhythm against Meter)

Click image to enlarge

Now that you have a working knowledge of polyrhythm, it makes it easier to explain other rhythmic devices. A cross-rhythm is a polyrhythm that occurs in a longer span of time, not only conflicting against another rhythm, but also against the given meter of the music. This device has it’s roots in sub saharan West African music and can be heard in almost every type of electronic dance music genre.

In my example, the cross-rhythm is provided by the 808 side-stick and is highlighted in orange. What do you first notice about the distance between the side-stick hits? Answer: They are all, with the exception of the last two hits, three 1/16 notes apart from each other. It’s almost as if this instrument is not in 4/4 time, but in 3/16 time. This rhythm is not only conflicting against the rhythm heard as a composite of the kick, snare and hi-hat, but also with the larger structural meter of 4/4. This exact same example of 3/16 conflicting with 4/4 can be seen in an earlier post of mine about Parallel Harmony.

Luckily, cross-rhythm has staying power and can be heard everywhere in popular dance music. Here’s a recent example producer-extraordinaire Zomby from his track “Natalia’s Song”. Right off the bat we here the 3/16 vs. 4/4 between the synth and drums:

Click here to view the embedded video.

7) Sesquialtera (3:2)

Don’t be afraid of the word. Sesquialtera is just the fancy term for the occurrence of a triple rhythm and a duple rhythm sounding simultaneously. Again, this is a type of polyrhythm but can exist in a short or long span of time, and it can be seen in my above example highlighted in yellow. In the polyrhythm example, the relationship was 5:4, and here the relationship is 3:2 (when broken down as far as it can go). So there’s nothing really different here, it’s just that the 3:2 rhythmic device was used so much that they gave it a name.

The real-life example I’m going to give you is by Jamie XX and the late Gil Scott Heron titled “NY is Killing Me”. The thing about producers (digital musicians) today is that we are all trying to find our own sound. We listen to what other producers do in their tracks and either copy them verbatim, resulting in a similar sound, i.e genre, or try to do something completely different. Jamie XX is smart and I’ll tell you why: he noticed that other producers haven’t been using the rhythmic devices mentioned above and decided to incorporate them into his own music. If you listen to a bunch of his tracks, then you’ll start to notice a repeated use of 3:2 relationships, cross-rhythms that are centered around a grouping of 3 beats, and 1/8 and 1/16 notes that are so heavily swung that they almost sound like triplet rhythms:

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Here’s another example from Jamie XX where he takes polyrhythm, cross-rhythm, and sesquialtera to the extreme in his remix of Nosaj Thing’s “Fog” (I hope you have some good speakers that can handle the subs):

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8) Linear Drumming

This last device I’ll mention is called Linear Drumming and is very simple, fun, and effective. Popularized in the drum community (seriously, YouTube it), Linear Drumming is where a core unit of sounds refrain from sounding simultaneously. In my example, take a closer look at the kick, snare, and hi-hat (highlighted in red, note that the snare is layered). You’ll notice that none of those hits happen at exactly the same time – the result is the Linear Drumming sound. Keep in mind that these are all shorter sounds which helps achieve the desired effect, but that’s not to suggest that longer sounds can’t be used.

A style of music that has really embraced Linear Drumming is drum n bass. Have a listen to Photek’s classic jam “Ni Ten Ichi Ryu” and pay attention to the kick, snare, and closed hi-hat. If there ever was a way to “get that sound” in drum n bass, then it’s using chopped up samples and utilizing Linear Drumming:

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So, there you go. Hope that was helpful and that it opened up your ears to something new. In my example I used all of these devices in a single four-measure clip. That does not mean that you have to use all of the tricks you have at the same time. Yes, it could sound cool but it could also have the reverse effect and take away from the track as a whole. As always, use and trust your ears and you’ll make the right decisions.

Written by Patrick Cupo, Director of Curriculum Development

Unravel electronic music’s origins, build your chops, learn the language and theory, and make and play music the way you want. Students will develop a deeper understanding of the roots and lineage of a variety of electronic and dance music, strengthen their keyboard skills, and learn valuable music theory skills, deepening their creative practice and facilitating effective collaborations with musical partners.

What’s Included:

• Essential Music Foundations Level 1: Electronic Music Appreciation
• Essential Music Foundations Level 2: Keys & Melodic Theory
• Essential Music Foundations Level 3: Pads & Rhythmic Theory

This course exceeded my expectations. I went through everything I needed to have a solid knowledge of basic music theory.
- Jonathan Crespo, Miami

EMF has been an amazing experience! I didn’t realize I was going to learn so much about electronic music history, something my generation missed.
- Yianno Koumi, United Kingdom

Our music production program is custom-tailored to fit your musical style. You can choose from several Digital Audio Workstations including Ableton Live, Logic Pro, or Propellerhead’s Reason.

After completing this program, you will leave with 4 completed tracks (EP), a remix entered in an active contest, a scored commercial to widen your scope, and the Dubspot Producer’s Certificate in Ableton Live.

What’s Included:

• Ableton Live Level 1: Shake Hands with Live
• Ableton Live Level 2: Completing Your First Track
• Ableton Live Level 3: Production Essentials
• Ableton Live Level 4: Sound Design & Instrumentation
• Ableton Live Level 5: Advanced Composition & Production
• Ableton Live Level 6: Taking Your EP Global

“So far the experience through Dubspot is incredible, and I can’t wait to go through the next levels. It’s just getting better each week, and I can not wait to start putting an EP together, not just being able to put a successful track together!” - Dan Carter, United Kingdom

Start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

Or if you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.

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Professor Nalepa: Vocal Effect Techniques (Radiohead, Nosaj Thing)

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Pat Cupo: Drum Rack + Impulse = DrumPulse

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John Selway: Operator Techno Fundamentals – More Than A Bassline

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Mike Hatsis (!banginclude): Warping Full Tracks (the right way)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Our music production program is custom-tailored to fit your musical style. You can choose from several Digital Audio Workstations including Ableton Live, Logic Pro, or Propellerhead’s Reason.

After completing this program, you will leave with 4 completed tracks (EP), a remix entered in an active contest, a scored commercial to widen your scope, and the Dubspot Producer’s Certificate in Ableton Live.

What’s Included:

• Ableton Live Level 1: Shake Hands with Live
• Ableton Live Level 2: Completing Your First Track
• Ableton Live Level 3: Production Essentials
• Ableton Live Level 4: Sound Design & Instrumentation
• Ableton Live Level 5: Advanced Composition & Production
• Ableton Live Level 6: Taking Your EP Global

“So far the experience through Dubspot is incredible, and I can’t wait to go through the next levels. It’s just getting better each week, and I can not wait to start putting an EP together, not just being able to put a successful track together!” - Dan Carter, United Kingdom

Start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

Or if you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.

In this exclusive video tutorial Ableton Certified trainer Martin Delaney presents “The Ableton Live Gangsta Sync Setup,” a simple way to sync two computers running Live. His method doesn’t use MIDI clock or time code. “It’s just a way to get them playing at the same time,” Martin explains. His solution lies in the use of Midi Remote settings in Ableton. By setting each computer’s  MIDI prefrences you can create a perfect start sync that avoids MIDI altogether and stays tight as you jam.
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Martin Delaney is a London-based Ableton Certified Trainer, electronic music producer, and writer focusing on music technology. Delaney has written for Future Music magazine, Computer Music magazine, and Resident Advisor and produced Live training materials for MacProVideo and PC Publishing.

Our music production program is custom-tailored to fit your musical style. You can choose from several Digital Audio Workstations including Ableton Live, Logic Pro, or Propellerhead’s Reason.

After completing this program, you will leave with 4 completed tracks (EP), a remix entered in an active contest, a scored commercial to widen your scope, and the Dubspot Producer’s Certificate in Ableton Live.

What’s Included:

• Ableton Live Level 1: Shake Hands with Live
• Ableton Live Level 2: Completing Your First Track
• Ableton Live Level 3: Production Essentials
• Ableton Live Level 4: Sound Design & Instrumentation
• Ableton Live Level 5: Advanced Composition & Production
• Ableton Live Level 6: Taking Your EP Global

“So far the experience through Dubspot is incredible, and I can’t wait to go through the next levels. It’s just getting better each week, and I can not wait to start putting an EP together, not just being able to put a successful track together!” - Dan Carter, United Kingdom

Start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

Or if you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Attention audio/visual creators in and around New York! Dubspot Instructor and Ableton Live Course Designer Steve Nalepa is coming to NYC this weekend to host a two hour streaming workshop on Saturday 12.10.11 from 2-4pm at Dubspot HQ. The first hour of the workshop will focus on Ableton Live, with Professor Nalepa sharing a plethora of composition, production and performance techniques for both the seasoned and the green. The second hour he will host a panel discussion on VJing and live visual performance with three heavyweights of the motion graphics and visual performance world:  Benton-C Bainbridge, V Owen Bush and David Lublin. These are three pioneers of visual art and technology who will discuss live performance and techniques in a live panel discussion. We will also be streaming this discussion for those of you who are not in New York. Check back right here on our blog at 2PM EST time to catch our live broadcast. Later that night Nalepa will also perform a live audio set at Webster Hall (BASSment Saturdays) accompanied by tag team live visuals from the three all-stars he is hosting at the panel discussion. Check out out Facebook event page for more information.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This meeting of the minds first happened back in 1998 when Nalepa met VJ Benton-C Bainbridge at a Unity Gain performance in the basement of the legendary CBGB’s back in 1998. Blown away by Bainbridge’s simple yet profound video feedback piece, Nalepa introduced himself and a longtime friendship ensued built on mutual respect. Through this friendship Nalepa met David Lublin and V Owen Bush, and the four have explored the artistic relationship between music and visuals with collaborations on many projects together, including the above music video that Benton-C and David Last created for Nalepa’s “Flatlands” single.

About the Speakers

Daytime by Nalepa

Steve Nalepa is an electronic composer, producer, and remixer based in the vital Los Angeles music scene which is home to the likes of Flying Lotus and Nosaj Thing. Credited with mentoring, connecting and introducing some of the most innovative and talented new acts in music today, he is both champion and zeitgeist of the emerging genres that color the musical landscape. Nalepa specializes in cinematic, synth-based instrumental music that fuses together elements of dub, ambient and shoegaze. He has produced tracks with such legends as Bill Laswell and Pharoah Sanders, performed with the LA Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall, and energized crowds at clubs and festivals around the world including Glade, Decibel, Coachella, Burning Man, Lightning in a Bottle, Secret Garden Party and Low End Theory.

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Benton-C Bainbridge is a media artist based in The Bronx and Nashville. Benton-C’s work is made with custom systems of his own design. Bainbridge has presented video in immersive environments, screenings, installations and live performances, collaborating with scores of artists around the world. Bainbridge has shown on five continents in venues including the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Museum of Modern Art.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Currently, Benton and choreographer/dancer Brooke Broussard are exploring visuals made by bodies and extended with technology in the “Infinite Light” project. In Xi’an, Infinite Light made dance media for the massive Water Stage installation at the 178 day long 2011 International Horticultural Expo. Glowing Pictures (Benton-C Bainbridge and V Owen Bush) recently designed visuals for one week of concerts at the gate of Da Ming Palace in Xi’an, China and launched the fifth season of One Step Beyond at American Museum of Natural History, at which they are the resident visual designers and visualists. Career highlights include the best-attended ever Whitney Museum of American Art at Philip Morris performance with live media ensemble The Poool, video design for 2 Beastie Boys world tours and numerous special appearances, and analog video synth FX for TV On The Radio (above).

Click here to view the embedded video.

V Owen Bush is a designer, producer, and filmmaker who uses immersion and participation to create transformative social experiences. His works are presented in venues such as live concerts and events, digital planetaria, IMAX3D, broadcast television, mobile devices, and the web. He is a member of the Omnisensorialist Federation and Immersionists. Notable projects he has participated in include: Pseudo Programs Inc., MTV’s AMP, We Live In Public, SonicVision at the Hayden Planetarium, and the Molecularium Project at Rensselaer.  He is a co-founder of Glowing Pictures, a company whose work includes televised concerts, music videos, commercials, multimedia operas, and visual environments. Glowing Pictures’ clients include Vh1, MySpace, the Beastie Boys, the Creator’s Project, Eyebeam, the American Museum of Natural History and Lincoln Center, among many others.

David Lublin is a software developer and video artist. His company Vidvox created the software VDMX5, the realtime video studio of choice for many professional VJs. David is based in Troy, NY where he is the go to resident VJ for EMPAC. He has performed visuals alongside Diplo, Madlib, Jon Hopkins and others.

Earlier this year he VJ’d for Girl Talk (video above) for several months on his massive national US tour. The show involved an elaborate stage set up before each show spanning 8 hours. Time lapse of the stage set up before the show on 02.01.11. 14,000 photos, taken over 8 hours; 1 photo every 2 seconds, 9:30am – 5:30pm.  Music by Girl Talk (featuring Chris Glover).

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