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We’ll start with a classic FM pair, which consists of two oscillators, each loaded with sine waves. Once a usable tone has been created, movement is introduced by adjusting the modulator’s amplitude envelope. The arpeggiator in FM8 is designed to take incoming notes and build a new sequence according to the settings in the Pattern Editor. It blurs the line between step sequencer and arpeggiator, as it has a step matrix, with many flexible features. The last step is to create some variations on the sound. FM8’s morphing capabilities allow for four different patches to be transitioned between (morphed). Remember that not all parameters in FM8 can be morphed. All FM8 library patches have four morph variations built in. Once the sound is complete, it’s time to jam. We’ll add MIDI control for the morph box in the host DAW, and fire away.

- 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.

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Brenmar’s sound is big and passionate, always with an ear to the club and a heart for vocals. His early R&B remixes got the floors moving, whether by means of some big room hype or sweaty 3am up close and personal sway. Raised in Chicago but based in New York, he’s proven that the lines between dance music and hip hop or R&B are fine ones easily traversed with the right touch. Like-minded labels such as Grizzly and Mixpak are his most recent supporters, and he’s ingratiated his listeners with a gang of free downloads. Soon to come is a project with Daniel from Nguzunguzu called Chiefli. Also expect a new hip hop geared EP – with that Brenmar touch of course. Just last week, however, he dropped his newest effort, the Let’s Pretend EP on Hum + Buzz. - Mike Steyels

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What’s your production setup?

It’s pretty minimal man. A Macbook Air, a little M Audio MIDI controller (the tiny Keystation 32), a little Akai LPD 8, and then some Event 20/20 monitors. Abelton Live is my main baby, then I fuck with the Melodine, Sub Boom Bass, Albino, and FM 8. I like the new digital synths. I don’t like the retro ones too much, except for the M1 a little. And the digital Korg MS20 is kinda cool. I’ve got a lot of soft synths and I use the Wave plugins. I was real nerdy about that stuff when I was young, and I was always reading the blogs and web sites. Everyone was always raving about the Wave stuff, and they were right. They can really make your stuff sound great. You need to know what you’re doing with them, but once you figure it out, then you’re good to go. I don’t really frequent those web sites anymore, but I do pick up Future Music and Computer Music magazines whenever I can.

Do you find collaborations useful in learning new production techniques?

Yea, I’m all about that. It’s a really good way to learn. Everyone makes beats differently, for better or worse. You might find out that the way you’ve been copy and pasting is just outdated or something. That’s if you’re in the same studio, as opposed to doing something online.

What is your approach to DJing?

I use CDJs with a mixer and Serato usually. I used Traktor for a little bit, but found it kinda clinical. Everyone I knew was using Serato, which seems more natural and is more streamlined. The effects on Traktor are a lot better, but I’m not interested in that. I just want to rock the party and play good music. I try to be the best DJ I can be, but at the end of the day what the people care about is what you play, not so much how you play it. You mix two songs together perfectly, and that’s cool. But if the songs are mediocre, you’re not going to get much of a response from the crowd. They’re not going to get hype off your blend. But if you play two dope ass tracks back to back, it’ll still go off even if you trainwreck. As soon as the chorus or the drop comes in, the crowd’s going to forget about the trainwreck. Maybe a couple nerdy dudes up front will care. I don’t really plan my sets out and just take each show as it comes. Like, I’ll plan a little bit if I’m opening up for so and so and it’s going to be a 1,000 person capacity. So I’ll tailor it a little for that. And if I know the crowd expects something that is a little out of my range, I’ll do extra to get there for them.

How important is BPM in a set?

I’ll usually start between 120 and 130 and I go from there. Shit, I’ll work up to 160, 165. Once I’m past 135, 140, I’ll go back and forth between like hip hop, old school dubstep stuff maybe, kuduro, and R&B. Most genres that work within that range of 130 to 160. Some juke and a little footwork. But then I’ll bring it down to like 80, 90 BPM. Reggaeton and R&B. Then up to maybe 100 and 105. I kinda go all over the place. I’ll end at like 160, then jump to 90 BPM. It depends on, say, the vibe, or how much time I have. But if you do too much of that, it’ll disjoint the dancefloor. I have done that, to my detriment. The crowd wants to vibe out. There are people who listen to every song you play. But there’s a lot of people who are just chillen, socializing, drinking. They’ll go to the bar, to the bathroom, and come back. And if you’re switching up the vibe and the tempo like every second, it’s hard to keep a vibe. If someone comes back from the bathroom and you’re playing hip hop, and they’re like, “Oh, I love this,” and you only play one song… So, if I go with a genre, I’ll stick to that for a few tracks. At least three or five songs, then switch it up.

[Brenmar - "Be The One".]

What was Chicago like, and how does it influence your sound?

I grew up there my whole life up until five years ago when I moved to New York. I grew up on the North Side near Logan Square, a very Puerto Rican area at the time. Lots of families, but lots of gang shit too. My mom wouldn’t let me go out too much. But in my early teens I started venturing out. We were just kids, so there was no clubs for us, but there would always be house parties. It was the late 90s when juke was poppin off hard. It was the cool shit in Chicago. Like Gant Man and Slugo. There were still Dance Mania tapes and re-releases all over the place. It’d be like teenagers in the basement grinding up on each other to juke. It was what it was. You’d hear hip hop on the radio and from cars. Absorbing all that while growing up is why I make what I make, and why 150 BPM music isn’t that fast for me.

Do you produce with the club in mind?

I almost always think about the club. All the instrumental Brenmar stuff is done with the club in mind, but within different contexts. Like not every song is a peak time banger in your face. I’ll also make a track that you can open up with. Or it might be for a hip hop and R&B party. But then there’s stuff like my Jamie Foxx remix. It’s too intimate to play at a bigger public club, but I’ve used it at house parties and it’s amazing.

When you make music, do you try to mix up genre boundaries?

Yea, all my stuff kinda falls between the cracks a little bit and occupies a certain gray zone there. You can’t really call it just hip hop or just dance. There’s certain elements of both. I think that’s where things are headed, and where they get interesting. There’s no use in rehashing the same formula if it’s already been done to death. When I sit down to start a new track, I’ll decide on a tempo and style. Once I’m in the process of working, I’m borrowing stuff from all over the place. And you have to, or else it’s too random. You have to have some sort of minimal outline or blueprint, or else you’re just staring at a blank screen. The more you can hone in and focus, the easier it becomes. But I don’t let it restrict me. Say I’m working on a hip hop beat, then suddenly I find this cool techno chord progression or something, I’ll use it. If it sounds good, then it’s good. Nothing is made out of scratch, everything is a combination of something else.

[Cassie - Me & U (Brenmar remix)]

How do you balance your sound with vocals?

It’s still something I’m working towards. I haven’t done too many original vocal tracks in the way I’d like. It’s one thing when you are playing with a sample and you can do whatever you want with it. But it’s another thing when your’e dealing with a real person whose lyrics mean something to someone, and there’s egos involved, etc… It’s a whole new ballgame. When it works, it’s amazing, but it takes effort. Everyone has to be on the same page. I’ve met with some writers, and have a couple tracks with original vocals, but they aren’t released because I couldn’t stand behind them 100 percent. Once you start releasing stuff that you’re iffy about, the crowd picks up on that and you get stuck in situations you don’t want to be in. There’s a difference between writing an instrumental track and writing something for a vocalist, because you need to hold back. If you give them too much, you almost hinder them. Sometimes you just want to hint at a vibe or emotion, and hopefully they’ll pick it up and go from there. But for instrumental music, it has to move and you need something to take the vocals’ place. Either the lyrics or the melody of vocals first grab people’s attention, and everything else comes second. For most people. In a way, you’re replacing that lead line with vocals. But like I said, it’s more complicated. I’m still working on it, because I’m so used to writing for myself, that I need to scale back because I might overproduce the instrumental, even though I’m all about minimalism in general.

What makes for a good vocalist?

A knack for melody is really important to me. I emphasize that in a lot of my productions. They’re pretty melodic. There’s a lot of things you can kind a hum along to. Lyrics are something I’m trying to place more importance on. Stupid lyrics can ruin a really good song. But to me, if the beat is wack, I’m not even trying to pay attention to what they’re saying. Emotions and believing in what you’re saying are important. I really love female vocalists that are very confident and know they’re the shit. That way it’ll be easier for me to think they’re the shit. Like if someone is applying for a job, and you ask why they should get it, if they say they don’t deserve it, then they probably won’t get it. There’s a lack of security that a lot of vocalists need to overcome. It’s not everything, but it’s a really good start.

What type of lyrical content are you looking for?

A good metaphor for love is always a winner. The Dream is amazing at that. In hip hop, a certain amount of humor in what you’re saying is always good. Like Juicy J or Dipset. They make me laugh all the time. Even Kanye. Jay Z’s wordplay and punchlines are fabulous. For me, it’s about the beat, the melody, and then the lyrics. But they all work together and are important to me.

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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.

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Los Angeles-based producers and remixers Salva and Shlohmo recently stopped by Dubspot NYC for a music production workshop and interview. The two Friends of Friends recording artists were on the east coast trek of their tour. Salva is heavily influenced by Chicago house, freestyle, hip hop and electro. He has been producing genre-defying electronic music for quite some time and heads Frite Nite, an independent record label and crew based in San Francisco. Salva’s latest release is an EP titled Yellobone and it’s out now on FoF Music. Shlohmo, a member of the WEDIDIT Collective popped up on our radar just over two years ago with the fantastic Shlomoshun Deluxe compilation. His debut album Bad Vibes came out last year and his new Vacation EP is currently receiving excellent reviews.

The two electronic music artists talk about their influences, inspirations, LA underground music community, Low End Theory, music education, and much more. Salva also talked about his production workflow and demonstrated Logic Pro’s ESX24 Sampler and Pitch Correction plug-in, explained how he utilizes the sampler to manipulate vocal samples, slices and converts them into playable sampler instruments.

Shlohmo – wen uuu by FoFMusic

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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.

Logic Pro Producer Certificate Program

Classes start in NYC January 18th!
ONLINE Class just started; Sign up today!

See more dates NYC and ONLINE classes!

Master Logic with our complete program of courses culminating in a four track EP ready for release. In addition to achieving a complete overview of the composition process in Logic you’ll also earn the Dubspot Producer’s Certificate in Logic Pro. After completing this program, you will leave with a new EP, a remix entered in an active remix contest, and a scored commercial to widen your scope.

For more start dates and information about payment plans, please call 212.242.2100 or 1.877.DUBSPOT (1.877.382.7768) or send us a message.

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Winston Riley at Techniques Records on Orange Street, Kingston Jamaica, 1995 | photo courtesy of David Corio

Such is the genesis of this first Sub-Bass, which mourns the passing of Jamaican producer Winston Riley while honoring his extraordinary career trajectory, making hits with bold new sounds for an astonishing five decades. Recent rewards of sampling had helped Riley expand his operations, adding a recording studio and even a music museum to his store on Orange Street, Kingston’s shabby Tin Pan Alley. But though greatly loved and respected, Riley clearly had his enemies. His death on January 19 following a gunshot at his home, was the last round in a grim series of attacks, from a stabbing to the burning of his Orange Street operation, which he later re-built. No-one has been arrested and no motive is known.

Winston Riley at Techniques Records on Orange Street, Kingston Jamaica, 1995 | photo courtesy of David Corio

Riley’s first group, The Techniques, were part of a wave of harmony trios that dominated Jamaican music in the early 1960s, right round the time of the island’s independence. Heavily seasoned with Afro-American influence, trios like the Techniques, the Wailers and Toots and the Maytals were following the template laid down by people like Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions. That great master from Chicago helped move street corner doo-wop into the stirring, wrenching sounds that came to mean “soul” around the world, with a humanistic political philosophy that made us feel a gangster’s wounded manhood and understand the reverence a man can feel for his Queen. In fact, one of the Techniques’ most loved tunes is “Queen Majesty”, a version of a Mayfield song, “Minstrel and Queen”.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

After the Techniques, Riley kept on pioneering. His UK number one instrumental ska hit with Dave and Ansel Collins, 1971’s Double Barrel helped spark the mod/ska boom. Later in the decade, another massive riddim for Riley, and a great favorite at King Tubby’s Sound System, was a lethal one-drop bass which he named “Stalag 17″.

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Thus, the haunting, heavy instrumental is forever linked to the 1953 tragic-comic Second World War prisoner escape flick of the same name Stalag 17, shot with typical brilliant cynicism by my favorite director, the great Billy WIlder. Take a look at the trailer for Stalag 17 here.

The “Stalag 17″ riddim attracted several top DJs including U-Roy and Big Youth. Its appeal never waned, and in the mid-80s, Riley re-vamped it again for another round of hits with a new generation of DJs. The version that stuck hardest was cut by a slight youth named Tenor Saw, born Clive Bright, as “Ring The Alarm”.

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A true “ghetto star,” Tenor Saw came from the least materially privileged of an economically depressed underclass. He first flourished as the teenage protegee of another late Jamaican great, the socially-minded raggamuffin, Sugar Minott. Tenor Saw’s reedy, edgy singing matched the gripping lyrics: “Ring the alarm! Another sound man dying!”

The track became his prophetic legacy as just two years later, the 22 year old sound man’s body was found among some bushes at a roadside in Houston, Texas. Like Winston Riley’s death, Tenor Saw’s demise remains a mystery. The many rumors swirling round Tenor Saw’s death prompted a DJ tribute, “Who Killed Tenor Saw” by his old compadre, Nitty Gritty.

If “Ring The Alarm” may now seem to have a sinister frisson, thankfully that doom never touched the seemingly invulnerable Beyonce. She may spend more time in snazzy St. Bart’s than downtown Kingston, but Beyonce clearly still likes to think of herself as a Rude Gyaal. Last year’s “Girls (Run The World)” was based on Major Lazer’s dancehall tune “Pon De Floor”. But as far back as 2006, Beyonce was feeling dancehall with her take on “Ring The Alarm”. Producer Swizz Beatz, no stranger to dub and reggae, brought her the idea and co-produced. But the sparse, clangorous neo-dancehall of “Ring The Alarm” left Beyonce fans bemused with its unaccustomed aggression. It shows the ruff face of Beyonce, the one who’d spit in the dust and ball her fists to fight and scratch for her man. In fact, the very role Beyonce went on to play in her 2009 Obsessed movie co-starring Idris Elba!

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On this live MTV Awards performance of “Ring The Alarm”, Beyonce is unusually covered up, in her high-necked ankle-sweeping trench coats, a bit like those of the German officers in Billy Wilder’s Stalag 17. Who knows whether Beyonce realized the role she was playing in the conceptual heritage of her song; but as dramatic searchlights sweep the stage, we see her swing down from on high, and hear an announcement — Beyonce’s a prisoner, busting out! The synchronicity is too great. Surely Beyonce knows the original “Ring The Alarm”, and that it was based on “Stalag 17″, which in turn was inspired by the Billy Wilder comedy escape flick set in a P.O.W. camp!

If she doesn’t, let’s hope she reads this and joins us in giving respect to the late greats who showed us how to find laughter even in the midst of tragedy, and to persist in what you believe in, even at risk of your life: Winston Riley, Curtis Mayfield, Tenor Saw, Sugar Minott and Billy Wilder.

Vivien Goldman is a journalist, educator, and musician from London. She currently lives in New York City. Goldman’s fifth book The Book of Exodus: the Making and Meaning of Bob Marley & the Wailers’ Album of the Century was published in 2006 on Three Rivers Press.

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.

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 (Music Foundations) 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

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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.

Dubspot’s YouTube channel is 50,000 subscribers strong!

Thank you, subscribers! Over the past few years Dubspot has gained a reputation for delivering free high quality content to music production enthusiasts across the globe on our Youtube Channel. We offer a constant resource of sound creation tutorials with talented instructors such as Matt Cellitti, Steve Nalepa, Evan Sutton, Chris Petti, Thavius Beck and many others teaching you how to get the most our of your productions. This week we are especially proud to announce that we have topped 50,000 subscribers to our Youtube channel!

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Featured Playlists

Some of Dubspot’s most popular videos from 2011:

Mixing & Mastering Tutorial Pt 1: Limiter in Ozone w/ Ableton Live

Mixing & Mastering Tutorial Pt 2: Mid-Side EQ Technique w/ Izotope

Native Instruments Massive Tutorial Pt 1: Talking Bass Synthesis

Traktor Pro 2. DJs Qbert & Rafik: Shiftee’s Breakfast of Champions Breakdown

Syncing Traktor Pro 2 + Ableton Live: How to Route Audio | Dubspot’s DJ Endo

Ableton Live Tips #7: Vocal Effect Techniques (Radiohead, Nosaj Thing)

Using Ableton Live w/ Native Instruments’ Maschine for Production & Performance

Mixing & Mastering Tutorial – Dubstep Bass Compression w/ URS

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Click here to view the embedded video.

Related Dubspot Courses Starting Online & in New York City:

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

MASCHINE Program starts in NYC January 30th and Online the week of January 22nd.

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

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

Native Instruments MASCHINE redefines hardware and software integration for music production and creative performance. Upon completion of this program, you will have written a full original track using multiple plug-in instruments and effects, produced a remix based on rearranged source material with your own musical additions, and made recordings of yourself improvising with both projects while creating break downs, build ups, and effect manipulations.

What’s Included:

• MASCHINE Level 1: Programming and Beat Making Basics
• MASCHINE Level 2: Sampling, Slicing and Composing
• MASCHINE Level 3: Advanced Production and Performance Techniques

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.

Propellerhead Reason 6 Workshop with Hank Shocklee & Falty DL

Propellerhead Software’s Reason audio production platform made a massive leap in 2011. Reason 6 brought features such as the integration of Record (the acclaimed recording and mixing software), new instruments, new effects, a new mixer, and a sexy new audio interface called Balance. Add to this list a pay-what-you-want upgrade option for owners of Reason and Record and you’ve got an impressive music production platform that hit many best of 2011 lists in recent weeks. Reason 6 is a totally new beast.

To help you understand the depth and possibilities of this new production platform we are pleased to preset a special Reason 6 workshop at Dubspot NYC on Monday January 30th from 7-9pm EST. The event will feature production luminary Hank Shocklee (Bomb Squad, Public Enemy, Def Jam), dubstep / bass producer FaltyDL, and vocalist Cody Geil. Dubspot’s Chris Petti and Propellerheads’ James Bernard will host a series of discussions and demonstrations that will introduce you to new workflow and features in Reason 6 using the Balance Controller (read more on Balance below). James Bernard and Hank Shocklee will kick off the event with a short discussion on effecient production methods with Reason and they will quickly segue into producing a track from scratch in front of the audience. If you’d like to join us for this discussion and workshop, please RSVP on our Facebook page. In addition, we will be streaming the workshop live on out site, so bookmark this page if you’d like to catch the workshop online!

Click here to view the embedded video.

About Hank Shocklee

Hank Shocklee is one of the godfathers of hip hop and modern music production. Through his early work as a DJ on Adelphi University’s 90.3 FM radio station and as a nightclub manager, Shocklee started to meet the individuals who would later be transformed into the groundbreaking group Public Enemy. As Shocklee’s work with Public Enemy started to gain momentum and airplay, a then lesser-known Russell Simmons summoned Shocklee to work on remixes for artists on his Def Jam roster. It was Shocklee’s creative vision and energy that landed him a position with Def Jam Recordings where he served as Vice President of A&R and staff producer from 1986-1988, while he was still developing the Public Enemy Concept. Shocklee also eventually became the Publicity and Marketing point person for Rush Artist Management and handled touring projects for artists such as Run DMC, Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, and Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. With the signing of Public Enemy to Def Jam Recordings and the group’s rise to stardom, Shocklee’s efforts shifted to full time studio work. He served as Producer and Executive Producer for the group and led them to the success of 1 Double Platinum, 4 Platinum and 2 Gold Albums. Shocklee also managed Public Enemy along with Russell Simmons and Public Enemy soon became Def Jam’s biggest global act and went on the road for a series of successful world tours.

Click here to view the embedded video.

About FaltyDL

Drew Lustman’s releases as FaltyDL encompass IDM, drum’n’bass, hardcore techno, house, garage, and dubstep. Full of abstractions and abrupt changes, the majority of his output was nonetheless intended for active dancefloors. The New York-based producer debuted “FaltyDL” in 2007 but gained serious traction in 2009 with a pair of singles on Ramp, as well as an EP and an album — titled Love Is a Liability — for Planet Mu. More short-form releases on Rush Hour, Planet Mu, Ramp, and Swamp81 were issued across 2010 and 2011. You Stand Uncertain, a second album, was also released on Planet Mu in March of 2011.

Balance Audio Interface

• 2-in by 2-out audio interface
• USB 2.0 – bus powered
• Hi-end pre-amplifiers
• Hi-end 24-bit ADC/DACs, 44.1 to 96kHz
• Low latency design
• Clip Safe —  “built-in recording engineer” automatically heals any clipped recordings.
• Mac OS class compliant (no driver on Mac OS).
• ASIO drivers for Windows.
• Built-in Propellerhead Ignition Key
• Direct monitoring (for stand-alone or DAW use)
• Two XLR microphone inputs w. 48V phantom power
• Two 1/4″ guitar inputs with padding
• Four 1/4″ line inputs (two stereo pairs)
• One 1/4” headphone output
• Two 1/4″ TRS balanced main outputs
• Hardware input source selection
• Input level control
• Separate output and headphone level control
• Output muting

Links : Balance and Reason – Propellerhead – Balance and Reason Essentials
Balance Design and Features – Propellerhead – Balance – Design and Features

Master Reason & Record with our complete program of courses culminating in a four track EP ready for release.  In addition to achieving a complete overview of the composition process in Reason & Record you’ll also earn the Dubspot Producer’s Certificate in Reason & Record. After completing this program, you will leave with a new EP, a remix entered in an active remix contest, a Refill ready to share, and the Dubspot Producer’s Certificate in Reason & Record.

• Reason Level 1: Sketches, Beats, and Remixes
• Reason Level 2: Dissect and Reconstruct
• Reason Level 3: Sound Design
• Reason Level 4: Advanced Sound Design
• Reason Level 5: Recording and Mixing
• Reason Level 6: Beyond the Rack

This program is about learning Reason by going through the entire process of being an artist, from developing your sound through a series of sketches while getting familiar with the application to creating a fully-fleshed out four song EP. You will create a remix and submit it to an active remix contest, create a refill, and learn valuable insider tips and techniques.

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.

Here it is, you hooligans. You thieving scoundrels. My precious Maschine mapping for Traktor. Why don’t you just take my wallet? Or key to my car? Why don’t you spit in my food and tie my shoelaces together? Why don’t you shave off my eyebrows and paint on new ones with a magic marker? Have you no decency? Have you no compassion? Where is your common courtesy? Stealing a man’s Maschine mapping (even though he’s willingly giving it to you for free)? For shame! For Shame!!! FOR SHAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! – Shiftee

The music playing in the background at the beginning of this video tutorial is the lead track from Rx & Shiftee’s Space Ace EP. Earlier this week, the remix edition of Space Ace Remixes came out courtesy of Rad Summer. You can stream the entire EP here.

Rx & Shiftee – Space Ace by Rad Summer

Related Dubspot Courses Starting Online & in New York City:

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

MASCHINE Program starts in NYC January 30th and Online the week of January 22nd.

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

Native Instruments MASCHINE redefines hardware and software integration for music production and creative performance. Upon completion of this program, you will have written a full original track using multiple plug-in instruments and effects, produced a remix based on rearranged source material with your own musical additions, and made recordings of yourself improvising with both projects while creating break downs, build ups, and effect manipulations.

What’s Included:

• MASCHINE Level 1: Programming and Beat Making Basics
• MASCHINE Level 2: Sampling, Slicing and Composing
• MASCHINE Level 3: Advanced Production and Performance Techniques

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.