New track approach (minimal style)

[Guest phlux0r]

Hi,

 

I was just wondering how you guys who do minimal and progressive style trance trax approach creating a new track?

 

Do you work on bass/kik first, then rhythm then sounds or do you pick your lead sounds first and then fit rhythm and bass?

 

I know that there aren't hard and fast rules but I'd just like to know how other people work on their stuff.

 

Also do you use more samples or sequence straight to soft/hard synths?

 

Finally, do you work on a large chunk of your track in the sequencer or do you work on little loop sections ie. 4 bar loops or 16-32 bar sections at a time?

 

Thanks for your valuable insights in advance

 

- enjoy!

[Guest Ra'anan]

>Do you work on bass/kik first, then rhythm then sounds or do you pick >your lead sounds first and then fit rhythm and bass?

 

I prefer to do the bassdrum / bassline groove first to make sure that it works and is solid / groovy, since this is most important element of a minimal track, then i tend to work on some hihat loops and add sounds that fit into that loop / create an atmosphere around it.

 

>I know that there aren't hard and fast rules but I'd just like to know how >other people work on their stuff.

 

Well there is a rule, make sure everything fits in the groove, ensure that you listen to the accents and swing in the groove and try to place all your sounds within that framework, this same technique also works for more intense stuff, as long as all the sounds fit into a whole, youve created a good groove, the progression or story / mood of the track is entirely up to you.

 

>Also do you use more samples or sequence straight to soft/hard synths?

 

depends really... both.

 

>Finally, do you work on a large chunk of your track in the sequencer or do >you work on little loop sections ie. 4 bar loops or 16-32 bar sections at a >time?

 

small loops at a time, copying the loops to create a larger part, add inflections / progression into the loops to make them flow and then continue.

 

>Thanks for your valuable insights in advance

 

lol

 

Ra'anan

(mantis/sardaka)

 

www.trance.org

[Guest phlux0r]

Thanks Ra'anan,

 

does anyone else have any comments?

 

[Guest Scalar]

Well...

 

Ra'anan's advice really seems to be spot on, apart from sometimes it very interesting to take some of your more cymbally type grooves, start them off in a groove, and g r a d u a l l y slip them out and back in again - this can be VERY psychedelic indeed.

 

Oh - and I always work on the bass kick first, as pretty much this is always on the beat, so the bass has to fit around this, although on occasion I have been known not to write a kick until I've written EVERYTHING else.

 

This means you can't rely on groove to pull you through in terms of interest, and have to make everything more interesting.

[Guest Mayan complex]

well....

Try to use filters with delays its sound nice, try to make higgpass with the delay and then play qith the cut off freq. it is very funny you can use this to make a fill in and then cuting everything and then explode the song.