Prime Loops

No studio? No problem!! Yea, yea, it's not the flash space, decked-out in expensive kit that you see the big players using when conjuring up some new fire. But that doesn't mean you can't make the most of what you've got! This gets harder when your studio doubles up as your bedroom!! But luckily we've got some ideas to help...

Afrobeats!! You must've heard of it right? Funky rhythms, Tropical vibes, potential global dominance!? Over the last few years, no other style of music has emerged out of Africa quite like Afrobeats, gaining global recognition and infiltrating Western charts with an almighty force!! Get to know one of the dopest genres to come out of the last decade!! Drawing from...

If you're here...there's a good chance you have some interest in samples and sampling!? It's everywhere and you'd be hard-pressed to find a song that doesn't sample at least something, no matter how little! get to know the ins and outs of how sampling has developed over the years! The music industry loves sampling and a new joint study by...

It feels like Youtubers are always leading the way!! Lo-Fi Hip Hop has had a huge boom and this is definitely thanks to an underground scene of YouTubers and Twitch streamers. Mellow vibes, nostalgic anime imagery, sick basslines! What's not to like!? Let's see why it popped-off so much!! These Lo-Fi hip-hop tracks, otherwise known as chillhop or Lo-Fi study...

Time for some self-promo - DIY-style!! Get your name out there and your sounds to as many people as possible!! Promo, promo, promo!! And best of all, it's free!! You just gotta make the effort to get things happening, let's see how... In years gone by artists required a marketing budget almost greater than the cost of their studio time...

Hip Hop, it don't stop!! You can find a sick sample just about anywhere these days and get yourself a heavy beat rolling! Get amongst these top tips on how to use these samples to your advantage. There's plenty of info below for you to dive into; who's knows what you could create by the end of this article!?? Read...

Foley percussion!? Grab yourself some pots and pans and start clanging away!! OK, maybe it's a tad more complex than that, but it's not a bad starting point. Check out some creative ways to get more out of your percussive parts using everyday items you most likely have lying around the house. Get involved!! When it comes to studio recording...

Mixing can be a tedious process! It can feel like you're banging your head against the wall trying to get everything to sit in place. Don't let it get you down! Follow these simple steps and you'll at least be ahead of the game in getting that much-needed gloss on those sounds! To mix like a pro, you need to...

Want your sounds THICK!? Everyone's looking to crank the Bass up, but the other elements of your track need some love too, don't neglect them! Check out some ways you can beef up various parts of your sounds and turn your featherweight track into a heavyweight!!! A lot of people struggle to make the sounds in their tracks rich and...

The idea of Stereo Widening isn't – at first – too hard to grasp. Making things sound wider, right? Hmmmm, maybe...but the devil is in the detail!! While it might sound appealing to have a huge wide soundscape, this ain't always the one. Things can get messy real fast! Lets guide you through this very important area of production... Why...

Embrace new technology!! The tech-wizards are constantly bringing out incredible new developments that are changing how we look at music. So don't be afraid!! Have a look through our selection of cutting-edge tech to bang out some fresh new sounds with!! The traditional arsenal of effects is familiar to most producers – delay, phase, distortion and so on. Useful for...

Why!? Cos we say so!!Ok, maybe that's not gonna cut it as an explanation!! But this week we're pretty hyped on the release of TAKESHIDO: Manga Melodies. So we figured you might also appreciate a few tips on how to use sample packs in your own stuff. So let's go in with a few helpful hints! Use Them As Starting...

Wanna make the most out of some old analog gear that doesn't work quite right?! This week, we're looking at the technique of multisampling. And no, we ain't chatting about using two different accapellas in the same track. Multisampling can be way more handy, and can help you get the best out of any sound source that you might have...

So you've made an absolute belter, someone's signed it, now what?! Well you'll need to come up with what is commonly known as a 'pre-master'. Sounds simple, but can very easily get people confused - what even is a pre-master anyway? Read on, as we take a deeper look into this delicate issue... Ultimately, a pre-master is just the two-track...

The kick is like the anchor of the track. You feel it wallop you in the chest when you're out in a club! It sets the pace and rhythm that everything else works around. So read on for the fundamentals on how you can make it hit right. You want that bad boy to slap!! This week I was asked...

Lee Perry, right? A stoner genius hunched over a giant 1960's mixing desk, concocting a dizzy swirl of reggae loops and effects? If you wanna mix it up inna rub-a-dub style, you don't need a huge mixing console and an even larger bag of herb. You can do it at home, now pass over the chalice and read on!! Well...

Crate Digging! That's how it's done. It takes time and a lot of trial and error, but you'll find some of the sickest and most obscure gems by getting your hands dirty and diving in! You also need to know where to look; we can help you with that... Electronic music has been showing us for years that a good...

Sub-Bass; you feel those warm vibrations when you get closer to the speakers and it breeds excitement and good times!! It's damn important and anyone who says otherwise is missing out on the depth music can have. Well, that's what I reckon anyway, but, what's the best way to do it!?! And what makes a good sub anyway? The Basics...

What even is a tracker? Seems a bit dry and a bit too much like coding to be particularly creative right? If you're like the majority of the music-producing masses, you'll probably be used to a conventional sequencer. But there are a group of musicians who think there is merit in having limits. Crazy right?! Well, let's hear them out...

Can I get a one-shot?! Kicks, snares, hats, percussion, vocals, claps...the list goes on. Want to venture on the wild side of making your own gully beats? Then I think it's time you enter the wondrous world of one-shots... What is a One-Shot? Simply put, a one-shot is a single sample - it can be a kick drum, a snare...