At Producertech, we offer award-winning tutorials on music production from a multitude of certified trainers and professional artists. In addition to the streamed tutorials, accessible 24/7/365, all courses come with downloadable materials, including DAW projects, instrument presets, bonus samples and written notes.
Before signing up, students can check out the free sample module from a course, as an example of the lesson style and content.
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New Courses
Producertech
Ableton Live 12 MIDI Tools Masterclass
Of all the new features in Ableton Live 12, the MIDI Generators are perhaps the most revolutionary, providing the ability to not only transform MIDI notes in unique ways but also generate them, in order to instantly create a multitude of different patterns. This has the potential to radically transform the workflows and compositional processes of everyone from beginners right through to more advanced producers. On this new masterclass from Course Director and Certified Ableton Live Trainer Rob Jones, you’ll learn to fully get to grips with all of the MIDI Generators on offer, as well as acquire a wealth of new techniques and inspiration for how to implement them in your production.
The course starts with a few lessons that tackle the general operational features and quirks of these new devices, all of which reside on the generator tab within the MIDI Editor. These aim to teach the basics when it comes to note generation, to help with understanding what they act on and when and how they can be made to create patterns. This leads to the first tool, Rhythm, which is introduced slowly via a demonstration of how very simple drum patterns are made, helping ferment a good knowledge of the main pattern controls on all tools of step length, pattern length and density. Once the basics are out the way, there’s a detailed look at a number of different practical uses of Rhythm, showing different approaches for making interesting percussion grooves, before looking exclusively at velocity handling.
In the following module, Rob dives into Stacks, a tool that makes chord and chord progression creation simpler than ever. Starting slowly in the first lesson, there’s an explanation of the controls on offer and how they’re used to select and modify chords, whilst the next lesson picks up the pace and shows the creation of a more complex chord sequence.
Rob then moves onto the last 2 main generators - Shape and Seed - both used to create melodies for the most part, although Seed has the ability to produce multiple voices in combination for dense, evolving harmonies. The 2 lessons walk through every part of each tool, showing all the functionality and various directions they can both go in.
The final main module is a lengthy set of lessons that put everything into practice by showing seven separate examples of composition, including a whole host of percussion, bass, lead and atmos creation. Despite mainly focussing on the generation and transformation of MIDI notes using tools, there are also many tips for using instruments and effects within Live to make the most of each process, helping to improve sound design, mixing and effects skills along the way.
A bonus lesson on Euclidean is also included, giving an intro to the tool and showing a number of techniques for making unique basslines.
Enrolling on the course gives students instant access to 4 hours of streamed tutorials plus the Live projects from the lessons, so sign up now to master these incredible new tools and level up your MIDI programming skills today.
£
29
.95*
Producertech
Bassline Fundamentals
Bassline composition knowledge is a huge part of producing electronic music, ensuring that the low end of a track is delivering the necessary components that complete the groove. On this series of courses, you’ll learn the fundamentals of bassline creation from the ground up, covering all the principles and theory, as well as a wide range of techniques and specific examples that put everything into practice.
On this first part designed for beginners, the main focuses are the cornerstones of any bassline, which are its rhythm and pitch. By the end of the course, you’ll have a good understanding of the core aspects of timing of a bassline along with the different pitches it can play, all of which can be applied in a wide range of styles.
The rhythm module starts at the very beginning with the main note timings and demonstrations of how to create a continuous bassline with a fixed speed, showing workflows for working with samples on audio tracks in addition to within sampler instruments on MIDI tracks, explaining the differences and pros and cons of each method. Concepts like syncopation are then explained as patterns are made by repeating rhythmic motifs with varying levels, which are expanded to form longer phrases at the end of the module, taking a single oneshot sample right up to a 4-bar bassline.
At the start of the next module, a number of 1-bar basslines are added to a fixed chord loop, to show how different complimentary rhythms and octave shifts can create a series of contrasting grooves. One of the basslines is then expanded in the subsequent lesson to produce multiple 4- and 8- bar bassline examples that explore the relationship between the bassline and chords loop, as they both either remain static or move to different pitches, to understand how the harmony of the song is affected as a result. The last lesson changes up the style as a string of funky, live-sounding, melodic basslines in G minor are made, emulating a real bass guitar player through the handling of pitch and also level and timing editing techniques that create a more natural sound.
Signing up to the course gets you immediate access to the streamed tutorials, along with all the projects from the course and a selection of bonus bass samples to practice with; the complete package to take you from zero understanding to someone who can competently construct interesting and dynamic basslines in the key of your music.
£
19
.95*
Producertech
Beginner's Guide to Audio Effects
With such a wide range of audio effects on offer when producing, it can seem like a monumental task as a beginner to figure out what they all do! This course aims to make that task infinitely simpler by guiding you through all of the most popular effects, broken down into the main categories and with a plethora of examples to help with both understanding and putting them into practice.
The course begins by explaining what an insert effect is and the concept of serial processing, before going into some of the main reasons for applying effects, including changing the timbre of a sound, making its level more consistent and placing it into a virtual space to add extra dimensions to the mix.
After these initial principles have been fully outlined, the tutorials then step through the main effects in more detail, starting with the most common insert effects, EQ and compressor, whilst also looking at other popular effects in the same categories, such as filter and gate. The next module then focuses on two of the most popular effects for adding extra sound into the mix, reverb and delay, explaining in detail what they do to a signal and the various ways of using them to process sounds.
Following on from this, there is a comprehensive look at stereo processing, to help with understanding what it means for a signal to be stereo and to have properties like width, as well as how to create and control that property. With that knowledge, it becomes substantially easier to comprehend how reverb and delay affect stereo content and what some of the more complex modulation effects like chorus, flanger and phaser do.
The last module then moves on to the final category of distortion effects, guiding through amp and pedal devices, before continuing to explore overdrive and saturator. There are demonstrations of the range of processing these effects can provide, from raucous and transformative to much subtler but still hugely significant.
By the end of the course, you’ll have a much improved knowledge of why, when and how to use a wide range of different effects in music production. So enrol now to get instant access to nearly 4 hours of streamed tutorials, along with software projects and a helpful pdf guide, to get your production learning journey off the ground and start confidently using audio effects today!
£
29
.95*
Producertech
Complete Guide to Phase Plant
With its semi-modular interface and unrivalled specifications, it’s no wonder Kilohearts’ Phase Plant has won multiple awards and become one of the hottest new soft synths available today. To help you get fully up to speed with how to use it, we’ve enlisted expert sound designer and Bass Music producer Seppa to show you the ropes.
On the course, he’ll take you through every part of the gargantuan GUI and include numerous examples of how to implement many of the features, culminating in 4 lengthy sound design lessons at the end of the tutorial series, to inspire and provide you with a wealth of techniques to try out at home.
The tutorials begin with a dive into the many generators on offer, from standard analog oscillators and wavetables, to samplers and granular engines. As well as demonstrating how each individual generator works, there are examples of grouping and connectivity, showing how sounds can be shaped with filters, distortion and amplitude envelopes, as well as used as modulation sources to create spectral transformation.
After going into the range of effects on offer, including how multipass and snapheap can be employed to add multiband and parallel processing, Seppa starts working through the massive selection of modulators available. From standard envelopes and LFOs, to curves, randomisation, audio and MIDI modulators, each area is outlined and put into context, to help understand the sorts of applications in which they can be put to use.
The final section begins by explaining the various individual and global voice settings, such as unison, polyphony and tuning, before embarking on a detailed look at the wavetable editing and creation in the instrument, after which Seppa then moves onto his sound design examples, creating bass, pad, poly and lead presets.
Enrolling on the course gets you instant access to well over 4 hours of expert tuition, along with some bonus presets made by Seppa; everything you need to start making awesome sounds with Phase Plant today!
£
39
.95*
Producertech
Lead Fundamentals
Once a groove consisting of beats and bass has been locked down, adding accompanying leads can be a daunting next step for beginners. With so many different options available, it’s hard to know where to even begin! This series of courses goes from the very top, showing simple workflows for coming up with engaging rhythms and melodies, then moving onto more advanced areas of sound design and FX processing, to arm you with a wide array of techniques for making captivating leads.
This first course is designed as the perfect next step after our Bassline Fundamentals course and begins with the absolute essentials when it comes to rhythm and pitch, helping you understand what notes to play and the timing to play them with.
As leads can often be very simple whilst still being effective in a lot of styles of electronic music, the first module focuses mostly on timing, showing how a wide range of ideas can be conceived purely from a repeating sample with an interesting rhythm. This is developed later in the module by introducing various level adjustments when it comes to overall volume and also waveform envelope, all carried out by straight forward editing of samples directly on audio tracks.
The next module then moves away from one-note patterns and into the world of melodies, starting with a brief explanation of key signatures and scales, before a demonstration of 3 ideas for coming up with melodic phrases, which are put to practice in both the major and minor key. There is also a bonus lesson showing how to create your own arps, or arpeggios, which are rhythmic melodies that can be applied to both a main lead or background element with great effect, so a very useful concept to know about.
By the end of the course, you’ll be armed with a multitude of simple techniques for working with audio and MIDI to come up with a whole host of leads that can be added to electronic music of any style.
Enrolling on the course provides immediate access to the streamed tutorials, as well as the Ableton projects from the lessons and a selection of bonus lead samples to practice with - all you need to start making quality leads today!
£
19
.95*
Producertech
Lofi Hip Hop Production Techniques
UK Producer El Train has been making big waves in the Lofi Hiphop scene in recent years, with his fusion of Hip Hop, Soul, RnB and Trap landing him releases on labels like Kitsuné, Darker than Wax and Jakarta Records. On this course, he shows how to build up a quality arrangement from scratch, using samples from his Loopmasters pack and working mainly with factory instruments and effects in Logic Pro, with all techniques being easily transferrable to other DAWs.
El Train begins the course by explaining the importance of using templates to improve workflow and creativity. He then jumps straight into creating the drums, using samples and quantisation to keep them free, loose and organic sounding. He then embellishes this rhythmic basis with live-recorded percussion, as well as showing the effectiveness of using background atmospherics.
Moving on to the melodic elements of the track, El Train explores chord progressions and layering to build the harmonic backbone of the arrangement. He then records live bass, and discusses the best ways to create a convincing but interesting bassline. He continues the live recording process with some short and simple vocals, and explains how to transform and mould them into musically significant points in the track.
The course ends with a lesson on arrangement, showing how to keep your music interesting and evolving, how to pick out key moments in the track and when to use them.
Signing up gets you immediate access to the streamed tutorials, plus the project from the course and a bonus pack of samples from Al Train’s label Tone Kitchn. Check out the sample module before signing up for an example of El Train’s laid back and informative style, imparting valuable techniques and inspiration to kick start your own Lofi Hiphop production journey.
Producertech · Lofi Hip Hop Production Course Track Bounce - El Train
£
19
.95*
New
Producertech
Loopcloud Level Up
Loopcloud has been at the forefront of innovative sampling technology for almost a decade, with a platform that delivers unrivalled options not only for browsing but also sound designing. In this course, you’ll be taken from beginner right through to master level in just 3 sessions, to have you maximising the software’s potential and streamlining your music-making workflow.
After a brief introduction and quick tour of the software, Senior Tutor Rob launches into the first session, starting gradually with a simple setup that initially uses Loopcloud to find loops to go with an existing project. For the most part, this session covers all the browsing basics, including tags, attributes and AI searching, but there’s also an introduction to basic editing in the player, showing how oneshots can become useful loops in just a few clicks.
The second session then ramps up the complexity, building an entire groove within Loopcloud, making full use of the 8 tracks in the player. Patterns are made from oneshots by selecting patterns and using sample flip, then customised with simple edits in the player. Effects are also introduced, initially with fixed devices like reverb, saturation and EQ, but ending with a demonstration of how to apply LFO-modulated filtering.
By the final session, Rob is building patterns from the ground up and showing how more advanced effects automation can be utilised to take loops to the next level. Loops are chopped up and resequenced and gated pads are made, complete with increasing amounts of swing.
Enrolling on the course gets instant access to the 2 hours of streamed tutorials, along with a bonus pack of Loopcloud presets to add to your library. Sign up now to level up your skills and unleash the full potential of Loopcloud today!
£
19
.99*
Jafunk
Pro Arranging Masterclass
Once you’ve got a fully-fledged groove locked down, the ability to expand it out into a complete arrangement can sometimes seem a challenging process. In this course from Producertech resident tutor and professional producer Jafunk, you’ll learn a multitude of concepts for how to approach this task, from the development of harmony, to the flow of energy and everything in between.
Jafunk uses his recent, popular release ‘Nightlife’ as the example for the course, where he fully breaks down every aspect of the track. The first lesson provides an explanation of the concepts covered on the course, followed by an overview of how the track is structured. Subsequent to this is a detailed exploration of the theory and instrumental arranging, showing how every part in the song is carefully orchestrated into its own space in the mix.
Once a thorough outline of the musical composition of the track has been provided, Jafunk shows how the initial loop was conceived by the building up of individual components, and then how each of those parts is developed through the arrangement. Certain sections are constructed so as to tell a particular story or paint a scene, whilst others are led by harmony and musical ideas.
As well as garnering a good understanding of how to structure a vocal pop or dance track in terms of sections, the course helps with learning about energy management throughout a song and how to successfully transition from one section to the next. The latter goes into both textural and classic dance techniques, such as the use of FX and automation, as well as more musical approaches, with certain instruments also helping to build and release tension.
Enrolling on the course gives you instant access to over an hour of concise and technique-rich, streamed tutorials, in addition to the project from the course and MIDI files for the track, and even a bonus pack of Jafunk’s samples to add to your collection - the perfect set of lessons and materials to help inspire and guide you to making solid arrangements of your own.
£
12
.99*
Producertech
Pro Remixing Techniques #2 - Future Funk Squad
Remixing is a central feature of music production, allowing songs to be reshaped into completely different genres from their own. The art form requires a lot of consideration and can be a delicate balancing act between new and existing material, in the attempt to stay faithful to the original track whilst creating something with your own unique sound.
In the second course of the series, Glen Nicholls aka Future Funk Squad returns to the Producertech community to share his wealth of knowledge on the topic, having remixed the likes of The Prodigy, The Crystal Method, Nine Inch Nails and many more. On the course, he works through all of the main areas of focus, as he reworks the stems from Surround Me by Franky Scarlet featuring Ruth Royall into a driving Synthwave track.
Glen begins with a play-through of the original, then a look at the various stems, explaining which ones he plans to use and why. Then, he dives straight into the arrangement, beginning by creating the main groove, with a chunky drum break and classic Moog bassline. The original parts are chopped up to accompany the groove, with the vocal leading the different sections of the track.
In the subsequent production sessions, the chorus is beefed up by shifting to faster rhythms and additional melodies, whilst new synths are used to make background pads, old school arps and plucky leads. Choruses are separated by a breakdown and the arrangement is fleshed out with extra fills for definition and percussion to fatten up the main groove.
Throughout the modules, Glen mixes continuously as the track develops, processing sounds with EQ, compression, reverb, delay and more, directly on channels as well as via send effects on auxiliary tracks. The last module finishes off the mixing with a final review of the levels and frequencies in the mix, to make sure everything is hitting where it needs to.
Enrolling on the course provides instant access to the streamed tutorials, as well as a bonus 100MB pack of Synthwave samples from Loopmasters, providing the skills and materials you need to get making quality remixes today!
Before enrolling, check out the final release of the track on Spotify...
£
19
.95*
Producertech
Producing Liquid D&B - Creatures Pro Tips
Creatures returns to Producertech for his second Drum & Bass Course, this time focusing on the ever popular subgenre of Liquid, and he’s gifted us with a plethora of tips and tricks for taking tracks to a professional level. This is an intermediate to advanced course, for those who are already well versed in music production and Drum & Bass; a straightforward course focused on providing the producer with a variety of techniques for embellishing and improving their tracks.
The course consists of four lessons, centred around four key areas: Musicality & Theory, Sampling & Sound Design, Developing the Track and finally the Arrangement. Combining all the knowledge from these modules leaves the producer with a fully formed and professional track.
Creatures kick-starts the course by explaining the importance of melody in Liquid. The eponymous rhythm section of Drum & Bass are not the main focus here! After a quick guide to the drums so far, he then walks through the two main melodic sounds - the sub bass and hook/chords chops - before going on the hunt for supporting melodic material in the same key. Samples are introduced to the groove, which are processed with chorus, delays, reverbs and pitch-shifters, to help the sample fit sonically with the rest of the track.
After discussing the benefits of finding your own samples as opposed to sourcing them from sample packs, module 3 continues with refining and improving the samples from the second module, with further processing and creative FX tips. Creatures then finishes up the course with a lengthy look at the arrangement, implementing the structure of the track, including an intro, outro and breakdown sections, while using filters and other FX to transition between these sections smoothly. He finishes off the track with some EQing, compression and some groove-inducing sidechaining.
Enrolling provides instant access to the 1.5 hours of streamed lessons, along with the stems from the track made on the course, in addition to a bonus pack of Liquid D&B samples for trying out the techniques learned in the lessons; a wealth of information and materials to get you well on the road to producing your first Liquid D&B anthem!
£
12
.95*
Popular Courses
Producertech
Ableton Live 12 MIDI Tools Masterclass
Of all the new features in Ableton Live 12, the MIDI Generators are perhaps the most revolutionary, providing the ability to not only transform MIDI notes in unique ways but also generate them, in order to instantly create a multitude of different patterns. This has the potential to radically transform the workflows and compositional processes of everyone from beginners right through to more advanced producers. On this new masterclass from Course Director and Certified Ableton Live Trainer Rob Jones, you’ll learn to fully get to grips with all of the MIDI Generators on offer, as well as acquire a wealth of new techniques and inspiration for how to implement them in your production.
The course starts with a few lessons that tackle the general operational features and quirks of these new devices, all of which reside on the generator tab within the MIDI Editor. These aim to teach the basics when it comes to note generation, to help with understanding what they act on and when and how they can be made to create patterns. This leads to the first tool, Rhythm, which is introduced slowly via a demonstration of how very simple drum patterns are made, helping ferment a good knowledge of the main pattern controls on all tools of step length, pattern length and density. Once the basics are out the way, there’s a detailed look at a number of different practical uses of Rhythm, showing different approaches for making interesting percussion grooves, before looking exclusively at velocity handling.
In the following module, Rob dives into Stacks, a tool that makes chord and chord progression creation simpler than ever. Starting slowly in the first lesson, there’s an explanation of the controls on offer and how they’re used to select and modify chords, whilst the next lesson picks up the pace and shows the creation of a more complex chord sequence.
Rob then moves onto the last 2 main generators - Shape and Seed - both used to create melodies for the most part, although Seed has the ability to produce multiple voices in combination for dense, evolving harmonies. The 2 lessons walk through every part of each tool, showing all the functionality and various directions they can both go in.
The final main module is a lengthy set of lessons that put everything into practice by showing seven separate examples of composition, including a whole host of percussion, bass, lead and atmos creation. Despite mainly focussing on the generation and transformation of MIDI notes using tools, there are also many tips for using instruments and effects within Live to make the most of each process, helping to improve sound design, mixing and effects skills along the way.
A bonus lesson on Euclidean is also included, giving an intro to the tool and showing a number of techniques for making unique basslines.
Enrolling on the course gives students instant access to 4 hours of streamed tutorials plus the Live projects from the lessons, so sign up now to master these incredible new tools and level up your MIDI programming skills today.
£
29
.95*
Seppa
Advanced Bass Music Production Techniques 2
With its gigantic basslines and seriously heavy beats, Bass Music is regarded as amongst the most challenging genres to produce, requiring a substantial amount of knowledge and technical precision. Thankfully, one of the top producers in the field, Seppa, has returned to the Producertech community to deliver his second set of tutorials on Advanced Bass Music Techniques, sharing his accumulated experience from the last 12 years of producing professionally, so help is very much at hand!
The course begins with a series of sound design tutorials, showing how Seppa creates his varied palette of melodic and textured sounds from which the bulk of his tracks are constructed. These include 2 serious bass patches, both built from scratch with Serum and then processed with a wide range of 3rd-party and factory DAW plugins, as well as a custom delayed and pitched FX composition, which uses a default synth patch used as the basis. The final sound design session then shows how to transform an old vinyl sample into digital gold!
In the next section, Seppa moves onto beats, beginning by designing the main kick and snare, then combining them with an assortment of percussion samples, which are sequenced into a trio of solid breaks. The beats are mixed and laid out in the arrangement, forming the backbone of the first main drop section.
The last part of the course sees Seppa guiding through a lengthy series of arrangement tutorials, starting by building a fat drop and 2 accompanying variations. Textures are applied from the sound palette, as extra layers for the drums and bass, whilst melodies are added to the last passage, to form the beginnings of the first breakdown. This is then developed into a second drop, which extends the ideas from the first half, and the arrangement is then completed and any mixing issues and improvements addressed.
Signing up to the course gives you immediate access to the streamed tutorials, as well as the Ableton Live project created on the course and a 100MB bonus pack of Bass Music samples from Loopmasters. Check out the sample module before signing up and listen to the arrangement from the course, both embedded on the course page, so you can see and hear for yourself the quality of Seppa’s music and broad depth of knowledge imparted in his tutorials.
Producertech · Seppa Advanced Bass Music Production Techniques 2 - Course Track
£
29
.95*
Producertech
Advanced Guide to Synthesis
Building confidence with sound design is one of the most important aspects when creating original music and wanting your tracks to be unique. The best way to improve this is to get inside the mind of an experienced sound designer. On this course from Producertech, you’ll be guided through the creation of numerous presets in comprehensive sessions where every part of the process is clearly and concisely explained.
Course tutor Seppa is a renowned Bass Music producer and advanced sound designer and in this set of tutorials, you’ll learn all his techniques for making awesome patches with some of today’s most popular synths, namely Serum and Vital.
The first 2 modules focus purely on bass, showing different workflows for creating dirty, evolving basses, whilst always ensuring they deliver sufficient clarity and punch. The following 2 look at different leads, with a quality poly synth for playing chords, followed by a massive monophonic lead for making epic hooks. After this, Seppa moves onto pads and FX, finishing up with a wonky sequence preset for adding quirky rhythms to your tracks.
Synthesis techniques you can expect to learn on the course include wavetable creation, wave-shaping and manipulation, unison voicing application, serial and parallel filtering, extensive LFO modulation and how to process sounds with many different types of effects, such as phaser, flanger, delay, compressor, EQ, formant and comb filter, and lots more!
Signing up to the course gets you instant access to nearly 4 hours of lessons, plus the presets made along the way and 15 bonus Loopmasters patches for Serum. Enrol today to join Seppa in this epic masterclass and start creating incredible sounds of your own!
£
29
.95*
Ellie Dixon
Alt Pop Production Techniques
2-time winner of the NMG Best Female Solo Award Ellie Dixon has been featured on BBC 6 Music, ITV News and Glamour Magazine YouTube Channel. With recent singles garnering hundreds of thousands of plays on Spotify and social media channels blowing up, her ability to make Alternative Pop that captures the minds and hearts of the masses is undeniable! On this course, Ellie takes you through the main steps to producing a magical Indie Pop chorus from scratch.
The course starts by putting together the main hook and beats, to establish the foundations of the track, before a bassline is created by combining guitar with a synthesized layer from Logic’s Sculpture. The beats are then bolstered and processed with various effects to fatten up the groove. Following this, Ellie incorporates percussion sounds from multiple objects in her immediate environment, to add quirky rhythms and identifiable textures into the track.
Once the basic architecture of the chorus is in place, various melodic elements are incorporated using instruments in the DAW. These include electric and grand pianos, as well as a bell sound, which is shaped with effects and woven into a retro pop leadline. Parts are played in using a MIDI keyboard and some are bounced to audio so that additional editing and more precise arranging can be carried out.
The final 3-part module sees Ellie constructing each vocal track, beginning with the main vocal and then adding layer after layer of additional harmonies, using doubling and panning techniques to fill out the sound. Each part is edited and processed with effects to form a unified sound and sit comfortably in the mix.
Signing up to the course gets immediate access to the 2.5 hours of streamed tutorials, plus the project from the lessons and a bonus pack of Indie Pop samples from Loopmasters. Check out the sample module before signing up for an example of the course content and Ellie’s inspirational teaching style.
£
24
.95*
Producertech
Bassline Fundamentals
Bassline composition knowledge is a huge part of producing electronic music, ensuring that the low end of a track is delivering the necessary components that complete the groove. On this series of courses, you’ll learn the fundamentals of bassline creation from the ground up, covering all the principles and theory, as well as a wide range of techniques and specific examples that put everything into practice.
On this first part designed for beginners, the main focuses are the cornerstones of any bassline, which are its rhythm and pitch. By the end of the course, you’ll have a good understanding of the core aspects of timing of a bassline along with the different pitches it can play, all of which can be applied in a wide range of styles.
The rhythm module starts at the very beginning with the main note timings and demonstrations of how to create a continuous bassline with a fixed speed, showing workflows for working with samples on audio tracks in addition to within sampler instruments on MIDI tracks, explaining the differences and pros and cons of each method. Concepts like syncopation are then explained as patterns are made by repeating rhythmic motifs with varying levels, which are expanded to form longer phrases at the end of the module, taking a single oneshot sample right up to a 4-bar bassline.
At the start of the next module, a number of 1-bar basslines are added to a fixed chord loop, to show how different complimentary rhythms and octave shifts can create a series of contrasting grooves. One of the basslines is then expanded in the subsequent lesson to produce multiple 4- and 8- bar bassline examples that explore the relationship between the bassline and chords loop, as they both either remain static or move to different pitches, to understand how the harmony of the song is affected as a result. The last lesson changes up the style as a string of funky, live-sounding, melodic basslines in G minor are made, emulating a real bass guitar player through the handling of pitch and also level and timing editing techniques that create a more natural sound.
Signing up to the course gets you immediate access to the streamed tutorials, along with all the projects from the course and a selection of bonus bass samples to practice with; the complete package to take you from zero understanding to someone who can competently construct interesting and dynamic basslines in the key of your music.
£
19
.95*
Producertech
Beginner's Guide to Music Production in Ableton Live
Ableton Live is one of the most popular DAWs around, loved for its flexibility and intuitive workflow. On this brand new course from Senior Tutor and Ableton Certified Trainer Rob Jones, you’ll go from first steps with the software right through to exporting a final arrangement, and everything in between!
The course is suitable for all ages and abilities, taking students through all of the main areas of the software slowly and clearly, to help forge a thorough understanding of the different ways music can be made. Once setting up the software has been covered, Rob embarks on two hour-long lectures focussed purely on working with audio samples in session and arrangement view, respectively, showing how to lay out simple song structures in each. He then moves onto MIDI, explaining the fundamentals of working with instruments and demonstrating the numerous ways of producing melodic accompaniment.
The subsequent lessons then develop skills for editing and track building in the arrangement, as well as teaching how to create beats with Drum Racks, how to record audio and the basics of mixing, covering balancing, panning and applying a number of different effects. Other topics featured include using 3rd-party plugins, sampling with Simpler, assigning MIDI controllers, and even some bonus tutorials on working with Loopmasters Loopcloud.
By the end of the course, you’ll be able to confidently work with audio samples and MIDI instruments in Ableton, whether making simple backing beats for performing with session view or more fleshed out songs in the arrangement.
The 10 hours of streamed tutorials come with the projects from the modules, plus written notes providing a neat summary of the content of each lesson, along with a bonus 500MB pack of samples from Loopmasters to kick start your personal sample library! In addition, there are assignments at certain stages throughout the course, with extra materials provided for practicing all of the different techniques learned in the tutorials.
Check out the sample module for an example of the teaching style and course content, so you can see for yourself how much there is to learn from Rob’s experience and software knowledge, which will have you on the road to becoming a serious music producer in no time!
£
99
.95*
Rich Defazed
Cutting Edge Sound Design with Serum
Master one of the most powerful and innovative new software synthesisers on the market today, Xfer Records’ Serum, with this new course from Producertech tutor Defazed. With a background producing a variety of styles including Drum and Bass, Glitch Hop and experimental electronic music, Defazed brings a wealth of experience and sound design knowledge to the table.
With a hands on approach from the outset, Defazed guides you through the intricate workings of this advanced wavetable synth, explaining in detail all the features of Serum, including the LFOs, custom wavetables, inbuilt FX and the multitude of routing and modulation possibilities available, thus enabling you to create awesome sounds from the outset. As well as guiding you through the theoretical background of Serum, Defazed also showcases how this knowledge can be applied in a practical sense. Throughout the course he constructs a variety of patches that make full use of Serum’s immense sound design possiblities. These include an EDM style bass and lead, a cinematic evolving pad, a complex sequenced patch and a riser FX, all built entirely from scratch.
The course is available for streaming 24/7/365 after purchase, and includes the Ableton Live set from the course, as well as the Serum patches created in the tutorials. For more information, check out the course trailer and sample module on the media tab.
£
29
.95*
Simon Shackleton
Essential Beats Production Techniques Part 1
Drums lay at the core of every good track, providing the rhythmic energy and beating heart of the music. Making sure that those drums are solid and satisfying is therefore an essential part of producing high quality tracks. On this in-depth course, experienced producer Simon Shackleton will take you on a journey as he builds up a number of complete grooves from the ground up, explaining every decision meticulously along the way.
The first part of the course focuses on a Jackin’ House or Tech House beat, starting with the kick, which is designed using a combination of samples and sub bass, before moving on to the accompanying hats and snares. A large selection of loops are hand-picked, chopped-up and artfully combined, using effects within custom-made channel strips to carry out the various processing required.
Claps are then added to the groove, with 2 different workflows demonstrated. The first is a simple but highly effective do-it-yourself approach that includes recording claps, then editing the clips together to form a multi-layered, continually varying clap. The second meanwhile, shows a quicker technique that involves a 3rd-party plugin.
Additional layers of percussion are then incorporated, with a jackin' loop initially to add syncopation and interesting textures, followed by high frequency shakers and tambourine, designed to be used in isolation or combination as desired. The final module then delves into methods for applying ‘layers of intrigue’, meaning extra samples for fills and breakdowns, and various ways of using both insert and send effect processing to create depth, anticipation and much more!
Once you’ve enrolled on the course, you’ll have instant 24/7 access to 4 hours of streamed tutorials, as well as downloads of the projects from each module, and finally a bonus pack of drum samples from Loopmasters. Sample modules are available as examples of the course style and content, so you can see how articulate and engaging a tutor Simon is before signing up. Enrol now to start learning from a master in the field and turbo charge your beats production knowledge today!
£
29
.95*
Paul Maddox
Essential Techno Sound Design
Producertech’s resident House and Techno guru Paul Maddox returns to teach some of the most fundamental sound design techniques for creating melodic, rhythmic and atmospheric parts in your tracks. Using entirely Ableton instruments and effects, including many devices brand new to Live 10, Paul makes basslines, leads, percussion, FX and other essential components for producing high quality Techno or House.
Paul has been producing and DJing for nearly 20 years, under his own name and as part of duo Spektre, with his music receiving recognition from revered DJs such as Carl Cox, Richie Hawtin and James Zabiela. Alongside his professional music career, he has also worked tirelessly to pass on his production knowledge by teaching in both physical institutions and online in his highly acclaimed courses for Producertech.
In this course, Paul focuses solely on sound design, showing how the instruments and effects in Live can be used to make the main musical or textural parts in a track. Lesson subjects include how to make a classic drone bass, synth arp and percussive FM leads, polyrhythmic vocals, ambience atmos FX and much more. As well as utilising longtime favourites in the Ableton factory library like Operator and Sampler, Paul also delves into some of the brand new devices in Live, like the Wavetable synth, and Echo and Pedal effects.
Before signing up to the course, which entitles you to unrestricted 24/7 access to the streamed tutorials, the Live projects from the course and 100MB of bonus Techno samples, check out the free sample modules, so you have a good idea of the style and content of the lessons, which will get you well on your way to producing your own slamming Techno today!
£
19
.95*
Producertech
Groove Fundamentals
Groove is a ubiquitous term in music production, appearing on hardware like drum machines, within editors in DAWs and on many software instruments too, but what is it actually referring to? This course answers this very question, with a detailed exploration of groove handling within a range of different applications, to help you become a master of the groove!
Most people tend to think of groove when producing beats, as it’s a parameter most commonly found when creating rhythmic patterns like drums. As such, the lessons begin by explaining the most popular forms of groove, which are 1/8- and 1/16- note swing. This is done through the creation of a classic jazz cymbal pattern at full and half speeds.
After some initial theory is covered, the next module shows how that theory applies when making House beats, as more syncopated percussion is combined with the main drums. This is developed further as rhythmic melodies like basslines and arps are added into the mix, which need a similar treatment when it comes to groove, to ensure all sounds are working together. Another module looks at manual groove handling, showing how loop timing can be adjusted through audio warping and regular editing, so that a consistent groove is achieved.
The last module demonstrates the ways groove is handled in 2 popular DAWs, Logic Pro and Ableton Live, with the latter being investigated further in a subsequent lesson to show more unique features like groove extraction, randomisation and volume modulation.
Enrolling on the course provides instant access to over 90 minutes of tutorials, as well as the software projects and written notes from the lessons, so sign up now to firm up your production knowledge and start making tight grooves today!
£
9
.95*
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