Do you want to learn how to use music software online?
Browse Producertech's complete library of Online Music Software Courses, designed to help you learn a variety of DAWs (Including Ableton Live, Logic Pro and Reason), software synths (Massive, Serum, Omnisphere), digital DJing and other music production software. The courses are designed with different levels in mind, from beginner tutorials and complete guides, right through to advanced masterclasses from professional music producers.
Scroll down or use the menu to see all of Producertech's software courses.
Software Courses
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*
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*
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
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*
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
Beginner's Guide to Synthesis
With the huge range of synthesisers available today, comprising both DAW factory instruments and 3rd party synth plugins, a knowledge of how to use them is an essential part of modern production. This course aims to give you all of the fundamental skills and confidence to tackle sound design with any synthesiser with ease, to enable easier patch editing and creation of your own presets from scratch.
The tutorials work through all of the main sections of a synth, including oscillators, filters, envelopes, LFOs, arpeggiators and more, explaining the function and control set of each one. To make the course as universal as possible, a wide range of synths are featured in the tutorials, with many of the most popular synth plugins and DAW built-in instruments shown.
The tutorials are punctuated with white board demonstrations, to help convey the main synthesising principles, combined with numerous examples of patch creation every step of the way. Students will learn how much can be done with relatively little on a synth, whilst also absorbing a wealth of techniques that will provide a solid foundation for designing many different types of sound. Although the course is primarily aimed at beginners, due to the technical nature of sound design, the level is mostly intermediate with an occasional foray into more advanced territory in one or two places!
Signing up to the course provides immediate access to 3 hours of streamed tutorials, as well as an included assessment, to provide some interactive feedback on students’ synthesising knowledge. As with all Producertech courses, free sample module(s) are available to enable viewing of excerpts before signing up, for an example of the course style and content, which will have you mastering synthesis in no time!
£
19
.95*
Producertech
The Art of Sampling
Sampling is perhaps the most popular means of creating musical parts in modern production, inherent in a vast number of applications, from drum construction, to leads, to FX. This course covers all of the core concepts of sampling, using a range of DAW factory and 3rd party plugin instruments, providing students with a fundamental understanding of how to confidently work with whatever samplers they own.
Alongside lessons on many of the standard sampler parameters and behavioural aspects, including root note and transposition, start and end controls and looping, and the main types of envelope, there are numerous examples of how to apply techniques in the creation of unique and natural-sounding parts. Examples include pitch-shifted and modulated percussion, old school and current vocal presets, classic basses and velocity-modulated hats.
Once all areas of single-sampling have been covered, the lessons move on to multi-sampling, initially explaining the main considerations like keyboard mapping and velocity zones. Following this, there is a step-by-step guide to sampling a vintage accordion, teaching students how to convert any instrument in their studio into a multi-sampled patch.
Accompanying the streamed tutorials from the course are both the samples from the lessons and a 100MB bonus pack of varied oneshots and loops, giving students both the physical materials required for sampling and the ability to competently use them!
£
19
.95*
Producertech
Jungle Production Fundamentals
Nomine (aka Andrew Ferguson) is a hugely experienced Producer, DJ and audio engineer whose journey through the UK's dance music scene began over 20 years ago. Initially known as Outrage, Andrew was one of the pioneers of the jungle sound, DJing on Rinse FM in the station’s early pirate days and releasing tracks on Goldie’s Metalheadz label. With his more recent music now appearing on labels such as Tempa, Dubzilla Recordings and his own Nomine Sound, alongside lecturing at the University of Bedfordshire and SAE, you can trust in Nomine to deliver a truly insightful, and infinitely useful, series of tutorials on Jungle production.
With over five hours of comprehensive videos, this massive course will teach you all of the ins and outs of creating Jungle, the fast paced and instantly recognisable genre that's been tearing up dancefloors since the early 90s. You'll gain a deep understanding of the classic sounds that can be found in countless tracks, as well as a detailed look at Nomine's meticulous approach to engineering and refined production methodology. Not content to just show you what he does, the course is also packed with workflow tips and tricks to transport your production abilities to the next level.
With unlimited availability after purchase, the course and accompanying materials are available to stream online 24/7/365. Included with the course are 120MB of bonus Jungle Samples, courtesy of Loopmasters, for use in your own productions. Check out the trailer and sample module now to kick-start your Jungle production journey today!
£
39
.95*
Simon Shackleton
Pro Remixing Techniques #1 - Simon Shackleton
Remixing is a central feature of music production, allowing songs to be reformed 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 first course of the series, Simon Shackleton joins the Producertech community to share his wealth of knowledge on the topic, having remixed the likes of Grandmaster Flash, Groove Armada and many more. On the course, he works through all of the main areas of focus, as he reworks the stems from Ellie Dixon’s Alt Pop Production Techniques course into a slamming House track.
After discussing a bit of history and some of the main objectives, Simon briefly reviews the provided material, before starting to work on the initial core of the remix. One of the bounced stems is used as the cornerstone, which is timestretched, reversed and processed with effects, to help mould it into suitable foundations for the groove. This is then enhanced with kick and bass layers to fill out the rhythm section and create the main drop section of the track.
Subsequent modules then look at how various melodic parts are treated, with vocal backing and piano lines becoming sweeping textural layers that seamlessly weave the original stems into the arrangement whilst adding the necessary stabs and FX. The main vocal also becomes the central idea in one section, with the remix’s intelligently selected tempo allowing for more options when it comes to time stretching and repitching.
The course ends with an explanation of how additional instruments can be incorporated, to deliver new melodic ideas and atmospheric content that improves flow and fills out the mix, before some final words of advice from Simon to wrap things up.
Enrolling on the course provides instant access to the streamed tutorials and the course project, as well as a bonus 100MB pack of House samples from Loopmasters; everything you need to get making quality House remixes today!
Before enrolling, take a listen to the track from the course...
Producertech · Pro Remixing Techniques #1 - Simon Shackleton Course Project Bounce
£
19
.95*
Jafunk
Funk Bass Production Masterclass
Producing basslines with all the soulfulness and funk of a skilled bassist can be tricky without any knowledge of how to put them together. Understanding the theory and composition, as well as how to jam and perform with a keyboard, will transform the process into something that not only produces great results but is also a lot of fun!
On this course from Jafunk, you’ll learn both the methodology behind playing basslines and the subsequent processing required to ensure the bass sounds professional and cuts through the mix.
The first half of the 2-hour course is devoted to the theory and playing styles, broken down into easily digestible chunks to allow for easier absorbing and practicing of every technique. Lessons include tips for learning keys and scales, mastering intervals like octaves and fifths, with chromatic inflections, pitch bends and slides, chords and key modulation, and lots more.
By the end of part 1, you’ll have learned all of the fundamental theory needed to play seriously funky bass on a MIDI keyboard, with numerous examples shown along the way, to help cement your understanding.
Part 2 then delves into the production side, beginning with synth patch editing and then exploring each of the plugins in Jafunk’s bass FX chain, which includes saturation, bass maximisation, series and parallel compression, and EQ. There is also a bonus section looking at processing recorded bass guitar, including some audio editing and gating techniques, followed by the ways FX processing differs to synth bass.
Enrolling on the course gets you instant access to the streamed tutorials, plus Jafunk’s practice Ableton Live project and MIDI clips from the theory section, along with a bonus pack of bass samples for adding to your collection; all you need to get making quality funk basslines 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*
Kaelin Ellis
Hip Hop Production Techniques with Kaelin Ellis
One of the most exciting Hip Hop producers to grace the industry in recent times is Kaelin Ellis, having received recognition for his music mainly via social media channels initially, where he shared tracks with the likes of Kaytranada, amongst others. More recently, his production talents have been featured in collaboration with another online legend, Marc Rebillet. Now coming to the Producertech community, Kaelin has created a set of tutorials that takes you through his production process, as he creates a Hip Hop arrangement from the ground up in Ableton Live.
After a short introduction, in which Kaelin mentions how he normally finds inspiration for a track and then provides an outline of his Ableton Live template project, he gets started with the beats, beginning with some quick beat boxing to sketch out the initial idea. This is then edited and bolstered with additional samples, which are processed with various individual and drum buss effects.
He then creates a number of different melodic ideas, including arpeggiated and sustained chords sequences with custom made patches designed in realtime, underpinned with a simple bassline to complete the groove. Once all the sounds and ideas are laid down, parts are arranged into a track, with careful selection and development of parts, combined with effects automation and creative layering techniques. Once the arrangement is done, Kaelin provides a quick bonus lesson to talk a little more about his favourite Acid FX rack.
Enrolling on the course gets you immediate access to the streamed tutorials, plus the Ableton Live project from the lessons and a bonus 100MB pack of Hip Hop samples from Loopmasters. Enrol now to join Kaelin in his studio and acquire fresh production knowledge and materials to start making quality Hip Hop today!
£
12
.95*
Paul Maddox
Raw Techno Production Techniques
Techno legend Paul Maddox, one half of Spektre and resident course creator, returns to deliver a new set of tutorials on producing raw Techno in Ableton Live. With a wealth of production and teaching experience combined with an extensive knowledge of the software, these tutorials are a must-have for anyone wanting to learn the essentials for making heavy Techno tracks of their own.
On the course, Paul shows the fundamentals for building up a techno track, through 2 separate groove examples, with increasing intensity. The first groove has a deeper and dubbier vibe, with a hypnotic, tribal bass and filtered piano stab, whilst the second is an even more full-on, super high energy track with a wonky synth lead line driving the groove.
All the parts are made using factory samples from Live’s library, mostly 707s, with an additional foley recording from Paul’s collection, whilst melodic parts are designed from the ground up using Sampler and Wavetable. As well as learning how to design and sequence parts, you’ll acquire a wealth of mixing knowledge and some different approaches to creating an arrangement, with both manual layout and timeline recording included.
Signing up to the course gives you immediate access to over 2 hours of streamed tutorials, along with the projects made and a 100MB bonus pack of Techno samples from Loopmasters. Check out the free sample lesson before signing up, for an example of Paul’s clear teaching style and technique-laden video content, which will enrich your production skillset and have you making Techno bangers in no time!
£
19
.95*
Producertech
Keeping Production Simple - Advanced D&B Masterclass
With many of the more technical genres being known for their complexity, newcomer to Producertech Creatures is aiming to help simplify the methodology involved by sharing his concise and relatively minimal approach to production. Although the techniques covered aren’t suitable for complete beginners, and some software and production knowledge is required to follow along, his clean and straightforward workflow offers an inspirational approach to making electronic music.
The course consists of three half an hour lessons, exploring the construction of beats, bass and FX, in order to create a meaty 48-bar drop. In the first session, he outlines his template project, highlighting several time-saving features with regards to track grouping and send effects, before putting together the drums. Samples are combined and edited, as well as processed with various effects, and a number of grooving, pulsing cymbal layers are applied for additional textures and energy.
The second lesson sees Creatures getting more into sound design, showing how a cool sub patch can be made from scratch and then used to underpin the beats. He then shows how distortion and reverb can be used to create the characteristic bass sound, splitting parts into different frequency bands so that parallel effects processing can be carried out. As an alternative suggestion to purely working in MIDI, he provides another method involving resampling and audio editing, which is an even easier but just as effective way of working, offering maximum control and great results.
Finally, there is a deep dive into FX layers, looking at how additional samples or existing sounds in the track can be used to add the necessary textural layers and tension management required for this kind of arrangement.
Enrolling on the course gives you immediate access to 90 mins of tutorials, along with the project from the lessons and a bonus pack of D&B samples from Loopmasters, so you’ll have a fresh set of inspiration and some extra materials to add to your library.
£
12
.95*
Producertech
Tech House Production with Loopcloud Part 2
Continuing on from Part 1, this set of tutorials aims to take you from a basic knowledge of Loopcloud and song arranging to a much improved level of understanding, empowering you to produce quality House music of your own.
Picking up from where the last course left off, senior tutor Rob Jones starts the ball rolling with an in depth look at the basic arrangement and a discussion about how to take it to the next level, explaining concepts like anticipation and release, and how different effects can be used to embellish the arrangement, improve definition in the overall structure and manage expectations. A set of goals for how to proceed is then laid out.
The subsequent lessons then show how to use Loopcloud to add the necessary components, either by searching and previewing readymade loops, creating custom loops from oneshots with factory presets, or making totally unique patterns from scratch. Techniques increase in complexity as drum fills are added, along with impacts and risers of various kinds.
By the end of the course, you’ll not only have a thorough grasp of what makes an engaging House arrangement, but also how to use Loopcloud to quickly and easily make the necessary FX layers to achieve it.
Signing up gets you immediate access to over 2 hours of tutorials, as well as all the Loopcloud presets from the lessons, plus a bonus pack of House samples from Loopmasters.
£
14
.95*
Singomakers DnB
Singomakers Presents Drum & Bass Production Course
Producertech are happy to present another course from quality label Singomakers, on ADVANCED Drum & Bass Music Production!
5 Hours of Secrets and Tips for Mixing, Mastering, Sound Design, Creation of a Track From Scratch, Ideas for Inspiration and more!
Here you will discover many tricks on how to make your sound Fat and Dynamic, Present and Powerful, how to create Catchy Arrangements and unique and interesting Sounds!
In these videos Singomakers are using plugins from Sonic Academy, Voxengo, Fabfilter, A.O.M. Factory, Xfer Records, DMGAudio, Sample Magic, Valhalla, Softube, Audified, D16, Cableguys, Eventide, Arturia, Izotope, Camel Audio, Kush Audio, UVI, Reveal Sound, U-he, IK Multimedia but all this settings and tricks can be applied in any DAW to any other plugins.
In detail expect to find 33 Episodes – 5 hours of video tutorials, including:
26 Sound Design Videos (creation of Basses, Leads, Pads, Kicks, Snares, FX and more)
3 DNB Drops & Track Arrangement from Scratch videos
Phat Bass Processing Video
Mixing DNB Basses
Drum & Bass Beats Dynamics
Drum & Bass Mastering Video
Don’t miss this ultimate chance to improve your Drum & Bass music production skills and step to the NEXT LEVEL!
REQUIREMENTS/PREREQUESITES:
• Serum (for all sound design modules) - a good knowledge of the synth is recommended
• a DAW e.g. Ableton Live or Logic Pro - a competent ability is recommended so techniques can be easily replicated
Sample Module - Bass Sounds Design 01
£
39
.95*
Seppa
Making Samples Your Own
With sampling techniques forming the basis of so much of today’s music, having a trusted sample collection to hand is a great way of speeding up your workflow and defining your sound. On this course from experienced producer and sound designer Seppa, you’ll learn an abundance of methods for modifying samples in various ways, to polish the sound or create completely unique textures of your own.
The course begins by transforming a vocal sample into an atmospheric FX soundscape using parallel delay chains and spectral resonance, as well as a modified version that maintains more of the character of the original sample. A regular piano is then used as the source for a modulating, filtered lead, perfect for the intro or breakdown of a track.
Seppa then builds an effects chain for processing various drum breaks, to tend to the dynamics, transients and spectral content, so they’re 100% ready for dropping into a track. On a more radical note, simple drum oneshots are run through multiple randomised devices to completely mix things up and produce endless captivating moments, ideal for making interesting fills and adding excitement to an arrangement.
There are also lessons on rhythm-mapping, where the dynamics of one sample are used to shape the frequencies of another, creating a DIY vocoder-style effect. Whether you’re looking to make the most of your samples, acquire some new inspiration for sound design without synthesisers, or improve your knowledge of audio effects processing, this course will deliver a wealth of techniques to up your game!
Sign up today to get instant access to 3 hours of streamed tutorials, plus the Ableton Live project Seppa builds along the way, as well as a bonus 50MB pack of samples for your own manipulating pleasure!
£
29
.95*
Producertech
Tech House Production with Loopcloud Part 1
Loopmasters’ award-winning, cloud-based sample curation and sequencing software Loopcloud makes producing music in a particular genre, such as House, easier than ever! In this short tutorial series, designed for complete beginners to production, you’ll learn how to use Loopcloud to create all the building blocks you need to produce a quality Tech House track in your music software.
The course runs through setting up Loopcloud in the DAW then some of the basics when it comes to sample browsing, showing how to quickly and easily find relevant drum oneshots for making House. This is followed by a demonstration of how to take those oneshots and instantly sequence them into loops in the player, so they can be exported as custom-made samples into your music software.
After a guide to using multiple tracks in the player, which shows how different samples can be combined together to form comprehensive musical ideas, the included course session files for beats and melodies are opened up in Loopcloud, then fully explained, before loops are exported and laid out to form an 8-bar groove.
The course ends with an introduction to track arranging, showing very simple techniques for using the exported loops to build up the different sections like intro, breakdown and drop. Although the tutorials use Ableton Live, all techniques are very straight forward and easily transferable to any other music software.
Enrolling on the course gives you immediate 24/7 access to an hour of streamed tutorials, plus the Loopcloud session and pattern files from the course. With Loopcloud being completely free software, everything shown in the course can be done simply by downloading the installer and following the instructions in the tutorials. Sign up to kick off your music production journey and start making banging House music with Loopcloud today!
£
9
.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*
Producertech
Complete Guide to Loopcloud 6
Loopmasters award-winning free software suite Loopcloud has garnered ever increasing amounts of attention since its release in 2017. With updates coming regularly and bringing with them huge new feature additions, the main Loopcloud app has gone from a sample library manager to a powerful tool for building musical ideas. This new course from Senior Tutor Rob Jones is a detailed guide to using the app to make music, which covers both the basics and advanced operation, so that beginners and more experienced users can learn ways of using Loopcloud most productively.
The course begins with a walkthrough of the app interface, to help cement the core functionality and basics of sample searching, before providing a quick intro to the player and the full extent of its reach. In the next module, Rob then goes back to basics with a slow workflow that builds up a groove by finding various loops, which are exported individually from the player into the DAW. He ends the module by showing the benefits of working in multitrack mode, where loops can be combined within Loopcloud to get further in the creative process before spending any points!
To further develop an understanding of the player’s multitrack feature, Rob embarks on 2 pattern editing modules that show how to create beats and melodic ideas, respectively, increasing in complexity as the lessons progress. These modules look at many of the editing tools in the player, showing how to customise pattern presets as well as create your own from scratch, and even start to delve into how to apply automated effects. Module 5 then takes this a stage further with a number of inspirational examples of advanced pattern creation, showing how the player can be used as a tool for making instant loops, whether they’re traditional FX fillers or more experimental, glitchy phrases.
The course ends with an example of how Loopcloud can be used to make more complete arrangements, when pushed to its limits! Although not something that’s recommended or certainly its intended use, it’s an interesting way of summarising everything covered on the course, showing some additional techniques for working in the player and also throwing in some bonus arrangement tips too.
Signing up to the course provides immediate access to nearly 7 hours of streamed tutorials, along with the Loopcloud presets from the lessons and a bonus set of patterns for manipulating bass samples. Sample modules are available so you can check out the content and teaching style in advance, before enrolling and learning to master Loopcloud for yourself.
And for an example of how much can be achieved in Loopcloud alone, check out the track Rob builds purely in the app in the last module of the course....
Producertech · Bass House Arrangement - Full Track MADE PURELY IN LOOPCLOUD!
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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
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Producertech
Track Production in Maschine MK3
Now in version 2.13, Native Instruments Maschine has seen improvements that have taken it from the humblest beginnings when it comes to song arrangement, to a flexible and fully-featured timeline. Following on from the Complete Guide to Maschine MK3, which covered all of the basics of working with the software/hardware combo, Producertech Senior Tutor Rob Jones now returns to use the latest version to produce a Future Funk track from scratch.
Rob begins the course by building up the beats, which are created using a combination of step and 16-velocity modes, editing events and processing sounds with insert and send effects entirely from the hardware. He then works his way through all of the melodies, starting with the main chords progression, played with a Vintage Organs preset, and then adding pads, leads, arps and bass.
Percussion and Vocal samples are then sourced from Loopcloud to show how easily the free app integrates with Maschine, and how sounds can be imported and worked into patterns using Maschine’s Audio device. All parts are then woven together into an arrangement, starting by creating scenes in ideas mode, before moving into song mode to lay them out into sections along the timeline.
Rob also shows how patterns can be converted into clips, the most recent big addition to Maschine, making arranging even more flexible and intuitive. The course finishes up with a look at the next steps, whether that’s exporting audio to obtain a completed track or stems, or routing sounds into the DAW.
Signing up to the course provides immediate access to the streamed tutorials, as well as the project made along the way and even a bonus Maschine Kit made exclusively for the course. Check out the sample module before signing up for an example of the course style and content.
£
29
.95*
Producertech
Creating Future House & Pop
Ukrainian duo Cyborgs have returned to Producertech.com to share their techniques for creating Future House & Pop anthems, this time in Ableton Live. In this 5-hour tutorial series, they go from an empty project to a mastered track, ready to be sent to a label or uploaded to SoundCloud.
Cyborgs have been producing professionally since 2014 and had releases on huge labels like Sony and Armada Music, with support from Tiesto and many other international DJs. Their sound encompasses many styles of popular dance music, from heavy Bass House to mainstream Pop.
The course begins by constructing beats using a number of loops from one of their Loopmasters sample packs. They then add the main chords hook and design a bassline from the ground up with Xfer Serum. Once all of the main elements are in place, they embellish the intro, break and drop sections with a plethora of melodic accompaniment, including guitar, strings, piano and various pads. Finally, a multitude of FX and additional percussion are used to add the necessary dressing.
After the initial arranging is complete, the duo embark on a trilogy of detailed mixing modules, working on drums, drop melodies and then sounds from the intro and break. Techniques include shaping frequencies with EQ and filtering, and adding multi-band compression and saturation. The course ends by tweaking the arrangement to add fills and automation that improve the flow and keep things interesting, before providing a comprehensive mastering module working with iZotope Ozone.
Signing up to the course grants immediate access to 5 hours of streamed tutorials, as well as links for downloading the project and track from the course plus a bonus 50MB pack of Future House samples from Loopmasters. Check out the free sample module before signing up for an example of the course content and listen to the completed arrangement on the Producertech SoundCloud page embedded below.
Producertech · Future House & Pop Production by Cyborgs - Course Arrangement
£
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Jafunk
Future Funk Production Techniques
Combining the best elements of Funk, Neosoul and Disco, Future Funk is a highly engaging style of music that delivers a deeply human touch, whilst also satisfying the need for an electronic punch! Hailing from Australia but now residing in Berlin, producer Jafunk not only captures the true spirit of the style but also possesses an innate ability to describe his music making process in an accessible and captivating way. In his debut Producertech course, he takes you through a workflow where he builds up beats and melodies using sampling and synthesising techniques, to create a Future Funk arrangement from scratch.
Jafunk has been producing music for over a decade, bringing out numerous releases on Unity Records and working with artists like Mark Knight, Chromeo and Fabich. Many of his tracks have accumulated millions of plays on Spotify, with his uplifting style creating buzzing tracks with mass appeal. Alongside this, he has produced a number of sample packs for Loopmasters and even found time to teach as well. As is obvious from the course, he’s a natural teacher and has no problems communicating his workflow, despite delving into some of the more theoretical sides of production.
The course begins with a look at how Jafunk makes beats, as he builds up all of the main drums and percussion. Particular attention is paid to the sequencing, as he applies subtle randomness and variation, whilst multiple layers are used to create a massive sound. He then moves onto the melodies, describing some of the fundamental aspects of coming up with a Funk or Soul chords progression, and how all of the different accompanying instrumental parts are made from that. Once all of the sounds are in place, he uses a subtractive process complete with various automation to create the arrangement.
Signing up to the course provides immediate access to over 2 hours of streamed tutorials, along with a download of the course project and even a bonus samples pack from Loopmasters. For more info, check out the sample module from the course, as well as a bounce of the arrangement, which can be found on the Producertech SoundCloud page. Furthermore, the Producertech Membership provides access to this course as well as all others on the Producertech site, in addition to weekly livestreams from tutors including Jafunk, and lots more!
Producertech · Producertech Course Demo Track
£
24
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