Dubstep and the Bass Set Starts Again

Like pulsate & bass and jungle before information technology, dubstep showcases the inventiveness of British urban music. We explain some of its fundamental product techniques, from 'wobbly' bass lines to half‑time pulsate programming.

New genres announced on an nigh daily basis in electronic music, only few have had the touch of dubstep. From the grimy nightclubs of Croydon to mainstream radio airplay, via high‑profile endorsement from acts as disparate as Snoop Dogg and Radiohead, its meteoric rise is unrivalled. With roots in the predominantly London‑flavoured two‑step and grime scenes, where experimental garage remixes were often made with FL Studio, dubstep has evolved its own product values that have set new precedents for the treatment of depression‑end frequencies.

Labels like Tempa and Hyperdub laid the foundations with artists such every bit Horsepower Productions, Kode9, Skream, Benga and Burial. Not to exist outdone, Dub Police and Sub Soldiers exposed us to Caspa and Rusko, two of the scene'due south about pop international ambassadors; they play to a weekly global audience of thousands. Throw in Skream'south platinum‑selling remix of La Roux's 'In For The Kill' and you've got yourself a new sonic phenomenon.

Technical

Dubstep's main characteristics lie in its rhythms, bass and dark sound, with heavy use of spatial atmospherics, low‑end frequencies and swing. Initially based around a garage‑influenced, two‑step kick and snare beat, the genre has evolved over the concluding few years, with an increasing number of tracks containing a half‑step rhythm. This has go the form of dubstep that near people will be familiar with, and it's a characteristic that distinguishes it from most other trip the light fantastic toe music.

Dubstep besides has many similarities to drum & bass: both rely on the use of shuffled and syncopated how-do-you-do‑hat patterns to give the beats movement, and heavy sub‑bass for warmth and depth. The tempo of dubstep is mostly around the 140bpm mark, which provides potential for DJs to mix information technology with breakbeat, whilst an increasing number of drum & bass DJs are using dubstep in their sets also.

Although there are stylistic similarities between dubstep and drum & bass, the latter has suffered from stagnation in the past through the over-employ of various techniques, samples and sounds. One of the nearly exciting elements of dubstep is the freedom to move away from a ready song structure and the reliance on breaks and bass drops. Similar virtually forms of electronic dance music, a lot of dubstep is created for the dancefloor and produced to exist heard on a loud sound organisation. Because the music is typically driven past its sub‑bass, it tin be difficult to experience the full effect of dubstep on an inferior system such as computer speakers or earphones.

Wall Of Sound

A key feature of dubstep production is the use of atmospherics and textures to create a full and spacious mix. The use of silence, pads and modest keys builds tension and expresses emotion. Fifty-fifty though dubstep is dominated by bass and beats, they are softened by a dub reggae‑influenced utilize of echo, reverb and panoramic stereo to add depth and space.

Good examples of these techniques come from drum & bass‑turned‑dubstep duo Kryptic Minds and Mercury Prize nominee Burial, in particular the latter'due south utilize of obscure samples, pitch‑shifting and overlaying effects. Burial's work is very dissimilar to the majority of commercially successful and dancefloor‑friendly dubstep tracks, and bears a lot of similarities to works by Brian Eno or Philip Glass.

In my quest to determine what would fit best in an informative dubstep tutorial, I asked numerous producers, and at that place was a unanimous verdict: inform people that making dubstep is more than just automating a filter cutoff to make a 'wobbly' bass line. Although I volition look at how to make the type of wobbly bass line that has get synonymous with the genre, yous only take to investigate my recommended listening (see box) to hear the variety and contrast dubstep has to offer.

Kicking & Sub

There is no ready method to making dubstep. A lot of tracks are built around their dominant low‑frequency elements, namely the sub‑bass and boot drum. If you take chosen a sample or programmed a hook that you think you can be the basis of a dubstep rail, by all means work from that first, but equally there is an emphasis on the lower stop of the sonic spectrum, it is essential that y'all select a kicking and sub‑bass that gel together.

Equally in many electronic styles, drums are commonly created through overlaid samples. Try to merge contrasting sounds together when making your drum tracks, as the tendency to overlay similar‑sounding samples volition have a negative effect on the sound. And don't be agape of diverseness: try using hip‑hop or business firm kicks alongside more obviously dubstep‑friendly sounds. Yous could even use a pitched‑down basketball game bouncing. If a more organic sound is what you lot're after, use live or ethnic drum samples. It'due south e'er best to have an abundance of decent drum samples available, as each individual kick, snare or hat sample tin completely alter the dynamic of your track, particularly the shuffle and swing aspect.

The use of unmarried or multiple sine waves is a skillful starting point for making dubstep sub‑bass. There is no harmonic content in a straight sine wave, and the C0‑C1 octave range will produce a primal frequency sitting at approximately thirty‑60Hz. When picking a kick pulsate sound, therefore, there is no point in choosing a really bassy 808 kick-pulsate sample, as information technology will non piece of work well with such a sub‑bass. Instead, start with a kick drum that hits college upwards the frequency spectrum than the sub-bass: that way, the two will non sound muddy in the mix. (You could, of grade, use an 808 sample for your sub‑bass itself...)

Bated from selecting elements that friction match each other, there are several means of making parts sit well together in the mix. One of the easiest methods is to use EQ to cut abroad unwanted frequency ranges. It's always improve to accept away frequencies than to boost them; if your drum sample is lacking low‑cease presence, EQ can add it, simply it will sound better if you apply one that has that presence in the kickoff place.

Something that has become quite popular in electronic dance music is the apply of a side‑chained compressor to 'duck' the volume of the sub‑bass when the boot drum hits. This is a great way of making sure the boot cuts through in the mix, but it shouldn't be seen as the be‑all and end‑all, and there are certain techniques that tin can assist it work ameliorate. One such is to duplicate the kick-drum rails and use a closed hullo‑hat audio instead of a kicking-drum sample to trigger the compressor. A hi‑lid hit has a shorter tail than a kicking drum, meaning that the resulting ducking volition be shorter and non audio laboured. To make sure the hat isn't part of the mix, give it a dedicated channel and mute information technology from the master out.

Snares & Claps

Reverberated snare drums play heavily in dubstep'southward brand‑up — accept Skream's remix of 'In For The Kill' as an instance. To obtain a typical dubstep snare drum, y'all need to layer a snare sample, or multiple snare drums, with a clap. A snare drum that punches in at around 200Hz is a good place to beginning; the clap will take care of the high end. So, past using a reverb upshot on the layered samples, yous can add the space and width you demand. In that location are no set parameters for layering snare drums or adding reverb: it's all about defining the sound you want to create. If you're interested in making club‑friendly dubstep, each attribute will demand to be fine‑tuned and balanced so the mix volition audio good on a loud sound arrangement. If you lot're hoping to make more expressive or abstract dubstep, the freedom is all yours. You can choose to use annihilation you want as a drum sample, and innovation is good.

To illustrate dubstep programming, I've created some instance patterns using a bones drum rack in Ableton Live. As yous'll encounter, I'thou using two boot drums — ane low and one loftier — a snare, a clap, a rimshot, three closed hi‑hats, an open hullo‑lid and a ride. These are labelled in the screenshots.

The showtime example, on the previous page, A basic half‑footstep rhythm, with 'lazy' off‑beat out kick drums. The utilise of varying hi‑hat sounds and velocities adds movement. shows a pretty basic one-half‑footstep pattern, with 'lazy' off‑beat kick‑pulsate beats that increment the feeling of swing. The apply of velocity on each sample is key to making the drums both swing and sound less quantised and robotic — note how the velocity changes on the 'lazy' kicks. Meanwhile, rimshots on the off‑beats add shuffle to the beat, while the contrast betwixt open and several closed hullo‑chapeau sounds adds movement and variety.

The second example, higher up, A slightly more circuitous, hip‑hop‑influenced design, again with 'lazy' kicks, rimshots on the offbeats and plenty of variety in the how-do-you-do‑hats. shows another half‑pace pattern, which is a bit more than complex than the offset, with something of a hip‑hop vibe. The introduction of an alternating hello‑hat riff increases the sense of a shuffle feel. Again, note the differing velocities.

A sure‑fire way of calculation swing to your beats is to create them in a triplet pattern. This can be done by using the same iv/4 time signature as you would normally practise, but having the grid for your beats in divisions of three instead of four. A tool like Ableton's piano‑gyre editor makes it easier to be precise in your placements. When using triplets, it's important to brand sure that you lot build up patterns carefully, as misplaced elements are hands noticeable to the ear and practice the complete opposite of adding swing!

In the basic triplet rhythm shown below A basic triplet rhythm. , we have kicks on the showtime and fourth trounce of the bar, with snare on the off‑beat and an additional kicking 2‑thirds of the style between the second and tertiary trounce, calculation triplet feel. This is emphasised by the two sets of rimshots two‑thirds of a beat apart and the additional howdy‑hat and ride elements.

The second triplet‑based rhythm has more than of a two‑step feel A slightly more complex two‑step, triplet‑feel beat, punctuated by rimshots. , and is based effectually a two‑bar loop with dropped kick on the second bar. Snares are placed on the second beat of each bar, and two‑thirds of the fashion betwixt the third and fourth beat. Hi‑hats have a triplet pattern and rimshots are placed in betwixt kicks and snares. Placement requires listening and fine tuning.

Swing Time

In full general, placement of hi‑hats is incredibly of import to making your beats shuffle and swing. Dissimilar firm or techno, dubstep uses a lot of placements on the off‑beat. Although this tin can feel unnatural to the ears, the combinations of hats and other percussion samples can be congenital up to create excellent beats. Slowly layering elements and making sure they work well with others can involve a lot of listening and time, particularly if you're using triplets.

Velocity is also incredibly important in making your beats sound more natural. Even though your beats might be heavily quantised, not only will changing the velocity help swing, it can have the border off highly processed beats. You can also use classic drum breaks chopped up and layered in with your programmed beats. This technique is standard practise when making drum & bass, and it can assistance soften the sound and add movement.

Subsonic Bass

I mentioned that sine waves are a proficient starting indicate for creating a subby dubstep bass. Let's look at bass sounds and bass lines in a scrap more than detail. Equally a starting signal, use a 2‑oscillator synth to generate 2 sine waves an octave apart, and route both through a low‑pass filter. Turn the filter resonance up total and slowly motion the cutoff anti-clockwise until yous tin can detect a change in the experience of the bass coming from your speakers. Finding the right settings for the filter cutoff and resonance volition trigger cocky‑oscillation, making the bass thicker.

If you want to add brightness to this bass, y'all can and so distort it or add other effects. Guitar processing and effects plug‑ins are a great method of changing the sound of your bass and adding distortion, warmth and harmonic content. You tin also add movement with an LFO. Applying a high‑pass filter to well-nigh other mix elements, such every bit leads and pads, volition ensure plenty of space for your sub‑bass.

What, then, of the trademark dubstep 'wobble'? To create a good wobbly bass line, you lot need to start by setting upwardly the oscillators on your synth. Most analogue‑style synths will have the basic three waveforms — saw, triangle and pulse/foursquare — and probably some other spectrally interesting waveforms as well. Combining different waveforms allows you lot to create an endless array of sounds, so get to know your software and understand how it works. Native Instruments' Massive is a common tool for producers, but whatever bass software you employ, spend time exploring it, saving each sound at various stages. Y'all tin can render to them afterward to develop an thought or gain inspiration.

In the example Massive patch, left overleaf, A typical 'wobbly' bass patch in NI's Massive. I have used a selection of different waveforms, each of which provides a different aspect of the bass audio. Once yous are happy with your waveform selections, route them all to the filter. A low‑pass filter is a practiced identify to first, and by turning the filter cutoff knob clockwise, we increase the effulgence of the sound. The awarding of an LFO to the cutoff volition automate this consequence, creating the infamous wobble. (In Massive, it'south easy to apply the LFO, by dragging and dropping information technology onto the filter cutoff.) The LFO waveform I'chiliad using in the instance is a sine wave, which offers a smoother movement than saw or foursquare waves.

One time y'all've done that, you tin start fine-tuning the speed of the LFO. Synchronising the LFO speed to the track's tempo will often audio all-time, merely you tin go some great sounds by automating the speed of an unsynchronised LFO.

Depression‑end Techniques

Many soft synths will let you employ multiple voices for a unison‑way outcome, which can radically change your bass line. Adding multiple voices and detuning them creates rawness, and is a technique that is used a lot in making the 'reese bass' unremarkably constitute in drum & bass. Another pull a fast one on is to set the synth that'due south playing your bass line to monophonic mode, overlapping the notes in your MIDI sequence, and adding legato and portamento/glide. This can blend the audio together and give smoother‑sounding annotation transitions.

Instead of having one single bass line that sounds repetitive, it's too worth experimenting with creating more than one bass sound. In one case you are happy with your bass hook, you can either chop up the MIDI sequence so that it plays alternating sounds, or bounce each bass line downward to audio and piece them up that way. The variation this provides volition assistance develop an almost story‑like quality, where one sound will ask a question and the other will reply.

I accept but covered the basics of how to set up a bass patch, and there are many further avenues to explore. Modulating parameters on your synth, such as the waveform, pitch and filter resonance, can dramatically modify the sound, while the addition of a phaser, reverb, stereo widener or delay can change its sense of space and movement.

The techniques I've mentioned regarding the sound blueprint of your bass lines can also be developed further with the use of layering and resampling. Taking the time to build multiple layers of sound and then playing them dorsum from a sampler is a good way of creating something different.

For the example in the screenshots below Layering sounds using a sampler. Here, I've created iii variants on a bass audio using NI's Massive, and rendered each of them as an sound file (in a higher place correct). Next, I've loaded all three into Kontakt (right) to use as a single instrument. , I created iii patches using Massive. Each of these is set using different settings: one static, one detuned and 1 with a subtle LFO. For this method, I have not created a MIDI sequence; instead, I've programmed a single eight‑bar note at C3 for each. Once happy with the combination of these sounds, I bounce the eight confined as audio and load upward my sampler — in this example, NI'due south Kontakt. Using Kontakt's moving ridge editor and mapping screens, I've mapped the sound I created to the MIDI keys using the original root note C3. Now when I plan a MIDI sequence for Kontakt, it will play the bounced combination of the three original sounds, and considering of Kontakt's time‑stretching capabilities, the audio won't sound distorted when playing notes further up or down the scale.

Pads & Leads

Your selection of lead audio can play a vital part in your music. Filling the frequency ranges throughout your mix is important, so with the sub, boot and snare taking up the low end, the 200‑800Hz mid‑range is a good area for your leads to sit. An extremely broad, stereo‑intensive audio won't be direct plenty — exit the width for your pads and effects.

Creating a riff or rhythm with your hi‑hats allows you to piece of work well with your leads and mid‑range bass lines later in the track. If yous apply a similar rhythm to the MIDI sequence of your lead, it volition work well with the overall swing of the track. Alternatively, adding a contrasting rhythm to your atomic number 82 will assistance provide the feeling of a shuffle. Playing one sound off another will also help the narrative chemical element of your rail. Every bit with Massive, most synths will have a wealth of presets to proceeds ideas from. Choosing complementary sounds when balancing your leads and bass lines is important. You tin apply the aforementioned techniques for leads as for bass lines, such as detuning, glides and automating filter cutoffs.

Pads should have plenty of stereo width and movement, so layering extra sounds and adding reverb and delay prior to billowy the sound will assist. You can even procedure the sound further with more effects or time‑stretching, earlier bouncing to audio once more and reworking the sound. As well equally layered audio, you can use a sampler for manipulating vocal cuts or your own recordings in a similar style. Yous can likewise experiment with reverb and filibuster every bit auxiliary (transport) furnishings. As the name suggests, dubstep takes influences from dub reggae, notably the heavy use of delay and reverb. Here's a typical dub delay effects chain in Live.

The Shock Of The New

Ultimately, there is no set method for making dubstep, because dubstep is a freeform artistic fashion, and this encourages a lot of people to try their mitt at making information technology. The techniques I've explained in this article should open up some of the most commonly used effects, and hopefully offer some assist to people interested in producing this kind of music. The thriving dubstep community tends to welcome innovation and fresh ideas, and it'south this openness that continues to propel the music frontwards.

Recommended Listening

• Caspa & Rusko: FabricLive 37 (Material)
• Benga: Diary Of An Afro Warrior (Tempa)
• Burial: Untrue (Hyperdub)
• Caspa: Everybody's Talking, Nobody'southward Listening (Fabric)
• Emalkay: 'When I Expect At You lot'/'Angie Got Stoned' (Dub Police force)
• Kryptic Minds: One Of The states (Swamp 81)
• Excision: 'Yin Yang' (EX7)
• Kode 9 & Spaceape: Memories Of The Future (Hyperdub)
• Skream: Skream! (Tempa)
• Mala: 'Left Leg Out'/'Blue Notez' (DMZ)
• Digital Mystikz: 'Haunted'/'Anti War Dub' (DMZ)
• Boxcutter: Glyphic (Planet Mu)
• Various: 5 Years Of Hyperdub (Hyperdub)
• N‑Type: Dubstep Allstars Vol. 05 (Tempa)

Tips From The Pros

For some professional advice, I tracked down some of the United kingdom'southward leading dubstep DJs and producers, including Birmingham dubstep DJ/producer Emalkay, creator of dancefloor smashes 'When I Look At Yous' and 'Mecha'; Cooly Thousand, DJ and producer of Narst/Honey Dub (Hyperdub); Ikonika, DJ and producer on Hyperdub who has recently released her debut LP Contact, Dear, Want, Have; and dubstep production trio LV.

When you start making a track, are in that location any elements you naturally work on first?

Emalkay: "If I've already got a good thought in mind like a bass line or catchy riff, I'll lay that down first. Otherwise I tend to commencement with the beats."

Ikonika: "I usually start with the melodies, record and write them all out. The chords are usually next, and then everything else after."

LV: "Things tend to come together in clumps. Say, a bass lick and a drum idea that go well together, or a couple of chords and some notes."

Exercise yous have communication for programming beats and creating swing/groove?

Emalkay: "I've been into swing and syncopation big time lately. The way I go well-nigh it is to make information technology sound as natural as possible if I'm using sampled instruments, so I'll throw a fleck of randomisation in there, and make sure I nudge the notes betwixt the eights manually so it doesn't audio wooden."

Ikonika: "I endeavor non to ataxia my beats with too many sounds and hits. To go the right groove I just play them out on my keyboard and quantise when I need to. I like calculation baloney and delays to my how-do-you-do‑hats to become them swinging right."

LV: "Trust your ears and try not to get bogged downwardly in endless OCD hyper‑editing, quantising, fiddling."

What's your number ane tip for making slap-up bass lines?

Emalkay: "I dear tube distortion and clipping on any sort of bass line, even the sub if I have to."

Ikonika: "Add some modulation — possibly a little flanger — that just gives your bass lines a silky movement. Keep it simple."

How do you create space and depth in your mixes?

Emalkay: "A good amount of infinite between the frequencies works well (ie. rolling off muddied low frequencies on some things) and going piece of cake on the reverb works well for me too."

Cooly G: "When I mix it'southward all by ear and has got to sound correct, which so has that space and depth naturally."

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Source: https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/dubstep-basics

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