Computer Music – DRUM & BASS TRACK-BUILDER – Issue 223, November 2015

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Drum & Bass Track-Builder

In this month's epic cover feature, we head into the studios of four pro DnB acts to get their sound design secrets; then, not content with revealing the masters' tips and tricks, we use their sounds to lay the foundation of a complete drum 'n' bass track, giving you the tools and techniques to follow along with every step.

This mammoth 20-page feature kicks off with four in-studio masterclasses, where we'll expose…

  • How DnB genius Break creates his full-throttle breakbeats
  • Lynx' distorted 808 bass-creation techniques
  • The secret recipe Keeno uses to serve up his emotional orchestral passages
  • The tricks behind Chromatic's complex, up-front hoover stabs

Armed with these sounds, the action continues with eight in-depth track-construction videos, detailing every aspect of the creation of an original drum 'n' bass track, from laying down beats, basslines and atmospherics, to arranging, mixing and mastering.

Get a taste with the videos below:

FREE VST/AU PLUGIN - Grooove CM

This head-turning drum instrument from brunsandspork is sure to put a new spin on your beats, with its emphasis on getting the absolute most from just a handful of samples. It's all made possible by a powerful modulation system that uses velocity and LFOs to add life and movement to even the barest of sounds - just a few tweaks is all it takes!

Find out more about Grooove CM in the video below and on the Grooove CM page, and get this VST/AU plugin now with CM issue 223.

FREE 859 DnB SAMPLES from Loopmasters

Staying on this issue's DnB thread, we've buddied up with sample pack titans Loopmasters to bring you 1GB of carefully selected samples from their revered Artist Series. Every one of these top-quality samples is created by a name DnB producer, with sounds from Octane & DLR, June Miller, KJ Sawka, Mediks, Royalston, Enei and loads more - get your copy of CM and download this epic pack now!

PLUS - we've put together 50 preset kits to use with this issue's Grooove CM plugin giveaway. These CM Micro Kits contain plenty of WAV samples and presets to get your beats to where you need them to be.

HOW TO USE SYLENTH1

It's one of those synths you hear about everywhere, but why is Sylenth1 so special, and how does it work? Whether you're completely new to LennarDigital's monster synth, or you're an old-hand looking to get the most from every last feature, we've got the guide for you! Every part of this legendary instrument is explained, taking you on an in-depth journey from its oscillators to its modulation system. As ever, you can read our step-by-step explanation in the magazine, or see it all come to life in our videos.

PRODUCER MASTERCLASS: Dirty Vegas

See and hear the house-based popsters deconstruct their track Do What You Feel for us in their London studio. You'll see Dirty Vegas treat guitars, beats, bass and vocals, and they'll let you in on some of their mixing techniques along the way. Get the video and read the interview only with this month's issue of CM!

HOW PLUGINS ARE MADE

Whether you fancy yourself as a plugin producer, or you simply want to know more about how your music-making tools are created, we've got you covered. In this insight-packed feature, we speak to industry-leading experts from u-he, Slate Digital, FXpansion and FabFilter to find out what goes into making the software that shapes the future of sound and music, from initial prototyping of ideas and interface design, to DSP coding and analogue modelling. We'll even tell you how to get started making your own plugins without breaking your brain!

PLUS

  • Designer Sounds: Create haunting, trippy keys with Native Instruments' Prism ensemble for Reaktor
  • Dr Beat: The hi-hats play a vital rhythmic role, but for truly authentic results, you need to get inside the mind of the drummer - Ronan Macdonald shows you how
  • Geek Technique: Small changes can lead to profound differences in your sounds with Owen Palmer's micro-modulation techniques
  • Music Theory: Explore the fundamentals of music with a look at the tonic/dominant relationship - could your tunes benefit from this crucial knowledge?

INTERVIEWS

  • Fedde Le Grand: The Dutch house star is starting to think that simplicity isn't all it's cracked up to be. What could that mean for his remix career?
  • D16 Group: Jacek Klukowski tells us about his approach to modelling hardware, and lets us in on what's next from the plugin developers
  • Dusty Kid: The Italian artist waxes lyrical about the five pieces of software he couldn't live without having on his hard drive.

REVIEWS

  • Harrison Mixbus 3
  • Positive Grid Bias FX Desktop
  • Sugar Bytes Obscurium
  • EastWest ProDrummer 1 & 2
  • Klevgrand Enkl
  • SKnote SoundBrigade

Get this issue now on:

Includes Vault download for all formats.

Subscribe and save!

Never miss an issue with a CM subscription, print or digital!

cm223 is on sale now in the UK, in Print, Apple Newsstand and Zinio. Overseas dates for print edition are roughly: USA + 4 weeks after UK / Australia +8 weeks / Europe +2 weeks / South Africa +6 weeks / Canada +4 weeks

See what's in more back issues on the cmbackissueslist

Computer Music

Computer Music magazine is the world’s best selling publication dedicated solely to making great music with your Mac or PC computer. Each issue it brings its lucky readers the best in cutting-edge tutorials, need-to-know, expert software reviews and even all the tools you actually need to make great music today, courtesy of our legendary CM Plugin Suite.