MusicRadar

Pendulum are taking drum 'n' bass into the mainstream.

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Drum 'n' bass remains as popular as ever – Pendulum's new album In Silico is currently riding high in the UK album charts – and its influence continues to be felt on a wide range of other genres. MusicRadar presents a selection of tips that will help you to make your basses big, your leads searing and your breaks, err, broken.

1. When using single hit percussion samples, appropriate processing is extremely important: have a listen to the intro of Doc Scott's iconic Shadow Boxing (remix) and note how the kicks and snares have been beefed up with overdrive and compression. The DJ-friendly intro and minimal nature of the track make it ideal for A/B comparison with your own work to make sure your rhythm section has the necessary highs, lows and general dynamics.

2. Layering chopped-up breakbeats is a good way to get that authentic DnB flavour. For a tight, modern sound, put each hit's end point before the next drum sound occurs: simply leaving the end point at the end of the sample makes it easier to program junglistic beats, but you'll have to either tune or timestretch it to make sure it plays at the correct tempo.

3. One of the main advantages of using really tightly chopped beats is that you can easily pitchbend your drum part up and down without it ever going out of time. This technique can be used to create vertiginous percussive effects, as showcased by the Ram Records crew on Ram Trilogy's classic No Reality. For the best results, try combining this method with other forms of processing, such as filtering or degrading effects.

4. If your track's switch lacks bite, try using a different breakbeat or rhythm pattern to keep the crowd on their toes – processing such as pitchshifting or flanging can work a treat here.

5. When using heavy compression on your rhythm track for that phat breakbeat sound, you may find that your beat gets overpowered when a big kick drum sound is triggered. Consider putting any such sound on a separate channel with its own compression. If your kick drum needs enhancing, try beefing it up with a layered TR-909 kick drum sample, but resist the temptation to turn it up too loud – make sure the sub-bass and beat still have enough room to breathe.

6. By using a variety of layered, reprogrammed breakbeats, you can quickly build up a complex rhythm track. The trick is to make it sound like one cohesive part that develops and builds, rather than several different parts fighting for space. The golden rule is to accurately cut and program your drums in the first place, although additional EQing of flabby kick drums, cymbals or hi-hats may help reign in errant beats.