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17. A word on kicks. Look for a kick drum that's tight and short. If needed, add top-end EQ to make it cut through in the mix. As it tends to play with the sub-bass, the two need to work together well. Use high-pass filters on both sub-bass and kick drum to achieve the right low frequency balance. Be prepared to shift the sample start point if there are any phase issues.

18. For added variation, in intro sections and drop sections try copying your snare pattern to a different type of sound, keeping the main snares muted. Try a block, timbale or short sequenced sound, or pitch up your existing snare sound. When you're ready to drop back into the main section, the big snares will sound even better.

19. Ensure your percussive sounds are short and tight. Edit the sample end points or gate off the decay.

Latino sounds

20. To achieve the right sense of drama, pick orchestral sounds such as strings, timps and harpsichord, and don't be afraid to EQ and compress to enhance their impact. Combine these with a nice sounding classical guitar patch and wind up the delays and reverbs to create an ambience that will act as a contrast to the drier feel when the beats kick in.

21. Intros and breakdowns can often feel like separate tracks, and you'll find much more instrumentation here than elsewhere in a track. Like R&B, the sounds can be regular 'module-type' noises, although check out Mirame by Daddy Yankee and hear how it sounds like a whole orchestra has turned up just for the intro.

22. With the harmonic content kept to a minimum in the rest of the track, the intro is your chance to mark out the harmony. Add to this with further counter melodies. If you keep the phrases short (say, a couple of beats), you can repeat them on a couple of different sounds - such as harpsichord then sitar. Continue with the counter melodies after the intro, but drop out the pad-like textures to create space.

23. The vocal content can include rapping and singing, and you'll often find the intro includes a sung vocal hook. If you're only using a rapper, you may want to create a melodic hook using instrumentation instead. The intro to Yo Quiero Bailar by Ivy Queen makes unashamed use of some baroque-style harpsichord, which then disappears, only to re-appear when the track's nearly over. Although it's quite cheesy, it makes for a memorable hook.