My transitions are akward and i cant think of an intro

[acrap]

Hey guys i'm really posting here cause i'm desperate and i need some advice from you guys who know a hell of a lot more than i do. This is my 7th week producing and my fourth attempt at making a song. My approach to making a song is to start right at the drop so i have a base on what to build AROUND it, the only problem is i can never get past the meat! i cant think of any intros that would sound good i feel like everything i think of is corny and not to mention that the meat or the drop which i have already done lacks fluency, i feel like transitioning from one part to the next on my tracks sound boring and awkward and sometimes i dont know when enough is enough and i should go off of the drop and into an outro or something like that. I dont know how many components the drop should have or not have to give it that right amount of consistency, entertainment and filth without getting boring or sounding "weird". Anyways i've posted about 50 seconds of a clip that i've been working on for the past week. I also added a sample of scorpions "come here" at 0:33 which is way too low even though i've put it up to 6db on ableton which is as high as it goes, and lowering the parts under too much makes it sound yet again akward so i need to just boost the voice past where it is. Im aware that i have eq'd anything or put much effects into this track but i'd like to have what i've stated previously in line before i get to any of that. So again, i need advice on how i would go about getting past my writers block with intros, not making my transitions sound akward and knowing how to properly structure i guess. I'd appreciate all the feedback, sorry if i got carried away.

Soundcloud

[jrisreal]

Normalize it and if that doesn't bring it loud enough, waveshape it

A better option would be to turn everything else down and turn up your speakers

[acrap]

i normalized it and it made it louder but still not quite loud enough. how would i go about waveshaping it? i took out the reverb on the sample and it made it sound louder also. i guess your right i might need to just turn everything else down

[jrisreal]

Yeah turn everything down. With waveshaping you can apply certain curves that make things louder but slightly distort the sound.

[acrap]

wise worked perfectly fine was a noob mistake on my part thanks

[mikeyp]

maybe you're like me. I can't build around a drop either. I find it a lot easier to just start with an intro. play with some pads, light sounds, and build up and before you know it you'll be ready for a drop. or take a layer or a few of your drop and isolate them without the bass or the real meat and use that as an intro. just play around with different things like that, it really helped me.

[lyons238]

welcome to the club nut brah. i have a tough time with intros and transitions as well. try using some of these techniques

reverb & reverse reverb
delay
slightly fade volume in/out
set a bit of an attack/release

these things should help gel sounds together. that and try and pick sounds that work and use layers. if theres no silence in the background, the transition wont be as drastic from each sound.

[acrap]

what kinda sounds could i add to the background ? i think thats a good idea but i dont know what i could use keep the track flowing. good suggestions by the way guys

[lyons238]

what kinda sounds could i add to the background ? i think thats a good idea but i dont know what i could use keep the track flowing. good suggestions by the way guys

pads, texture, sweeps, etc. for texture you can try taking a sound fx from a sample pack and time stretching the fuck out of it. lots of times you can get some nice textures/atmospheres outa that

[acrap]

never thought of that haha great advice man

[legend4ry]

Jesus that was loud as farkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk (not in a good way).. You should of put a disclaimer!


Transitions are just something what either works in a track or doesn't.


It has to relate to the intro; theres nothing worse than a intro which is the complete opposite to the drop, its not cool - clever or gives the "oh my god I didn't expect that" aspect to the tune; its been done a thousand times its boring now..


Heres some tips.

1) Use fills in your drums, b-line changes before the end of the bar, space and sfx's or vocal samples to bring smoother transitions - this will make the track flow better; help you think about the rhythm and where the track is going more.

I hate to use my own tracks as an example but its the best example I can think off at this very moment..

While its not anything like your track; the techniques can be applied to any style of music! Listen to every 16 bars; theres something which happens which eases the track into the next transition!

Soundcloud

2) Intros should be exactly what they stand for - an introduction to the track;

A)Start off big and have 50% of the energy the drop has, then you add that extra 50% at the drop; while added new parts every 8 or 16 bars! (this can help give you clean transitions)

B) Keep it minimal, a few hats and a pad/some fx's then a big boom at the drop - this makes it more hard-hitting from a listeners perspective and can be better for DJs to mix but doesn't always relate in a club (as a DJ will probably bring it in as it drops).

C) A variation of both

(theres also lots of different ways to do a good intro).


Hope this helps.

[lyons238]

Jesus that was loud as farkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk (not in a good way).. You should of put a disclaimer!


Transitions are just something what either works in a track or doesn't.


It has to relate to the intro; theres nothing worse than a intro which is the complete opposite to the drop, its not cool - clever or gives the "oh my god I didn't expect that" aspect to the tune; its been done a thousand times its boring now..


Heres some tips.

1) Use fills in your drums, b-line changes before the end of the bar, space and sfx's or vocal samples to bring smoother transitions - this will make the track flow better; help you think about the rhythm and where the track is going more.

I hate to use my own tracks as an example but its the best example I can think off at this very moment..

While its not anything like your track; the techniques can be applied to any style of music! Listen to every 16 bars; theres something which happens which eases the track into the next transition!

Soundcloud

2) Intros should be exactly what they stand for - an introduction to the track;

A)Start off big and have 50% of the energy the drop has, then you add that extra 50% at the drop; while added new parts every 8 or 16 bars! (this can help give you clean transitions)

B) Keep it minimal, a few hats and a pad/some fx's then a big boom at the drop - this makes it more hard-hitting from a listeners perspective and can be better for DJs to mix but doesn't always relate in a club (as a DJ will probably bring it in as it drops).

C) A variation of both

(theres also lots of different ways to do a good intro).


Hope this helps.

good advice. i also agree with the intro relating to the drop. i always try to do this. it just sounds awkward when you have a honky dory intro and then a drop that sounds like a bunch of raped apes.

[flood]

don't act like it's an emergency. if you've been producing for only four weeks, you probably haven't reached your peak ability. also, don't force yourself into making everything around the drop. have you thought that maybe you can't make an intro that isn't awkward because you are forcing yourself into a very specific way of doing things? try to maybe even make a track (god forbid) without a drop. if you aren't willing to experiment with different ways of doing things, then just go with the general advice: build tension, release. also, as general advice: you don't have to make everything louder than everything else.

[wub]

Ok, things to try for intros;

• Take a sample, stretch it out by 400%, add some reverb and filtering, insert as an intro
• Have an echoey version of your lead synth pattern that floats about for a minute, before dropping out as the main drum kicks in
• If your tune has a vocal, then take a dry version of the vocal sample, add some reverse reverb to it with a LONG tail (take sample > reverse it > add reverb > bounce > then reverse back to normal) to insert as an intro. The reverse reverb tail at the start of the vocal will sound like it's sucking itself in before it hits (see Prodigy - Firestarter for an example of how this works on vocals)
• Add some pads with a basic hat pattern running under them, gradually rising in tone.
• Introduce your main kick pattern from the get go, but with some processing on the drum so that it is filtered, with the filter gradually rising as the tune introduces itself, then when it properly drops have the filter off the drum altogether so it hits with more prescence
• Add a long white noise sweep with some filtering/delay that gradually builds to a crescendo, before dropping out with heavy reverb as the drums kick in
• Take an 8 bar drum loop from that middle of the tune, run it through dBGlitch a half dozen times on random settings, and bounce out. Drop all the outputted glitch versions into your audio editor, cut the shit out of them then stitch them back together. Add liberal filtering/EQ to remove any rogue frequencies, insert the audio file as your intro.
• Sample Predator 2.

[arktrix45hz]

if theres no silence in the background, the transition wont be as drastic from each sound.

LOL...so space and pace has nothing to do with dubstep right?

[DazeL]

Do you play any other instruments? I had the same problem when I started then I went back to the instruments I used to play for a bit and looked at different music, it definitely helped me get some creativity flowing, plus knowing other instruments and songs just kinda shows you structure since its really hard to cover electronic music but with live instruments you can copy someones already made song to get the feel of things

[lyons238]

if theres no silence in the background, the transition wont be as drastic from each sound.

LOL...so space and pace has nothing to do with dubstep right?

im talking about if you have a rough time transitioning between an intro to a drop or two sounds, have something like a pad or a texture playing in the background. i wasnt saying never have a any space. plus the song can still have "space" even with something very quite playing in the background

[mikeyp]

Ok, things to try for intros;

[*]If your tune has a vocal, then take a dry version of the vocal sample, add some reverse reverb to it with a LONG tail (take sample > reverse it > add reverb > bounce > then reverse back to normal) to insert as an intro. The reverse reverb tail at the start of the vocal will sound like it's sucking itself in before it hits (see Prodigy - Firestarter for an example of how this works on vocals)

I have gotta try that shit

[acrap]

Wow!! legend4ry seriously the best advice i think i've gotten yet, awsome to use your track as an example too lol what made it awkward for me was starting an intro kick/snare/kick/snare but it never occured to me with starting with hats, reverbing the pads, while uses fx's in the background. it does honestly make it sound more of an intro lmao . you pretty much answered everything i needed to know thank you