Inside The Studio w/ Purple Disco Machine

Music

The artist discusses the process of remixing a song and shares insights into his creative approach.

Remixing Process

• When remixing songs, the artist finds inspiration in working on ideas from other artists, enjoying the impact it brings to his music.

• Exploring stems from different projects helps him understand various elements like bass lines and enhances his own working process.

• The artist was drawn to remix "All I Want" due to its 90s Chicago house vibe and Jake's vocals, appreciating its simplicity and focus on key elements.

Remix Elements

The artist delves into the specific elements he incorporated into the remix and his intention behind them.

Creative Elements

• Focused on recreating the original vibe with a funkier and groovier twist.

• Utilized bassline, Jake's vocals, effects, arps, funky guitars, clavicens to create a unique groove for the remix.

Working Process

The artist explains his workflow preferences and how he organizes his projects for efficiency.

Workflow Efficiency

• Organizes project stems with different colors for groups to maintain clarity; drums are green, bass lines yellow, etc.

• Prefers using colors over many groups for ease of navigation; associates each element with a specific color for quick identification.

Production Techniques

The artist discusses his production techniques and shortcuts that aid in speeding up creativity.

Production Efficiency

• Emphasizes speed in production by utilizing shortcuts developed over years of experience with Cubase as his preferred DAW.

Music Production Techniques: Drum Loops and Bass Line Creation

In this section, the creator discusses the process of creating drum loops and enhancing the bass line in a music remix.

Drum Loop Creation

• The creator utilizes various layers of drum loops, including those created over the years and sampled from disco classics and other songs.

• A favorite plugin called Shaper Box is added to create a sidechain effect for a pumpy sound in the track.

• The use of filters on drums, such as high-pass filters on snares, is highlighted to maintain clarity and prevent muddiness in the mix.

Bass Line Enhancement

• The original bass line from the song is preserved but supplemented with sub-bass to enhance low-end presence.

• Achieving a balance between kick and bass elements is emphasized as crucial for a well-rounded mix in electronic music production.

Vocal Processing and Spatial Placement

This segment delves into vocal processing techniques and spatial placement considerations within a music production context.

Vocal Processing

• Waves plugins, particularly from the CLA bundle, are employed for vocal processing tasks like compression, reverb, delay, and chorus effects.

• The importance of utilizing wet stems when vocals are already well-mixed to maintain quality without additional processing is highlighted.

Spatial Placement

• The creator emphasizes visualizing a 3D space while mixing to ensure instruments have their designated positions for clarity and depth in the mix.

Music Production Techniques and Elements

In this section, the creator discusses various music production techniques and elements used in their song, highlighting the significance of tools like phaser, shaper box, mondo mode, and instruments such as Jupiter 8.

Fx and Tools

• The phaser is a favorite effect for adding an 80s or French house vibe to songs.

• Shaper box and mondo mode are tools that enhance dynamics in the song by working from right to left or left to right.

Instrumentation

• Utilized a Jupiter 8 for chords introduction, providing a rich sound texture.

• Layered chords on drums with different layers to create a bigger sound; added a road to Jupiter 8 for depth.

• Incorporating chorus effects for enhancing the overall sound quality.

Incorporating Key Elements in Song Production

This segment delves into essential elements like high strings, bassline filtering, cowbell addition, brass instruments, guitars recorded by Chitan from Berlin, and stereo effects through layering guitar riffs.

Essential Elements

• High strings contribute to a late '70s disco vibe and add drama to the sound.

• Filtered the baseline while maintaining its original loop but with added effects like delay and reverb.

• Introduced an '80s brass element using plugins like Jupiter 8 with extended reverbs for authenticity.

Guitar Riffs and Stereo Effects

Discusses the importance of guitar riffs in songs produced by Chitan from Berlin, emphasizing stereo effects achieved through layering multiple recordings.

Guitar Riffs & Stereo Effects

• Collaborated with Chitan for guitar riffs resulting in a diverse collection used across various songs for stereo effects.

• Layered guitar recordings create an immersive stereo effect due to slight variations in timing between left and right channels.

Utilizing Original Song Elements & Build-Up Techniques

Explores incorporating original song elements like steps for offbeat rhythms along with build-up techniques involving flanger effects leading up to impactful moments in DJ-oriented song arrangements.

Original Song Elements & Build-Up Techniques

• Incorporated original song steps for offbeat rhythm enhancements alongside flanger effects creating unique sounds during build-ups.

Music Production Process

In this section, the speaker discusses elements of the music production process, including tools and techniques used in mixing and mastering.

Elements of Music Production

• The speaker introduces a new element in the music at this moment, characterized by a unique sound.

• The process involves simple copy-paste actions for most parts.

• Detailed stems such as kick, delay, percussion, baseline stops are essential in the production process. Mixing and mastering are outsourced to professionals for optimal results.

Mixing and Mastering Techniques

This part delves into the mixing and mastering techniques employed by the speaker in their music production process.

Mixing and Mastering Process

• The speaker's songs are mixed by a professional from Hamburg who has been handling this task for many years. Different tools like compressors are used to enhance specific elements like drums and bass during mastering.

• Tools like Waves Ultra Maximizer are utilized to increase volume levels effectively. An analyzer is crucial for visualizing frequencies during the mixing stage.

Importance of Analyzers in Music Production

This segment emphasizes the significance of analyzers in aiding music producers during the production process.

Utilizing Analyzers

• The analyzer tool plays a vital role in visualizing frequencies, particularly focusing on bass peaks around 200-300 Hz to optimize EQ adjustments effectively.

• By using analyzers like Clock Technique Analyzer, producers can fine-tune their tracks by understanding frequency distribution across different elements of a song.

Insights on Music Production Journey

Here, the speaker shares insights on their personal journey into music production and offers advice for aspiring producers.

Advice for Aspiring Producers

• Reflecting on their 20-year journey in music production, the speaker highlights how advancements in technology have made it easier to start producing music today compared to earlier times when creating sounds from scratch was more challenging.

Music Production Insights

In this segment, the speaker discusses using specific plugins for music production and shares insights on creating unique sounds.

Importance of Plugins

• The speaker emphasizes the significance of using plugins like the Clavinet and Selena for their unique sounds in music production.

Layering Bass Lines

• Advises against layering bass lines to avoid a muddy sound, highlighting the importance of choosing the right bass line without excessive EQ adjustments.

Finding the Perfect Instrument

• Stresses the importance of selecting instruments that require minimal EQ adjustments, indicating that the ideal instrument seamlessly fits into the song without extensive modifications.

Creating Unique Music

• Encourages creating music based on personal preference rather than following trends, emphasizing authenticity and individuality in music production.

Signature Sound Development

Music Production Insights

In this segment, the speaker discusses the impact of plugins on drum sounds and shares insights into favorite free and paid plugins for music production.

The Influence of Plugins on Drum Sounds

• The "Phil Collins effect" is highlighted, emphasizing how it can make the snare sound big and impactful in a song.

• Adjusting the snare size based on its fit within a song is crucial; sometimes a smaller, more subtle snare is preferred to avoid overpowering other elements.

Favorite Free and Paid Plugins

• While unsure about specific free plugins due to an extensive collection, the speaker mentions using FabFilter extensively for filters and Waves plugin bundles for 80% of their plugins.

• Particularly praises the Chris Lord package from Waves bundle and appreciates the dynamic filtering capabilities of FabFilter's plugin called "Wow."

Exploring Remixing Techniques

This part delves into remixing drums, outlining the approach taken by the speaker when remixing tracks.

Remixing Drums Process

• Starting with creating 8 to 16 bar grooves when remixing songs or working with original tracks.

• Emphasizes looping bass lines, vocals, or main chords to establish groove and vibe early in the process.

Creative Process and Workflow

Here, insights are shared regarding how ideas are translated into music production workflows efficiently.

Translating Ideas into Music Production

• Mentions having a clear vision of a remix before starting production to streamline workflow effectively.

• Stresses quick implementation of ideas into digital audio workstations (DAWs) once they are conceptualized mentally.

Managing Creative Inspiration

This segment focuses on dealing with creative inspiration and its impact on daily life.

Balancing Creativity with Daily Life

• Acknowledges challenges in balancing personal life conversations with intense creative moments that demand immediate attention in the studio.

Detailed Discussion on VST Plug-ins and FX

In this segment, the speaker emphasizes the importance of being selective when installing VST plug-ins and FX to avoid cluttering one's workspace with unnecessary tools.

Selective Installation Advice

• The speaker advises against installing an excessive number of VST plug-ins and FX, suggesting that focusing on understanding a few well can be more beneficial than having numerous unused options.

• Installing too many VST plug-ins and FX is deemed as a waste of time by the speaker, highlighting the need for efficiency in selecting tools that align with one's workflow.

• Prioritizing quality over quantity is underscored, indicating that mastering a limited set of tools can lead to better outcomes compared to spreading attention across an extensive array of plugins.

• The speaker expresses gratitude towards the audience for their participation and acknowledges individuals involved in creating a song, demonstrating appreciation for collaborative opportunities within music production.