Tutorial Level: basic
How do you produce trance/dance music? That’s the question a lot people start with when they get passionate about their favourite dance style. It’s a completely natural process to want to try the hands-on approach to music and it is great fun as well as a perfect channel to express yourself.
So what do you need to make music? Given the progress of technology not much. Let’s start with a list and during the next days I’ll post more material about the actual production process.
Basic Equipment list
- A computer (the more powerful the better, any Core2Duo system will give you a comfortable start)
- An ASIO-compatible soundcard (or ASIO4ALL drivers)
- A Sequencer with VST (virtual studio technology) support (or a self-contained package like Propellerheads Reason)
- Some VST plug-ins:
- There are two main types of VST plug-ins
- Instruments: these are synthesiers or recreation of musical instruments that will allow you to play sounds.
- Effects: these plug-ins don’t produce sounds per sé but they are used to process the signal coming from audio channels or virtual instruments.
- There are two main types of VST plug-ins
The main choice you will have will be what type of sequencer to use - it’s important to say that this a choice largely dependent on personal preference as the level of sofistication of sequencers nowadays is so high that each and every of them will allow you to do more or less the same things. Let’s take a look at a couple of popular options (there are many more but I won’t list them all):
The Pro-line:
Steinberg Cubase: A dynosaur of sequencing and many people’s favourite. This is the one I use (although I haven’t moved to the last version yet!). It has everything you would need from a sequencer and the last version (SX 4.5) has finally introduce native side-chaining (a very in-demand feature). Cubase is quite pricey but fortunately there are versions for all pockets! This is available on both PC and Mac.
Apple’s Logic Audio: together with Cubase Logic is the most popular sequencer but due to Apple buying Emagic (that used to produce the Logic Audio series) it is now only available on Mac. Again, it offers everything you need and it is in a similar price range to Cubase.
Other sequencers:
Fruity Loops: this is a very popular sequencer which doesn’t cost a fortune and fully supports VST plug-ins. It is also responsable for many famous dance releases and can produce professional results on a lower budget than Cubase. It also has a big community of users and it’s a popular choice for people wanting to start and try out sequencing before moving to the high-end systems like Cubase/Logic/Pro-tools etc…
Propellerheads Reason: Reason is a self-contained application - meaning that you will not need (and cannot use) plug-ins but you’ll rather be using its onboard sequencer/effects/synths/instruments. Everything is ready out of the box and it’s also a good solution to get started, the limitation is that you’ll be confined within the built-in instruments & effects without being able to expand. However, it must also be said that you can use Reason as a plug-in for Cubase with a technology called Re-wire. So if you get used to Reason and decide to move to Cubase later on you can still use it as a VST effect/instrument but you’ll have to learn how to use Cubase as well.
VST - Virtual Studio Technology
VST plug-ins have become so sophisticated that nowadays you don’t need hardware to make music anymore. These plug-ins can however still be pricey but fortunately there’s a wide range of high-quality free plug-ins to get you started. In the tutorials on this site I’ll be suggesting the best free plug-ins I stumble upon and will also show how to use them!
Keep following the updates on this site as we go through the process of producing a whole trance track in future articles!
January 13th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
wat about ableton live 7
January 13th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
Absolutely Ableton Live is a great sequencer, I particularly like the fast automation possibilities and intuitive design. Personally I have been with Cubase for 11 years so I find it hard to switch but if you are just starting out Ableton Live is a great option!
March 19th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
Do you think doing a music production course is necessary to produce great music?
March 19th, 2009 at 10:00 pm
Hi Dawson! No I don’t think so at all - especially with regards to electronic music nowadays, there are so many forums and online resources to learn the technical side of things that a course is not neccessary. In fact, out of 100 producers that I may know, maybe 2 or 3 will have taken a course.
I think learning by trial and error and practice is the best way nowadays.
March 21st, 2009 at 3:35 pm
If I’m using software such as Reason, Do I need a mixer or a turntable? What do they do( I understand that they are for altering the sound) ? Which one should I chose? Can you explain mixers and turntables please.
March 21st, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Hey Vik, short answer: no you don’t need them. Reason has all you need built into itself (including a mixer).
Mixers & Turntables: Mixers are used both in music production and DJing. To make a long story short, a mixer simply allows you to take two sound signals and output them as one. You then have controls on it such as an equaliser which will allow you to change the sound frequencies etc…Turntables are simply music reproduction devices, just like a CD-player for example. So you will only need these if you actually plan to DJ.
April 8th, 2009 at 4:58 am
Thanks for the reply giorgio. You mentioned forums and resources online,have you got anywhere in mind apart from utube that is anygood? If you get time, Check out sonicacademy.com and tell me if you think their resources is worth paying for.
p.s. would be great if you could add a tutorial on here for sound design
April 8th, 2009 at 11:01 am
Hi Dawson,
this coming weekend I’ll produce new tutorials! What would you like to see? I’m interested mostly in what users want to know so I can create ad-hoc tutorials.
SonicAcademy looks good but I think it’s worth saving money unless tutorials are REALLY great. Future Music & Computer Music magazine are a great resource for tutorials (high quality too). I wouldn’t buy any tutorials online unless you have read numerous reviews proving their quality. I find that very often the pros only give out obvious tips and never the in-depth tricks
April 13th, 2009 at 1:16 am
Hi Giorgio, i would really like to see a tutorial on how to build a trance song. Mainly - designing a great lead synth, harmony and chord progressions throughout the song to create that building of intensity to eventually exploding into a chorus. I think that this is the most difficult area in creating a song, especially in trance music as i think that alot of computer musicians like myself lack on the music theory side of things. Therefore it would be great to see how and why all the chords/scales etc build a song.
Hope this makes sense
April 13th, 2009 at 10:36 pm
Hi Dawson,
thanks for the feedback. I’ll see if I can do something like that in the future, interestingly I have seen that Sonic Academy just released a similar tutorial to what your are asking for! I haven’t checked it yet though so I’m not sure how in-depth it goes!
April 15th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
The style of writing is very familiar to me. Have you written guest posts for other blogs?
April 21st, 2009 at 12:25 pm
heya, postings like this one are very helpfull. i have never before attempted to produce music, i know nothing about instruments or chords. a few years ago when i was still in high school, my cousins had a mobile disco and i started helping them carry speakers and that. they would never let me get near the actual equipment to play on it,complaining i could mess up their needles and vinyl.
i grabbed the concept of mixing and steering a party to eventually become what you imagined through the music, this is as much exposure as i have in terms of music making or otherwise.
i have also been using up until now virtual dj, this is an uncomplicated software and dance ejay 7.
is this enough to start doing something simple maybe?
i thank you kindly for any and all asssistance. kind regards ikram
April 22nd, 2009 at 4:55 pm
hai,
Trance Unity, i am fascinated with it. i’m not really into trance, but, this track is near perfect. Perhaps, it is perfect. I find it akin to Poe setting to write the perfect peom and ending up with The Raven, a perfect poem.
It’s appropriately epic and euphoric without the arrogance associated with trance, it has a proper balances of tension and release, is not cluttered with too many sounds, the melodic lines blend well together or stand alone. Nothing detracts from the overall theme or seems out of place. That, or all the pads are simply mixed well. The final execution of the drop or whatever you call it, the drums don’t play a standard four to the floor in the version i have. it’s ballad like beat thoughout. the lead line sounds like the product of a longer notes gated by side chain with an upbeat delay on that. it’s simple production yet impressive. there’s clearly art to it.
i bet you’re tired of hearing about it. why do you think Trance Unity is a successful track? what’s your philosophy on it in general?
April 27th, 2009 at 11:42 pm
Ikram: that software is fine for starting out but as you get more acquainted with the theory and how they work you may want to try to move to something more sophisticated like Cubase or Ableton Live.
Robin: thanks for your comments! Trance Unity was written at a point where I was sick of hearing that “trance was dead” back in 2001, a series of remixes were made in 2003, I believe you may have the Zilent Recall remix produced by Marco Torrance. It’s the only official version without a 4/4 beat. My philosophy with this track and my other productions in general is simple: high energy and powerful melodies are the key though lately I tend to make more tech stuff which has less melodies. The lyrics in Trance Unity weren’t exactly “sophisticated” but I was young and it was a bit of a “rebel yell” against the press that was calling “dead” a genre which has clearly become huge. I may write a separate post about Trance Unity itself!
June 1st, 2009 at 3:20 am
Hi Giorgio
I obviously love electronic music, all included, but i don’t know nthing about music, can u suggest me a program tht is simple enough for me to start with only my laptop please, so i can progress myself on step by step.
Thank you in advance
Epirus83
June 28th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
Giorgio!
Love what your doing here this is truly great. Not many pro musicians these days take the time to give a little you know. I think i speak for all of us when i say we are greatful on every level.
One thing though, when i click on the sidekick lemon link the page opens and the website comes up but it sais that i dont have permission to view the page. Any help?? and another thing the Sylenth is just a demo. I want it so bad looks and SOUNDS like a great synth. any ways to find it cheap??
One last thing ahah. I was wondering if i could send you some of my work? I know your busy but some input from someone of your calliber would be so great! Let me know
G Looper
January 2nd, 2010 at 10:33 am
hi georgio,
Firstly, this site and your advice is a credit to you, thank you.
My problem- I was a tribute rock musician in the 90’s, and have got into trance music over the last ten years. In over the last 18 months i’ve put together a project studio, consisting, logic 8, mixer, roland v-synth gt, korg triton extreme & electribe emx1 and a virus ti. I have no problem coming up with ideas, or melodys, but the problem starts when i begin to mix. The mix always sounds bass heavy, and muddy when played back on anythin other than my setup. Where am i going wrong? I’m mixing with headphones and a pair of krk monitors?