Breakbeat tracks tend to follow a certain pattern. Even though every track is unique, there are similarities in each track that make for an aesthetic mix and a DJ Friendly track. Here is the paradigm that I follow. The numers denote the timing markers in your DAW.
1-9 __Track starts out with a muted beginning beat and a few
pad like synths.
9-17 __ Drop in a fat kick drum to add emphasis. Also add in
some grouped percussion on another channel.
17-25 __ Drop in an effected loop for the entire length of
this part, it should be in the higher end of the frequency spectrum and should
overlap the lows only slightly .
25-29 __ Same beat as before
29-33 __ Drop the beat here and make a transition. This could
be a silent buildup, an effected synth, a drum roll or any other buildup that
you can imagine.
33-41 __ Main part with a full beat and synth. Drop the
bassline here as well. Make sure that the bass sits right in the mix and does
not interfere with the kicks. Sidechain the kick to the sub if you have to. The
bass can also contain many layers. The lowermost layer is what needs to be
sidechained with the kick in order to decrease the amount of muddiness in the
lows.
41-49 __ Add some more percussion, some more weird one hits
and end this part with a small beat variant followed by a crash.
49-57 __ Add a slight variation to the synth or the bass,
the beat remains unchanged. Do not end in this part in any sort of transition.
57-65 __ Change the synth out here or replace it with
something funky, end the beat with a small silence.
65-73 __ Beat kicks in again, synths are present and
variant. End in crash.
73 __ 81 Drop the main emphasis a little bit modify the synth or replace it.
End with a drum roll.
81-89 __ Drop the beat completely here. This is the break.
The synth is still present. Light percussion can also be present.
89-97 __ Some added perc, variant synths and sweeps.
97-105 __ Some added perc, variant synths and sweeps.
105-113 __ Add some more percussion and prepare for a drum
roll that slowly increases half way through this part and ends with a solid
snare, with a pause.
113-121 __ Drop all the drums all the bass and all the
syths, with moving sweepy pads that match the synths for added emphasis.
121-129 __ Same part as before, but it should end in a drum roll with a crash.
129-137 __ Some variation in the drums here, for added
effect. Or variation in the percussion.
137-145 __ Start decreasing the intensity of the beat at
this point.
145-153 __ make the beat a little different here. The beat
is still muted, in accordance with (137-145).
153-161 __ Same as before.
161-169 __ Drop one of the supporting synths, but leave the
main synth in place.
169-177 __ Drop the beat down to a minimal, kick and snare
with a little bit of perc. Drop most of the other heavy percussion that is in
place to get ready for the end of the track. Drop the main synth or make it
more muted at this point. Only a few pad sounds or one hits from the main synth
should be present here.
177-185 __ Drop all the synths involved and leave only the
beat with a little bit of perc.
185-193 __ End the track with a drum roll and a crash with a
a delayed synth sound to mark the ending if you have the synths in place.
|
Articles 
