Minimal Trance – Drums

This video demonstrates how to make a minimal trance drum loop which could easily adapted for use in down-tempo genres.

Process

• I start off by loading Live’s Impulse device and make a standard 4/4 kick drum pattern
• I then enter notes for the clap/snare sound but I use a kick drum sample rather than a clap or snare sample
• Next a closed hi-hat pattern is entered using 16th notes and the velocity is adjusted on every other note to add movement
• I then add two percussion samples to add interest
• The next stage involves routing each Impulse channel to separate audio channels, this makes it possible to add individual effects to each drum sound
• The levels of each channel are then adjusted and the hi-hats are panned slightly
• The hi-hats sound a bit too bright so the filter is adjusted within Impulse to reduce the high frequencies. The decay setting is also adjusted to make the hi-hats more snappy
• Some send reverb and delay is then added to the hi-hats and percussion channels
• Some equalization is the applied to the clap channel to reduce the brightness of the sample
• The first of the two bass channels is then made by loading Live’s Simpler device and making a off-beat pattern using a kick drum sample. The start time of the sample is adjusted and the high frequencies are removed to make more of a bass sound
• Simpler’s mode is changed to ‘1-Shot’ and the sample is transposed down 8 semitones. Some compression is applied and a limiter added to stop the channel from clipping
• For the second bass channel another Simpler device is added and a bass sample is loaded and another off-beat pattern is made which is different to the previous pattern
• The decay, sustain and transient parameters are adjusted to make the sample more snappy
• The sample’s start time is then changed to give it a ‘clicky’ type of sound
• Some compression is then applied and another compressor is added which is side-chained to the kick drum, this adds rhythm and also makes more room for the kick drum so that it doesn’t clash with the bass
• Some distortion is then added using the Sausage Fattener VST. Finally Live’s flanger device is added to enhance the bass sound
• All of the clips are then copied to Live’s arrangement view so that they can be worked on further

I plan to continue working on this track in future videos.