One of the most important aspects in hip-hop and popular music is the drumbeat. What makes it sound so big? The drum patterns appear so simple, so why are they so hard to create? Well, in this tutorial, we’re going to break down the fundamental elements of a hip-hop beat.
(Continue)
Nowadays making an arpeggio is a great way to add interest to your track. There are many plugins out there which can arpeggiate your chord sequence in numerous ways. Lots of patterns and tweakable parameters are at your disposal in order to customize your patterns.
(Continue)
Twice a month we revisit some of our reader favorite posts from throughout the history of Audiotuts+. This tutorial was first published in January 2009.
Reason’s Combinator is a very interesting tool. It is all too tempting for new Reason users to use the Combinator as simply another instrument in which to load patches. In reality, the Combinator is far more than that, and has the ability to be the most powerful tool available to you in Reason. You may be a bit skeptical, but in this tutorial, I’m going to prove to you that the Combinator is truly Reason’s deadliest weapon.
(Continue)
Compression can be a tricky one to get your head around, and even if you’ve got your head around the threshold and ratio settings without the attack and release times being set correctly it will always be difficult to get the desired effect. This quick tip will outline a really handy trick I learned from a friend a few years ago which allows you to get your attack and release times just right. It’s primarily designed to work on drums but the same principles will apply to any percussive sound.
(Continue)
We’ve all heard (and possibly overheard) the classic LFO>Filter Frequency used in extensively in Dubstep, but LFOs can be used in many other creative ways. This quick tip will give you some ideas about how you can create interesting effects by applying LFOs to some other parameters on your synths/samplers. Most of the sounds in this tip have a slight 80s feel to them, but the techniques can be used in all musical styles.
(Continue)
Twice a month we revisit some of our reader favorite posts from throughout the history of Audiotuts+. This tutorial was first published in November 2008.
In 2008, perhaps no song has dominated the charts more than Lil’ Wayne’s Lollipop. Produced by Jim Jonsin, Lollipop is a prime example of how a hit song does not have to be complex; instead, it is a perfect blend of simplicity and catchiness.
(Continue)
In electronic dance music, DJ’s often loop tracks to cheer up the crowd. In your music productions, you can also use this effect to create an uplifting effect for what’s to come. This tutorial shows you how to create such a loop effect on vocals, using Reason 4.0.
(Continue)
Reason 6 has been one of the most highly anticipated updates of the Propellerhead product range for some time. Version 6 not only offers a streamlined product, audio support and a host of new features but also a trio of new effects processors.
Here we’ll take a look at the new devices offer, get familiar with the parameters and learn how they can be used in your projects. Everything you see and hear here was produced using Reason 6 and its included factory sound bank.
(Continue)
We all love having a good collection of effects processors at our disposal, so you’ll be glad to know you might have a few more options than you originally thought. It turns out that quite a few of your run of the mill synths are capable of acting as dedicated signal processors and can become anything from resonant filters to full on multi effects units.
(Continue)
Today I will show you how to use Reason’s MClass equalizer as a powerful send effect. Everybody knows how to use an equalizer and how to boost or cut certain frequencies. But very few among them know how to use it as a creative tool. Let’s get started.
(Continue)
If you've been thinking about recording music or dabbling in audio engineering, then kick-start the process by grabbing a copy of Björgvin's book and start learning how you can record great music with whatever equipment you've got!
Just getting started? Start with our basix tutorials on the fundamentals. View All Basix Tutorials
Have something to teach the world? Want to earn money doing it? Tutorials, screencasts, and articles published here on Audiotuts+ are largely contributed by readers just like you! We'll pay you great money for good content. Find Out More
Live My Life only $14.00 
Clouds only $14.00
Follow Audiotuts+ and Tuts+ on Twitter