I've been wanting to make some harder, tech-trance sounding tunes (you know, in the style of guys like Sam Sharp, Marco V, etc,) but it seems like whenever I'm producing I can't get the energy/drive for this kind of music, or understand how to use percussion, effects etc (to make up for the lack of melody in terms of keeping the tunes interesting).

Any tips? I guess harder-edged trance and tech-trance is what I've always wanted to make, but what I do make ends up uplifting because I don't seem to have the knowledge to make driving, techy-sounding tunes, and even if I'm getting better at it and it's all good practice it's not really the sound I'm going for. I know about chord progressions and all that stuff in uplifting trance, not saying I'm amazing at producing it but I know a bit more about it.

I know it's a slightly vague question, but.. any tips for making the harder sound I'm wanting to achieve? Also, direction to samples/refills etc that might have good FX/percussion in them would be nice

Thanks
-Simon

I find that putting a HighPass filtered saw riff over the bass helps give it a harder sound, well in the tech trance I like anyways. I will try to post something later when i figure out my webhosting situation.

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Create your own style damnit

the Microlab refill has some cool samples

http://hem.bredband.net/microlab/

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quote:

Originally texted by Jakhira Out with the dog at the moment. Chicks love him, and I love chicks... The world is in harmony

i havent never heard marco v's trance traxx..only hes techno traxx..
so i need sample..

but

harder side of music is my life..


so what makes it to sound hard?

1. kick(distortion) and bass line
2. percussion and hat work!!
3. other atmospheric pads and samples
4. acid.. hp hilterred saw..other noise to backround
5. speed/tempo
6. melody

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-keep it hard-

Havnt heard much of Marco Vs stuff, but I do like a lot of J00Fs work and some of Son Kites. I'd say for Tech, the most important consideration is a pumping bassline. Dont get to complicated with it and just keep it droning on.

try something like this...

In a 16 step sequence

K=Kick
B=Bass note
b=Bass note 1 octave higher

K---K---K---K---
-BbB-BbB-BbB-BbB

Lots of low end filtered synths can work well too. Again, nothing too complicated. Simple 1 finger apreggios with slow 8 or 16 bar filter increases work well. Try and approach it simply like your programming a drum machine or something. Once you've got that drive, then you can start adding in your little arsey techy elements that keep it interesting.

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OK, old thread I know but I kinda forgot about it


I tried the highpass-filtered synth over the bass thing, maybe I wasn't doing it right but it wasn't really to my liking... not quite what I was looking for, I can see the kind of sound it gives a track though, a little bit... jumpy? Hard to explain.

That refill has some nice sounds... and as for the other advice,

Any more tips are welcome

Just had a thought... sample time! A few examples of the style I'm kinda aming for.


Uno this tune is feckin' amazing in a club
Dos (pay more attention the beat/energy than the synth sound, bad enough Ron using the same sound all the time without me ripping it too )
Tres nice beat on this one...


So that's it, I'd like to get these kind of beats, FX, etc used in that type of tune down, then I can concentrate more on the inventive side of it, which should hopefully require less help since it's down to creativity and all that...

Thanks for any help guys

personally i think its down to the type of kick and bassline, hats and snares etc should be quite tight as opposed to 'loose' and all over the place

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Found Atlantis - Mixography [mix archive/mokumentary/my soul]?
i writed a song.

hi, if you like this, then hit me up on msn and ill hook you up with some class samples... btw this isnt mastered or anyhting, jkust something ive been fiddling with..

http://www.djalfi.com/mp3/techtrance.mp3

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BA-DUM-TSS

quote:

ALFI - BOHICA - DJ MIX (Stream+Dropbox)

That second one is pumped by a sidechain compressor. That is how they get that energy drive going on. Most of the hard dance tracks in DI.fm sound like that. I honestly don't like that sound...it's like aaaAaaaAaaaAaaaA, you know, hehehe.