Its always good to automate the volume and the filter.
A lowpass/bandpass filter slowly "opening up" will make the sound appear louder. In addition, you could automate the volume so that the sound simply gets louder dB-wise. To give it some additional loudness, you could add for example a simple noise with a slowly opening bandpass filter.
And then, add a reversed crash sound and time it so that it exactly reaches its climax at the end of the bar and before the main part you are building into.
If the percussion interferes too much with the rest, use a highpass filter on it.

To avoid clicks, add a limiter with 0.0 dB on the master channel.
Too much compression is a big no-no as well, it will take the dynamics away which you need during the crescendo.

this is what I made for my recent track. I know this is Psy which has got a little different buildups. I used a triangle/saw wave sound with slowly increasing pitch and cutoff (both sweeps can be done with a very slow LFO for example).
You will also notice that I used automated highpass filters on the master channel, its a way of a transition that works kinda well on the dancefloor
The other effect used is a retrigger, made in dblue glitch (free VST).

http://www.cybernetika.de/dust_talk_buildup.mp3

hope this was helpful to you

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Cybernetika albums (free DL): Atropos (2009) | Nanospheric (2008) | Neural Network Expansion (2007) | Promo #1 (2006) | Paralysis (2005)

homepage: http://www.cybernetika.de

I'm embarrassed I haven't found glitch sooner. I wish I could play around with that puppy, but I'm on a Mac at school, bummer, no vst for me right now.

Cybernetica is right. It's alllll about the dynamics. In fact when I’m composing and arranging a track I take ALL the faders on all my audio tracks and vsti tracks and bring them down to -10db, that way I don’t have to put a master limiter on my entire session, which allows natural dynamics to occur. Cybernetica is right, you should put a master limiter, with the threshold set to 0db, and the brick wall set to 0db, but really… if you’re mixing that way, you can get deceived by how apparently loud things are. You’ll find out later that “oh poop, my snare drum is far too quiet, I better bring it up.” But when you do, you’ll tonally change the entire track, because by bringing the snare drum volume up, it will slam the limiter even harder, and thus distort the tonality of your tracks.

I guess what I’m getting at with that long rant is not even related to creating crescendos, I was just giving good guidelines for mixing. START WITH EVERYTHING QUIET! And then mix everything in really loud like you want it.

So back on topic:

Besides the ubiquitous filter/amplitude automated 1/16th note (1/64th if you’re a super cool Psy producer) snare roll. There are other great ways of achieve delicious crescendos (and just make your track sound more dynamic and delicious)

Auto mate your velocity! Nothing sounds better than some hi hats with velocity automation. Listening to boring percussion is so common because people are either too lazy to do some automation to their percussions volume to make it sound more natural, or they just don’t think about it.

Anyway. I should stop talking. It’s too early in the morning and I’m at school.

But good luck with all your delicious productions.

PS: Today’s cool word is delicious.

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Soundcloud

thanks for sharing some delicious tips