>Step by step
1. Making an EDM composition
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Set your DAW’s BPM to 128, and build a simple drum kit to lay your musical sounds over. Download the EDM Track Samples and MIDI files folder from filesilo. co.uk (see p93) and get Kick_15.wav. This is a weighty, EDM-style kick that’s a great building block. Reduce it to -6dB to keep your gain structure right, then duplicate the kick onto each beat over two bars. 2
Let’s add a clap into the mix. From the samples folder, import DownTown_ Clap_01.wav. This is a tight-sounding clap, with a punchy attack reminiscent of a snare. Place it on the second and fourth beats of every bar then lower it to -9dB, so it sits better mixed with the kick. Next, add some percussion parts to give the drum track momentum. 3
Import 80s_Hat_02.wav from the samples onto a new channel, and duplicate it onto every offbeat. This hat has a tight sound out of the box, ideal for our track. Lower the channel to -9dB to keep the mix balanced. Extend the arrangement to 16 bars. Add Gear_Up_ Crash.wav (again from the samples), and place it at the start of the arrangement. 4
Lower the crash to -12dB, then apply a fade to the end of the audio to tidy it. Now add musical elements. Load Dmitry Sches’ ThornCM onto a new MIDI channel, then select the SEQ Collider preset; this is a great arpeggiated sequence that we can use for our intro. Import Arp.mid (from the samples folder) to trigger ThornCM, then reduce the channel volume to -3dB. 5
We’ll stretch our track to a full arrangement. Duplicate the added parts to make another 16-bar section. Add ThornCM onto a new MIDI track, with the Lead-Planet preset selected; this is a hugesounding lead, perfect for this track. Import Lead.mid onto the channel to trigger the synth, then turn the channel down to -2dB to keep the levels in check. 6
Delete all of the snare and hi-hat audio from the first eight bars of our second section, so that the lead takes precedence. Mute all the kicks, except for the first one that we’ll turn into an effect later on. We’ll begin by making a build by looping over two bars of the arpeggiator and lead during the second eight-bar section, decreasing this to one bar for the last four.
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Copy the crash cymbal over eight bars across, so it hits when the drums return. We’ll mute the drums entirely from the last bar, giving the lead added impact before the drop. Create a clap build over the last four bars, so the clap picks up pace. Now, we’ll duplicate the drums from the first 16 bars after the build section, so we can work on the drop.
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Import Lead.mid onto the lead channel for our drop. Add a new MIDI track, with Synapse Audio’s DuneCM loaded up. Drop Lead Chords.mid onto the track; this is a chord progression we’ve made to back up the lead line. Load the VengeanZ RL preset in DuneCM; a fat, unison, detuned lead to beef up the drop. Reduce volume to -7dB to keep balance.
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A synth bass will fill out the frequencies below the lead sounds, adding weight. Add a new MIDI channel, with Bass.mid loaded onto it. Call up u-he’s BazilleCM, and select the Purr Bass preset. Now, copy the entire drop section so that it’s 32 bars in length. We’ll duplicate the lead, chord and bass MIDI parts again to start creating the breakdown.
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Grab the second eight bars of our build section, and copy it across to go after the breakdown. Place a crash cymbal at the start of the breakdown, then grab the drop audio/MIDI and place it after the second build. After duplicating the last 16 bars of the second drop, mute the lead and chords MIDI to create a cooled down final 16 bars to finish the track off.
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Let’s add effects. Import FM_Odd_ Sting.wav onto a new channel, then reverse and place it at the end of each 16-bar section, making a subtle riser. Place 70s_Synth_Rise.wav from sample folder under both build sections to add atmosphere. Delete the last bar of the synth rise, then lower both effects to -3dB to preserve mix balance.
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A noise burst on the drop gives character. Place TapeNoise03.wav from the sample folder on the second beat of the drop. Fade out the audio, so the burst reduces to silence. To finish, add a vocal snip; grab Make_some_noise.wav and place it directly before each drop, pitched down by five semitones.