This is the project for the course. The four "Make This" sessions on the scheme of work each produce one beat - complete, arranged and built from sounds you designed yourself.
Beat 1: Straight beat
A four-on-the-floor groove - house or techno, 120-135 BPM.
- Synthesised kick tuned to the key, layered clap, swung hats.
- A bassline from Pigments or Serum, sidechained to the kick.
- One chord stab or pad from a V Collection classic synth.
- At least 32 bars with an intro, main section and breakdown.
Beat 2: Broken beat
A broken or syncopated groove - breakbeat, UK garage, two-step or drum and bass.
- Kicks off the obvious downbeats, swing or groove template applied.
- A granular texture from Pigments.
- An FM element from DX7 V - a bell, a bass or metallic percussion.
- A tempo-manipulation moment: a half-time or double-time switch.
Beat 3: Your choice
A style of your choice - trap, ambient, electro, bass music or something else.
- A wavetable bass or lead from Serum with modulated wavetable position.
- At least one layered sound with parallel distortion.
- A resampled, bounced-in-place element that has been transformed.
Beat 4: Your choice
A second style of your choice, different from beat 3.
- An additive or sampled sound from CMI V.
- At least two Arturia effects used as sound design: tape delay, plate reverb, filter, FET compression or preamp.
- One element from outside the box if possible: a hardware synth, a Max for Live device, or a found-sound recording.
For every beat
- Self-designed sounds - presets are allowed as starting points, but every main sound must be substantially your own.
- A sound design log - one paragraph per main sound: which instrument, how it was built, and what processing was applied.
- Mix basics - clear low end, nothing clipping, checked on headphones and a phone.
- Save your presets in your own library.
What will be assessed
- Sound design - originality and control.
- Groove - do the beats move?
- Use of the tools - the techniques from the course, used with purpose.
- Arrangement - structure and variation.
- Documentation - the sound design log.
Do this now
- Set up four projects with your sound design template, one per beat, and choose the styles for beats 3 and 4.
- Design the kick and bass for beat 1 today.
- Start your sound design log.