The Secrets of House Music Production

The Secrets of House Music Production

Some believe house music to be the arrival of electronic music to the mainstream. Its deep drum sounds, danceability, and soulful mixes are perfect for clubs--in fact, it saw its beginnings in clubs, where house songs would play interspersed among funky disco songs at Chicago clubs in the 70s and 80s.

House music is the foundation of EDM today, and knowing how to produce house music is an imperative skill for any music producer. However, understanding music theory, sound design,

and the house music production ableton process may seem overwhelming at first. That's why we've decided to break it down a little.

To start, it is important to note that there is more than one style of house music: tropical house, future house, disco house, and bass house are only a few of them. It's important to know the distinctions among them, however, as this will allow you to find and perfect a more cohesive sound.

If you are still trying to determine what you like, it is helpful to look at the biggest names in house music to see where they got their start. Wolfgang Gartner, for example, ranges from jackin house to tech house, and has eight number ones on the Beatport Top 10 Chart. Mark Knight, another DJ, is one of the leading players in dance music culture.

Producing House Music When it comes to actually producing house music, there are countless ways to start. Ableton, Logic, and Cubase are all popular DAWs, for many reasons. Ableton is great for loop-based music and live mixing, while Logic and Cubase are not specifically designed for live performances, and instead are more similar to recording studios.

When it comes to choosing the DAW for you, however, it depends on what kind of music you want to make, as well as what DAW you feel more comfortable using. To fully maximize the capabilities of any DAW, you need plugins, so make sure you are using plugins that correctly suit your needs and expectations.

DAWs and plugins provide synths, reverb, sample collections, and more. There are also many free, downloadable samples online--you just need to search for them! An essential company to know for pro-audio loops and samples is Sample Magic. They produce, publish, and sell royalty-free samples, synthesizer presets, and MIDI content.

Terms to Know There are a myriad of terms that are parts of the production process: A sidechain is the pumping effect you often hear in records. It is a technique where an effect is triggered by an alternate audio track: you are using the output of one track, such as a kick drum, to alter the compression on another track, such as a bassline. In short, it quiets one sound when another one comes in.

A mixdown of audio is the compilation of the individual tracks you have created, so that the full song can be played, with all its parts.

A limiter is essential to use before releasing or playing your track. Essential for mastering engineers, it increases both the actual and perceived volumes of the track. This enables the song to sound more interactive and exciting.

If this is your first time producing house music, a good intro to producing house music is remixing popular songs to get a feel for the DAW you are using, as well as the production process.

Additionally, in-depth tutorials will be your best friend. Many YouTube videos features step-bystep tutorials and walkthroughs of popular DAWs and how to produce house music on them. An extremely popular and helpful reference book is The Secrets of House Music Production by Marc Adamo. Another resource is FutureMusic, a DJ magazine that features everything you need to know about the latest technology and innovations for music production.

Producing house music takes a lot of perseverance and determination, but just like anything else, your hard work will pay off. If your song doesn't sound the way you want right away, remember to be patient and to always have faith in yourself!