New on the forum, some tips?

Production
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Hi,

I’m S3M, a producer from the Netherlands for some years now. Mainly Trance, but sometimes other genres. So lately I’ve been trying to make some dubstep/melodic dubstep whatever you want to call it. And I want to improve my skills within that genre so here I am. Here is one melodic dubstep track I made: https://soundcloud.com/s3m_music/joshua-casper-strings-s3m-remix so you’ll have an idea of what my skills are. Some tips for a begginner in dubstep?

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Using FL Studio btw

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Never use the preset FL Studio drums that are on the step sequencer at the beginning. Use the 3x OSC for subs, low cut all the drums and synths out of the sub region and likewise, high cut everything above 50-100Hz for the sub region, so there’s no interference and just get started from there really. Not all dubstep tunes have to be half-step…everything between 130-150bpm is generally acceptable, with most tunes hitting the bpm around 138-142bpm.

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Take time to reaaaaally learn how to use Massive/Serum/whatever your using to make dubs

Listen to dubstep songs you like and try to remake them

Watch SeamlessR

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Thanks alot for taking the time! But that applies to all genre, so I knew that already except for the bpm thing. What is it called when dubstep reaches 165 bpm?

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Ok thanks, will try! And already watching his video’s, trying to learn about FM synthesis. Learned alot from him already

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probably a form of drumstep or something idk

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Most of it sounds like just drum 'n bass to me. People have thrown that drumstep term around for a bit, but there was always half-time dnb being made. Amit is probably the guy doing it best imo. Check some of his stuff out.

Nice composition and use of melody. I can hear the trance influence for sure. Some tips I would say are remember that the bassline is usually the main element. Doesn’t have to be all the time, but it should always have a focus. Not always the case in other genres. Also try using more acoustic drums. Synthetic drum machine ones can definitely work, but again it’s a genre thing. You don’t always even need a snare for example, you can use just a sidestick hit, rimshot too, or even just a clap. Or none. Experiment with layering them. If you want a melodic, chilled out feel, I think acoustic “lighter” sounding drums would work better and let the melodies and vibes breathe through the mix more.

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Ok, thanks alot!