🎼Electronic Music Composition Unit 14 – Mastering Electronic Music

Key Concepts and Terminology

• Electronic music production involves creating, manipulating, and arranging sounds using electronic devices and software
• Synthesis generates sounds by combining basic waveforms (sine, square, sawtooth, triangle) and shaping them with filters, envelopes, and modulation
  • Subtractive synthesis starts with a harmonically rich waveform and removes frequencies using filters
  • Additive synthesis builds complex sounds by combining simple waveforms
  • FM synthesis modulates the frequency of one waveform with another to create complex timbres
• Sampling uses recorded audio snippets as the basis for new sounds and arrangements
  • Samples can be manipulated using pitch-shifting, time-stretching, and granular synthesis
• MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a protocol for communicating musical information between electronic devices
  • MIDI messages include note on/off, velocity, pitch bend, and control changes
• DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) is software used for recording, editing, and producing audio and MIDI data
• Plugins are software modules that extend the functionality of a DAW (virtual instruments, effects, analyzers)
• Equalization (EQ) is the process of adjusting the balance of frequency components in an audio signal
• Compression reduces the dynamic range of an audio signal by attenuating loud parts and boosting quiet parts

Essential Equipment and Software

• Computer with sufficient processing power, RAM, and storage for running a DAW and plugins
  • Recommended specs: multi-core processor, 8GB+ RAM, SSD storage, dedicated graphics card
• Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) software for recording, editing, and producing music (Ableton Live, FL Studio, Logic Pro, Pro Tools)
• MIDI controller for playing and programming musical parts (keyboard, drum pads, control surfaces)
• Audio interface for converting analog signals to digital and vice versa, with low-latency monitoring
  • Look for interfaces with high-quality preamps, multiple inputs/outputs, and USB or Thunderbolt connectivity
• Studio monitors or high-quality headphones for accurate listening and mixing
• Plugins for virtual instruments, effects, and audio processing (synths, samplers, reverb, delay, compression)
• Cables and connectors (XLR, TRS, TS, MIDI, USB) for connecting equipment and instruments
• Acoustic treatment for improving the sound of your studio space (absorption panels, bass traps, diffusers)

Understanding Electronic Music Genres

• Techno originated in Detroit, characterized by repetitive 4/4 beats, drum machines, and synthesizers
  • Subgenres include minimal techno, acid techno, and industrial techno
• House music emerged from Chicago, featuring four-on-the-floor beats, soul and disco influences, and prominent basslines
  • Subgenres include deep house, progressive house, and tech house
• Drum and Bass (DnB) developed in the UK, known for fast breakbeats (150-180 BPM), heavy basslines, and reggae/dub influences
  • Subgenres include liquid funk, neurofunk, and jump-up
• Dubstep originated in London, characterized by syncopated rhythms, wobble bass, and half-time drum patterns
  • Subgenres include brostep, riddim, and future garage
• Trance is known for its melodic and hypnotic qualities, often featuring arpeggiated synthesizers and emotional breakdowns
  • Subgenres include uplifting trance, progressive trance, and psytrance
• Ambient music focuses on atmospheric soundscapes and textures, often without a prominent beat
  • Subgenres include drone, space music, and dark ambient
• Experimental electronic music pushes boundaries and incorporates avant-garde techniques (glitch, noise, generative music)

Sound Design Fundamentals

• Oscillators generate basic waveforms (sine, square, sawtooth, triangle) that serve as building blocks for synthesized sounds
• Filters shape the frequency content of a sound by attenuating or emphasizing specific frequency ranges
  • Low-pass filters remove high frequencies, high-pass filters remove low frequencies, and band-pass filters isolate a specific frequency range
• Envelopes control how a sound evolves over time in terms of amplitude (volume), pitch, or timbre
  • ADSR (Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release) is a common envelope type for shaping the amplitude of a sound
• LFOs (Low-Frequency Oscillators) create periodic modulation of synthesizer parameters (pitch, volume, filter cutoff)
• Modulation sources (envelopes, LFOs, MIDI velocity) can be assigned to destination parameters to create dynamic and expressive sounds
• Layering multiple sounds or oscillators can create rich and complex timbres
• Resampling involves recording the output of a synthesizer or effect and using it as a new sound source
• Granular synthesis creates new sounds by splitting audio into short "grains" and manipulating them individually

Rhythm and Beat Construction

• Rhythm is the arrangement of sounds and silences in time, often organized into patterns and loops
• Beats are the foundation of most electronic music genres, providing a steady pulse and groove
• Drum machines (hardware or software) are used to program and sequence rhythmic patterns
  • Classic drum machines include the Roland TR-808, TR-909, and Akai MPC series
• Step sequencers allow for programming rhythms by activating or deactivating steps in a repeating pattern
• Quantization aligns MIDI or audio events to a rhythmic grid, ensuring precise timing and groove
• Swing adds a human feel to quantized rhythms by slightly delaying off-beats
• Layering multiple drum and percussion sounds can create depth and interest in a beat
• Polyrhythms involve multiple rhythmic patterns played simultaneously, creating complex and interlocking grooves
• Breakbeats are sampled drum breaks from funk, soul, and hip-hop records, often used in drum and bass and hip-hop production

Melody and Harmony in Electronic Music

• Melody is a succession of notes that form a recognizable musical phrase or theme
  • Melodies can be created using MIDI keyboards, step sequencers, or by drawing notes in a piano roll editor
• Harmony refers to the simultaneous sounding of multiple pitches, creating chords and chord progressions
• Scales are ordered sequences of notes that form the basis for melodies and harmonies
  • Common scales in electronic music include major, minor, pentatonic, and modes (Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian)
• Chords are built by stacking notes from a scale, typically in thirds (triads) or fourths (suspended chords)
• Arpeggios are chords played as a sequence of individual notes, often used in trance and progressive house
• Basslines provide harmonic and rhythmic foundation, often reinforcing the root notes of chords
• Counterpoint involves creating multiple independent melodic lines that interact and complement each other
• Tension and release can be created through the use of dissonant and consonant intervals, as well as by resolving to stable chord tones
• Modulation is the process of changing from one key or scale to another within a composition

Arrangement and Structure

• Arrangement refers to the organization and layout of musical elements (melodies, harmonies, rhythms, textures) over time
• Structure is the overall form and sections of a composition, typically consisting of an intro, verses, choruses, bridges, and outro
• Intro sets the mood and establishes key musical elements, often building anticipation for the main sections
• Verse sections often feature a lead melody or vocal, supported by a steady beat and harmonic progression
• Chorus sections are usually the most memorable and energetic parts of a track, featuring a catchy melody and full instrumentation
• Breakdown sections strip away layers and intensity, often featuring a simplified beat and atmospheric elements
  • Breakdowns create contrast and anticipation for the drop or climax of the track
• Drop is the climactic moment when the full beat and bassline are reintroduced, often accompanied by a memorable melodic hook
• Bridge sections provide contrast and variation, often introducing new musical ideas or modulating to a different key
• Outro is the concluding section that wraps up the track, often fading out or featuring a simplified version of the main themes
• Transitions between sections can be achieved through various techniques (filters, effects, drum fills, risers, and automation)

Mixing and Production Techniques

• Mixing is the process of balancing and blending individual tracks to create a cohesive and polished final product
• Gain staging ensures that each track is set to an optimal level to avoid clipping and maintain headroom
• Panning positions sounds in the stereo field, creating width and separation between elements
• EQ (equalization) shapes the frequency balance of individual tracks and the overall mix
  • Cutting conflicting frequencies and boosting key ranges can help elements sit well together
• Compression evens out the dynamic range of a signal, making quiet parts louder and loud parts quieter
  • Sidechain compression is a technique where one signal (e.g., kick drum) controls the compression of another signal (e.g., bassline)
• Reverb and delay are time-based effects that simulate spatial depth and create a sense of space around sounds
• Saturation and distortion add harmonics and color to sounds, making them more aggressive or gritty
• Automation is the process of recording or programming changes to parameters over time (volume, panning, effects)
• Bouncing or rendering is the final step of exporting the mixed project to a stereo audio file for distribution

Creative Applications and Exercises

• Create a drum rack or sampler instrument using found sounds recorded from your environment
• Design a complex synth patch using multiple oscillators, modulation sources, and effects
  • Experiment with different waveforms, filter types, and envelope settings to create unique timbres
• Program a polyrhythmic drum pattern using a step sequencer or drum machine plugin
• Compose a melodic phrase and develop variations using techniques like transposition, inversion, and rhythmic displacement
• Analyze the arrangement of a favorite electronic track and create a template that outlines its structure and key elements
• Create a remix of a popular song by extracting stems, rearranging sections, and adding original elements
• Participate in online production challenges or remix contests to practice working within constraints and deadlines
• Collaborate with other producers or musicians to exchange ideas, share feedback, and develop new skills
• Experiment with unconventional production techniques (circuit bending, granular synthesis, generative algorithms) to break creative boundaries