Here's another kick sample pack. Almost 5 MB of drums. Some good stuff!
Here's the link - http://www.mediafire.com/?3ynyg2y2w2z
Keep checkin back!!
-Cheebs
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
5 Tips To Spice Up Drum Loops
This was a request. I'm gunna go over a few ways to spice up drum loops and make them more interesting. Feel free to throw in your input in the comments if you want.
1 - Hi Hat Patterns
A good way to spice up drum loops is to vary the Hi Hats a little. Throw in an extra open hat in a few places or a shaker. Cut them out in a few places here and there and double them up in a few places. It can add a whole different flair to the pattern. Putting the Hat's a little off can give your pattern a cool shuffle effect also.
2 - Layer Up And Vary Snare Samples
When I lay drums down I layer up at least 3 snares and all the way up to 6 sometimes. This makes the snare in your loop sound fuller and more interesting. Another good thing to do is only use some snares at spots and then use the others on different parts of the song. You can change a few at the hook, or like I do often is at the end of 4 or 8 bars I change out a few of the snares with different ones just to add a a little extra something. You might not notice it, but you do. It's subtle differences like that that keep people listening without knowing it.
3 - Make Longer Patterns
Most of the time just doing 2 bar patterns works. But when the drums are more the focus and you use less samples or synth, you should make the pattern longer. Making your loop 4 or 8 bars long makes you focus on where you can change things to spice it up. By getting a bigger picture, you realize where it gets repetitive and you can almost feel where you should switch it up a little bit to keep it interesting.
4 - Throw In Other Drum Loops
Every 4th or 8th bar add in a pre-made drum loop. I have a link in one of my older posts to download some if you don't have any. It gives a good little change before a hook or just in the middle of a verse. It can help emphasize what the emcee is trying to say or help with a transition. I don't do this as much, but it is pretty cool to try out every once in awhile. Just make sure the loop matches up to the BPM of your track.
5 - Get Pads
I didn't realize until I had a MPC how easy it is to lay out drum patterns with your fingers by hitting the pads. You can get units from a few companies that connect USB or MIDI to your computer to allow you to do the same thing. By playing on the fly and recording you can get a human feel to your loop and you will also vary the pattern more than when you sit and draw it out. If it's too far off you can always quantize to put things closer to where they should be. The Akai MPK49 is a good unit that has 12 pads, 49 semi weighted keys and a transport control built in. The pads really help.
Those were a few ideas. Just listen to your loops and anticipate what it needs. After awhile of making and listening to them you will get a feel for where certain things need to go in order to spice it up.
Don't forget to donate through my pay pal link in the top right of the page. Everything helps.
-Cheebs
1 - Hi Hat Patterns
A good way to spice up drum loops is to vary the Hi Hats a little. Throw in an extra open hat in a few places or a shaker. Cut them out in a few places here and there and double them up in a few places. It can add a whole different flair to the pattern. Putting the Hat's a little off can give your pattern a cool shuffle effect also.
2 - Layer Up And Vary Snare Samples
When I lay drums down I layer up at least 3 snares and all the way up to 6 sometimes. This makes the snare in your loop sound fuller and more interesting. Another good thing to do is only use some snares at spots and then use the others on different parts of the song. You can change a few at the hook, or like I do often is at the end of 4 or 8 bars I change out a few of the snares with different ones just to add a a little extra something. You might not notice it, but you do. It's subtle differences like that that keep people listening without knowing it.
3 - Make Longer Patterns
Most of the time just doing 2 bar patterns works. But when the drums are more the focus and you use less samples or synth, you should make the pattern longer. Making your loop 4 or 8 bars long makes you focus on where you can change things to spice it up. By getting a bigger picture, you realize where it gets repetitive and you can almost feel where you should switch it up a little bit to keep it interesting.
4 - Throw In Other Drum Loops
Every 4th or 8th bar add in a pre-made drum loop. I have a link in one of my older posts to download some if you don't have any. It gives a good little change before a hook or just in the middle of a verse. It can help emphasize what the emcee is trying to say or help with a transition. I don't do this as much, but it is pretty cool to try out every once in awhile. Just make sure the loop matches up to the BPM of your track.
5 - Get Pads
I didn't realize until I had a MPC how easy it is to lay out drum patterns with your fingers by hitting the pads. You can get units from a few companies that connect USB or MIDI to your computer to allow you to do the same thing. By playing on the fly and recording you can get a human feel to your loop and you will also vary the pattern more than when you sit and draw it out. If it's too far off you can always quantize to put things closer to where they should be. The Akai MPK49 is a good unit that has 12 pads, 49 semi weighted keys and a transport control built in. The pads really help.
Those were a few ideas. Just listen to your loops and anticipate what it needs. After awhile of making and listening to them you will get a feel for where certain things need to go in order to spice it up.
Don't forget to donate through my pay pal link in the top right of the page. Everything helps.
-Cheebs
Saturday, April 11, 2009
3 Dubstep Links For Beginners
Hey everyone! I just recently got into Dubstep. I'm not even really sure how it's made yet. Here's a few links I found real helpful when starting to make Dubstep for the first time. You should bookmark these links for future reference.
1 - http://lazyrecords.co.uk/articles/dubstep-production.html
This is basically a rundown of how a Dubstep track is laid out. What programs you need, how to make every synth, the history behind stuff. It's a good site to give a look at a few times.
2 - http://www.bedroomrecords.co.uk/musicproduction.htm#albino3\
This page gives you a step by step tutorial with pictures about how to make the signature wobble bass in Albino 3. This bass is in almost all Dubstep tracks. Get Albino 3 or Massive, both great VST's for bass.
3 - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=14797
This is a post in a forum titled "The Dubstep Production Bible". This is a great post to check out. It's broken down into chapters and links to everything. Check it out and bookmark it because you will need to check it out again.
That is all for now. If you can spare a few bucks, please donate to my Pay Pal account. The button is on the right side of the page at the top. Thanks!!
-Cheebs
1 - http://lazyrecords.co.uk/articles/dubstep-production.html
This is basically a rundown of how a Dubstep track is laid out. What programs you need, how to make every synth, the history behind stuff. It's a good site to give a look at a few times.
2 - http://www.bedroomrecords.co.uk/musicproduction.htm#albino3\
This page gives you a step by step tutorial with pictures about how to make the signature wobble bass in Albino 3. This bass is in almost all Dubstep tracks. Get Albino 3 or Massive, both great VST's for bass.
3 - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=14797
This is a post in a forum titled "The Dubstep Production Bible". This is a great post to check out. It's broken down into chapters and links to everything. Check it out and bookmark it because you will need to check it out again.
That is all for now. If you can spare a few bucks, please donate to my Pay Pal account. The button is on the right side of the page at the top. Thanks!!
-Cheebs
Free Samples - Fat Drums
This is a huge almost 10 MB pack of all kinda of drums. If you download and like these drums please donate to my Pay Pal account, the link is on the right side of the blog. Thanks!
Here's the link : http://www.mediafire.com/?zcmnimhdkoj
-Cheebs
Free Samples - The Doc Is In
This kit is drum samples that are out of Dr. Dre tracks. Some good sounds and drums! Don't forget to donate if you like these samples! Click the Pay Pal button on the right.
Here's the link : http://www.mediafire.com/?tdi0gmmtktz
Check back!!
-Cheebs
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
3 Cheap Sources To Buy Foam For Soundproofing
Hey everyone! A big part of creating a good space to mix down tracks is making sure your control room is as dead as possible. By dead I mean there is as little reverb coming off surfaces in the room as possible. It is also good to soundproof any vocal booth as well.
There are a few companies, such as Auralex, that charge an arm and a leg for soundproofing foam. The reality is almost all foam is the same when it comes to dampening reverb, so why not get something that is cheaper? Here are 3 sites I found that will get you one step closer to making a dead control room or vocal booth a reality.
Foambymail.com - My friend ordered from this company and he got more than he paid for. They are a very good site and carry all kinds of foam.
Soundprooffoam.com - These guys carry both sound absorbing and sound blocking materials. Another good site.
Foamorder.com - This site is a lot like foambymail.com. Good deal on foam, they also carry an adhesive spray that comes in handy when trying to hang them foam.
Some of the packages are less than 50 bucks for way more foam that you would get from Auralex, so shop around and find what works for you!
I also now take donations, so I would really really appreciate it if you guys would help out with any amount possible. There is a Pay Pal button in the top right, you cant miss it.
-Cheebs
There are a few companies, such as Auralex, that charge an arm and a leg for soundproofing foam. The reality is almost all foam is the same when it comes to dampening reverb, so why not get something that is cheaper? Here are 3 sites I found that will get you one step closer to making a dead control room or vocal booth a reality.
Foambymail.com - My friend ordered from this company and he got more than he paid for. They are a very good site and carry all kinds of foam.
Soundprooffoam.com - These guys carry both sound absorbing and sound blocking materials. Another good site.
Foamorder.com - This site is a lot like foambymail.com. Good deal on foam, they also carry an adhesive spray that comes in handy when trying to hang them foam.
Some of the packages are less than 50 bucks for way more foam that you would get from Auralex, so shop around and find what works for you!
I also now take donations, so I would really really appreciate it if you guys would help out with any amount possible. There is a Pay Pal button in the top right, you cant miss it.
-Cheebs
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Now Taking Donations
Hey guys! I just put in a donation button over on the top right of the blog. If you enjoy what I'm posting or find it helpful, help me out by droppin a few bucks via Pay Pal. It's safe and easy and it will motivate me to keep good posts coming.
Take it easy and drop me a line anything at cheebsbeats@gmail. com
-Cheebs
Take it easy and drop me a line anything at cheebsbeats@gmail. com
-Cheebs
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Free Samples - U.K. Hip Hop Kit
Here's a kit I found that I guess is from U.K. Hip Hop. There's some good hats and other drums in this collection.
Here's the link - http://www.mediafire.com/?jd3kowtn2l2
-Cheebs
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