The low-end automation trick that tightens a drop
That moment right before the drop hits when the low end vanishes and the kick feels hollow? There's a set of automation moves in today's issue that build that tension without touching a riser.
◢ learn
▶ Serum 2's Multisample Mode Is a Kontakt-Style Sampler Hidden in a Synth
Quinn Grodzins walks through the five oscillator modes, but multisample is the one to steal—velocity-mapped guitar and choir instruments loaded straight into an oscillator. Granular mode maxes out at 26 grains and will cook your CPU if you don't trim the scan rate to 20%. It's a sampler that does Serum-style modulation, no Kontakt or SFZ import needed.
▶ The Automation Routine That Makes Tech House Drops Breathe
A 140 Hz low-cut on the bassline across the drop's last four bars pulls the sub, then slams it back. Reverb send wet/dry balances shrink and widen the drums; delay dry/wet hits 70% in the buildup and kills on the drop. All stock Ableton except one Serum macro for the filter sweep. Tight, no riser needed.
▶ The Tom Tuning and Bass Movement Behind Maccabi House
Kick stays natural—no click. An 808 tom jumps from root to perfect fifth (7 semitones up). Bass guitar patch moves down two semitones from root, fills with an octave jump. Kickstart sidechain at 100% on the bass, cowbell pitched to key with velocity variance. All in FL with Serum and stock distortion.
◢ the word
▶ Routing Ableton Through a Hardware Mixer Without Losing the Kick
Kick gets its own mono channel so external effects like a flanger on the clap via aux send never touch it. Snare, hi-hat, percussion each get a channel; synths and bass sum to stereo 7-8. Rename interface outputs in Ableton, and you've got a hybrid rig with faders next to an APC Mini.
Chris Lake & Chris Lorenzo — Piano Hand
the filtered piano stab that flips at the second drop · pairs with the low-cut automation trick above
| ▲ #03 | DE SOFFER — Smalltown Boy (Extended Mix) ▲ 1 · 7d · ▶ hear |
| ▼ #99 | VITO (UK), ARob — Alive (Extended Mix) ▼ 59 · 1d · ▶ hear |
| ▲ #37 | Soulsearcher, RUZE, Chesster — Feelin' Love (RUZE & Chesster Extended Remix) ▲ 60 · 7d · ▶ hear |
| ▲ #10 | Rochelle Jordan — Ladida (Honey Dijon Remix) ▲ 71 · 7d · ▶ hear |
| ▼ #95 | FIRZA — Party On (Original Mix) ▼ 49 · 1d · ▶ hear |
🔮 Producer Horoscope (for fun) — The cowbell you buried in the mix is in key; pitch it up 7 semitones and watch it demand a solo.
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covered in this issue: serum 2