cover feature
Lastly, you’ll need to add effects to the track. Effects sound more natural when they’re made from existing parts in the track. Create return/ auxiliary tracks with effects processing plugins, and send your percussive parts to these tracks. The results can be recorded to new tracks, and processed with filters, delays and reverbs.
Once all of the main parts of your track have been created, begin arranging. The best way to learn to arrange is by studying a reference track in the same style. Some techno tracks are built with more of a loop-based approach, and rely less on a traditional song structure. Some modern techno, for example tracks by producers such as Eli Brown, Space 92 and Deborah De Luca, incorporate more melodic elements and defined arrangement structures.
Generally in techno something new is introduced into the track every 16 bars, or an element is removed. Techno arrangements use dynamic changes to hold the listener’s attention. A typical track arrangement could look like this:
Before you begin, ask yourself if your loop is interesting enough in terms of percussive grooves, character, melodies and harmonic elements. Original mixes and extended versions of tracks will each have a different type of arrangement. Once you’ve created a strong eight-bar loop, you can turn it into a full track by sculpting the different parts. If you’re new to arranging, it’s helpful to create markers in your DAW to name each one of the arrangement sections, or create an additional MIDI track with the name of each part.
One of the main goals in an arrangement is to create dynamic contrast between sections. The intro of a techno track can be the kick, as well as atmospheric and percussive elements, and generally no bass. The construction part of the track reveals the ‘story’ of the track and sets the tone and feel. It achieves this by introducing the elements of tracks, musical ideas and sounds. In the construction section, hi-hats, percussion, bass and melodies can be added. The breakdown section of a track serves to introduce a dynamic change before the full beat or drop and softer or more melodic elements are introduced. The build up normally follows a breakdown part, and only works in contrast to the drop. Its main purpose is to build up the tension and prepare listeners by creating anticipation for the drop. A high level of anticipation is built, which makes listeners aware that something big is about to happen.
When writing your track, one way to begin is by starting with the drop. This is the main part in the song that people will dance to. There are different types of drops that can be used, depending
