BEASTMODE Kontakt Library - Music Loops

: Unleash Your Production Beast! 'BEASTMODE' is the absolute dream library for any urban producer when it comes to Kontakt. For this sound bank, 2DEEP hand picked 10 of his own all time favorite 100% royalty free samples from previous sound packs, chopped them up and assigned them to the pads for you, ready to create. This is the ultimate production tool because not only are the melodic loops sliced up and ready, there are also 25 banging drum loops, chopped up and assigned to the pads as well! Each pad can be set to have a different volume, pitch or pan giving complete control over your slices.

Check out this video.

For info and details please visit:
BEASTMODE Kontakt Library

Fender American Pro Stratocaster Electric Guitar

Fender American Pro Stratocaster Electric Guitar

The Fender Pro Strat features rosewood fingerboard, beautiful 3 colorful sunburst design and three alnico V-mod single coil pickups for that classic stratocaster sound.

For more details have a look at this video.

808 Epic Guitars -Guitar Loops

808 Epic Guitars:

 Royalty-free kits full of guitar-fueled energy '808 Epic Guitars' from Big Citi Loops brings you five Construction Kits full of energy. These Kits come complete with all the Royalty-Free elements you need to create your own arrangements. This pack includeds live guitars and unique 808 sounds. You'll find synths, pads, electronic 808 drums, FX and more, across five Royalty-Free, tempo/key-labelled Construction Kits.   Product Includes:  • 24-Bit WAV & MP3 • All parts individually exported • All loops are Royalty-Free • Keys and tempos are included.  Available as download.

Hip Hop Bass Sample Pack - Bass Loops

It's All About That Bass! The anticipated TCustomz 'Hip Hop Bass Sample Pack' is finally here! Having produced Hip Hop beats for over 8 years, TCustomz know how difficult it can be to find good quality bass sounds to use in traditional Hip Hop production. So what they've done for this release is included the EXACT bass sounds they use in their beats! These personal, customized bass patches are now available to YOU! Watch the demo and purchase this kit below.   Product Includes:  10 Custom Hip Hop Bass Patches (includes .WAV bassline, .MIDI file, and two single .WAV bass).
Works with any DAW.

Check out this video for more details.

Get it now at:
Hip Hop Bass Sample Pack:

The Beat House Bundle - Music Loops

The Beat House Bundle:

The Super Bundle by The Beat House  Watch the Demo video below: Modern Producers & The Beat House proudly present: 'The Beat House Bundle'. This new exclusive bundle was created with all you producers in mind. You get over 1,500 sounds of nothing but pure quality sounds that will have you making hits in just seconds! Included in this bundle are signature Kontakt Banks from producers, such as Shawty Redd, Cassius Jay, Zaytoven, LE, Yonni and more. All of these producers have either won a GRAMMY or been nominated for one.

For more details visit:
Beat House Bundle

QSC TouchMix-30 Pro Digital Mixer, 32-Channel

QSC TouchMix-30 Pro Digital Mixer, 32-Channel offers 24 mic preamps,  32 x 32 DAW I/O  USB recording and playback computer plus six stereo F/X processors. Professional features in a compact design the QSC TouchMix-30 Pro is great for music production. live performance, and sound mixing.

For more details visit our link below.
QSC TouchMix-30 Pro Digital Mixer

Understanding Affiliate Programs for Musicians

Affiliate programs are a great way to create an income from your music website. Anyone with the website, a blog, social media followers and any other means of regular traffic can generate income from affiliate programs.

 The basic idea behind an affiliate program is to provide you with a given percentage made from sales that you make from your website or blog.  The percentage can be as low a two percent of sales made, or much more dependent on the particular affiliate program.

Promoting your affiliate program is key to generating sales. Your existing traffic from your site can be a good start. Social media and your current followers can be used to generate traffic to your affiliate  programs can be used as well. If you maintain an email list this can be used as an added traffic source. Creating your own videos and posting them on YouTube can be an excellent traffic generator. 

Most affilate  programs provide product banners, text ads, links , pop up ads or even complete store fronts for you can add to your website to increase sales.  Also, most affiliate programs have dedicated affiliate managers to help you get started.

 In the process of making sales It is necessary to take advantage of the niche of your website in order to get the most sales relevant to the products you're selling. Keep in mind what your traffic may be interested in and try to match those interests to your website and your affiliate program.

Success in promoting an affiliate program is also dependent on product placement within your website. It is important to make sure your affiliate program becomes a seamless part of your website or blog and to make sure it does not interfere with the basic logic flow of your website as a whole. Try to avoid unnecessary or annoying ad placements on your site.

In conclusion, affiliate programs are a great way to create some extra income and to contribute to a  more interesting website or blog overall. it will take time to profit from affiliate programs but with concerted effort success will follow.

Platinum Electronic Female Vocals - Vocal Loops

Platinum Electronic Female Vocals:

This producers pack holds Original, Catchy Melodies and Vocals by singer/songwriter Chelsea Davis. This vocal pack contains over 55 WAV Vocal Files and 4 Construction Kits. These catchy phrases and hooks will inspire your Next Electro, EDM, Dubstep Track, giving you that 'Feel Good' Vybe! Each Hook comes with the Mixed Accapela, as well as dry Vocals that are seperated for complete freedom of editing and rearranging Vocals around your next Electro Hit!   Three complete electro hooks filled with amazing melodies and female vocals! Play with Over 50 Individual Female Vocal LOOPS to Chop, Mix, and Match into your Production Arsenial, ALL at your Finger Tips!

Available as download.
For more details please visit:
Platinum Electrnic Female Vocals

Propellerhead Reason 9.5 Music Production Software

Includes a virtual rack . plus many instruments including synths , drum machines, samplers and more. Features a large collection of available sounds. Powerful  recording options including sequencer,  recording and editing, midi, audio mixing and much more. Offers VST support for greater expansion options as well. For further details please visit the link below.

Propellerhead Reason 9.5 Music Production Software

Have a look at the video for information on the Reason 9 Production Software.

Another video on the updated Propellerhead Reason 9.5 Music Production Software

Vision: Dark Melodic Loops - Construction Kit

For more details visit:
Vision: Dark Melodic Loops:

Modern Beats with Hooks 'Vision' is the next chart topping Hip Hop kit from Sami The Producer of Rebel Nation Audio. Created with focus on the sound and quality, while polishing a collection of Loops and 6 Construction Kits with 4 exclusive hooks by Sami himself. This kit is for creators with a VISION. This collection is minimal by design and decadently musical from beginning to end making this a classic R&B, Pop, Trap or Hip Hop soundtrack. It boasts a wealth of genre variety from Pop to the heaviest of minimal Trap making it definitive clear collection to own.

Boss BR-800 Multitrack Digital Recorder

The Boss BR-800 Multi-track Digital Recorder features 8 tracks, 64 virtual tracks, four 1/4 inch line/ XLR mic inputs, built in Boss effects for vocals, guitar or bass guitar tracks. The Boss BR-800 can be battery powered for greater portability as well. Also, the BR-800 features DAW (digital audio workstation), integration via USB connection and EZ recording feature help get your tracks down with less hassle.

Check out this video.

For more details and information please visit -
Boss BR-800 Multitrack Digital Recorder

Native Instruments Maschine MK3 Groove Production Studio

Have a look at this video featuring the new Native Instruments Maschine MK3 Production Studio - with audio interface,  pattern based sequencer, sampler with studio grade instruments and effects, drum synth and sound library perfect for creating grooves, loops and beats.

For more details please visit:
Native Instruments Maschine MK3 Groove Production Studio

Selling Beats/Instrumentals Online: Tips and Tricks for Newbies

Selling Beats/Instrumentals Online: Tips and Tricks for Newbies

Tips and Tricks for Newbies If you have experience in creating music and you are good at tweaking midi controllers, you may consider making money out of selling the tracks that you produce online. Yes, selling beats/instrumentals online can be the only job that you need to do, if you know your way around the various audiences that depend on purchasing and using tracks that are available. Why Selling Beats/Instrumentals Online Can Be a Great Business A lot of producers that know a thing or two about selling beats/instrumentals online make $20.000 or more extra income out of beat sales,

Choosing Music Loops For Your Next Project

The focus of this article is on choosing the best music kits or loops for your next project. We will be looking at various categories  of music loops and will be revealing the best possibilities for finding loops that will be the most compatible to fit your particular style of music loops and equipment.

Most loops  are currently available as downloads and typically are available in 44khz and 24 bit wav files. Unless your our looking for LoFi files, these resolution rates are considered to be best for creating music loops and are usually compatible with most DAW software. With that in mind let's have a look at the possibilities available.

Construction Kits. 

Construction kits are a good place to start if your budget is small and need to get going quickly.  Construction kits feature complete backing tracks, usually distinguished by specific keys major or minor, tempo, length and  style and fx.  They feature basic instruments typically drums and bass, synth and keyboards, guitars and so on. Many construction kits focus on a particular style or genre of music as well. The limitation of contraction kits is that they may be too specific and not what you need. Be sure to look for audio samples to look for a good match for your musical style.

VSTs

VSTs or virtual studio technology allow the user  to increase the performance capabilities of an existing DAW program. Available as downloads paid or otherwise, they offer instrument expansion  and/or effects, Also, audio enhancement VSTs plugins can be added usually with visual elements, such as faders, switches,  and so on. VSTs are sometimes categorized into instrumental, expansion, or plugins according to their various functions.  When looking to add VSTs to your existing software be sure to check for compatibility and for specific instruments, enhancements  or effects you are looking for.

Vocal Kits

Vocal Kits usually offer backing vocals or vocal effects depending on the program. With some limitations they can be a nice add-on to your track building efforts.

Guitars and Bass

Live or programmed guitar or bass loops, synth bass  and acoustic guitars in a variety of styles are available as well.

Keyboards and Synths

Important expansion to your sound palette will include a variety of synths, analog and digital, along with acoustic pianos in differing style loops can be found.

Drum Loops And Kits

Most likely the most popular expansion are drum loops and  percussion instrument samples. The category can feature anything from  live drum loops sounds and samples. to classic 808 and 707 drum machine loops are available.

Orchestral Loops

Full orchestral string loops are available,  great for techno styles usually indicated in specific keys and tempos.

FX sounds

Special effect sounds can be an interesting addition if needed. A large variety of possibilities in different categories can be had.

In conclusion, much can be had in the world of expanding your musical palate whatever your style and influences may be. With a little understanding we have overcome the obstacles ahead and sought out a higher degree of knowledge in the process.

For more details visit:  Modern Producers

Epiphone AJ-220S Acoustic Guitar Video

Check out this cool video on the Epiphone AJ-220S Acoustic Guitar. Highly recomended guitar for beginners or advanced guitarist.

For more details on this guitar visit - Epiphone AJ-220S Acoustic Guitar

Guitar Chords For Beginners

While most music loops can be programmed into a computer it's a nice alternative to add live instruments into the mix. The guitar has certainly  been a staple in pop music  through the years and will be so in the future as well. With this in mind learning a few basic chords on the guitar can be a good start to making more interesting  songs and loops in your music production efforts. 

The focus of this article will be on learning basic guitar chords in the key of  C major. The chords presented will be (for the most part) in open position and are some of the most commonly used chords for the guitar.  For further understanding of chords please refer to our article "Understanding Basic Chords" on this blog.

Getting Started

The following  chords in this article are written in the form of a chord diagram or grid representing the fretboard of a six string guitar in open position.  

In figure 1 (see below) we have an example of a C major chord. The letter at the top of the chord indicates the chord name. An "X" indicates a note NOT to be played. Numbered dots indicate which left hand fingering is to be used. Open strings left unmarked are to played along with fingered tones. The chords shown will represent scales tones starting with the tonic (I) through the leading tone (vii) in the key of C. 

Furthermore, be sure to play each note cleanly behind  each fret  (not on top) for the most consistent sound. Use only enough pressure from the pad of the finger tip to achieve an even and clean tone from the guitar and generally keep the thumb behind the neck of the guitar between the first and second finger. 

Lastly, while using a plectrum experiment with various strumming patterns and rhythms. You can also play the chords as an arpeggio one note at at a time using various rhythmic patterns and you can experiment using finger picking styles as well. See our link on this blog for more details on fingerpicking.

In conclusion, we hope this serves  as a good introduction to playing simple chords and will open some avenues for your own music and as a start to discovering the guitar and its potential as a creative tool for musical expression.

Figure 1

Recommended Books:

Hal Leonard Ultimate Guitar Chord Chart

Play Guitar Today Beginner's Pack

Hal Leonard Guitar Method Beginner's Pack

Beginner Bass Lessons | CyberfretBass.com

Beginner Bass Lessons | CyberfretBass.com

Understanding Basic Chords

Our article for today focuses on understanding basic chord progressions in a major scale. We will be looking at how to create triads, establishing key, chord inversions , and the most common chords that can be used in songwriting or creating music loops.

In figure 1 we have a major scale build in the key of C major.  Each tone of the scale pattern is typically identified by  roman numerals as shown.   The tones are named respectively as tonic (I), subtonic, mediant, sub-dominant, dominant, sub-mediant and leading tone.

Triads.

In figure 2 (see below), we have triads which is defined as scale tones built on major and minor thirds which form the basic chords shown.

The upper case roman numerals I, IV and V indicate  major chords while the lower case numerals indicate a minor chord with the exception of the vii scale tone which forms a diminished chord. While the key of C is shown triads or chords can be built in the same manner on any scale in a major key.

Establishing the Key. 

Establish the key is most easily done by emphasizing the tonic  and dominant or I - V chords in key.  In pop music  this is more commonly used in the form of tonic to sub dominant to dominant or I - IV - V chords in key. Literally hundreds of songs have used this simple cord progression in pop music with great success. 

Chord Inversions.

Chord inversions  of root position chords (Figure 2) can be used. Figure 3 shows the inversions for any root position chord which are 6 - 3 and 6- 4 inversions.  In 6-3 inversion the root the is moved up above the third and in the 6-4 inversion the root and the third tones are placed above the fifth of the chord. 

Chord progressions.

Many chord progressions can be derived using the chords shown in figure 2 and figure 3.  As long as the key is established any of these chords can be used in any succession following the tonic chord. The only exception is the diminished chord on vii or leading tone chord which would be resolved to the tonic chord  or vii- I progression.  With this method many chords can be easily derived in any key.

Seventh and Extended Chords.

Seventh and extended chords can be created as well  simply by adding another third tone or more,  namely ninth, eleventh and thirteenth tones to any of the triads as shown in figure 2. 

In conclusion, we have covered some of the basic ideas to understanding the use of major key chords build on scales in pop music  and to inspire their use in creating songs or music loops as you see fit.

Figure 1.

Figure 2.

Figure 3.

For more information on chords try - 

 The Ultimate Keyboard Chord Chart booklet

 illustrates 120 of the most common chords so you can find them right away.

Hal Leonard The Ultimate Keyboard Chord Chart Book

Guitar Fingerpicking Technique - How To Fingerpick Acoustic Guitar

Guitar Fingerpicking Technique - How To Fingerpick Acoustic Guitar

How To Create Drum Fills

Today's article is about spicing up you loops with some drum fills. Drum fills add interest to your beats and can create excitement to your vocal or instrumental lead parts as well. 

Drum fills can usually work well in various parts of your song or loop as long as they complement or support the main lead part.  Both intro and ending or out-tro of your song is effective for using fills. Most music based on loops follow pop song form at least to some degree but tend to be less structured than typical pop songs.  Typical song chorus and bridge sections tend to be simplified or removed all together in favor of more repetition particularly obvious in hip hop loops. This makes adding drum fills a little less obvious as song form is minimized.  Even so, drum fills can be used effectively in looped based music. 

Drum fills work best at the end of a vocal or lead melodic phrase. A rare occurrence is to add a fill during a line but is very effective at accenting or building up a lead in your song. Look for adding drum fills during these breaks in your music. The last bar of every four or eight bars in your song is typical for adding a drum fill as well.

With that in mind,  here are some our tips and ideas for adding drum fills to  your music loops.

1. Short drum fills.  In figure one we have variations of a 16th note pattern. Any of these notes can be used at the end of a bar usually on the fourth beat (quarter note) of the pattern and could be used on snare drum or toms as part of a fill. Experiment with these variations.  Be sure to program added accents for greater interest to your drum fill and add a crash/bass drum hit at the end of the fill.

Figure 1

2.  Half bar fills. Longer fills can be created  using the the same patterns shown simply by combing any of the patterns  together to form a half bar pattern (two quarter notes) or even longer patterns.  Figure 2 shows an example of how this is done. With this simple method seemingly  endless variations are possible by assigning the basic 4 or 3 or 2 beat patterns shown to snare, tom tom, or bass drum hits to create your drum fill.

Figure 2.

3. Cymbal fills. Another idea here also is to use the same method describe but assign patterns to cymbals rather than drums to create cymbal fills. This would work well in ballads or slower songs in particular and would be somewhat more unique.

4. Rudimentary fills. Again take the basic bar pattern and introduce rudimentary aspects such as flams , rolls - open or closed, drags, paradiddles or any other drum rudiments to your patterns.

5. Triplets.  Add quarter note or even 16th note triplet patterns in the same method to create even more variations.

6. Melodic ideas. A different method that can extend a fill into a solo is to use a melodic lead and express the rhythmic pattern of the melody onto your drums and cymbals.  Shorter melodic phrases seems to work best here.

7.  Transcribing and writing. A good idea is to transcribe patterns from your favorite tunes and to experiment writing out  your own patterns as well. Before long you will have your own library of patterns to draw upon.

8.  Accents and articulation. If you are programming your fills be sure to add accents and experiment with tuning you instruments varying the pitch to simulate stick articulation or right and left hand strokes, to allow for better realism and greater expression.

In conclusion,  we have covered some simple thoughts and ideas to creating more interesting drum fills and to finding a more valid musical  experience for everyone.

More articles of interest:

Retro Loop - The TR 808 Drum Machine

Recording Vocals at Home

Choosing Music Loops for Your Next Project

10 Most Common Mistakes Made by Beginning Songwriters

Rellek VST

Rellek VST: The Groundbreaking VST is now available.  Introducing the groundbreaking 'Rellek VST'. This is a completely practical VST that works in all DAW software such as FL Studio, Logic, Cubase, Studio One, Ableton and more! This incredible VST looks simple but yet is visually stunning and highly useful in music production. It has instrumental sounds including such notables as the TR 808s, Bass, Synth, Piano, Choir, Pads, Plucks, Leads and so much more. And the best part about all of this? It's ONLY THE BEGINNING! You'll notice there is a 'Load Expansion' button through which we will be bringing you all some terrific and yet affordable expansions on a regular basis.

Watch the video below for more details on the Rellek VST

Available as digital download.

Recording Vocals at Home

The Basics -  Recording Vocals at Home

Today's article is on meeting the basic requirements for recording solo vocals in a home studio. Also we will be looking at some helpful tips on how to improve your recording in the home environment.

The Basics.

 Assuming you are a solo artist working within a DAW workstation or even with outboard recording gear you will need the following gear to get started laying some tracks down.

First of all, is the the dedicated microphone. Although microphone's can be expensive, in a home studio there are plenty of lower cost options. Typically you'll need a low impedance mic with XLR  connector,  a good quality mic cable, plus a decent mike stand and a pop filter or a foam windscreen mic cover.  While there are many choices available, a good pick is the Shure SM58 vocal mike. The SM 58 has been around a long time  has excellent response, is sturdy and it's relatively low cost makes it ideal for home recording. It' s cousin the SM57 is also great for instrumental recording as well.

Next in line is the audio interface. The audio interface is necessary if you are using a digital workstation.  The audio interface allows real time recording of external sounds by your workstation for vocals or instrument such as guitar or bass. The interface serves as go between to covert analog sound via mic or instrument to be converted into digital format or signal readable by your DAW workstation computer. Low cost alternatives are available but you will need at least 2 inputs (more inputs is better if you expand your setup later), and a monitor output and/or headphone out. XLR cables or RCA type cables (depending on the output type on your interface) will be needed if you are using external audio monitors.

Typically, audio interface devices use standard 2.0 USB connectors so you will need a USB cable as well.  Audio interfaces come in different A/D resolutions ranging from 16 bit to 32 bit, but most common is 24 bit at 192 kHz or 96kHz and are affordable at those specs. A further option are ADAT optical inputs which would allow for channel expansion but would be more expensive. Furthermore, some software packages would be included as well. Make sure your DAW is compatible with the interface. A last option for your  audio interface is a MIDI (musical instrument digital interface), out for connecting to other MIDI instruments, but if you want to keep costs down it's nice to have, but not needed.

If you are recording with outboard devices such as digital multi-track a dedicated preamp between the mic and recording device is not absolutely necessary but is a good idea. In any case, microphones are low level devices and require a preamp to boost your signal to line level.

Basic Tips for Recording:

1. Choose a room with minimal reflections, a small room will

do You can always use acoustic foam to deaden areas and walls but is not necessary for casual recordings.

2. Use a unidirectional mic particularly on vocals.

3. Pad the base of your microphone stand to avoid any unwanted rumble or sounds.

4. Avoid long cable runs and always use shielded cables.

5. Use a pop filter on your mic and angle the front of the mic away from source.

6. To create fuller vocal lines double or even triple track your vocal part in unison

7. For weak vocals add a unison piano/synth part on another track mixed in lower to help with pitch.

8. Record vocals "dry" and add effects if needed later.

9. Excessive reverb tends to soften vocal parts which is not always wanted. Use short chorus/delay effects instead to sharpen vocal parts

10. Be positive. Believe in the part your singing it does make a difference. 

In conclusion, we have looked at the most basic gear needed to get you on your way to recording vocals in a home environment,  and a clearer understanding of home based recording.

Our Recommended Equipment List:

Focusrite Scarlett Solo 2nd Gen USB Audio Interface

The Focusrite has RCA outputs.

Shure SM57 Cardioid Dynamic Microphone, SM57 LC, without Cable

Hosa Microphone Cable Pro XLR

On-Stage 7701 Tripod/Boom Microphone Stand, Black

On-Stage ASFSS6-GB Dual-Screen Pop Filter

Behringer MS16 Active Personal Monitor System, Pair

Hosa Nickel-Plated Dual Cable (Dual RCA to Dual RCA)

Beyond SoundCloud: Why We Share

Beyond SoundCloud: Why We Share: In the wake of questions surrounding SoundCloud’s future, it may seem important to quickly figure out “What service do I use now?!?

The Kit - WAV Drum Samples

The Kit: The One & Only Kit Introducing... 'The Kit' by LOOPGOONZ, your one and only forever drum kit.This awesome drum collection features 106 custom made premium one shot WAV drum samples. Create your new Hip Hop, R&B and Trap hits right now!All Sounds Professionally Crafted By LOOPGOONZ in a professional studio environment.   Product Includes:  106 WAV Drum One-Shots 41 MB Unzipped 7 808s 7 Chants 12 Claps 10 Cymbals 22 Hats 13 Kicks 18 Percs 17 Snares

Works with any DAW.

 Please Note:

All products are instantly downloadable after purchase - you'll receive a download link by e-mail automatically after check out.

Creating a Realistic Drum Jazz Loop

Programming any form of basic jazz presents its own problems. Jazz is an improvised music and does not lend itself to programming as as well as other forms of music. With that in mind,  we will be looking at how to create a convincing basic jazz beat loop. 

The basic jazz beat is shown in figure 1. This is how it is usually it is written although it can also be interpreted in triplet form.  Without any alterations it can be somewhat uninspiring and mechanical sounding. Unfortunately, this is how it usually programmed in DAW or typical  drum machine part. 

In figure 2 we have the same jazz beat but with two accents added on the first and third beats. Even with this small change there is an improvement in the overall feel of the pattern. The accents could also be shifted over one beat if desired.

To take this another step further as shown in figure 3 we have added up and down arrows on the specific sixteenth and quarter notes in the pattern to indicate pitch changes rise or lowered pitch respectively. The pitch changes do not need to be too dramatic just subtle changes will do.  Note it is likely you may need to assign our ride cymbal pattern to additional  tracks to implement the pitch changes. In any case there should a much better interpretation of the pattern at this point, although adding a second measure with additional pitch changes could be used as well.

Lastly to make this a little more convincing, a rim click could be added on the fourth beat (quarter note) of the pattern for more emphasis.

Overall, this pattern could be used as is or could combined with bass and drum patterns to realize a number of musical styles blended in with the context of the jazz idiom.  (We might have a look at this later in another article.) In conclusion, hopefully we have provided some insight and will prove useful in providing a more interesting musical setting.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3