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The debate about the use of pre-made loops or samples in music production is one with very passionate beliefs on both sides. Some producers think using loops and presets is cheating, while others see absolutely no problem with doing it. In reality, this only comes into play if someone knows you've used pre-made loops or samples. Some samples can be super recognisable, but there's a lot you can do to ensure you change loops or samples enough so they have your own signature sound to them. For many of us, if we began our music exploration journey on Garageband, we started by...

These days, being a music producer means so much more than it used to. In days gone by, the producer's job was to turn up at the studio, tell the artists what to do and get a good recording out of them, but nowadays it's taken on a whole new meaning, which gives us so much more baggage to deal with when it comes to our own music! You're essentially responsible for everything when it comes to your own music; sourcing (or creating) artwork, promoting it, mixing and mastering, and of course - writing the music itself. But what do...

How many times have you been in the flow of making a tune, only to have your creativity and inspiration come grinding to a halt as you scroll through a folder containg 150 different Kick samples?  This is something I have persistently struggled with through my music making career, not least because the upgrade to a new computer inevitably leads to me putting of organising my samples on a new machine for months. Many people who aren't versed in music production probably fail to appreciate how daunting it can be to have practically limitless possibilities for your sounds. I've spoken...

Music is inherently an artform that is best when shared, it brings people together, allows for great catharsis from the point of view of both the musician and the audience, and also has the ability to create an intensely emotional experience. These can range from heartbreak to euphoria, anger or passiveness. Essentially, music is a medium through which we share emotions and ideas with other people. So in order for that goal to be achieved, we need an audience, people who are listening to your music. When you're a music producer starting out your journey, and you want to get...

Some synths come along and create such a spalsh in the scene that they shape the way producers use sound in their music. Xfer's Serum is one of those. Its name is inescapable, and it is popular worldwide among both professionals and newcomers alike. Using powerful wavetable synthesis, it creates versatile sounds with its flexible engine. But in order to understand what makes Serum so powerful, we need to understand what wavetable synthesis is, so we will have a look at that first. Once we've covered wavetable synthesis, we will discuss: An overview of Serum What makes it such a popular synth How...