There is a reason why techno has slowly been growing to be the world’s most popular genre of dance music. It’s driving beats, pulsating rhythms, and complex sound palettes give the art of techno production far more depth than almost any other genre.
At least when done correctly by the top producers of the genre.
And trick to getting similar results to artists like Amelie Lens and Adam Beyer all comes down to having tight, impactful arrangements that are filled with details and nuances.
To do this, reverb has to be your go-to tool. So let’s dive into some powerful tricks and tutorials you can start utilizing in your own productions right now to get professional results.
Creating Atmospheres In Techno Tracks
The difference between a good track and a phenomenal song is attention to detail. And nothing helps fill out the space and create nuances in your tracks than by using atmospheres.
But do you know what you DON’T want?
Stock atmosphere loops from Splice or generic sample libraries rarely do the trick. Sure, you might get some decently cool results but you’ll never achieve the professional sound of your favorite artists.
Because good atmospheres are all about context, which means creating atmospheres out of elements inherent to the mix will ALWAYS yield the best results. And that’s exactly what you’ll learn in this tutorial by your friends over at Point Blank.
What You’ll Learn In ‘Create Dark Techno Atmospheres Using Reverb in Ableton Live’
- You’ll learn how to take a dry, generic techno loop and turn it into a living, breathing mixdown (…instead of a stagnant, amateur loop).
- You’ll learn how to shape your reverbs, dialing ini the exact parameters so the reverb is tuned to the track and fits the song like a glove (…and how to recognize when you’ve added too much reverb)
- You’ll get a brief breakdown of every reverb plugins most important features (…so you can get the most out of your reverbs, regardless of the plugin you’re using)
Creating “Dark Lord” Techno Kicks
Loud, pounding kicks are a staple of the modern techno sound. Much thanks for labels like Drum Code and artists like Amelie Lens, this sound is here to stay.
And lucky for you, it’s easier to create than most producers assume.
Well, at least when you follow Zen World’s breakdown. So let’s dive in…
What You’ll Learn in ‘How To Make Big Techno Reverb Kicks Like A Pro’
- How to fine tune the ADSR of your kicks (…so you can enhance the groove of every track you make)
- How to filter down your reverbs too create dark, ominous atmospheres and textures (…creating unique spaces every time)
- How to get the most out of volume shaping plugins like LFO tool (…so you can get clean, precise volume control no matter what)
Advanced Techno Basslines Using Reverb
Techno is all about creating complex grooves compiled of unique, compelling sounds.
Which is why techno producers are constantly pushing the boundaries of sound design and selection, finding clever ways to use noise to create powerful tracks.
The latest tip comes from Audiotent, who have found a clever way of using reverb to create basslines in your next techno track. Think of this production technique as the ying to the aforementioned trick’s yang!
What You’ll Learn in ‘How To Create Techno Kick Reverb Bassline’
- How to use conventional mixing tools to give color and texture to your reverbs (…getting unique results from commonly-used plugins)
- How some plugins, like saturators, introduce problematic frequencies (…that the ears of most newer producers are completely blind to)
- How to use gates to fine tune the timings of even the most out of control sounds (…getting precise grooves and cleaner mixes every time)
Need More Production Tips? Check This Out
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
