September 2021 - Sidechain Techniques + Pad Design

Two tutorials are available with this bundle, the first showcases mid bass modulation in serum and how to create unique results with a simple preset to layer and adapt your rhythm and sound.

The second is for making atmospheric drones again with simple layering techniques to create full and rich intros.  

This months tutorials were all about mid bass showing multiple techniques and tricks for a range of different sounds.

The first is about reese bass processing and how versatile the sound can be and I show off a few layering variation tips to further the sound into your music.

The second is an in-depth look at how i went about creating the mid bass sounds in my track 'The Feels' including layering, automation, arrangement and fills

For this months tutorial I take you on a track walkthrough of '3 Cans Of Rio' showcasing all elements from sample selection to progressional ideas to fill and edits.

A must see for anyone stuck on progression and how to develop new ideas to keep your track interesting as well as a great insight into how I construct my tracks

This month’s tutorials take a more creative approach. The first focuses on creating unique atmospherics by MIDI mapping parameters across different plugins and experimenting while recording. I also show free alternatives to the paid plugins used.

The second is a 1.5-hour, no-talking guide to building a track from a simple idea into a solid set of loops. I cover drum layering and EQ, generating mid-bass sounds and movement, creating pads and leads from melodic samples, and more.

For this month I wanted to do drum focussed tutorials with the first about how to synthesise kick drums and avoid sounding too digital showing off a realistic reverb technique.

The second is about drum busses and how i approach different style beats to give life and air to the breaks and help them come alive.

For this month I looked back over my track 'Magnum Meal' for a full track breakdown showcasing the track from start to finish covering arrangement, progression, sample selection, serum tracks and buss processing.

For this month's tutorial I guide you through synthesising snares inside of Serum.

I show in detail how to eq, layer and correctly pitch these into your projects to add more weight, punch and presence to your drum breaks.

The first of this bundle's tutorials is about sub bass and particularly how to create warm low mid harmonics to make your subs more audible and add presence. You'll learn how to make your own noise samples as well as creating a new wavetable to use for this sub bass technique. 

The second tutorial is a timed challenge, I allow myself 10 minutes to create each element in a brand new track to avoid being biased by any of the other samples or styles I make. This is about utilising your skills and workflow to create as much as you can in a given timeframe, then to create a new loop with the samples made. 

The first tutorial explores building complex modulations in Serum and controlling them with simplified macros, giving you detailed control over the sound while helping you better understand the synth.

The second covers a selection of my go-to free VSTs and how I use them, whether you're new to production or looking to add some new sounds to your plugin arsenal.

For the tutorials in this bundle, I recorded a deep dive into the world of audio effect racks and how powerful and creative they can be. I start basic and work my way up to some advanced racks giving you and idea of whats possible.

The second tutorial is about how I would approach creating a track using just a sample pack, I used the samples from November 2021's production pack as well as a few of the serum presets to help me out.

The first tutorial covers my approach to creating leads through two examples. I build a modulated chord pluck in Serum, then process and mangle a vocal sample to create a more organic lead/FX sound.

The second focuses on workflow and ways to save time when producing. I cover drum tone, send FX, synthesised hi-hats, EQ separation, and setting up drum, audio and instrument racks.

This month we're diving into atmospherics. I'll cover everything from building drones from scratch using synthesis, transforming everyday samples into evolving soundscapes, capturing and reshaping moments with freezing techniques, and using resonance to create rich, tonal textures that sit deep within a mix.

We'll explore synthesis, sampling, freezing, feedback, and resonance, along with practical techniques for creating evolving atmospherics, layered ambience, noise textures, immersive backgrounds and movement to bring more depth into your productions.

In this months session, I’ll cover everything from simple to advanced transitions, dub FXs, a rebuild of one of my favourite hardware synths in Serum, and some final creative experimentation using some unusual stock FX.

We’ll go through risers, pitch drops, tremolo movement, sirens, dub delays Lyra-8 inspired textures, plus deep sound design using grain delay, spectral, and modulated processing.

Following on from last months Pad tutorial, we focus our attention to Leads.

I guide you on how to build powerful, distinctive leads from the ground up using Serum, covering everything from tight plucks to classic rave tones.

Discover how to add tension, layer bass and vocals, and resample creatively using granular synthesis. Rounded off with lush vocoder effects, this gives you everything you need to create unique  and exciting leads

This packs tutorial focuses on creating simple but effective pads that add depth, space, and emotion to your tracks, and it marks the start of Season 3.

We begin with the fundamentals of pad creation and chord writing, showing you how to build solid harmonic foundations that feel full and musical. From there, we explore creative sampling techniques to add texture and character, helping your pads stand out while still sitting naturally in the mix.

Finally, we shape everything with effects and dive into more experimental approaches, giving you tools to push beyond the basics and develop your own sound. A practical, start-to-finish guide to making pads.

In part two of the drum series, we go even deeper into building professional, groove-driven drums from the ground up, picking up right where we left off with last months kick and snare design.

In this session, I’ll guide you through the full process of creating a complete drum loop, covering a range of shuffle grooves, hi-hat patterns, and drum break variations to help your drums feel more dynamic and alive.

We’ll also focus on the finer details, dialling in timing and swing to get that natural groove before bringing everything together, gluing the drums and enhancing the final result with a polished drum buss.

With season 1's bass focused episodes complete, we move into Season 2 - Drums

Starting with a deep dive into kick and snare design using the exact techniques I rely on in my own sound design sessions. You’ll learn how to build powerful, weighty hits from the ground up, drums that feel solid, punch through dense arrangements, and sit confidently at the front of the mix.

For the kick, I break down my full workflow, covering synthesis, shaping, processing, and layering to achieve both low-end weight and midrange punch. For the snare, we explore transient design, body control, tonal balance, layering strategies, and tail shaping, so you can create snares that snap at the front, carry substance through the body, and decay cleanly without cluttering the mix.

I’ve leaned heavily into this for this month’s sample pack, with loads of kicks and snares created using these exact techniques.

We’re now diving into Episode 2 of Season 1 of the Framework series, continuing our journey into bass sound design. In this session, we’ll be exploring several advanced techniques to take your basses to the next level such as effects chains, parallel processing, automation, and blending multiple bass sounds together, all key tools to sculpt and shape your basses so they fit perfectly into your next track.

Every mid-bass sample included in this month’s sample pack was crafted using racks like the ones demonstrated in the tutorial. I also applied the same automation techniques and sound-blending methods we’ll be walking through today. By following along, you’ll get a detailed look at how to combine multiple layers, modulate parameters dynamically, and create rich, polished bass sounds that are ready for your productions.

2026 is the year we switch things up with a brand new format.

For years, I’ve created tutorials based on what I’m working on, what inspires me, or those essential tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way that I just have to share.

This new format takes things further. It’s a complete, structured journey through every stage of music production, designed to take your new ideas to finished tracks with clarity, depth, and a focus on developing your own sound.

Across 6 seasons, each lasting 2 months, we’ll dive deep into every part of the process, from building intros and crafting heavy basslines to programming detailed drums, shaping unique sounds, perfecting mixdowns, and finishing tracks that truly stand out.

By the end of the year, you’ll have the full toolkit to take your ideas and bring them to life. Whether you’re just starting or levelling up your experience, 2026 is your year to grow as a producer, season by season.

Kicking things off this January and February is everyones favourite topic - bass sound design.

This month I guide you on a Serum bass design session starting with simple to more advanced sounds, sub bass layering through to macros and fully controlling your sound.

2026 is the year we switch things up with a brand new format.

For years, I’ve created tutorials based on what I’m working on, what inspires me, or those essential tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way that I just have to share.

This new format takes things further. It’s a complete, structured journey through every stage of music production, designed to take your new ideas to finished tracks with clarity, depth, and a focus on developing your own sound.

Across 6 seasons, each lasting 2 months, we’ll dive deep into every part of the process, from building intros and crafting heavy basslines to programming detailed drums, shaping unique sounds, perfecting mixdowns, and finishing tracks that truly stand out.

By the end of the year, you’ll have the full toolkit to take your ideas and bring them to life. Whether you’re just starting or levelling up your experience, 2026 is your year to grow as a producer, season by season.

Kicking things off this January and February is everyones favourite topic - bass sound design.

This month I guide you on a Serum bass design session starting with simple to more advanced sounds, sub bass layering through to macros and fully controlling your sound.

2026 is the year we switch things up with a brand new format.

For years, I’ve created tutorials based on what I’m working on, what inspires me, or those essential tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way that I just have to share.

This new format takes things further. It’s a complete, structured journey through every stage of music production, designed to take your new ideas to finished tracks with clarity, depth, and a focus on developing your own sound.

Across 6 seasons, each lasting 2 months, we’ll dive deep into every part of the process, from building intros and crafting heavy basslines to programming detailed drums, shaping unique sounds, perfecting mixdowns, and finishing tracks that truly stand out.

By the end of the year, you’ll have the full toolkit to take your ideas and bring them to life. Whether you’re just starting or levelling up your experience, 2026 is your year to grow as a producer, season by season.

Kicking things off this January and February is everyones favourite topic - bass sound design.

This month I guide you on a Serum bass design session starting with simple to more advanced sounds, sub bass layering through to macros and fully controlling your sound.

2026 is the year we switch things up with a brand new format.

For years, I’ve created tutorials based on what I’m working on, what inspires me, or those essential tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way that I just have to share.

This new format takes things further. It’s a complete, structured journey through every stage of music production, designed to take your new ideas to finished tracks with clarity, depth, and a focus on developing your own sound.

Across 6 seasons, each lasting 2 months, we’ll dive deep into every part of the process, from building intros and crafting heavy basslines to programming detailed drums, shaping unique sounds, perfecting mixdowns, and finishing tracks that truly stand out.

By the end of the year, you’ll have the full toolkit to take your ideas and bring them to life. Whether you’re just starting or levelling up your experience, 2026 is your year to grow as a producer, season by season.

Kicking things off this January and February is everyones favourite topic - bass sound design.

This month I guide you on a Serum bass design session starting with simple to more advanced sounds, sub bass layering through to macros and fully controlling your sound.

2026 is the year we switch things up with a brand new format.

For years, I’ve created tutorials based on what I’m working on, what inspires me, or those essential tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way that I just have to share.

This new format takes things further. It’s a complete, structured journey through every stage of music production, designed to take your new ideas to finished tracks with clarity, depth, and a focus on developing your own sound.

Across 6 seasons, each lasting 2 months, we’ll dive deep into every part of the process, from building intros and crafting heavy basslines to programming detailed drums, shaping unique sounds, perfecting mixdowns, and finishing tracks that truly stand out.

By the end of the year, you’ll have the full toolkit to take your ideas and bring them to life. Whether you’re just starting or levelling up your experience, 2026 is your year to grow as a producer, season by season.

Kicking things off this January and February is everyones favourite topic - bass sound design.

This month I guide you on a Serum bass design session starting with simple to more advanced sounds, sub bass layering through to macros and fully controlling your sound.

2026 is the year we switch things up with a brand new format.

For years, I’ve created tutorials based on what I’m working on, what inspires me, or those essential tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way that I just have to share.

This new format takes things further. It’s a complete, structured journey through every stage of music production, designed to take your new ideas to finished tracks with clarity, depth, and a focus on developing your own sound.

Across 6 seasons, each lasting 2 months, we’ll dive deep into every part of the process, from building intros and crafting heavy basslines to programming detailed drums, shaping unique sounds, perfecting mixdowns, and finishing tracks that truly stand out.

By the end of the year, you’ll have the full toolkit to take your ideas and bring them to life. Whether you’re just starting or levelling up your experience, 2026 is your year to grow as a producer, season by season.

Kicking things off this January and February is everyones favourite topic - bass sound design.

This month I guide you on a Serum bass design session starting with simple to more advanced sounds, sub bass layering through to macros and fully controlling your sound.