There’s countless of ways to build up the tension towards the drop (in electronic dance music, drop is usually the point where the beat & bass kicks back in after a break and people start to dance like crazy in the dance floor) and this tutorial will showcase a one possible way to do it. I’m going to show you how you can combine a riser sound made with one of the FL Studios native synth plugins Wasp, traditional snare roll, basic white noise sweep and couple of other elements and effects in to a effective rising build up.
Here’s an audio clip of what I’m talking about:
And this is how you replicate it!
First thing to do is to create a new project in FL Studio, set the tempo to 128 bpm and add a Wasp synth to the project. Also, assign the Wasp to a free mixer track and drop the volume level to -11.8dB (this is because we need a headroom for other sounds as well).
We need a square wave type of sound with a little bit of noise so program the Wasp as follows:
This is how it sounds:
Yea, nothing special yet I know, but just hold on… 🙂
Now, head to the Playlist, add a new pattern, open the Wasp Piano Roll -view and draw a 8 bars long C4 note (the build up is going to be 8 bars long).
Next, let’s make a pitch slide for the Wasp sound so open the Channel Settings -box of Wasp and set the Pitch Knob Range to 24 semitones (that’s two octaves), right click on the Channel Pitch Knob and select ‘Create automation clip’ from the menu (Channel Pitch automation clip will be created to the Playlist).
Make the Channel Pitch automation envelope to look like this:
This’ll make the pitch rise two octaves so we’ll get a pitch slide from C4 to C6.
Check the audio:
We also need to a filter sweep to make the rise sound more effective so open the Wasp and right click on the Cutoff -knob and choose ‘Create automation clip’ from the menu.
Edit the cutoff filter automation envelope like this:
Check this:
Sounds good, but maybe a bit too ‘dry’ so let’s add some space via delay and reverb effects.
Open the Mixer and drop a Fruity Delay 2 and Fruity Reeverb 2 to the Wasp mixer track effect slot and set them as follows:
Listen to this:
Alright, the riser is ready!
Next, we will create a basic snare roll and treat it with a rising pitch and filter effect as well.
Drop a snare sample (provided in the .zip pack you can download at the bottom of this tutorial) to a new Sampler channel (if you’re using the Browser, right click the sample and choose ‘Open in new sampler channel’) and assign it to a free mixer track (drop the volume level to -9.8dB).
Go to the Playlist, add a new pattern and open the Piano Roll -view of the snare channel and lay down C5 notes like this…
…change the Snap -settings for creating a more rapid roll for the last two bars:
This is how the snare roll sounds as is:
Now, let’s make the snare roll pitch slide: open the snare Sampler Channel Settings -dialog, set the Pitch Knob Range to 12 semitones and create automation clip for the Pitch -knob.
Edit the Pitch envelope to look like this:
Check:
Next, open the snare Sampler Channel Settings again and go to the INS -tab (Instrument properties). Sampler Channel has a basic filter so for filter sweeps and such you can use that instead of dropping a separate effect unit such as Free Filter or Fast LP to the effect slot.
Ok. Under the ‘Filter’ section there’s a Filter Cutoff Frequency & Filter Resonance -knobs (MODX & MODY). Create automation clips for both knobs. Leave the filter type as is (Fast LP = Low Pass).
Edit the Filter Cutoff envelope and Filter Resonance envelopes like this:
Check this:
And this is how the snare roll sounds with the Wasp riser:
Okay. The Wasp riser could work like this with the snare roll, but IMO it may sit even better if it ‘ducks’ a bit. And we make it duck via kick drum and sidechain compression.
So, drop a kick drum sample (provided in the .zip package as well) to a new Sampler Channel. Also, assign it to a free mixer track.
Now, the kick is here just to trigger the ‘pumping’ effect for the Wasp riser and we don’t wan’t the kick to be audible at all so we need to mute it’s output: open the Mixer, select the kick mixer track and click on the Send -switch on the Master track to mute the kick.
Also, while you’re on the kick track, sidechain it to the Wasp track (right click the Send -switch on the Wasp track and choose ‘Sidechain to this track’ from the menu):
Drop a Fruity Limiter to the Wasp riser track and set it like this:
Ok. Head to the Playlist, add a new pattern, open the Step Sequencer and create a 4-to-the-floor beat sequence with the kick.
In the Playlist, copy/paste the kick pattern all the way to the bar 9.
Now, listen to this:
Sounds ok, but let’s make that ‘pumping’ sound a bit more interesting by slowly decreasing the ‘pump value’ towards the end of the build up. We do this by lowering the compression Ratio via automation. The aim is to create a sort of ‘loosing control’ -feel. This’ll make the build up sound even more efficient when the drop hits.
So, open the Mixer and open the Fruity Limiter that is on the Wasp riser track and create automation clip for the Ratio -knob:
Head to the Playlist and edit the Ratio -envelope like this:
Listen (pay attention to the end of the riser how the pumping releases):
And this is how they all sound together so far:
Okay. We need one more element to boost the rise: white noise sweep. And we are going to mix it more to the background than front.
Load 3xOsc to the project, choose noise for each three oscillators and assign the 3xOsc to a free mixer track and set the volume to -1.2dB.
Go to the Playlist, add a new pattern, open the Piano Roll -view of the 3xOsc and draw 8 bars long C5 note.
Open the Mixer and drop Fruity Parametric EQ 2 to the white noise 3xOsc mixer track. Load a preset ’40Hz cut’, change the filter type as ‘Low Pass’ and right click on the Frequency -parameter and choose ‘Create automation clip’.
Head to the Playlist, and make the Frequency -envelope look like this (this makes the EQ to sweep from 1kHz to 5.7kHz).
Listen:
It could use a little reverb, so open the 3xOsc mixer track, drop Fruity Reeverb 2 to it’s effect slot and set it like this:
Check:
Now, the noise sweep sits better to the build up if we give it the same ‘ducking’ treatment as we did with the Wasp riser.
So, open the Mixer, select the kick drum mixer track and sidechain it to the 3xOsc mixer track (choose ‘Sidechain to this track’). Go to the 3xOsc mixer track and add Fruity Limiter to it’s effect slot and use the following compression settings:
Here’s the results:
Also, we are going to use same ‘loose control’ method (making the white noise sweep to loose it’s pumpiness) as we did with the Wasp riser so open the Fruity Limiter from the 3xOsc mixer track and create automation clip for the Ratio -knob and edit the envelope like this:
Listen it now:
And here’s how they all sound together:
So far so good.
Now, let’s create a little ‘release’ section after the build up and before moving to drop.
Add a claps sample (provided in the .zip package as well) to the Playlist (it will appear there as a audio clip), move it to the beginning of bar 9 and assign it to a free mixer track (set the volume to -5.9dB)
Let’s make the claps sound huge using reverb and long decay time with predelay so add Fruity Reeverb 2 to the claps effect slot and tweak it like this:
Now listen the clap:
The predalay adds more atmosphere to the signal. It controls the delay time between the input signal and the first reverb reflection. Nice little feature to make things sound kind of bigger.
Allright. Let’s add one more element: dropping sine wave.
Load another instance of 3xOsc to the project, select sine wave as oscillator shape for each three oscillators, set the coarse tune to -24 semitones for each, and for Osc 1 set the fine tune to -100 cents and Osc 2, +100 cents (also assign the 3xOsc to a free mixer track and drop the volume level to -7.7dB).
Head to the Playlist, add a new pattern to the beginning of bar 9 and open the Piano Roll -view of the 3xOsc #2 and draw a 1 bar long C5 note.
Open the 3xOsc Channel Settings -panel and set the Pitch Knob Range to 24 semitones and create automation clip for the Pitch -knob (before creating the automation clip, go to the Playlist and make a 1 bar long selection between bars 9 & 10. This will make the automation clip to be automatically a length of the selection).
Edit the Pitch envelope like this:
Listen:
Okay. The build up is ready and this is how it sounds as in whole:
That’s it. 🙂
Watch the video below:
86 Comments
Hey Petri this is an amazing tutorial 🙂 love it, going to use these ideas in build ups!! but i think im going to bug you until you make a remix of a house track or make song with some acappella, its really hard for me to pick out notes when trying to fit melodies to acappellas, i really wish you could help me and ofcourse others out, this will be a great tutorial, pleaseee 🙂
Thanks!! I’m actually working on a tutorial covering some of the basics of remixing and how to use acapella for that. It’s going to be a kind of brief, but still, should give you a rough idea. I’m not sure when it’s done though, but I’m working on it 🙂
where can I get a school to learn electronic music ? or learning the software?
Hey,
thanks for your tutorials! They’re always woth a look.
I’m a (happy) Cubase user, so I’m not able to reproduce these step by step. Some things in Cubase are much more complicated, i.e. creating the bass drop. It would be incredibly awesome if you could upload the single steps as .mp3 or even .wav file. My sampler is always hungry… 🙂
Thanks again, keep up the good work!
Hey Simon!
Sure thing, I can upload those – hold on 8)
Yöah! What an excellent support!
Thank you very much, sir!
No problem, Simon – keep on producin’! 🙂
I don’t make music, just happened to stumble on this, but had to say what a really nice tutorial that is, I bet even I could follow it!
Superb.. thank you Tony 🙂
Wicked tutorial, thanks man!
My pleasure 🙂
hi this is great, finished the build up to my song but how do you create that thick bass chorus afterwards?
Can’t find words to express my THX for this awesome tutorial, Petri!
You’ve done it again in this really professional & highly detailed style!
P.S. Just thought it might be a good idea to replace a reverbed clap in the end with that ‘Boom Sound Effect’ in case if you want to add even more drama to this build-up 😉
Keep it up, man & cheers from Ukraine!
Not a bad idea, Max..
Also, thanks for checking it out.. cheers!
Thanks again for this tutorial Petri! you’re the best, I just finished it step by step with my own samples and it’s awesome!
Np Charlee, glad to hear you’re putting it in good use 🙂
my? snares dont want to snap to 1/2
Hey Manuel,
If you’re using the Main Snap settings like I did in the tutorial, make sure that the Piano Roll Snap-To-Grid -setting is set to Main (It’s that little magnet looking -icon next to the tools -icon in the top left corner of the Piano Roll -window).
great tutorial!! followed it step by step and my build up sounds great! I will definitely use these ideas for future songs!! Thanks!
Thanks Michael!
Can you PLEASE make a full version of this song?
Hey Tyler, maybe some day, but not anytime soon I’m afraid, sorry mate 🙂
First I made my uplifters with a single 3x osc and some effects. this sounds very proffesional, do you have tracks online? if yes, do you want to share them with us?:D if no, you should realy make tracks.
thanks, sounds great!
Hey Leon, glad to hear you’re finding it useful! I do have some of my older material up in my personal Youtube channel. Feel free to check ’em out 8)
Cheers!
Hello!
Gr8 tutorial, reallly good job!
I have one problem trying to do the same thing!
When i pitch the snare from your sample 0%-50% in the begining it sounds shit, like just sweep reverb sound, and no snare but the longer it goes towards 50% it starting to sound like it should.
And the pitch knob doesnt turn from 1-6th pattern but it goes from 0-50% from the 7-8th pattern
Can you help me? do you know what i have done wrong
Hey Victor!
Are you using C5 notes in the Piano Roll for the snare roll sequence? Also, did you set the Pitch Knob Range to 12 semitones in the Snare Channel Settings menu?
Hey Petri,
First off, you have the best tutorials on the internet for music productions :p. I’ve been producing for about 3 years on and off, and I’m so happy I found this website a couple months ago. It has exponentially increased my skill level for sure, because I didn’t have a set method beyond the hodge podge FL Studio tutorials on youtube for doing things.
Anyways, do you have any guide at the moment for how you create that amazing heavy bass sound that comes in after the drop? In reminds me of a lot of stuff that Markus Schulz has been playing lately and it’s really deep and energetic.
Also as a side question, do you have a sort of generalized list of what instruments go into a track? I definitely love trance (probably more progressive at the moment), but whenever I sit down and produce it doesn’t quiet end up sounding “trancy” or similar to what you would hear on the radio (of course it won’t because I don’t have professional mastering, but you get the idea). I think I need the most work with creating interesting bass lines, so any tips would be much appreciated.
Sorry for the long comment, but you have definitely been a great inspiration for getting better and better at producing. Thanks for your hard work!
Wow! So nice to hear that, Jeff, thank you!
So far I haven’t done any drop tutorials (only stuff BEFORE the drop), but hopefully I’m able to create one in a near future!
To your second question: I don’t have a list, sorry, but I would say kick, open hihat, closed hihat, handful of percussion sounds, claps or snare, bassline, saw lead for the main melody, pads for the background, some effects like sweeps, explosins, etc. Ther’esjust too many possibilities, but I hope this’ll at least helps a litle!
Cheers!
My brain just went sleepy.
Huh?
Hi Petri, I’m probably the only one but when I got to the stage of giving the wasp the pulse of the kick without the sound of the kick I am very stuck, I have tried everything but it either plays nothing or both the kick and wasp sound together…help!
Hey James, check that you have followed these steps: 1. Assign the kick to a mixer track 2. Click on the kick mixer track to make it active and while you’re at the kick mixer track, click the send switch on the Master track to disable the kick output 3.While you’re still at the kick mixer track, sidechain it to the Wasp mixer track 4. Drop the Fruity Limiter to the Wasp mixer track and set it like I showed in the tutorial (remember to set the Sidechain Input Number to 1 in the Fruity Limiter).
Thank you so much for answering this! I didn’t realize that very last step to set the input number to 1 and I was messing with my fl FOREVER to get it right and was just about ready to give up. You’re awesome Petri.
Hi Petri, first of all, what an excellent tutorial, same goes for the others I’ve read too!
I’ve managed to hit a snag with the pitch automation for the snares. I did exactly the same as the tutorial said aswell as the video but it doesn’t sound anything like yours 🙁 It’s all slower and more ‘thuddy’ haha, but please help!
James, did you set the snare sample Channel Pitch Knob Range to 12 semitones before you created the automation clip for the Pitch -knob? Also, did you made the Pitch automation envelope to rise from 0% to 50%?
Yeah did both of them 🙁 Kinda sorted it in the end by making the envelope start from around 30.
Ok. Did you use the same snare sample I provided in the downloadable package, btw?
Hi Petri, I’v got a little key config problem. When I right click, it would normally deleted the note, pattern, etc, but then I did something that changed this setting. Now it plays from where I click instead of deleting it. What do I do?
Hey Anthony, you’ve probably selected the Playback (scrub) tool from the Tools menu (or pressed Y). You can change it back either clicking the Draw or Paint tool or using keyboard shortcut P or B.
Hope it helps!
So I have! Thanks Petri 🙂
Np, glad you got it sorted out.
awesome tutorial!!
Hey Petri, really awesome tutorial, I’ve used it before and had a large amount of success with it. 🙂 However, I’ve decided to use it again and have unfortunately run into a big a problem; when I try and add the 3x osc and the white noise effect, every time I try to change the filter to a low pass, the white noise disappears, even before I add the automation clip. I’ve read and re-read the steps, but I just can’t seem to figure out what I’m doing wrong this time. Any ideas???
Again, awesome tutorial! 😀
Thank you thank you thank you are a god!
Really nice tutorial , very helpful ;D
But how do you make the part after the build up ?
Petri… you’re awesome man, I followed many of your tutorials and learned a lot with you!
I have the musical base but lacked the electronic creation techniques, and you gave me lots of knowledge!
You should check my SoundCloud profile, there are some creations I made with FLStudio, and you will see I used some of your techniques in my songs 😀
Also, I’d love to hear tips or suggestions from you on my songs. When you have a moment you have to check it out 😉
Thanks a lot for your stuff!
Hey Petri your tutorials are immense! Loads of great stuff I am addicted to your site 🙂 Ive only just stumbled across here and its made a lot of things make sense, so thank you!!
1 thing you probably know, instead of changing the bars to 1/2 and 1/4 you can hold down ALT and you have control over the length of the note.. But like I say you probably already know 😉
Thanks again!!
Hey Danny,
Yea, already knew that, but thanks anyways 8)
Glad you’re enjoying the tutorials!
Hello Petri,
I’ve just seen your video belonging to this tutorial and was wondering if you could explain to me how you made that particular drumkick and bassline, which are placed after the rising in the audio file at the beginning of your tutorial video???
Hope to hear from you soon.
Kind regards,
Farid
LOved the tut. and i really think you need a light box for your images
Thanks for the tip, light box installed!
I’m a total noob, and this helped me with a lot of stuff! thank you very much!
Hello Petri,
First of all thank you very much for your tutorials, they have helped me a lot. I was wondering if you could do a tutorial on the beat after the rising effect as it has been a huge request by many people viewing your tutorials on youtube.
Keep it up!
This was a very nice tutorial. Thanks Petri…
This really helped me understand some basics of trance and house sound production.
I do have a question; in the sample sound, after the drop, what key is the pad in?
hey great stuff this is,
dont have fl studio but logic and cant seem to get the riser sound right as i dont have wasp, when i use sylenth there is no in phase knob to get the sound, would detune do also?
Hello Petri!
This tutorial was awesome, helped me alot.
But i have one question, on the tutorial on Youtube you had a little preview in the beginning.
How can you make such a nice bass after the whole fill?, it sounds freaking sick man. would be happy if you could maybe do a quick tutorial on that, or maybe upload a preset file of that bass sound.
Thank you Petri and keep it up!
I was going to ask the same as Casper about the bassline. I love that bassline and have been looking for a while for a tutorial on a nice bassline like that.
Hello Petri! 🙂
I would just like to thank you sooo much for what you have done!
Lately i was a “Noob” in the music industry.. =P But after watching your tutorials, i have so much more to experience with and so much more fun!
You are a good inspiration to me, and i hope you would keep on doing what you do!
I would gve you a 10/10 for you’r good work and keep it up!
Greetings, Norway
Awesome Dude. This is one sick tutorial.
Use you tuts so much it’s not funny but this must be the best yet.
You provide so much knowledge to people like me, it’s amazing.
Thank very much! You helped me a lot!
Hi, this is an awesome tutorial, unfortunately for me I use Logic Pro 9 and I have hard time trying to use this tutorial to fit my Logic project. Du you know any similar tutorial but for Logic or du you have some tips?
/Simon
Hey Simon,
Unfortunately I can’t help you with Logic as I don’t have any experience with it. Sorry!
Hi Petri, thanks for the tutorial!! Really good and clear tutorial for creating a nice riser/buildup.. although i’m working with Ableton the principles stay the same!! Thanks!!
Hey Petri! Great tutorial, I am hoping this is still active. I have a question. I Followed all of the steps but I am noticing I can’t hear the right Kick sound. It just doesn’t sound like I added it or when I mute the Master it is muting the Kick as well even though I sidetracked it to the WASP. Idk if you understand what I’m asking! I tried opening the completed file given too and it says it was completed on 10.08 (I only have 10) so it doesn’t work fully! Any who, let me know if you can help me here!
Thanks 🙂
Hi petri
I know u hv propably forgotten u did this tutorial but new music producers/lovers like me will still have to say thank you for ur great works and efforts u put into ur tuts. Always impressed and educated by them.
Hi awesome drumkick and bassline, which are placed after the rising in the audio file at the beginning of your tutorial video??? please please !!!
contact : 0zcn111@gmail.com
Es el mejor Blog de videotutoriales de FL Studio ! Eres increíble, saludos !
I LOVE YOUR TUTORIAL…IT HAS HELPED ME GREAT IN MY EDM MUSIC!! THANK YOU!!
Thank you for the very detailed tutorial! Is it ok if i sample or use these on my tracks? Please? 🙂
Hey there,
Certainly!
Hey Petri! Great tutorial. Do you think you can link me a url to download you’re snare samples. 😀 Thanks
Your tutorials are best and very simple to undestand that prog trance beat one was very helpful to me even this ones great, thanks for it.
Can you please put up one on melodic drops the big room ones like avicii, axwell, basto, alesso, etc.
Hey petri. Are there any live 9 tutorials on your site ?
Hi Petri,
i’m looking for a similar synth like WESP to use in logic pro to create the rising build up as you,
can you advice me something please?
Thanks in advance,
Marco
Hello,
I use Logic X too and I cannot find how to make an effective rising build up. Im working with ES2 because thats what it goes around I think but still too messy. If you find something please let me know.
F
I’m new to this website and nice tutorial Petri! But can I use a this buildup in my song in soundcloud? I will give credit
WHAT AN AMAZING TUTORIAL, Petri!
I can’t believe someone did a step-by-step tutorial for such a production, along with the audios, snaps and arrows and texts, etc. at each step.
KUDOS, Man!
Big love and respect.
And, YES. Thanks a tonne!
Petri dude,
Firstly, big thanx. The tutorial is amazingly idiot-proof, conise and really well explained.
Although I am having one bit of a problem as I chose a different tune on Wasp (different cutoff etc.). When I apply the side-chain with all the same settings as you prescribed on the Fruity Limiter (Compressor mode), the volume of the wasp riser is significantly reduced…
Why is this happening?
hey Petri. really nice sample.. Is there any way can download for free?? tnx
Hey thanks Petri ..Nice walkthrough tutorial from you as usual. Just wanted to clarify one thing. That side chain trigger u made using the kick u could also use gross beat instead on the wasp channel to program one..just asking..keep up the good work.
I love your tutorials. They are the best so far, as far as, I’m concerned!
Many thanks! 😎
thanks man
I want ask this question pls. Do you have an online class or what ever, to help an upcoming producers like me and others ?
Hello petri! i just started using fl but your tutorials are working miracles. thanks really for the hard work. i have a question, can u please help me with making a bassline. it would be very helpful.Again;thanks for the hardwork man.
How should i set my -11.8 decibel sound in the mixer track ?