Paradox DnB Production Breakdown Pt.2 - Programming & Processing

[@jhnclvr]

Hey man, just coming back to this a year later to tell you I still use this vid as the best reference I've found for this type of drum processing. I learn something new every time I go through it, or I remember something I've been missing. Truly excellent stuff!

[@groovining]

Really appreciate that mate! I learnt a lot myself from doing these deep dives into Photek and Paradox. Glad you found this so useful. If you want another similar video, this one going over lots of Drum FX techniques is a good one too - kzbin.info/www/bejne/rJLEl2SulJKrnMU 😊✌️🚀

[@cyberStarOne]

Man this is treasure! such a good and detailed and deep explanation, just an amazing work analyzing Paradox. Its a shame that it doesn't have much likes. Keep doing such videos please this is so inspiring! I now know that Paradox and Photek not just sold their soul to make such a beautiful music but also put a huge load of work and effort into their music. Huge respect to you for explanation and your efforts!

[@groovining]

Hey cyberStarOne! Thanks so much mate :) That was also a huge take away for me exploring both Photek & Paradox's work. They put huge amounts of effort into their projects & creating their own unique styles. Paradox still to this day I believe does his meticulous break chopping on an Akai even with all the tools avaliable to us. Photek would work straight for a weeks on a single project. Both amazing artists so happy to dive in a show what they were all about. Lots more to come for sure. :) ✌️😊

[@Out-Out-Audio]

Your tutorials are phenomenal - so clear, so insightful, so well thought through. It’s obvious how much work goes into every one. Your channel is an incredible resource. Thank you mate

[@groovining]

Really appreciate all the kind words there mate. Nice that people can go over my old series and find lots of useful info in them! I really need to make a glossery of all my vids at some stage with links so people can jump around and find the parts they want to watch :) 😊🚀

[@paulahaunt]

Your vids have helped me slow down and take my time preparing samples, putting in the extra work in the beginning to aid the overall workflow through to the end. Great work!

[@groovining]

Thanks for the feedback mate. I'm glad I've helped your workflow! I never used to do this enough as well. So much about music production is about letting your creativity flow out as easily as possible. I actually find I put a lot more effort into the Sound Design process if I do it before I start producing. It's also easier to try more experimental things when you're not working in the context of a song.✌

[@bubaondesign]

!Masterclass! Congrats, it's dope!💯

[@groovining]

Always appreciate your comments mate! :)

[@bubaondesign]

@@groovining ;) Always on top, Mr G!

[@bubaondesign]

@@groovining Please listen to "Stevie Wonder Live (1970)" and feel this drums. DnB from 1970 (I.M.H.O)

[@bubaondesign]

@@groovining kzbin.info/aero/PL0tkgIwa1YcWVLpScvqv1OGz5ZHn_4pkc

[@ghal3on]

boooooooooom cant wait to dive into this!! biggup G

[@groovining]

Yes Ghal3on, hope you enjoyed the breakdown! ✌

[@kernelpanique9361]

Amazing work man, superb video and teaching skills ! Your first Paradox video had me discover the mans music as i didn't know him before. I went on to discover all his stuff, buying some on bandcamp. His sound gave me a huge boost of inspiration and so did your videos right here. Bought your samplepack. You're a tru master.

[@groovining]

Thanks so much Kernel! I really appreciate your comment and supporting my work! Lots of plans this year to grow this channel and make loads more (hopefully) awesome vids! I truly didn't know that much about Paradox either until I stumbled on his DOA Q&A a few years ago. I also find it inspiring to learn about these Artists and their techniques. One common thing that always seems to come up is that they're often working with fairly limited gear. It's as if the limitations are driving them to be more creative and really hone in on the things they can do well. There is definitely a lesson to be learned there about not always reaching for the next bit of hardware or plugin. Happy New years bro!✌

[@QWLMusic]

Fantastic video! Thanks for sharing!

[@groovining]

pleasure my friend, thanks for the feedback!

[@Strafuzz]

Bruv, I have been making beats for nigh on a decade, and your videos have taught me I need to grind harder. Love your video edits as well, you’ve clearly put a lot of effort into the history, research, content and presentation. High quality man. Big up!

[@groovining]

Thanks so much for your comment Strafuzz. They do take a huge amount of work so I really appreciate the feedback! The grinding aspect of music procution is super important and often not talked about enough. I actually took a lot of inspiration from my Photek series and how some of his tracks would take 5-6 weeks of solid work to complete. There is so much to be gained in pushing through difficult tracks and overcoming aspects of music production your struggling with. Big Up✌️🥷

[@Ezi83]

💯🔥Thanks for another spot on tutorial. Looking forward to trying these techniques out

[@groovining]

Cheers bro, thanks so much for the comment. These breakdowns I absolutely love to do but they do take a good while to make! It's rewarding to get such positive feedback :)

[@nielsflushh]

Very interesting to watch. I've always been interested into the drumfunk genre. Really cool to see how things come together. Thanks for this video

[@groovining]

No worries mate! Glad you ennjoyed the vid. I did another one on Source Direct with lots more of the same stuff you might like if you check my channel! ✌️:)

[@Soulox]

Got me going down this rabbit hole now 😵‍💫

[@groovining]

Haha its deep! Love your channel too mate. I watched both your OctaMed and Protracker vids whilst researching Paradox :)

[@johncitizen8828]

Ugh - why doesn’t this video have 1000 likes?! You must’ve out CRAZY work into this series. This video alone is one of the most detailed examinations of break chopping I’ve seen yet. 😮🤯🙌

[@groovining]

Haha thanks John! I know right - give me more likes people! 😊 I did go super deep on this series, definitly took a few months to research and explore and then create the whole thing. My most recernt video on all my break chopping techniques is another really good one if you wanna learn more about breaks! ✌️

[@johncitizen8828]

@@groovining Ah, cool - the Renoise one? I haven’t checked it out, because I don’t use Renoise (I use Ableton), but I still might give it a look, just out of interest.

[@groovining]

Yea the Renoise one. A lot of the techniques can be translated over but I get that it’s quite a niche DAW. 😊✌️

[@johncitizen8828]

@@groovining Cheers man - I'll still check it out, as I'm sure I'll pick up some pointers that will still be of some relevance.

[@jhnclvr]

Excellent video! It was super in-depth and still stayed well edited, well organized and had great production. Can't wait to go through the rest of the series. One topic I'd like to see someone of your knowledge and skill cover is "ghost notes", especially the snares. I was listening to Paradox's track "Ghost Notes" and his ghost notes sound incredible... I try to copy my snare, increase the attack envelope, do some low end EQ/Filter and lower the velocity/volume, but I can never get a sound I'm perfectly happy with when I have to create one myself.

[@groovining]

Thanks for the kind words mate. I put a lot of work into these so its really rewarding to get such positive feedback! Thats definitly a very viable technique for creative a ghost snare from your main snare. I would say more often that not, Paradox is using a ghost snare from a different part of the break, or a different break entirely. You need to design a ghost snare that fits with the other drums but dosent sound too similar to the actual tone of the snare when its wacked. Changing the pitch subtly can help as well. Its definitly a snappier, sometimes duller envelope and timbre. It's also a lot to do with the interplay between the hi-hats and the ghost snares. Both the Hotpants break and the Think break are really good to look at for their 'shuffle'. If you listen to every element in the 'shuffle' you can clearly hear that each ghost snare/hi-hat has a slightly different timbre from the other ones. You can also copy some of the swing from these breaks to help you with the groove. For programming tight breaks, you definitly want the kicks/snares on the grid but the ghost snare and hi-hats can be offset or swung for sure. Another thing Paradox is does is use 'Air' which I talk about a lot in this series. He layers this in over his breaks, which help them flow. Not cutting to slience before each new hit essentially. Kind of like reverb but more realistic as its extracted from the original break. kzbin.info/www/bejne/poTCoHiBq7mKors

[@jhnclvr]

@@groovining Thanks for the thorough reply, I will go through Hotpants and Think, and definitely check out the portion of the video you linked as well as the rest of the series! Thanks again!

[@abdulhamid9605]

Legend thanks for this

[@dilatedconciousness]

Absolutely top drawer 👏🏻

[@groovining]

Cheers Simon, glad you enjoyed the vid mate :)

[@MrDenme0]

My god….thank you for this is absolute gold. I really enjoy and appreciate what you share. All your vids are very helpful. This one was especially an eye opener. Keep them coming. Please. Big up!

[@groovining]

Thanks so much for the kind words! I put a lot into these videos so it’s very rewarding to get such positive feedback. I would absolutely love to turn this into a full time career so hopefully lots and lots more to come. Big Ups to you 2! :)

[@MrDenme0]

@@groovining ;-) You actually got me into Renoise! First time I saw a video by you was 6 moths ago or so? At first I thought...what the hell is this DAW? But it is a life saver. So much that is an absolute nightmare with arranging breaks in other DAW's (I use Logic). I am an absolute addict for old skool jungle DNB. This can take my productions the next level, I am sure. Feel almost silly not hearing about and exploring Renoise before. So again, thanks for the help and insight! 👃

[@groovining]

@@MrDenme0 I couldn't agree more mate, Logic and similar DAWs are amazing for certain tasks but for break programming in particular, nothing touches Renoise. It's an absolute beast and also super fun! I love all that old-school jungle stuff as well. It's actually made me a way better producer as it just forces you to be more creative with the tools you have. In Logic, I have tons of plugins for mixing etc. but in Renoise, I keep it super simple and use loads of native stuff. Even if you do lots of your production in Logic, Renoise is such a great tool to call upon. I'm glad I put you onto it in the first place anyways. ✌

[@MrDenme0]

@@groovining can I ask one more thing? 😉 would you recommend Redux or Renoise Rewired with Logic?

[@groovining]

I love Renoise Rewired as the Renoise Tools along side being able to step automated and modulate 3rd Party VSTs is essential to my workflow. If you just want to chop some breaks tho then Redux is a very viable option! ✌️🥷

[@Thebreadoven]

really good tutorial, thanks!!

[@groovining]

Cheers mate - glad you enjoyed this one :)

[@walkr3862]

Great video, bigup!

[@groovining]

Cheers mate - Renoise is the best! 😊✌️

[@newtype-tv]

Amazing tutorial as always man!!!

[@groovining]

Thanks mate! The next one is definitely going to be 100% Renoise but I think it was good to visually show all this in Logic to start! :)

[@newtype-tv]

@@groovining Yeaah, its a great way of doing it and IMO makes the knowledge agnostic of the DAW which makes it even more valuable, if that makes sense.

[@drinkinouttacups2665]

Hell yeah

[@groovining]

Legend, thanks mate!

[@Globularmotif]

Good work dude...

[@groovining]

Cheers bro! Glad you liked. Paradox is a dope artists for sure! :)

[@E-1K]

Super dope! This was great. 🔥🔥🔥 PS, always give us a heads up on DOA's Grid, please. 😎

[@groovining]

Cheers brother, appreciate the comment! Absolutley will just keep posting on that thread I created. Lots more cool stuff to come this year! ✌️

[@sramirez1906]

Not gonna lie - I was skeptical when I saw you post your video on Reddit, but this is great content. I especially enjoyed the tip about creating new hits from breaks. Love to see another junglist KZbinr. Keep up the good work!

[@groovining]

Really appreciate your honestly there mate, glad I won you over! I went into a bit more detail in this vid of some of the other ways I love to create those variations - kzbin.info/www/bejne/n57EdXqdo9lkhck

[@disciplethepoet]

Never underestimate the mighty Groovin' in G

[@groovining]

@@disciplethepoet haha cheers legend :)

[@Wicked-RPG]

Nice job!

[@groovining]

Thanks bro! ✌️

[@yrussq]

Brilliant work! Gorgeous video! Although, i need to point out some few things. 1. Paradox didn't say he rarely uses compressor - he said that he uses it less often then he was used to. 2. Recreating the groove and preparing/sampling the groove is different and unrelated tasks. Funky drummer is a funk groove so don't try to put it of on the grid if you want to purely recreate it - the whole thing of the funk is not being on the grid. 3. No drummer plays to the grid until he is forced to - drummers play the time, not the grid. As a graduated drummer that ridiculously misinterpreted by you Rossum's quote got me triggered. He was talking about ability to play precisely to the click and the ability to comprehend the 1 ms timespan. It has nothing to do with music, natural drumming and musicality - it's about trained human physical perception. Drummers often play intentionally behind/in front of the click/grid to achieve a certain feel - it's called playing in the pocket. Not to mention that it's not a steady regular thing - you may play faster/slower in the 4-th bar right before the new loop etc. Please watch this Jojo Mayer little lecture with examples - especially groove on 6:04 - it may help you to understand that natural feel is a complicated thing - that's why you see back and forth fluctuations over 30+ ms in the og Funky drummer - not because(i don't believe i'm saying this) Clyde was a bad drummer. /watch?v=u7M_guTvIwI Keep up the amazing work!

[@groovining]

Hey thanks. Appreicate all your saying this, I have a couple of things to reply with :) 2) Recreating & sampling the groove are different things but I wouldn't say their unrelated. A lot of DnB/Jungle has to remain on the grid without any natural tempo movement of a live player otherwise it would be impossible to DJ with. The kick and snare have to fall largely on the grid else they would flam when a DJ tried to beat match them with another record. Furthermore, the faster your play a groove the less allowance there are for swing and beats being way off the grid. Take a boom-bap tune that sounds laid back with all the ghost hits & swing and speed it up to 170BPM - it will sound sloppy as hell. In order to make funk work in DnB/Jungle you have to abide by these factors. What many artists do as a comprimise is quantise the kicks/snares to the grid and leave the shuffle more natural. 3) The point I was trying to make in this tutorial was that Paradox was largely quantising his beats, or at least programming in a quantised fashion. You can still offset certain his by slicing the waveform a little early to swing it late when programmed. That snippet of David Rossum was used to prove that a real drummer can and will play dead on the grid or within 3> miillseconds for certain sections of the tracks and it will still sound natural. The point was about getting drums to sound great and groove properly at DnB speeds has many other factors such as retaining the natural decay of the hits & using 'Air' to fill in the gaps and not all about swing/offset/micro timing/shuffle. I think that clips triggered you but you misinterpeted the point I was trying to make. I'm not a drummer but have a good understading of groove in how people using it in Jungle/Drum & Bass. Look near the bottom of this page Q & A by Fracture & Neptune where they talk about quantising. I think it will help clear things up - www.dogsonacid.com/threads/q-a-session-6-fracture-neptune.343262/page-6

[@baramundi__88__]

Come on guys, 2.56k subscribers, leave a like and at 1000 we get an awesome samplepack for free . Great video

[@groovining]

Thanks mate. I know right, surely they want all my favorite drum layers too! :)

[@TomBombadil-h3f]

he Breakbeat Bible: The Fundamentals of Breakbeat Drumming

[@groovining]

Thanks for the suggestion, i'll have a read! :)

[@oferoner321]

God bless you

[@groovining]

God bless you too!🙏

[@johncitizen8828]

Oh, with regards to working on Renoise, or using MPC and other hardware, I have heard people say how the ‘clock’ is more accurate than in a DAW. Is this just BS, or is there something to it? Surely if something is one the grid in Ableton, it is on the grid, right? What is meant by ‘the clock’?

[@groovining]

Yea some people do say the clock is more reliable for bits of hardware than the DAW but its hard to really know. Renoise is very good and i've had no problems ever with the clock. I wouldnt stress to much about it unless your having problems. There will always be issues with certain bits of equipment. Modern or old when it comes to get the sync super tight. The clock is how different devices sync up to each other over Midi. I.e Pattern 1 on Digitakt syncs to Logic Bar 1.

[@Endle185]

So u don’t want to chopping up the whole break and go in deep. It would be a great video to try to do the impossible. Copy paradox’s work flow

[@groovining]

I do a lot more of this these days and chop up every hit. I still actually love using a hybrid of Paradox's and Photek's techniques. They both have their advantages.

[@richgreenmusic2211]

I find the easiest way of doing this is with Rex 2 midi packs like Rex DnB- you can export the (many classic) drum breaks to your daw in one click and then move around as you like- I've told people about this many times and they always seem to insist on more laborious techniques to achieve the same thing...

[@groovining]

Recycle is no doubt a great tool. Logic Flex Slicing is very similar. I do actually quite enjoy the process of sample chopping & also find that automatic slicing alogirthms are never as precise as manually chopping. I like to quantize certain hits, offset slice points, include the build of energy is certain kicks and snares and have others super tight to the transient. There is a lot of nauance in break slicing that informs the rest of the process.

[@RoofLight00]

You can go micro or macro with waveform/break slicing. I’ve done it so many times over the years I can do it by eyesight now and don’t really need to hear the waveform apart from a first run through. Zooming in and finding the perfect and not so perfect slice points takes time to get to know. It’s also about using those off slices to add different timings and ‘air’ to your breaks. These days with DAWs you can slice your waveforms and reload them back into your hardware samplers and then back and forth to get character in your sound. People forget that this stuff was all done by hand in the 90s we didn’t have DAWs like now back then and it took hours to do this. Another cool tip is to sample your hits with very short room reverbs which had the effect of doubling the sound but also making your made up sample sound more natural with abrupt release times. Be careful with EQ and boosting,especially at high frequencies, clubs won’t thank you for shredding their punters ear drums or blowing their speakers! The pay off is that you won’t sound like anyone else if you do it your own way, not someone else’s…..

[@groovining]

I agree about the slicing massivly. I always do it manually even though its a litte bit tedious, its definitly an important part of the process. Slicing by hand on the EMU e5000 or Akai s1000 takes forever. It's also harder to be as precise when chopping individual hits out. I do a lot of resampling back and fourth like you said. I think music & creative arts in general is all about being inspired by other people work and learning how they have done things so you can adapt that to your workflows and make it your own. Cheers for the comment mate ✌️😊

[@Endle185]

Il buy the samples. Just charge a few quid

[@groovining]

I know people do this all the time and try to sell a whole pack of lifted breaks etc. but I try to not skim other peoples work. Paradox's two favourite breaks for layering in this way were Nat Adderley - New Orleans and The Vibrettes -Humpty_Dump. Both have great kick/snares :)

[@Endle185]

Thanks mate.