Tips to Create More Powerful Drops (FL Studio 20 Tutorial)

This tutorial will show you some simple, but clever tricks that will help you make your drops sound more powerful. The drop is supposed to be the most powerful element in your mix, so it's important that it packs a punch. Unfortunately, this is something a lot of people get wrong. This video will show you how to make the drop stand out with more energy by ensuring that the breakdown remains more dynamic.
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📧 Other inquiries?
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[@FireWalkMusic]

Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/firewalkmusic Want professional feedback on your track? Mixing or Mastering? www.fiverr.com/firewalk

[@brandongarced3195]

Why are you so helpful ? Why go out of your way to help people ? Because your a great and helpful individual and I appreciate you . Thanks 🙏🏼

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! Much appreciated :) Glad you found the videos helpful.

[@TetoArusu]

Oh I didn’t know about the “to master” knob, thanks for the tip!

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome :)

[@strixcz]

@@FireWalkMusic Same here - this is super handy! Thanks.

[@Gr1dSh7ftR]

This is such an insanely under-rated channel. Ive been using FL Studio since its fruity loops days and Im still learning stuff when i watch your vids.

[@tobias5873]

The topic may be strange, but I think many people would think it's interesting how to distribute your music and also how to promote your music the best way! Ofc trying to keep it free!

[@FireWalkMusic]

I actually have a video that covers this, and I think you might find it interesting: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fmecnoVrocmgbbM

[@meorkat6550]

Thanks for the tips!

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome 😀

[@Bucking_Fastard]

Mr. Firewalk did it again!! I really wish I had this tutorial when I was starting out. It would have saved me HOURS of trial and error!! :D

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks, glad you liked it :)

[@freakdog]

This is really helpful! Thank you, great video as usual👍

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome. Glad you liked it :)

[@rikkistarrett307]

Another great video FireWalk, thanks for posting.

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! Glad you liked it :)

[@njous1990]

Really good video thank you

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome :)

[@033_gauravpatel8]

Thank you so much

[@fadisako2753]

I really want you to make a full * uplifting trance * track ❤️🔥

[@TheBATTranceMusic]

OMG that would be amazing! I have been on a project for uplifting trance for some time now and I am struggling big time. My intro is very emotional but I just can't continue.

[@fadisako2753]

The BAT i just want to improve my track

[@FireWalkMusic]

This is actually on my list. I just haven't had the time lately to make long videos. It usually takes me a whole week just to finish a 10 minute video, due to my full-time job, the mixing and mastering and so on. I will probably get to it eventually though! I'm also planning on doing walkthrough videos of some of my own trance projects, showing how they've been constructed. :)

[@fadisako2753]

@@FireWalkMusic im still waiting :(

[@emiel333]

Great tips as always. Lovely track btw!

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! Much appreciated :)

[@thomasmcharles9319]

Great video, thank you!

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks, you're welcome :)

[@Y0nex]

Very helpful techniques!

[@FireWalkMusic]

Glad you liked the video :)

[@gtunes377]

Thank you bro 🤜

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome :)

[@Streetwisedj]

Very helpful, thanks a lot!

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome :)

[@KWCuber]

thanks, it was super helpful my drop sounds great!

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome :)

[@BrandonBeanland]

i just want to hear that song :) nice tutorial, will definitely try this

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks. It's a trance template I'm going to be selling. It's not finished yet though. :)

[@h.hristov]

You can also automate the stereo separation knob (from mono to stereo) to make the drop sound bigger, wider

[@FireWalkMusic]

Indeed! That's also a trick that can be used. Just be mindful of possible phasing issues when doing so :)

[@jnb2524]

Wow.....If I only knew this......specially automation, it would have saved me tons of hours......Thanks a lot!!!

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome :)

[@Gloomer2000]

great tutorial my friend.. Take good care! :-)

[@FireWalkMusic]

Hey Jan! Thanks! glad you liked it :)

[@franciscosantander2746]

Amazinggggggggg

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! You're welcome :)

[@sennederoo2188]

Love your tutorials man! Can you pls make one on how to layer and mix snares?

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks, I'll put it on my list :)

[@youtubeuser1375]

Really nice vid. You make the most straight forward music production videos on KZbin. Can you do a video on techniques to finish songs?

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks, much appreciated. Yes, this is planned.

[@TearFoX]

Thanks 😇

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome :)

[@WellAnimated]

Thank you

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome :)

[@MarluxiasScythe]

Incredible tutorial, really helps :) Id really like to know how you did the lead? it sounds so powerful and awesome. Dont really know how to produce these new type trance sounds

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks, glad you liked it. You can find my leads tutorial here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6KzooBrp7qojNE

[@djn8x843]

Good job our music is big🤟

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks :)

[@michelecopeland4376]

Please make more video they help so much 😆 thanks

[@FireWalkMusic]

Glad to hear that you find the videos useful! I sure will :)

[@Foxy994Anime]

I like darren style when it comes doing the build up to drop

[@FireWalkMusic]

Darren Porter make awesome trance! :)

[@jarcity234]

Thanks. Your videos are the absolute best! Would it make more sense to perform the volume and EQ automation for the build-up during the mixing stage instead? Especially since you are automating the master channel? ..or would it be best to do this before mixing? If so, would you then automate the individual tracks/layers instead of the master channel?

[@FireWalkMusic]

The best would be to automate every single channel to have 100% control of everything. Of course, that will involve quite a lot of autmoation and extra work, and automating the volume using a gain plugin on the master will give almost the same effect, and be much quicker. Just keep in mind that you must use a gain plugin on the first FX slot on the master for this to work properly. Don't automate the master knob itself. I've seen a lot of people do that, and the result will be very differently. By using a gain plugin on the first FX slot you adjust the volume going into the compressor, limiter etc later on, and therefore the threshold will also change, causing them not to apply compession and limiting during those quieter parts. This will make the breakdown more dynamic as well as being qyuieter, which makes a nice contast to the drop. If you automate the master fader then you automate the volume AFTER all the processing, causing the volume to be turned down, but if you look at the waveform then you'll see that the breakdown is heavily compressed and limited despite being quieter. So I recommend either automating every single element one by one, or doing it with a gain plugin on the first FX slot on the master. :)

[@trecian777]

Firewalk it'd be awesome if you did a video on how you would normally set up a mastering chain and explain why you would use those certain plugins/ their purpose

[@FireWalkMusic]

A mastering video is planned, as soon as I'm done with my other mixing videos. :)

[@trecian777]

@@FireWalkMusic sweet!!!

[@music_creator_capable]

Good!

[@FireWalkMusic]

Glad you liked it :)

[@just_dimi3]

Please make part 2 for progressive house and big room

[@certified_geek7536]

Fire walk sounds like the guy from how it's made lol Nice tutorial btw.

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks :)

[@hunk443]

armin does that !

[@rocca717]

I’ve noticed when I automate using the mixer volume I get a click sound, it’s really annoying, and now I no how to fix that, thanks!

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome :)

[@Divertisseur]

@@FireWalkMusic or you can use the fruity balance

[@larrycarson7888]

You sound like the guy from how it’s made haha good tutorial. (:

[@VidyDumais]

Please make video how to mix edm drop

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks for the suggestion!

[@DjClimamusic]

FireWalk strikes back again! with amazing powerful information, and the best of all "WE LOVE IT" (at least me) Thank you human being, wish all the best in your life, cheers from Brazil! !d(-_-)b!

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! Glad you liked it :)

[@alroberts]

Cheers

[@jakezepeda1267]

I like those structure visuals, any chance you'd do a video on structures of different genres? I personally find structuring very hard 0_0

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll put it on my list right away :)

[@jakezepeda1267]

@@FireWalkMusic awesome, you rock :)

[@Alkatraz581]

Fucking amazing! I did not know about the Master send knob lol

[@FireWalkMusic]

Glad you found it helpful :)

[@smilelion6386]

Super

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks :)

[@Averie1247]

You sound like your about to teach me how to service a starter.

[@FireWalkMusic]

I rebuilt an old 3S-GTE MR2 Turbo engine a few years back. Perhaps I should upload a how to service a starter video next. :p

[@abelramos8698]

Hey what’s up man, I’ve been watching your tutorials for the past couple months and I gotta say I found them very useful. Is there a specific place when we get in touch if we want your opinion on a track or mix?

[@FireWalkMusic]

Hey, thanks. Glad you found the videos useful. You can find my feedback gig here: www.fiverr.com/firewalk/give-professional-feedback-and-advice-on-your-music

[@abelramos8698]

FireWalk I appreciate that. You have been my unofficial mentor with my journey to produce and compose like the pros. Similar style in music as well! I will visit the link and hope to get your opinion on how my mix/master quality is doing. Again I appreciate it!

[@johnbaker3722]

Hey FireWalk great videos. I was just wondering if you’ve got a tutorial out for making your own drum beats and groove with percussion etc. Thanks

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! Not yet, but it's on my list. :)

[@johnbaker3722]

@@FireWalkMusic cheers great news

[@Hmaster2028]

Hey i wonder if you could make a tutorial about how to mix arpeggios in a song?

[@FireWalkMusic]

Like trance leads and such? I have some videos like that planned. :)

[@Hmaster2028]

@@FireWalkMusic i mean up and down arpeggios

[@themukul1908]

Sir please make video on lcr panning what to pan andwhat to not plzz sir

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks for the suggestion! :)

[@Ave_Satani]

@FireWalk Could you do a tutorial on stereo separation and maybe elaborate on the pros and cons of the stereo enhancement plugin. There is not a lot of tuts on LCR that go in proper depth, nor is there many tuts that talk on FL native plugins to achieve this. And yes, I'm aware it is an illusion, but it seems to work if not abused. Love your tuts btw..

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks for the suggestion, something like this is already on my "to do" list :)

[@Ave_Satani]

@@FireWalkMusic Nice to hear, can't wait :)

[@Y0nex]

Btw may i ask, What would you do in a situation where you want to have a constant progress in the track and have the 2nd drop have more energy than the first, How would you go about doing that, Thanks in advance!

[@FireWalkMusic]

The B drop should usually be more energetic than the first. At this time you want the track to lift to a whole other level. At the same time you also want the first drop to be rather full and energetic of course. There are many ways to deal with this. You can add some extra elements like a counter melody or supporting melody. You can add some pads or whatever, or added layers to existing sounds to make them change character and intensity. It's also quite common to use subtle variation in terms of effects, chord inversions, note inversions and so on to help add variation here.

[@ShoaibKhan-bz5qm]

FireWalk Yea I added a counter melody for second drop to give it a bit extra

[@mustafamalik785]

How come we don't see you live on TomorrowLand !?

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! :) Unfortunately I don't get much free time to work on my own music these days. I haven't released anything in like a year now. :\

[@coolscube5062]

The Loudness War lol like the terminology

[@FireWalkMusic]

:D

[@buklau.3641]

Is the uplifting trance template used in this video still for sale?

[@FireWalkMusic]

I don't think I ever got around to actually finishing it. But from what I can see it's pretty much finished, so I should definitely get around to that! :D

[@buklau.3641]

I'll keep my eyes peeled for it! Just about to watch your recent eq video, which is perfect timing for me as I am about to look for an eqing plugin :)

[@drazenzoko542]

Legendo

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! :D

[@StevieG20]

Hey mate.. Bit of a random here... Just out of curiosity, do you keep your main vol and mixer master vol at default 0db, or do you leave some head room on the master mixer vol..

[@FireWalkMusic]

I usually mix quiet so that I always have 3-6 dB on the mixer before any mastering is applied. If I for some reason go above that then I usually add a gain plugin to the first FX slot on the master to pull the volume down a bit before any mastering is applied.

[@StevieG20]

@@FireWalkMusic Nice one buddy.. Tks pal

[@DSWL_]

🙏🏼

[@FireWalkMusic]

Glad you liked it 🙂

[@greggygregwav]

I use GarageBand unfortunately and it’s impossible to make anything that halfway musically proportionate

[@BPOLAR-vq1cs]

It’s okey to use automations from the master track in the mixer.. but it should be said that all those master automation will NOT be exported if you use the function “export-splitted tracks”.. this means if you will send all single stems to an audio engeneer for a professional mix he will not get the master automations.

[@FireWalkMusic]

Valid point. This should be fixed in the latest version of FL Studio. :)

[@BPOLAR-vq1cs]

FireWalk of course! We had some experience about it.. since then never using auotmations on master 🤘

[@jubayerwasidraiyan5874]

hey dude, you thinking about doing a mastering tutorial?

[@FireWalkMusic]

Hi, this is already on my list. I'll get to it eventually :)

[@jubayerwasidraiyan5874]

@@FireWalkMusic NICE!

[@gurindersingh7933]

i want how to make this track like how to intro and so on

[@FireWalkMusic]

I have some tutorials about structuring planned :)

[@gurindersingh7933]

@@CosmicNihilist please make a basic understanding video trans

[@kingnerdon]

What are your guys' thoughts on FL 12 vs FL 20?

[@FireWalkMusic]

There are some new features in FL Studio 20, as well as improved multi core performance, which should mean less CPU consumption. There's still plenty of people running FL 11 though, and if it does what you need it to do and you're not interested in, or doesn't need any of the new features then you don't really have to upgrade. That said, when you buy FL Studio you get lifetime free upgrades, and in every upgrade there will also be workflow enhancement, bugfixes and so on. So usually I'll always recommend using the latest version of FL Studio, unless there's any specific reason you're still on an older version, like if you're still using pattern blocks in version 10/11 for example. Also, keep in mind that once you edit a project in FL Studio 20 and save it, then you can't open in in an older version any more. Every new version is backward compatible, but not vice versa.

[@SaurexMusic]

1:26 his disk Gammel (ekstern) means trash extern xD

[@FireWalkMusic]

Jepp 😁

[@SaurexMusic]

@@FireWalkMusic Im german xD

[@FireWalkMusic]

@@SaurexMusic I figured you were Norwegian :D but both languages are germanic in nature so I guess that explains it :D

[@SaurexMusic]

@@FireWalkMusicBtw nice tutorials! Helped me a lot! If you have discord please add me SaurexMusic#7034

[@lolsucks3599]

why u dont put the fruity balance as last in the effect chain lol?

[@FireWalkMusic]

Because then the effect will be way too obvious. You want to lower the volume going into the compressor and or limiter, so that it remains dynamic even though it's going through the mastering chain. That's the whole idea :) It's basically a lazy way of ensuring that it remains dynamic without going back and mixing everything all over again during that part. Mastering should always be the last thing that happens. I don't recommend adding any gain plugins, EQ or whatever on the last FX slot if you're adding any mastering to the chain. If it's on a premaster then it's ok. :)

[@lolsucks3599]

@@FireWalkMusic will ur compressor settings not be messed up by it then?

[@lolsucks3599]

@@FireWalkMusic and what about the pre gain knob in the maximus plugin wouldnt it be the same?

[@FireWalkMusic]

@@lolsucks3599 Using a gain plugin on the fist FX slot basically does the same thing as selecting all the mixer tracks and pulling them down. However, that's not always so easy to do because often times there will be submixes and such, and that will mess up the levels. Some elements are often used other places in the mix as well. A compressor has a threshold setting, and once the signal goes above that threshold the compressor starts working. The same goes for a limiter. If the signal is below that threshold it won't do anything to the signal. Maximus is a very powerful plugin and you can do a lot there, but I still recommend using a dedicated gain plugin on the first FX slot because that way you'll have more control. If you use it after compression and limiting etc, then often times even 1% change will be very noticable, because now the compression and limiting has affected the track, bringing everything up, and you'll still have that compressed sound, but you're just lowering it. It's better to reduce the signal before it goes into them, so that you get it sounding as dynamic as possible. Also, using EQ and such after the compression and limiting can affect the phase, and you might end up with peaks going above 0 dB, especially if you have some spikes, like a loud drum or whatever during the breakdown part. I just find that it's much simpler and safer to do it before all that processing is applied. :)

[@davidlanderos3963]

Good video but your voice gives me orientation training video vibes lol

[@FireWalkMusic]

😂

[@Suchitttt]

Wait! Why not talk abt endless smile for making a drop

[@FireWalkMusic]

Hi, I wanted to use stock plugins that everyone have. You can do everything the Endless smile plugin does with stock plugins. It's all just reverb, delay, eq, time-remapping etc. The Endless smile plugin doesn't add more energy to the drop, but it can help add more tension towards the drop. :) I actually have a separate video about the endless smile plugin here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rIutdJJ4m8yfrJI

[@AKAtAGG]

Pretty sure the narrator is a male version of Alexa. says all the right things but sounds automated.

[@FireWalkMusic]

It's a real voice :) If there was any computerized voice available that didn't sound... well.. overly computerized... then a lot of people would be using it right? :)

[@cumauler5365]

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks, glad you liked it :)

[@AKAtAGG]

also, not much gain staging occurring here. HMMMMMMMMMMM.

[@FireWalkMusic]

It's not really necessary to gain stage in modern daws. 32‑ and 64‑bit floating‑point DAWs can handle whatever level you care to add internally, and boosting or attenuating doesn’t affect the signal’s dynamic range at all. There’s no ‘noise floor’ to worry about internally in the software. So you could, in theory, go wild, adding whatever level you wanted at every stage, and then just back off the level at the stereo bus with a trim plug‑in. As long as the true peak level signal doesn’t go above 0dBFS when it hits your D‑A converters, you’re good. At least in theory. Does this mean that you should do so? No of course not. However, as long as you play it safe and work with reasonable levels and don't go completely crazy then there shouldn't be any problem. Whenever I gain stage it's more because I want to balance everything out, to make the mixing itself easier, since then you'll have the same "starting" point for everything in terms of levels. There's still some debate around this. Developers say you don't really have to do it, and many professionals don't ever do it, with great results. One thing is for certain: There's certainly no harm in doing it. :)

[@Averie1247]

You sound like your about to teach me how to service a starter.