[MUSIC] Creating tensions and
transitions is super, super important when you're
creating instrumentals that need to have some sort of build or release.
This example is going to be with a more electronic track,
but you can use the same techniques and other types of genres as well.
We're going to focus on taking something that doesn't have a lot of dynamic movement,
and try to make it more interesting to create a very strong tension buildup and release.
In this session, we have a buildup leading into a drop.
Right now it doesn't really have a lot of movement or
excitement in it
[MUSIC].
Our goal is to make that buildup create more tension and make
it more exciting rather than just turning things up and down.
So, in order to do that,
we can utilize our automation techniques to
make changes in each one of these build-up sounds,
to give them more dimension and help them move forward.
I'm going to start with this noise sweep that you hear.
[NOISE].
It's a really cool sound,
but on its own it doesn't really create that tension that we're looking for.
So, I'm going to utilize automation to make some changes and help it grow.
In logic I hit A to open my automation,
and I decided to automate two things with this particular sound.
The first one is going to be the cutoff frequency on the low-pass filter on the synth.
This is going to create a big swell starting out with
cutting off lots of high frequencies and then growing to open them up again.
So, at the start of this noise sweep,
it's going to sound darker and have less of that brightness,
and over time grow.
[NOISE].
Using high-pass or low-pass filters is
a great technique to create tension without necessarily changing just volume,
and you can use this across many different genres of music.
The second parameter that I decided to automate on this sound is the rate of a Tremolo.
This Tremolo is set up to pan left and right as this noise sweep develops.
I've decided to automate this.
So, the sweeping left to right starts out
really slow and then it will eventually get faster and faster,
and again this is another technique to create that tension.
So, let's listen to how it sounds with
both the low-pass filter and the tremolo being automated.
[NOISE].
We also have this pad that we can automate as well,
just by itself it sounds like this.
[MUSIC] Once again that
sound is really cool but it's not necessarily creating any movement,
so I'm going to utilize another low-pass filter,
to cut off the high frequencies and slowly bring them back in with automation.
So, let's hear how that sounds.
[MUSIC].
Let's hear it with the sweep as well.
[MUSIC]
This is a great start with automation techniques,
but we can also add other sounds to start creating that tension as well.
One of the most useful transition sounds is a reverse symbol or a reverse snare.
You can accomplish this in your DAW by importing the sound,
and then reversing the audio.
I'm using a reverse symbol in this case,
this is what it sounds like.
[NOISE].
I've also created an impact sound as well,
which is going to overemphasize
that transition when it lands into the drop or the drums come in.
[MUSIC].
I also have a snare drum that I can create tension with as well.
One of the most common techniques for transitions in electronic music
specifically is to take a snare drum that
gradually gets faster and faster in the buildup.
So, I'm going to take the snare drum and gradually speed it up until it hits the drop.
I can accomplish this by option click drag and
logic or just any copy and paste in your DAW.
One of the techniques I use for this too especially as we're speeding up is,
I like to do all of them at
the same time to change the length because it makes it more even.
All right. So, let's hear what this sounds like altogether.
[MUSIC].
So, there you have a transition that uses
other parameters besides volume to create tension and release.
[MUSIC].