Transcripts
1. Course Intro: Ladies and gentlemen,
welcome back to another tutorial with
yours truly key Orion, the main ways obsessed
with making great music and teach you how
to make your own. In today's masterclass, I'm going to walk you
through how to make an asap, Rocky style song that sounds
a little bit like this. I'm going to walk you
through the beat, how I made this kind of
in this asap Rocky style, as well as those pitch
down low vocals, super creative track when the period of tracks
I think I've made in a hot minute and show
you guys how to do it. So set aside 30 to 40 minutes. Grab your beverage of choice, you're locked and loaded,
and let's jump into it. Before we do though, I was
gonna say this is gonna be a quick and dirty
masterclass on this. I'm going to dive into all the crazy technical
stuff about this. If you're looking for a
more in-depth walkthrough, I have a free training. You can get that in
the description below. That's where I'm going
to walk you through my condensed knowledge of a decade's worth of
music production in less than an hour. So check that out
and if you're ready, let's jump into this tutorial.
2. Beat Breakdown - Melody: The first thing
I'm going to walk you all through is the beat. We're going to pretend
that the vocals are not here for a second. Get these out of here, and we're just going
to focus on the beat. So in this asap, Rocky kind of style, to me, a lot of he messes
with a lot of minor keys. It's often something
that's going to be, I love his beats
and his choices. I think these super
artistic and creative, there's often some,
there's gonna be times stretched, pitched. It's just, it makes you it makes you feel a
little bit uncomfortable. If there's this feeling, it's like there's
this tension there, but the minor vibes. So what I did was I
took this sample, was I'm gonna see if I can actually show you
guys the original sample. Which was it 99 BPMN. Let's go like stroke. So this was the original sample. That's like that's
cool, that's cool. So what I did was I took it
and then I chopped it so that it's because I chopped it up a little bit to fit
more what I wanted. I didn't like how it ended. And then I also I slowed it down by little
more than 25 BPM. Didn't pitch it too much, and then added all
of these effects. So this is what we got
for the final sample. We just feels like I like
that as I kinda like slow, almost like syrupy vibe. Like that's really about
that. It's like asap then almost like kind of
like chug along. So I EQ the crap out of it. And then I added this
retro color plug-in. As always, to get it a
little bit of reverb, I'm using this
mostly as a river, but for a little
bit of distortion. And then some delay. This is a really simple
delay that's kind of adding to that reverb just to give it a
little bit more space. And then this was when
I was looking for, but the key was, and then
the more important part, or the soup without these listened to the
difference between these two without headphones, probably won't notice
much of a difference, but with them check this out. So far. Jackie hits. That's like kinda like it's just not great to listen to shows like how can I
make those better? So the first thing
I'm doing is adding. So my favorite compressors, it's a two-way is
the one from T-Rex, the one from wages also great. But check out the difference. This compressor makes
us like this kind of old school vintage vibe on it. Check this out of some. And then this is a cool
plugin is called sooth. And so you'll see
it pretty much. Jesse. Sandwich software. That is I love some
shadows to sponsor me, do sued sponsor me. So that's the main melody. The only other piece that I
added was during the hook. There's a, there these two vocal chops to add a little bit of depth, give
a little bit of space. That's it for the most part
in terms of actual melodies. For these vocals, I'm doing
something really similar. The high-end, lots of reverb, but a delay for both of them. And that is the melody in a nutshell that
we're working with. Something pretty simple
and straightforward. You get, you get that
main kinda off-key, minor key thing locked in. And you're going to
be made in the shade. So that's, that's kinda the key thing to get
is that main melody down useful as a subtracts, especially
ones he's produced. The melodies aren't crazy. They're just, you gotta get the right vibe and
you nail that, and then the rest will come. So let's jump into the drums.
3. Beat Breakdown - Drums: For the drums, because I don't want to keep you
here for too long when you're talking about the low
end and the drums together. The kick is a super
simple, straightforward. It's just a double
kick, it's a big, it's like a heavy kick
against I kinda wanted to like chug along
and then they don't. Then the aid oh wait, just accents it. So let's start. Let's check out. This is
the kick. Heavy cake. As long as the heartbeat, the ATO weight
against this asap, I want everything to be gritty. So this is with
the aid of weight with a little bit
of a bend there. I think that's the only
band I put in there. This is just this is a
rad super long eight await that I've been added. I love came across a bunch
of distortion to it. So that's the low end in
terms of actual drums. Again, super simple. You all here, this is it. That's it. 16th note. Hi-hats are 8-note. I don't I don't know
music theory like that. The snare I did, I wanted the center
to have a little bit, take up a little bit
more space because there's not a lot going
on with the drums, so I added some reverb
and delay to that. And then on, this is kinda like an impact noise that I just added a bunch of
delay and reverb to. So it's pretty much
the same open hat. Just I'm using more than impact
and actually it's a hat. So check this out. And then filtered
out the high-end. And that's it. Those
are the drums together. That's it. Simple. And then with the melody, the vocal is pitched down. There's a little
bit distracting, and there's the ad libs who
are a little bit distracting those ad with though with
the pitch sound vocals. The way that I'm doing it
too is they're spread out. So there they take
up a lot of space. So I didn't want a beat
that was gonna be too busy. And that's why it's
pretty simple. Again, this is kinda crushing
the bed because for me the vocals that pitch down book was really the bread and
butter of this track. So let's jump into
what we did there.
4. Mixing The Vocals - Pitching The Vocal: When it comes to this pitch
sound vocal, honestly, I'm gonna be straight
with though there's not a whole lot different. Other than adding this
pitch down piece, I approach it with the exact same way that I
wouldn't normally vocal. Here's the deal. I actually made me see if
I can bring this back. Yeah. So I actually made I did
this incorrectly first, I mixed the entire vocal before pitching it down
and it did not sound good. And so I came back and
I pitched it down. I'm using a little altar
boy by sound toys, push down about $0.05. A little bit of
drive all the way. And this is just a helping this is my
utility and narrow stairs. I feel like it was
just too wide, so it's kinda like bringing
it in a little bit. But I would recommend if you're gonna use
pitch down vocals for your whole vocal. At least really cool
verse or whatever, rather than just a small part
to pitch it down first and then approach the mix because that CIC
completely seems to me, I went back and redid
the entire thing. So this is actually let me
see if I can bring that back. I want to show you the
difference. So here's the difference
between these two. Without it pitched up. Let's solo these two. So we got it without
a pitched up. So this is the one that I
mean, this is the second mix. This the first one. Last guy life, but at throat I'm lashing out those loved me
to moles, I'm crashing. Thought I could mask the
dough, some capping, cut costs, but it goes thumb good on the low when
I've been there. Yeah, Because I'm good all
alone in a huge difference. This one sounds way smoother. It's just a different, it's
a completely different vibe. And so I'll show you what I did here and will pitch it
down again, turn them out. A little altar boy, this
is what it's interesting. I sound like I have such
a high pitched voice, it's open to doubt. It sounds, it doesn't really sound that cool
without a pitch down, laughing, yeah, guy alive. But to throw around lashing
out those love me the most. I'm corrosion thought
I could burst into song caribou goals. I love those. I think that sounds so cool.
Way to pitch down. I just love pitched vocals. I just like weird
stuff like that. So let's walk through
what we did to actually get that
really simple mics, except a couple of small changes
from ones I normally do, but EQ subtracted bq
actually in a wet. Let me make this its
own separate video because I want to
walk you through each piece one at a
time what we did. So let's hold that thought and I'll start this
as a new video.
5. Mixing The Vocals - EQ + Cleanup: So for mixing the vocal, I approached it pretty
much the exact same way. Iq you subtracted
bq like always. And more subtracted bq. You know what? I'm going to walk you
through each of these actually one at a time so
you can see what it's doing. Yard lives better through
Rome largely. Cut these off. And so this is the, this is the subtractive
weaknesses with nothing on it. My yard, God loves butter
through Ron Larson. Those low, beautiful, Take it out loud that low end by
giving you some clarity. Drawn some caribou. Same here, this is L channel.
I'm doing the same thing. A lot of subtractive EQ, like the subtracted bq,
little bit of compression. Your life but a large,
those are mutable. More clarity on the vocals. I'm still losing, I'm still
losing a lot of that low end, but I know I'm gonna
get that back leg, especially the patient invoke. I'm not too worried
about it that basis. I really want the
clarity though. It just sounds to boxing
with this lifeboat. A broad d'Azur is always. The thing is when you
push the vocals out until you end up sand
and List B as is, you only got like
a, just a big list. So I didn't hit this two arcs, otherwise you sound super LSP. This C4 is always a little
bit of subtractive. Subtractive but
controlling compression, I'd say Mom, god loves
butter through rom Larson. Meter moves them, crash,
more compression. This was the game changer. This are Vox. This is why I love the art
compressor as well, but I wanted to start
using this bar box. I wanted more of a smooth vocal. I love this thing. The way that this gives
a certain vibe to it. Check out the difference
between these two. And not just in volume, but the like, the
sound of the vocal. Ja gar, life by the virus. All those little neater
moles I'm crashing. Thought I could
master the dough. Some kind of spooky ghost. Sounds, smooth man, I liked
that are bucks a lot. A little bit more compression. But this is now like
additives compression, I'd say like it's
actually we're boosting things in this compression
while she got life, but it brood on lashing out those low meter
most I'm crashing. Thought I could master the door. Let me take off the parallel
split. That I'm accident. Wow, she got life by the
glass and all those. I'm crashing if you
allow some copy. And then this ds or
for the variable. And that's the main vocal. And now let's jump into the, the couple of texts
that I added to this.
6. Mixing The Vocals - Vocal Effects: For the effects on this
are really similar to mice by the effects chain and almost normally
use for my vocals, but I'm not hitting
it super hard. So forth, note delay or
excuse me, eighth note delay. At first we'll turn
each of these one on at a time. Can hear
what's going on. Beyond life. I'll lose loved me the most. I'm crouched, thought I
could master the computers. Computer really
struggled when I'm trying to record and
do both of these. But even though
delayed a little bit, it's like a slap back delay. Fourth note delay has
a little bit more, just gives a little more
space via your life butter. This is a plate reverb. Kind of feel like I kinda
puts it in its space. And then I normally like
a longer reverb here, but I didn't go too crazy. This is just another AR verb. Simple Hall, too
bright, whole preset. And then I just tweaked
it a little bit. Wow, your life. I'll lose loved me to
move storm clouds. Not huge changes here
again, small steps, little bit at doubling my yard, widen it out barely. The metal flanger. Wow, she got lifeboat, the Medicines Act, which I love, which is the preset tidal pool. And this is what it sounds
like with the beak. Hold that thought
we're talking about the doubles in the next video.
7. Final Touches + Conclusion: Now the final pieces of this tract are the
devils in the hook. Doubles. I, I liked
these wide doubles. I just wanted he says accents for like when I was
saying the same thing. So check this out.
This is actually, I mean, just sold
the vocals for you. I was like, I just kept
being lightened up in that moment, our bender. Yeah. Because I'm good All
the loan and actually, I don t think I
got it won't be in the game because I went through the code
and I've been back. So these are pretty much
same thing, push down. I'll just add a
reverb and delay. And just so that they
were a little bit more of an accent on the
words that I wanted. And then the hook I actually
did in my normal voice. I kept my ad libs. Where to add lives go. I kept the hour there in here. I said, Where did the ad lives go? Let's bring those down. Actually. I did the the hook in my normal voice
and then I just accepted it with this
bridge. In these devils. I don't like waves. Don't change when we speak. Don't change. Don't
change up on me. Don't change. Like days a week don't change then just
stipple accents right here. Nothing too crazy. Waves on the sea don't change. One panned hard left, one
panned hard right doubles. Really similar, kind of
set up to my main vocals. I just, I just maybe
have a little bit more. Maybe widen them. I'll add some different
effects to them just to make them stand out
a little bit more, but nothing super crazy. And then this, in this hook, I did automate some
low voice that change. Don't change when we
speak. Don't change. Don't change upon
me wrong changer. Light days or a week
don't change like waves. So I automated a little bit of low voice just so I can
drop the beat out here. Don't change, don't
change up on me. And then for the ad libs, I pitched those down as well the same way that I
pitched the main vocals. I tuned them because I
did more like singing. It's weird stuff, so I
wanted to tune them. And then I just, I'm not using that
studio rack actually. Then it's rolled up the high-end and messed with more
sound toys here. So these are timeless
too, I think. Oh, echo boy, micro
shift, excuse me. Just echo boy, in this
micro shift, I like a lot. There's add some vibes to it. And then a little
bit of Plate Reverb, little plate, and that's it. That's all she
wrote right there. Y'all, boom. Waves. Don't change. Don't change upon me. I hope that was helpful. I hope that that helped
you figure out a little bit how I would approach a creative kinda tents, maybe a little bit
weird out there, asap, Rocky style vibe track. And as always, if you
want a more in-depth walkthrough on anything by free masterclass in
the description below. Highly recommend. Again, I'm going to save you a decade's worth of experience, break it down in less
than an hour or so. Check that out if you haven't
already in the description. I appreciate you all
tuning in as always, and I'll check you in
the next one piece.
Kia Orion, Artist & Music Producer
