For many, the term ‘synth pad’ conjures up thoughts of loud 80s bands with big hair, utilising equally large polysynths from the same era and using them to ramp up the cheese, but the actual concept of the pad was initiated long before then, it’s just that the pad’s increased association with synths placed it…

Vocals make tracks memorable. Whether you fancy yourself as a beatboxer or take pride in screaming along with guitar solos and synth hooks, it’s difficult to deny that it’s the combination of melody and lyrics that provides the most natural and irresistible pull towards the world’s favourite tracks. In this feature, we’re looking at vocal…

Though trackers might look like a nightmare to the uninitiated, their ghastly visages belie a more malleable and fun-loving nature. Don’t let the cascading digits and dry UIs fool you – these things simply love to party. From Calvin Harris and Deadmau5 to Venetian Snares, many legends of electronic music have used the sequencing software…

1. BandLab A free online DAW with social networking serving a userbase of over 18 million, BandLab is a cloud-based cross-platform DAW that works in-browser and via a standalone mobile app. BandLab’s intuitive ecosystem boasts features such as realtime collaboration, MIDI control mapping, video sharing and messaging. One key principle is ‘Forking’ which encourages you…

In the fledgling months of 2020, the world changed dramatically in just a matter of weeks. The UK went into lockdown as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, with the public urged to stay at home for the safety of themselves and others. The history of music-making has often been one of rebellion…

Music teaching has been changed dramatically since the widespread coronavirus lockdowns. And while some schools look like they might reopen in a limited capacity, for many, remote education will be the reality for a while longer. Here are five essential remote teaching tools and five ‘dos and don’ts’ for remote teaching. If you want to…

Traditional television is changing. In addition to well-established and high-quality terrestrial broadcasters, subscription-based streaming giants such as Netflix are lining up to compete for your attention. Apple TV+, Amazon Prime and Disney+ are the latest names on the block but you can be sure they won’t be the last. Meanwhile, the profiles of leading film…

While it might not be entirely true that it’s ‘all about that bass’ – as the wise philosopher Meghan Trainor once implied – bass is a pivotal ingredient of any track, and is often the second element to be set in the mix, once the rhythmic components have been dealt with. This tried-and-tested approach will…

Create a cover version This is the easiest way to get started on a project and can quickly kick-start your creativity. Try to cover a song outside of your usual comfort zone, or completely change the style of a song you love. Often you’ll find that by starting with a cover, you’ll end up creating…

Over the past five years, I’ve used live streaming as a tool to reach more people through my music. During that time, we’ve seen live streaming become integrated into the social platforms we as artists use every day. Over the past five days alone, it’s become clear that more and more artists are considering streaming…