trancemusicmastery.com

Trance Tutorial Sketch – Mirrors – Part 6 – Automation and Arrangement

scott@trancemusicmastery.com (Trance Music Mastery, Inc.) — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 12:03:03 +0000

It’s time for Part 6 of the “Mirrors” sketch tutorial series! If you have not yet seen the earlier parts, then you can watch part 1 here and watch part 2 here and watch part 3 here and watch part 4 here and watch part 5 here. In part 6, I show you the automation and arrangement of the track. Be sure to “Like” the video and share it with your friends!

Trance Tutorial Sketch – Mirrors – Part 5 – Pitch Riser and FX

scott@trancemusicmastery.com (Trance Music Mastery, Inc.) — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 02:39:55 +0000

It’s time for part 5 of the “Mirrors” sketch tutorial series! If you have not yet seen the earlier parts, then you can watch part 1 here and watch part 2 here and watch part 3 here and watch part 4 here. In part 5, I show you how I created the pitch riser effect and walk through some other FX used in the track, like filtered noise sweep with side chaining. Be sure to “Like” the video and share it with your friends!

Trance Tutorial Sketch – Mirrors – Part 4 – Pluck

scott@trancemusicmastery.com (Trance Music Mastery, Inc.) — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 14:27:21 +0000

It’s time for part 4 of the “Mirrors” sketch tutorial series! If you have not yet seen the earlier parts, then you can watch part 1 here and watch part 2 here and watch part 3 here. In part 4, I show you how I created the pluck sound and walk through each note of the pluck sequence and show you the sound design for the pluck sound using Sylenth1. Be sure to “Like” the video and share it with your friends!

Trance Tutorial Sketch – Mirrors – Part 3 – Pad and Chord Progression

scott@trancemusicmastery.com (Trance Music Mastery, Inc.) — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 18:01:51 +0000

It’s time for part 3 of the “Mirrors” sketch tutorial series! If you have not yet seen the earlier parts, then you can watch part 1 here and watch part 2 here. In part 3, I show you how I created the pad sound and explain the music theory behind the chord progression used in this sketch. I walk through each chord of the progression and show you the sound design for the pad sound using Sylenth1. Be sure to “Like” the video and share it with your friends!

Trance Tutorial Sketch – “Mirrors” – Part 2 – Bass

scott@trancemusicmastery.com (Trance Music Mastery, Inc.) — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 12:09:15 +0000

It’s time for part 2 of the “Mirrors” sketch tutorial sereies! If you have not yet seen part 1, then you can watch part 1 here. In part 2, I show you how I created the various bass line parts for this sketch. I walk through each bass midi clip and show you the sound design for each bass sound using Sylenth1. Be sure to “Like” the video and share it with your friends!

Trance Tutorial Sketch – “Mirrors” – Part 1 – Drums

scott@trancemusicmastery.com (Trance Music Mastery, Inc.) — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 15:24:07 +0000

Today, I’m starting a brand new FREE tutorial series. I’ll be releasing one video per week and there are 6 videos in this series. I’ll be sharing plenty of knowledge to keep you on the path to producing trance! Now with this new tutorial series, I wanted to focus on producing and teaching some key skills related to more modern style progressive trance. Pitch riser, Pitch faller, progressive style layered basslines, dramatic pluck and pad themes, and some chord progression music theory to top it off. So check out the new “Mirrors” tutorials. I think you will learn a lot and stay tuned to your email because I’ll be releasing part 2 soon! Be sure to “Like” the video and share it with your friends! Enjoy!

Interview With Betsie Larkin – Part 2 of 2

scott@trancemusicmastery.com (Trance Music Mastery, Inc.) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 23:25:51 +0000

This is Part 2 of the Trance Music Mastery Interview With Betsie Larkin. She shares more details about collaboration with producers on her album, “All We Have Is Now”. In 2011 Betsie gathered some of her favorite producers and collaborated to release her first solo EDM album, “All We Have Is Now,” on dance titan, Black Hole Recordings. The album features collaborations with John O’Callaghan, Ferry Corsten, Super8 & Tab, Solarstone, Lange, Bobina, Sied van Riel, Bjorn Akesson, Giuseppe Ottaviani, and Rafael Frost. The first two singles, “All We Have Is Now” and “The Dream” both hit the Music Week Club charts and were hammered on dance radio worldwide. TMM: How much time went into producing your new album? Betsie: Some of the songs were really old. The song “Stars” which Ferry produced was actually from an old solo EP that I did before I started trance. Hearing it was what made him want to work with me initially, so it was fitting that he produced the new trance/rock version. If you take old material into account, it took about 5 years. If you don’t, I would say about 2 years, on and off. I had label interest, but no one was pushing me to finish it and I had to be the one coaxing the project along. Let’s hope the next one is quicker! TMM: Do you have a personal favorite song on the new album? If so, which one? Betsie: It changes… “Obvious” was my favorite for a while. Lange’s production is so cool, in my opinion. “Breathe You In” also has stunning production, but it’s in a more dark/moody way. “Chasing” and “Stars” perfectly marry trance and rock, in my humble opinion. Those two are triumphant on their own, but when you add the trance elements, it’s over-the-top. “The Flicker Inside” is a special tune and was the last one to be finished on the album. It’s different from the rest of the album. I have a soft spot for all of them – there’s a story behind each of them and the album really is journal of my experiences and musings mixed with the work of great producers. TMM: What song(s) seemed to come together most easily on All We Have Is Now? Why do you think that is? Betsie: “The Offering,” “Chasing,” and maybe “Toys.” Sied, John, and Giuseppe work very quickly and, for whatever reason, these three fell into place with minimal effort. Some of the others took longer due to busy schedules, using live musicians for certain arrangements, etc. All worth the effort, but some took more than others. TMM: Related to the previous question: What song(s) seemed to be more challenging to finish on your new album and why? Betsie: None of them were extremely difficult. There were a few that just didn’t make the album because they didn’t fit. You can’t force certain things in the creative process, and I try to work with people that I can get on the same page without splitting hairs too much. TMM: What are some studio/music tips you can share that you’ve learned from your work on your new album? Betsie: One is to keep sharpening the saw – try to learn as much as you can from the people you collaborate with. It’s so much faster than learning every lesson by trial and error. Vocal recording-wise – I always work with a professional engineer for the final recording and am a big fan of doing it that way. I have decent recording equipment but find that having a second set of ears as well as better mics, etc, moves the needle. If any readers need someone in the NY area, I recommend Jon D’Uva who has recorded 90% of the songs that I’ve tracked in the last 5 years (vocals and band recordings). TMM: What are some myths or misconceptions that you think many people have about the dance music business? Betsie: 1. All DJs do is play records. 2. Producing dance music is easier than rock 3. The featured vocalist didn’t have a part in the writing. Fairly often, we have a 50% part, at least, in the writing. 4. Being an artist is always fun. There is SO much more work involved outside the jet-setting and partying that you see in the music videos. TMM: What advice would you like to share with aspiring singer/song writers or music producers? Betsie: Keep learning and improving. Find the most talented people you have access to – work and learn from them. Be ready for the inspiration to come and make sure to capture it on paper or with a recorder, etc. Think positively – This work can be frustrating and if you visualize reaching your goal, whatever it is, it will give you that spark that you need to keep going. Last one – be disciplined. Thanks for interviewing me and good luck to all of you who are on the path to producing! Betsie Larkin is an accomplished trance vocalist, song writer, and musician. After reading this interview, check out Betsie Larkin’s recent album: “All We Have Is Now” on Premier Recordings. www.betsielarkin.com www.twitter.com/betsielarkin www.facebook.com/betsiemusic

Interview With Betsie Larkin – Part 1 of 2

scott@trancemusicmastery.com (Trance Music Mastery, Inc.) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 20:04:35 +0000

Trance Music Mastery recently caught up with Betsie Larkin, vocalist/songwriter/performer best known for her emotionally-charged writing and vocals in the EDM genre. 2012 promises the release of some of Betsie’s best material to date – two more singles from her solo album “All We Have Is Now,” as well as “Not Coming Down” from Ferry Corsten’s ‘WKND’ album, described by PR Web as an “immaculate, annihilating ballad.” After reading the interview below, you can read more about Betsie Larkin here. TMM: How did you get started singing and songwriting, both generally and for trance specifically? Betsie: Like many singers, I’ve been doing it forever, but my work as a singer/songwriter probably started seriously when I moved away from home to attend university. I started a band with a few other people in Boston, where I went to school, and two of them were attending Berklee college of music. They taught me a lot about songwriting and recording techniques. Trance happened after I moved to NY a few years ago. One of the first nights I went out, I sat next to Alan Stewart, Ferry Corsten’s manager at the time, at a dinner party hosted by a mutual friend. He listened to my music after the party and said that he wanted to introduce me to Ferry. Everything else followed from those two songs, “Made of Love” and “Feel You,” which appeared on Ferry’s Twice In A Blue Moon album. TMM: Which artists do you think have been most influential to your creativity? Betsie: I’m going to answer this question as it pertains to trance because I think it’s the most relevant. 1. Ferry Corsten – He’s always appreciated my alternative/indie/rock background which encouraged me to be myself even while I was completely new to the genre. We also wrote parts of “Made of Love” together when he was in NY. He’s an expert of making something good sound great and I think I’ve learned a bit about “honing” from him. 2. John O’Callaghan – He’s a good friend at this point and a very clever producer. One of the things he taught me – how to build the melody in the transition from the verse into the chorus – I’ve applied many times since. I was able to watch him make a track in Cubase once – he works disturbingly fast and I’ve picked up a few tricks watching him. He also got me started in Logic and encouraged me to learn how to produce. TMM: What do you find challenging about writing a song for the trance genre versus some other genre? Betsie: The one note bass-lines in the verse… You have to really use your imagination to create melodies when the music is flat for those first few minutes before the chorus kicks in. On one side, there’s a lot of room to play because there aren’t as many notes to lock you in to a certain melody, but at the same time you have to come up with melodies without the help of a moving bass line. Sometimes I just pick up the guitar and write a chord progression that basically works over the music. I’m a big fan of melody and trance has taught me to think more about the rhythm of vocals and to let the verse be about rhythm sometimes, saving the big melodic parts for the chorus. That’s not a rule, by any means, but more of technique that I think helps with certain trance tracks. TMM: When you start out writing a song, do you start with the music first or the lyrics and melody? Betsie: Your best bet, is to start with the feeling/concept. Decide what the song is about. I think our minds can be good at finding the music/lyric to match the feeling. Finding the feeling to match the music isn’t usually as successful. I keep a tape-recorder or my iphone around at all times. I’m ready when the inspiration comes and I try to either write down the lyric or sing the melody or music-line into my phone. We have a lot of material between recollections of personal experiences, opinions on important topics, and our personal philosophies. My best songs came from something personal that I worked into musical expression. TMM: Do you prefer writing in certain song keys or scales? Which ones and why do you think that is? Betsie: As a vocalist, I have a comfortable range so that undoubtedly comes into play. I use my ears almost entirely and if the song feels a bit too low or high, I transpose it on guitar until it feels good and then often move the progression back to piano. I’ve heard some musicians say they think certain keys have different emotional qualities. I think there’s a truth in that, and I try to find the best key taking that into account as well as where I think the vocal is sounding the best. TMM: On your recent album “All We Have Is Now”, you collaborated with several big name artists. Can you describe how that collaboration typically worked… did you already have the song written, arranged, the vocals or did you listen to some ideas provided by the producer and then write a song around those ideas? Betsie: On 9 out of the 10 songs, we started with something I had written on either piano or guitar. Some of the producers would use my chords, others would change the music entirely, but the original vocal was usually the starting place. Sometimes I made minor tweaks to the vocal after the new music was laid down to make the song sound cohesive. The one track where I started with the producer’s music was “The Offering” with Sied van Riel. Sied’s tracks always hit me right away. I wrote the vocal parts for “The Offering” in probably a half-hour. That’s not normal, mind you :) TMM: What aspect of producing your new album did you find the most enjoyable? [...]

Sound Design For Trance

scott@trancemusicmastery.com (Trance Music Mastery, Inc.) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 16:00:05 +0000

Song For VIPX-5

scott@trancemusicmastery.com (Trance Music Mastery, Inc.) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 13:14:41 +0000

This is the final version of the track I produced in VIPX Session 5. There’s also a soundcloud player below the video. Enjoy! Trance Music Mastery VIPX Session 5 Final Master (Original Mix) by TranceMusicMastery.com