Do You Have All of the Essential Drum Kits for 2022?

When making beats, you want to be sure that you are using the best sounds. Use this checklist to find some new sounds to level up your productions.

KBeaZy Kits

KBeaZy, a producer who has credits with Iann Dior, 24kGoldn, Juice WRLD, and many other rappers, has a good selection of drum kits available on his BeatStars page. Here are a few of the ones I recommend:

1.) Fyed Up Vol. 1

2.) Trap Galaxy Vol. 2

3.) Trap Galaxy Vol. 1

4.) Artillery Drum Kit

5.) Hi Tech Drum Kit

With this selection of popular, enhanced sounds and original sounds, you will have a great collection of drums off the bat.

WavSupply Kits

WavSupply is a drum kit web store that was created by famed producer collective Internet Money and houses their kits. If you are looking for drums used in songs produced by Nick Mira, DT, and other popular producers in Internet Money, you should consider these suggestions:

1.) Stigma Vol. 1 (DT)

2.) Diesel Drum Kit (Nick Mira)

3.) Mira Touch Vol. 2 (Nick Mira)

4.) Magma Drum Kit (Nick Mira)

5.) Stigma Vol. 3 (DT)

This is a great collection of kits that houses some rare sounds from famous songs produced by Internet Money producers.

Reddit Kits (r/drumkits)

The r/drumkits directory on Reddit is a great place to look for free drum kits. Here you can find the "Shows the Screen" by user lunch77, who compiled sounds used by certain producers that were seen in their live streams and videos. Here are a few of the essentials:

1.) Everyone in 808 Mafia Shows the Screen

2.) Metro Boomin Shows the Screen

3.) Pi'erre Bourne Shows the Screen

4.) Wheezy Shows the Screen

5.) RonnyJ Shows the Screen

These free kits are sure to give you a plenty array of good, industry sounds!

 

Top 3 Pro Producers to Follow

A great way to get better at making beats is by watching other producers. As a beginner, watching tutorials and curated guides will only get you so far in the learning process. While this is an essential part of improving, watching the practices in action in a natural setting can be just as useful. Many producers have been creating YouTube and Twitch channels to document their process of making beats. This content can be viewed as inspiration or to learn directly from this process. There are many great producers that have a public online presence and put out content on a consistent basis. Here are three pro producers to follow in 2022.

Nick Mira

Top producer Nick Mira has been a great teacher to many aspiring producers. He has many great beat tutorials on the Internet Money YouTube channel and currently streams frequently on his Twitch channel. He will sometimes stream himself for hours making all kinds of different beats using different techniques and methods. Watching him make beats from start to finish is not only inspirational but could also serve as a good way to pick up some new ideas!

KBeaZy

Although he isn't very active on it any more, KBeaZy's YouTube channel is a treasure trove of content for music producers. He uploaded not only beat production videos, but also industry insider tips and other material that could be useful to any producer. If you want to see how he went from a bedroom producer to an industry professional, check out KBeaZy's content.

DT

DT, formerly known as Sidepce, is commonly credited for being the person to jumpstart Juice WRLD's career, as he was the first major producer to discover him on SoundCloud. DT has plenty of good content on the Internet Money YouTube channel and also streams once in a while. During his streams, he usually reviews songs and beats submitted by viewers, giving them feedback.

Most Popular Beat Genres for 2022

Music is constantly evolving, and so are the kinds of beats that appear in rap songs. This is due to a shift in what does well with the audience and as musicians innovate and come up with new styles and ideas, the world is able to observe new waves and trends with music. There are a number of beat genres that have become increasingly popular in 2022.

Rage / Hyperpop Beats

If you have listened to Trippie Redd's "Trip at Knight" album or the recent projects by Yeat, you would recognize these electronic beats with aggressive synths. These beats can be thought of as a bit of a crossover between rap and EDM. "Miss the Rage" by Trippie Redd and Playboi Carti is likely the first songs that pops up into most people's heads when they think of rage beats. The beat in this song was actually made from a melody loop found in a sample pack intended for EDM music, showing how much inspiration is taken from electronic dance music.

If you are interested in learning how to produce these kinds of beats, listen to "Trip at Knight" or almost anything by SoFaygo or Yeat.

Guitar Beats

"Mood" by 24kGoldn and Iann Dior spent many weeks on the Billboards Hot 100 as the #1 song in the world. This song featured an upbeat, catchy guitar melody, and it is clear that this is a type of beat that does will in this era of music. Guitar and melodic songs are showing up more and more on the radio and many are following the trend to cash out. This is also where loop makers shine, as many of them have guitar-playing skills and are able to make their own guitar melody loops.

If you're interested in seriously making beats for this genre, it may pay to buy an electric guitar that is compatible with a digital audio workstation. However, this is not completely necessary, as there are plenty of guitar loops out there, and you can also make guitar melodies using digital plugins (although this method is less preferred as it can be difficult to make a guitar sound realistic by clicking in notes, it can still be done).

Dark / Aggressive Beats

Although this style has been prevalent for years, it lives on in 2022 with artists such as 21 Savage and Lil Durk. This style of beats often has instruments in minor chords with hard, loud drums. It seems like this type of beats isn't going anywhere anytime soon as it clearly still draws in a loyal audience.

Listen to some of the recent projects by the aforementioned artists for inspiration for this genre.

Trying out making different genres of beats is exciting, but remember to not get carried away, as the simple beats are the kinds of beats that tend to make it.

3 Must-Have Effects Plugins for Beat Producers

Making unique beats is a whole lot easier when you have good effects plugins at your disposal. They can help spice up your drums, add variation to your melodies, and even give you new ideas that you would have never thought of without being able to turn a few effect knobs. Here are three must-have effects plugins for any beat producer.

Half-Time

Although it is similar to and has overall fewer functions than Gross Beat, the paid stock FL Studio plugin, Half-Time allows for more streamlined and easy to use effects. Half-Time allows the user to slow down melodies by different looping speeds with useful settings that can change the smoothness and frequency of the affected sound. Playing around with this plugin can lead to some unique sounding melodies.

For only $12, this plugin is quite the steal. Learn more about it by clicking here.

RC-20 Retro Color

If you are looking to make your melodies sound more like they were recorded with actual instruments, you may want to acquire a vinyl effects plugin. RC-20 Retro Color allows you to apply a large variety of vinyl effects, such as crackling, wobble, and distortion, among others. It also comes with presets that have different themes so that you can instantly apply an array of effects onto your sounds (which can also be tweaked to your liking).

RC-20 Retro Color is currently $99.95 - to learn more about it, click here.

Valhalla Vintage Verb

Valhalla Vintage Verb is a reverb plugin that allows for stronger, more deep reverb effects. Although FL Studio and most other DAWs come with their own stock reverb plugins, they are more limited in their functionality. Valhalla Vintage Verb allows for much greater customization and comes with many tweakable presets that are designed specifically for different feels. This plugin is also great for melodies made from one-shot sounds as it makes them sound less dry.

For $50, you could have a whole different world of reverb effects at your fingertips. Learn more by clicking here.

3 808 Mistakes to Avoid in FL Studio

Properly using 808s is a struggle for many newer producers, and it takes a while for many of them to learn how to get better at using them. This guide aims to eliminate some common mistakes that cause 808s in producers' beats sound subpar.

808 is Out of Tune

Since most sounds are tuned to C, they usually don't need adjusting. However, 808 samples are sometimes tuned to a different note. Sometimes, the difference is so subtle that some producers don't even notice. A good way to check is to place the 808 onto the root note of the melody, and pitch it up a few octaves to be able to hear it better. Since the 808 is the bass, it becomes harder to notice that it is out of tune when it is placed on the lower octave where 808s are usually placed.

If the 808 sounds out of tune, right click it, and click on "Edit in audio editor," then right click the sample that is now open in Edison, hover over "Regions" and select "Detect pitch regions." This will display the note that the sample is tuned to. Now, go back to the sample window, and click the wrench icon at the top left, and select the note that was detected in Edison on the piano roll. The 808 should now be tuned to C.

For more screenshots of the process, check out this page.

808 Sounds Drowned Out

Another common struggle for newer producer is getting their 808s to stand out in the mix. Since the 808 is supposed to be at a very low frequency, it can often get buried beneath the the other sounds. Although we don't want it to overpower the other sounds in the beat, the 808 should have a good presence in the mix. The issue often comes down to not cutting enough low frequency out of the melody or just outright making the 808 too quiet.

To EQ the melody, add a visual EQ tool to the mixer track where the melody is (Fruity Parametric EQ 2 works well). Right click Band 1, click "Order," and click "Steep 8." Drag the band to the right until the lower frequency is cut out enough for the 808 to have room.

Another way to make the 808 louder is by boosting the frequencies on the actual 808 sample. Click on the 808 sample, find the "legacy effects" tab in the settings, and play around with the EQ and Boost knobs. This will make the frequencies of the 808 stand out more. Don't overdo it though, because then the 808 will be too distorted.

Use both of these techniques to make the 808 stand out and cut through the mix properly.

For more detailed information regarding frequency editing, check out the official Fruity Parametric EQ description page.

Low Quality 808 Samples

Often times, sound quality comes down to sound selection. If you are using a low quality 808 sample, no amount of effects will make it sound good. Make sure that you are using good sound samples in your beats. A good way to make sure you are using good sounds is to look at what sound kits top producers use. Follow your favorite producers and see what sounds they use. A good place to find kits is on Reddit, at r/DrumKits. Check out the "Shares the Screen" kits, created by Lunch77, which compile sounds that are used by specific producers.

Blog #4 - Why the Simple Beats Are the Ones that Get Used in Songs

When making a beat, it is sometimes unclear at which point you should be done with it. Even after you arrange it and add all of the essential elements, it sometimes feels like you can add even more. The important concept is that just because you can doesn't mean you should. In fact, many of the beats that end up being placed in songs with major artists are on the simpler side.

Simpler Beats are Easier to Rap Over

Many producers nowadays like to "overproduce" their beats, meaning they add too much to the beats. Beats with too many different sounds, switch ups, and patterns can be difficult to rap or sing over. This overproduction can also be distracting to the listener.

A good, consistent beat will frequently be chosen over a cluttered beat. Beats with lots of variety and elements can sound unique and cool, yes, but they usually aren't very practical as an instrumental to the background of an artist in a song.

More Room for Vocals

Often, beats with crazy melodies don't work very well in songs with singers or rappers. Just like having too many different sounds, complex melodies can leave no room for a voice on the top.

To know when they don't need any more melody layers, producers like to add them until it seems like there is room for one more, which will end up being the vocals of the artist. Leaving room at the top for actual vocals is an essential when making useable and practical beats.

Simplicity Sounds Better

In many cases, simpler songs just outright sound better. People like music that is easy to listen to, which is why much of contemporary popular music is repetitive and doesn't require much focus to enjoy. 

The beat of a song acts as the framework or skeleton to the song, and the artist's vocals are based on the beat's elements, such as the melody, tempo, and arrangement. Of course, it is not necessary to oversimplify your beats to the point that they lack variation or flavor. It is possible to keep your beats on the simpler side while giving them life, personality, and feeling.

When making beats, you should cater to the artist that the beat is intended for while keeping the listeners in mind.

Blog #3 - Three Mistakes That Producers Make While Working in FL Studio

FL Studio is one of the most popular digital audio workstations that is used for producing rap and hip hop beats. It is used by industry professionals and beginners alike, and it is a great tool for many purposes. For many producers, including myself, it was our first experience working in a music production software, aside from maybe Garage Band, a simplified D.A.W. that comes with Mac computers.

FL Studio is very versatile, meaning there are many things that can be done, correctly and incorrectly. In this post, I will be bringing to light three mistakes that are frequently made by producers when using FL Studio.

Using Fruity Limiter

Infamously, the Fruity Limiter is known to be the cause for lower quality mixes in beginner beats. Since it is enabled by default, it is frequently overlooked. This stock plugin acts as a limiter and compresses certain frequencies in the mix, contributing to lower volume levels and random ducking when different sounds clash.

Fruity Limiter itself is not a bad tool and can be manipulated to work properly, but the default preset on it does not work well with rap beats. Instead of using it, create a new preset with the Fruity Soft Clipper, a different limiter that comes with FL Studio. This way, upon startup of the software, the Fruity Soft Clipper, a limiter with a much better default preset for beats, will replace the Fruity Limiter.

Not Saving Frequently

One of the biggest mistakes beginners and pros make is not saving their projects frequently while working. FL Studio is known to be prone to crashing, and losing a project file that you were working on can be heartbreaking.

FL Studio actually autosaves every so often, and if you know this, you can navigate to the file folders with FL Studio files and retrieve the projects. This is surprisingly a function that many aren't aware of.

Despite the existence of the autosave, it is much easier to just periodically save to ensure the availability of the most recent version of the project file.

Not Speeding Up Workflow

Although FL Studio is designed in a way that streamlines the process of making beats, there are still many ways to make your workflow even faster. FL Studio has many keyboard shortcuts to speed up different parts of the process, such as Ctrl+B to duplicate selections, various key combinations to switch to different tools faster, and other methods of speeding up various actions. This can improve your rate of productivity as you will be getting things done faster.

Additionally, FL Studio allows various means of organization. Sound samples that you have downloaded can be placed in different folders and these paths can be customized to your liking. For example, I like to organize my drum kits by creator so I can find the sounds that I am looking for easily. 

If you like to use similar patterns in many of your beats, with hi hats for example, you can use midis that can be dropped into the piano roll which will tell the software to create certain patterns.

As mentioned earlier, FL Studio startup presets can also be created. If you like to use certain plugins in each beat, you can make a preset which will cause FL Studio to load them with every new project file.