Dance Music Manual Dance Music Manual, aimed at the novice and seasoned professional alike, takes the reader through the software and hardware needed to create original, captivating, and professional sounding music. Key features of Dance Music Manual include: ■ How to create compelling, professional- sounding original or remixed dance tracks. ■ The differences between different genres and how to produce them. ■ How to expose your tracks to their chosen audience and equip you with the skills to develop your career as a dance music producer and engineer. Along with the book is a companion website, which provides examples of syn- thesis programming, compression, effects, MIDI files, and examples of the tracks discussed in this edition. The new and improved fourth edition covers processes and techniques used by music producers, masters, mixers, and DJs. Each page is full of facts presented in a manner that is easy to absorb and implement. Rick Snoman has over 30 years’ experience in the production of electric dance music. He has released under various names including AeonSoul, Phiadra, Neu- roKode, and Ascii, and has remixed professionally for numerous international artists. He has written articles and columns for leading music technology maga- zines, and is the founder of Dance Music Production, an industry leading educa- tional website. He is the author of the first three editions of Dance Music Manual, which are required reading at a number of universities, and actively encour- ages the education/development of music producers. He currently runs his own recording studio and works as a ghost producer for artists and DJs. Dance Music Manual Tools, Toys, and Techniques Fourth Edition Rick Snoman Fourth edition published 2019 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2019 Rick Snoman The right of Rick Snoman to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. First edition published by Focal Press 2004 Second edition published by Focal Press 2012 Third edition published by Focal Press 2014 Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data Names: Snoman, Rick, author. Title: Dance music manual : tools, toys, and techniques / Rick Snoman. Description: Fourth edition. | Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2019. | Includes index. Identifiers: LCCN 2018038174 | ISBN 9781138319622 (hardback : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781138319646 (pbk. : alk. paper) | ISBN 9780429453830 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Electronic dance music—Instruction and study. | Electronic dance music—Production and direction. Classification: LCC MT723. S545 2019 | DDC 781.49—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018038174 ISBN: 978- 1-1 38- 31962- 2 (hbk) ISBN: 978- 1-1 38- 31964- 6 (pbk) ISBN: 978- 0-4 29- 45383- 0 (ebk) Typeset in ITC Giovanni by Apex CoVantage, LLC Visit the companion website: https://www.dancemusicproduction.com/ This book is dedicated to every aspiring electronic dance musician, and their passion for the music. Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSxi INTRODUCTION xiii CHAPTER 1 The studio centerpiece 1 CHAPTER 2 The audio interface 11 CHAPTER 3 Monitors, headphones, and your room 27 CHAPTER 4 Hearing protection 41 CHAPTER 5 The science of frequency and amplitude 47 CHAPTER 6 Synthesizers 55 vii CHAPTER 7 FM and wavetable synthesis 73 CHAPTER 8 Modular synthesis 85 CHAPTER 9 The theory of sound design 99 CHAPTER 10 Samplers 111 CHAPTER 11 Compressors 125 CHAPTER 12 Further processors 143 CHAPTER 13 Effects 159 CHAPTER 14 The mixing desk 171 CHAPTER 15 Hybrid studios 185 CHAPTER 16 Fundamentals of rhythm 191 CHAPTER 17 Kicks and percussion 201 CHAPTER 18 Creating drum loops 217 viii Contents CHAPTER 19 Fundamentals of music theory 229 CHAPTER 20 Chords and harmony 237 CHAPTER 21 Composing and designing strings 255 CHAPTER 22 Composing and designing leads 263 CHAPTER 23 Composing and designing bass 279 CHAPTER 24 Sound effects 293 CHAPTER 25 Vocals: recording and editing 301 CHAPTER 26 Formal structure in dance music 323 CHAPTER 27 An overview of House music 335 CHAPTER 28 Techno 353 CHAPTER 29 Uplifting Trance 365 CHAPTER 30 Dubstep 377 CHAPTER 31 Ambient and Chill Out 387 CHAPTER 32 Drum & Bass 401 CHAPTER 33 An overview of Dub 413 CHAPTER 34 Mixing theory 423 CHAPTER 35 Practical mixing 435 CHAPTER 36 Mastering 453 CHAPTER 37 Publishing and promotion 471 CHAPTER 38 A DJ’s perspective 493 Appendix A Binary and hex 509 Appendix B Decimal to hexadecimal conversion table 515 Appendix C General MIDI instrument patch maps 517 Appendix D General MIDI CC list 521 Appendix E Sequencer note divisions 523 Contents ix Appendix F Tempo delay time chart 525 Appendix G Musical note to MIDI and frequencies 527 INDEX 533