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Finding the right 808 for your song can be tough. Sometimes, no matter how many Splice samples you go through, you can’t seem to find an 808 that fits your track. Luckily, 808s are relatively easy to make using software synths. I’m going to be going over how you can make the perfect 808 for your song using Massive by Native Instruments.

If you record a sound into your computer using a sample rate that is too low, a type of sampling error can occur known as aliasing. By definition, and in regards to audio, aliasing is the misidentification of a signal frequency. Aliasing is a simple issue to overcome, but first you need to learn about the concepts surrounding it and how to recognize it.

A compressor is a device that reduces the dynamic range of an audio signal. It does this by attenuating the volume of loud sounds (downwards compression), or by amplifying quiet sounds (upwards compression). Seems simple, right? Well, that’s because it is! In this guide, I’m going to be going over the fundamental concepts you need to know in order to understand compression. I’ll also be covering all of the common controls found on a compressor, which will allow you to effectively operate one. I’ll be going over different types of compression, compression techniques, as well as my top 8 favorite compressors.

Let's face it, repetition is boring. Regardless of what genre you make, you don’t want to bore your listeners. Music is all about movement; the better you are at humanizing the elements of your song, the better chance you'll have of moving your audience. Below I'll go over some of the most effective ways to add variety to your productions, making them sound less robotic and more organic. Feel free to try different combinations of these techniques to see how they shape your sound. These methods mostly apply to working inside the box, but further options are available if sounds are reproduced in real physical spaces; using techniques like re-amping, and live mic recording.

This post is for producers who are working towards making music as a living. You've probably "released" a song on Soundcloud before only to see it get 100 plays. Clearly artists that are getting hundreds of thousands of plays on a single track are doing something different than you, but what is it? What should you be doing that they're doing?

The order of your plugins matters. Knowing how plugins affect your sound can help you to shape audio and troubleshoot problems. Below I'll explain my preferred plugin processing order, why it's in the order it is, and I’ll also provide a list of recommended plugins for each category. This list is meant as a general guideline and experimentation is always encouraged. Not all steps are needed for every sound you work on; let your ears determine when a sound requires processing.