How to Create Your Own 90s Electronic Dance Music Beats

A tutorial on how to create your own 90s electronic dance music beats using the best software and equipment available.

Introduction

If you want to create your own 90s electronic dance music, there are a few things you’ll need to do. First, you’ll need to find some samples. Second, you’ll need to create a strong beat. And finally, you’ll need to add some effects.

What You Will Need

To create your own 90s electronic dance music beats, you will need a computer with a sound card and sequencing software, a MIDI controller, and some basic knowledge of music theory. You may also want to invest in a drum machine or sampler to create more complex beats.

With your computer and sequencing software, you can create the basic framework of your beat by choosing from a variety of sounds and effects. MIDI controllers allow you to play and record these sounds into your sequencer, giving you more control over the overall sound of your beat.

Once you have the basic framework of your beat created, you can begin to add more complexity by layering different sounds on top of each other. For example, you might add a layer of synth pads to provide a “bed” for your drumbeat to sit on top of. Or, you might add a lead melody line played on an electric piano to give your beat more direction.

Finally, once you have all the layers of your beat in place, it’s time to start thinking about the overall structure of your song. Where will the chorus go? What about the bridge? By planning out the structure of your song before you start creating beats, you can make sure that each section flows smoothly into the next and that your song has a sense of cohesion.

Making the Beat

Start by tapping out a basic four-on-the-floor drum beat with your fingers on a tabletop, or use drum pads if you have them. You can also create this beat in your DAW. Once you have your drum beat, it’s time to add a bassline.

For the bassline, you’ll want to use either a low-passed sawtooth wave or a square wave. To create a low-passed sawtooth wave, start with a sawtooth wave and then apply a low-pass filter to it. To create a square wave, start with a sine wave and then apply a distorter to it.

Once you have your bassline, it’s time to add chords. For the chords, you’ll want to use either upper harmonics or lower harmonics. To create upper harmonics, start with a sawtooth wave and then apply an FM modulator to it. To create lower harmonics, start with a sine wave and then apply an AM modulator to it.

Once you have your chords, it’s time to add leads. For the leads, you’ll want to use either PWM or FM synthesis. To create PWM sounds, start with a square wave and then apply a Pulse Width Modulator to it. To create FM sounds, start with two sine waves and then modulate their frequencies with each other.

Finally, once you have your leads, it’s time to add effects. For the effects, you’ll want to use either delay or reverb. To create delay sounds, use an audio recorder and play back your recordings at different speeds. To create reverb sounds, use an acoustic guitar and play back your recordings in an echo chamber

Adding Samples

To add samples, you will need a sampler. You can use a hardware sampler, such as the Korg Es-1, or a software sampler, such as the Native Instruments Battery. For this tutorial, we will be using the Battery 3.0 software sampler.

Once you have your sampler set up, you will need to choose the samples you want to use.For this tutorial, we will be using two samples from the classic 90s dance song “What Is Love” by Haddaway.

The first sample is the drum beat. To find this sample, load the Battery 3.0 software and click on the “Drums” tab. Then, scroll through the list of drums until you find the “Kick” drum. Once you have found the Kick drum, click on it and drag it into your sampler (the Korg Es-1).

The second sample is the synth line. To find this sample, load the Battery 3.0 software and click on the “Synths” tab. Then, scroll through the list of synths until you find the “Bass” synth. Once you have found the Bass synth, click on it and drag it into your sampler (the Korg Es-1).

Now that you have your two samples loaded into your sampler, it’s time to start creating your beat!

Finishing Up

When you’re happy with your beat, it’s time to add a little finishing touches. These can really make your track stand out and give it that professional sound.

One thing you might want to do is add a lick or melody line. This can be done with any synth, but lead synths work best. Just come up with a simple melody and play it over your beat. You can also use a sampler to add in one-shot sounds or samples from other tracks.

Next, you can add effects to your beats. Reverb and delay are two common effects that can really change the sound of your track. Experiment with different settings to see what sounds best. You can also add echo, chorus, or Flanger effects for even more sonic variation.

Finally, you want to make sure your levels are properly balanced. This means getting the drums, bass, and synths all sitting at the right volume in relation to each other. A good rule of thumb is to keep the drums and bass around -6dB and the synth parts around -12dB. If everything is too loud, your track will sound muddy and unfocused. But if everything is too quiet, it will get lost in the mix.

Now that you know how to create your own 90s electronic dance music beats, get out there and start making some music!

Conclusion

As you can see, there are a lot of different ways that you can create your own 90s electronic dance music beats. You can use a drum machine, a sequencer, or even just your computer to create some truly amazing music. With a little creativity and perseverance, you can create some truly unique and classic sounding beats that will have everyone on the dance floor begging for more.