How to Make Dubstep Music on Garage Band

This article is a collaborative effort, crafted and edited by a team of dedicated professionals.

Contributors: Andranick Tanguiane, Fred Lerdahl,

Contents

Learn how to make dubstep music in Garage Band by following these simple steps.

Introduction

Garageband is a popular music production software that allows users to create their own music. It is available for both Mac and PC. Dubstep is a type of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1990s. It is characterized by its heavy bass line and drums. If you want to create your own dubstep music, you can do so using Garageband. In this article, we will show you how to make dubstep music on Garageband.

What You Will Need

In order to make dubstep music on Garage Band, you will need a computer with Garage Band installed, an audio interface, and a MIDI controller. You will also need a good understanding of music theory and composition.

Setting Up

Before you start making dubstep music on Garage Band, you need to set up your virtual instruments. To do this, open up the “Virtual Instrument” window from the main menu. Next, select the “Dubstep Wobble Bass” instrument from the list of available instruments.

Once you have selected the Dubstep Wobble Bass, you will need to configure it to your liking. To do this, click on the “Edit” button in the lower left-hand corner of the window. This will bring up a new window with a number of different options that you can adjust.

The first thing you will want to do is adjust the “Wavetable” settings. These settings control the shape of the sound waves that are generated by the instrument. For a more traditional dubstep sound, you will want to select either the “Sawtooth” or “Triangle” waveforms.

Next, you will want to adjust the “Filter” settings. These settings control how much of the high and low frequencies are allowed to pass through the instrument. For a typical dubstep sound, you will want to turn up the “Cutoff” and “Resonance” settings until they are both at around 50%.

Finally, you will want to tweak the “Envelope” settings. These settings control how the sound changes over time. For a traditional dubstep bass sound, you will want to set all of these parameters as follows:
-Attack: 0%
-Decay: 50%
-Sustain: 50%
-Release: 100%

The Drop

The central element to any dubstep song is the “drop.” This is the section of the song where all the elements — the drums, bass, synths, etc. — come together to create the signature sound of dubstep. In order to create a proper dubstep drop, you’ll need to use a variety of different sounds and techniques.

The Build Up

In order to produce a good dubstep track, you need to lay down a solid foundation. This is done by building up the track with various sounds and effects. You’ll want to start with a basic drum beat, then add in some bass and synth lines. Once you have these elements in place, you can start to add in other sounds and effects to taste. When everything is in place, you should have a track that is ready to be mixed and mastered.

The Breakdown

When it comes to making dubstep music, the first step is to understand the basic elements that make up this type of electronic dance music. Once you have a handle on the key ingredients, you can start experimenting with different ways to put them together using GarageBand, an inexpensive and easy-to-use music production software application.

The fundamental element of dubstep is the WOBBLE. This is achieved by playing two identical sounds (usually bass notes) at once and slightly detuning one of them. When done correctly, this creates a throbbing, heartbeat-like effect that is sure to get your audience moving.

In addition to the wobble, dubstep tracks often feature fractured beats, heavily processed synths, and plenty of effects like reverb and delay. By layering these different sounds on top of each other, producers are able to create complex soundscapes that are as much about texture as they are about rhythm.

If you’re new to GarageBand, don’t worry — we’ll walk you through everything you need to know in order to create your own dubstep anthem. Just follow the steps below and you’ll be making head-banging tunes in no time!

The Reverb

After you have your drumline set up the way you want it, it’s time to add in the Reverb. The Reverb is what gives dubstep its spooky, otherworldly sound. To add Reverb, first click on theEffects button at the top of the screen. Then, scroll down and selectSmall Hall from the list of Reverbs.

Once you’ve clicked on Small Hall, a pop-up window will appear. In this window, you can adjust the Amount and Mix of the Reverb. The Amount refers to how much of the effect is applied to your drumline, and the Mix determines how loud or quiet the effect is. For our purposes, we’ll want to turn both of these settings up to about halfway.

Once you’ve got your settings where you want them, click onOK at the bottom of the pop-up window, and your Reverb will be applied to your drumline!

The Wobble Bass

The wobble bass is one of the most iconic and defining sounds in dubstep music, and creating one in Garageband is actually pretty simple. You’ll need to start with a clean bass sound and then use the built-in EQ to create the characteristic wobble effect. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

1. Start by creating a new project in Garageband and choosing “EDM” as your genre.

2. Add a bass instrument to your track. For this example, we’ll use the “Bass Synth” preset.

3. Use the built-in EQ to filter out all frequencies except for the low end. For this example, we’ll set the cutoff frequency at around 80 Hz.

4. Boost the gain on the EQ so that it peaks at around +12 dB.

5. Use a low-pass filter to create a resonant peak at around 100 Hz. Set the resonance (Q) to around 3 or 4 so that it’s not too narrow or too wide.

6. Play your bass sound and experiment with different EQ settings until you find a sound that you like.

The Finish

Now that you have your basic dubstep beat, it’s time to add in some finishing touches. By now, you should have a pretty good idea of how Garage Band works, so feel free to experiment with the different sounds and effects available to you. Remember, there are no rules in dubstep, so go crazy!

When you’re happy with your song, hit the share button and export it as an MP3. Congrats – you’ve just made your first dubstep track!

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