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The term “pads” can be a confusing one for newcomers to music production – it’s not analogous to an acoustic instrument like a guitar or a bell, and it’s not onomatopoeic like a growl or a “wub”. So what are pads in music? In this guide we’ll explain what pads are, give you some examples of pads in music, teach you how to create your own pad using a combination of synthesis and sample-based sounds, and use that pad in the context of an atmospheric DnB beat. Native Instruments · The Atmospheric DnB beat Jump to these sections: What do pads mean in music? What’s the difference between a synth and a pad? How to make pads in music Create a smooth amplitude envelope Use filter modulation Apply FX Add a sample-based element Use the pad...

When people started making music on digital hardware for the first time, things often started going wrong. Machines would make shocking sounds that had never been heard before, especially in the context of music. Despite once being a byproduct of malfunction and digital error, glitch has evolved into an intentional and sought-after sound in music. Using glitch effect techniques can give your productions a distinct and futuristic aesthetic. In this guide, we’ll answer the question “what is a glitch effect?” and explore different techniques you can use to create unique, glitchy textures. By the end, you’ll have a few glitch effect variations to use in your own music – and if you don’t feel like making them from scratch, you can download...

Layering multiple synths and samples together to get a cohesive sound that’s greater than the sum of its parts isn’t so much a secret in music production, but it does seem like something that is hard to quantify. Because of this, most new producers spend years or trial and error throwing sounds together to get that massive, nuanced sound that their favorite artists easily pull off. If only actionable advice and overarching workflows could make layering sound straightforward, right? Luckily, Syence, a duo based out of southern California, has found the recipe for success when it comes to layering. Zach, one of the members, came to chat with us about how he layers libraries and sounds in Kontakt 8 to produce his unique take on modern...

Scoring strings takes careful work. Sure, it’s not so hard to come up with a few chords. But getting your arrangement to really shine takes good technique and some clever scoring tricks. Instrument ranges, articulations, mixing, and more – there are a lot of aspects to consider. In this article, we’ll walk you through some helpful tips for getting your string scores to sound the best they can. Each tip will be demonstrated with screenshots and audio examples from Cremona Quartet Ensemble, an ideal instrument for composing with strings. It brings together four solo VSTs that sample extraordinary-sounding string instruments from the 16th and 17th Century. Combined in one interface, with over a dozen articulations and a handy Auto Divisi...

Sound design is the foundation that brings a track to life, shaping its atmosphere, energy, and emotional impact. This is especially true in organic house music, where the texture and vibe of the music is as important as its melodies, grooves, and impact. Sinca is a perfect example of an artist who is a complete wizard at making heartstring-pulling club music that hits hard on big systems just as much as her music and its melodies linger with you long after she’s mixed into another banger in one of her DJ sets. With releases on labels like Anjunadeep, All Day I Dream, and XYZ, her unique take on one of today’s hottest dance music genres has brought her millions of streams and one of the fastest-rising careers in underground club music...

The ‘ROAD 10’ is a bonus segment featuring a curated set of 10 questions inspired by the ‘Proust Questionnaire.’ These consistent, reflective, and often revealing questions are asked to every guest at the end of their appearance on the Road Podcast (Reflections of a DJ). True to its name, the ‘ROAD 10’ offers a unique glimpse into each guest’s personality, values, and preferences, blending humor, introspection, and candid moments. Originally exclusive to Road Podcast Patreon subscribers, these interviews are now available on YouTube after a one-month debut on Patreon. The ‘ROAD 10’ is designed to offer viewers a memorable and intimate connection with each guest. Follow the R.O.A.D. Podcast on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube...

These are DJcity’s most downloaded tracks of January 2025. Our monthly charts feature top downloads from around the world, plus regional charts for Latin, UK, Germany, Asia, and South Asia. Sexyy Red & Bruno Mars – Fat Juicy & Wet Pardison Fontaine & Cardi B – Toot It Up Tyga, Big Sean & Flo Milli – Dumb Tyga & Lil Wayne – Pop It Off Village People – Y.M.C.A. – Rob DVS Calabria Edit Rema – Baby (Is It A Crime) ABBA – Dancing Queen – Waltry Remix Drake – NOKIA Kendrick Lamar & SZA – luther – DJ Mike D Remix Tiësto (ft. Oaks) – I Follow Rivers View the full list here. The post 📈 DJcity’s Top Downloads of February 2025 – What DJs Are Playing appeared first on DJcity News - Music and news for DJs and producers. Continue reading...

Wedding season is here! DJcity’s Remix Director, Sir Marcus, has curated an updated selection of must-have wedding remixes for 2025. This collection is packed with fresh edits, exclusive bootlegs, and dancefloor-ready remixes from DJcity’s in-house production team – guaranteed to keep guests moving all night. Below are some of the top tracks you’ll find in this playlist. Listen & download here View, listen, and download the full playlist with over 100 tracks here. The post Essential Wedding DJ Remixes for 2025 – Fresh Updates for Your Sets appeared first on DJcity News - Music and news for DJs and producers. Continue reading...

We recently ran a social media bracket on our Beatsource and DJcity pages to determine the best battle mixers of all time. Mojaxx has now taken that bracket to the next level in a new video, where he dives deep into each mixer to crown the ultimate scratch mixer champion. Check out Mojaxx’s deep dive into each mixer on DJcity TV. The post The Greatest Scratch DJ Mixer of All Time – Epic Battle Showdown! 🏆🥇 appeared first on DJcity News - Music and news for DJs and producers. Continue reading...

Notable tracks that were added to DJcity this week. View them all here. Download the tracks below. (* indicates DJcity Exclusive) 310babii & James Brown – bad DESI TRILL, DJ Khaled & Cardi B ft. Natania & Subhi – Higher Love Burna Boy – Update The Cataracs & Dev – Make Ya Body Whistle Maroon 5 – Sugar – Colin Jay Remix* DaBaby & Yung Miami – IMA HOE TOO – DJ Serg Sniper Throwback Intro* Lola Young – Messy – BVRNOUT Remix Sexyy Red & Bruno Mars – Fat Juicy & Wet – Dan Gerous Remix Missy Elliott ft. Ciara & Fatman Scoop – Lose Control – ALRT Remix Bruno Mars – Finesse – Onderkoffer & Caldera Remix DJcity’s weekly picks are selected by Sir Marcus. To receive them via email, click here. The post Download Fresh Tracks From 310babii...

On this week’s episode of the @RoadPodcast, the fellas welcome legendary Grammy Award-winning producer and DJ, Jimmy Jam (@flytetymejam). Jimmy Jam reflects on various milestones in his career, starting with his involvement in the Grammys (01:55), he discusses his favorite new artist (02:40) and the impact of the fires on the awards show (05:34). He breaks down the samples in his production of @JanetJackson’s hit songs (18:45), and the crew credits Jimmy with the creation of New Jack Swing (34:60). Jimmy Jam speaks on his early years in Minnesota DJing (42:20), joining Terry Lewis’ band (@flytetymelewis) (50:10), and recalls going to junior high with #Prince (@1:05:55). Finally, he talks about getting back into DJing (1:35:10) and which...

DJ live streaming is experiencing a resurgence, driven by the Twitch DJ Program and the popularity of live DJing on TikTok. Mojaxx explores the Yolobox Ultra from Yololiv. This device offers video switching, stream encoding, and advanced graphics tools in a single unit. Additionally, its native social media app support allows for TikTok streaming with the same level of control as other platforms. Learn more about the Yolobox Ultra: https://www.yololiv.com/yoloboxUltra Check out Mojaxx’s review of the Yolobox Ultra from Yololiv on DJcity TV. The post Yolobox Ultra Review – The Ultimate DJ Live Streaming Companion appeared first on DJcity News - Music and news for DJs and producers. Continue reading...

Notable tracks that were added to DJcity this week. View them all here. Download the tracks below. (* indicates DJcity Exclusive) Sabrina Carpenter – 15 Minutes Flosstradamus & Lil Jon – IDGAF PARTYNEXTDOOR & Drake – SOMEBODY LOVES ME Ayra Starr – All The Love – Da Phonk Club Edit The Weeknd – Cry For Me – Audiorokk Mwaki Edit* Rihanna – Where Have You Been – Lincoln Baio Nobody Else Edit* Wayne Wonder – No Letting Go – Dave Nunes & FS Green Remix Bruno Mars & Sexyy Red – Fat Juicy & Wet – Sefu You Can Do It Remix Fetty Wap – Again – KIDCEE Remix Lady Gaga – Abracadabra – Kue Remix DJcity’s weekly picks are selected by Sir Marcus. To receive them via email, click here. The post ❤️‍🔥Music For Your Valentine’s Weekend: Sabrina...

The ‘ROAD 10’ is a bonus segment featuring a curated set of 10 questions inspired by the ‘Proust Questionnaire.’ These consistent, reflective, and often revealing questions are asked to every guest at the end of their appearance on the Road Podcast (Reflections of a DJ). True to its name, the ‘ROAD 10’ offers a unique glimpse into each guest’s personality, values, and preferences, blending humor, introspection, and candid moments. Originally exclusive to Road Podcast Patreon subscribers, these interviews are now available on YouTube after a one-month debut on Patreon. The ‘ROAD 10’ is designed to offer viewers a memorable and intimate connection with each guest. Follow the R.O.A.D. Podcast on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube...

Developer Audiomodern has released Spectra Ambient Electronic Bliss, a free instrument for Soundbox. Audiomodern released the Soundbox platform toward the end of 2024, along with a few interesting libraries/instruments. Here’s a brief recap: Soundbox is a fully customizable MPE sampler available in AU, VST, VST3, AAX, and Standalone formats. At the time of writing, Soundbox [...] View post: Audiomodern releases Spectra Ambient Electronic Bliss, a FREE instrument for Soundbox Continue reading...

ML Sound Labs released Mikko Reflex Free, a free-to-use edition of their flagship guitar cabinet simulator. According to ML Sound Labs, Mikko Reflex is the “most sophisticated guitar cab sim in the world.” If you feel intrigued, they now offer a demo version of the plugin for free – either as a stand-alone application, VST3, [...] View post: ML Sound Labs released Mikko Reflex free version for Mac and Windows Continue reading...

Plugin Boutique offers two Braniworx console plugins for $29 each. Over the past month, we’ve looked at free offerings and great deals from no less than Waves, Universal Audio, and more. And if you’re looking for channel strip plugins for your mixes, we’ve got something for you today! For a limited time, you can get [...] View post: Brainworx SSL 9000 J and AMEK 9099 console plugins are $29 each for a limited time Continue reading...

Sonokinetic recently added Noir 2: Breathe and Colours String Septet to its already stellar lineup of Kontakt libraries, and I’ve had the pleasure of giving them both a try. Both libraries are compatible with the free Kontakt Player 7.10 and above. Even better news is that the boutique sampling experts are offering BPB readers an [...] View post: Sonokinetic Noir 2: Breathe and Colours String Septet – two new orchestral libraries and an exclusive BPB discount Continue reading...

The Crow Hill Company has added Solo Bodhrán to its free Vaults series. The Crow Hill Company’s Vaults series has been a source of excellent free sounds since launching over a year ago, with two of my favorites, Amp Bass and Wavering Choir, coming out in recent months. The latest addition to the vault is [...] View post: The Crow Hill Company adds Solo Bodhrán to the FREE Vaults series Continue reading...

Developer Analog Obsession is back with its latest release – Attractor, a dynamic processor with transient manipulation for Mac and Windows (VST3/AU/AAX). Analog Obsession has released a swathe of free plugins in the last couple of years, gaining a solid reputation among both professionals and hobbyists in the audio community. The developer is perhaps best known [...] View post: Analog Obsession Just Released FREE Attractor Dynamics Plugin for Mac and Windows Continue reading...