One Shot to Program Drums

Want to venture on the wild side of making your own beats? Then it's time to enter the wondrous world of one-shots...

What is a one-shot?

Simply put, a one shot is a single sample - it can be a kick drum, a snare, a blip, a wooshy effect or a whole big long echoey sample, but basically it's a sound that is not generally looped continuously.


Making beats with one-shots

Drums sequencers are your friend here - load up your one shots, (we're using hits from XXL R&B Drums) let's start getting creative!

Some things to keep in mind:

1. Varying the velocity (essentially the volume) of the samples can make the beats you make much more natural and real sounding. Some of the kicks from XXL R&B Drums are brilliant for that more "live" sound.

2. Layering multiple one-shots is a great way to thicken up your sound - pick ones with different frequencies in to make a full, punchy hit!

3. Don't just stick to conventional percussion! Sometimes unconventional sounds are great for adding extra frequencies into the mix to fill things out and make them interesting - why not try some beatbox samples, interesting percussions and fx?


Using loops with one shots

If you're finding your one-shot beats don't quite have that airy, well-produced loop feel, you can keep the originality and control from the one-shots and add the loop-y high end goodness by layering a loop over the top of your one-shot samples!

Try high pass filtering the loop to remove any low end that might make the mix muddy when combined with your beloved one-shots and put it over the top - this can be great when making minimalistic genres like Dubstep. We are combining some of the hits from Dubstep Nation with some of those loops to make something original and professional sounding!


Adding FX

Sometimes it's more than just drum hits - one shot fx such as sweeps and reverses are essential for producers taking their track to that professional level. We grabbed some XXL Dance FX to get your tracks really standing out. With FX, it's important to keep in mind...

1. Reverses need to be cut off in the right place. If they overlap after the drop has hit, it'll sound like the build-up hasn't quite finished and it won't be as strong of a change.

2. Delay and Reverb are much more applicable to fx, as they aren't usually the driving force of the track, more the cherries on top. So get experimenting with different effects on your fx!

3. Layering fx is just as important as layering drum hits! Be creative!


So instead of throwing a loop in your track, next time try having a go at making your beats yourself!