I think this is good. Teaches how to produce music in Fruity Loops Studio 12/20.

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Research Question: What skills and
knowledge are required to produce a high-
quality song using a Digital Audio
Workstation
word count: 2198
Synthesis
S1
S2
S3
Stage 2 Research Project B – 2019
School Assessment Cover Sheet for
•Assessment Type 2: Research Outcome
SACE Registration Number: 549082G

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- Planning Development Synthesis Evaluation
A P1 Thorough consideration and refinement of a research question.
P2 Thorough planning of research processes that are highly appropriate to the
research question.
D1 Thorough and highly resourceful development of the research.
D2 In-depth analysis of information and exploration of ideas to develop the
research.
D3 Highly effective development of knowledge and skills specific to the research
question.
D4 Thorough and informed understanding and development of one or more
capabilities.
S1 Insightful synthesis of knowledge, skills, and ideas to produce a resolution to
the research question.
S2 Insightful and thorough substantiation of key findings relevant to the
Research Outcome.
S3 Clear and coherent expression of ideas.
E1 Insightful evaluation of the research processes used, specific to the research question.
E2 Critical evaluation of decisions made in response to challenges and/or opportunities
specific to the research processes used.
E3 Insightful evaluation of the quality of the Research Outcome.
B P1 Consideration and some refinement of a research question.
P2 Considered planning of research processes that are appropriate to the
research question.
D1 Considered and mostly resourceful development of the research.
D2 Some complexity in analysis of information and exploration of ideas to
develop the research.
D3 Effective development of knowledge and skills specific to the research
question.
D4 Informed understanding and development of one or more capabilities.
S1 Considered synthesis of knowledge, skills, and ideas to produce a resolution
to the research question.
S2 Substantiation of most key findings relevant to the Research Outcome.
S3 Mostly clear and coherent expression of ideas.
E1 Considered evaluation of the research processes used, specific to the research question.
E2 Some complexity in evaluation of decisions made in response to challenges and/or
opportunities specific to the research processes used.
E3 Considered evaluation of the quality of the Research Outcome.
C P1 Some consideration of a research question, but little evidence of
refinement.
P2 Satisfactory planning of research processes that are appropriate to the
research question.
D1 Satisfactory development of the research.
D2 Satisfactory analysis of information and exploration of ideas to develop the
research.
D3 Satisfactory development of knowledge and skills specific to the research
question.
D4 Satisfactory understanding and development of one or more capabilities.
S1 Satisfactory synthesis of knowledge, skills, and ideas to produce a resolution
to the research question.
S2 Substantiation of some key findings relevant to the Research Outcome.
S3 Generally clear expression of ideas.
E1 Recount with some evaluation of the research processes used.
E2 Some evaluation, with mostly description of decisions made in response to challenges
and/or opportunities specific to the research processes used.
E3 Satisfactory evaluation of the quality of the Research Outcome.
D P1 Basic consideration and identification of a broad research question.
P2 Partial planning of research processes that may be appropriate to the
research question.
D1 Development of some aspects of the research.
D2 Collection rather than analysis of information, with some superficial
description of an idea to develop the research.
D3 Superficial development of some knowledge and skills specific to the research
question.
D4 Basic understanding and development of one or more capabilities.
S1 Basic use of information and ideas to produce a resolution to the research
question.
S2 Basic explanation of ideas related to the Research Outcome.
S3 Basic expression of ideas.
E1 Superficial description of the research processes used.
E2 Basic description of decisions made in response to challenges and/or opportunities
specific to the research processes used.
E3 Superficial evaluation of the quality of the Research Outcome.
E P1 Attempted consideration and identification of an area for research.
P2 Attempted planning of an aspect of the research process.
D1 Attempted development of an aspect of the research.
D2 Attempted collection of basic information, with some partial description of an
idea.
D3 Attempted development of one or more skills that may be related to the
research question.
D4 Attempted understanding and development of one or more capabilities.
S1 Attempted use of an idea to produce a resolution to the research question.
S2 Limited explanation of an idea or an aspect of the Research Outcome.
S3 Attempted expression of ideas.
E1 Attempted description of the research process used.
E2 Attempted description of decisions made in response to a challenge and/or an
opportunity specific to the research processes used.
E3 Attempted evaluation of the quality of the Research Outcome.
Performance Standards for Stage 2 Research Project B 2019

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What Skills and Knowledge are
Required to Produce a High-
Quality Song Using a Digital Audio
Workstation
Taj 2 (feat Taj Ralph) contains a
sample of a singer playing guitar. A
simple additions of drums improves
the track considerably.

4. Contents
▪ Introduction
▪ Basic Music Theory
▪ Creating Melodies
▪ Creating Basslines
▪ Creating Drum Patterns
▪ Arranging Sounds
▪ Mastering
▪ Conclusion
▪ Producer Tag
▪ Credits
▪ References

5. Introduction
▪ The purpose of this Slide Show is to teach people who want to
pursue a career in music production the most necessary steps,
techniques and skills required to produce a high-quality song in a
Digital Audio Workstation.
▪ This tutorial style format gives a unique insight as to the practical
decisions professional producers make when creating a rap
instrumental mix tape.
▪ This power point gives insight as to what went into the creation of
track “Untitled$”.

6. What is a Song?
▪ A High-quality song is a structure, filled by instruments that
harmonise (sound good together) utilizing the entire human hearing
range. Harmonisation can be made easier by following common
song keys.
▪ Virtual Studio Technology (VSTs) are virtual instruments,
synthesizers or sound modifiers used to create sounds in your
Digital Audio Workstation (DAW).

7. Basic Music Theory
▪ Songs are set in keys that may change throughout a song, but all
instruments play in the same key at the same time, whether they
are separate melodies or basslines.1
▪ Most trap songs are written in minor harmonic, minor natural and
minor Phrygian2, so for a higher quality song, you could consider
changing between all three keys to add variance.
▪ Where possible, have all parts (vocals, bass, chords, melody) in
one section of the song in the same key at the same time as this
will create harmony3.
▪ Harmony is most important when creating a high-quality song
because it dictates whether the sounds sound good together.4
▪ 1 "Harmony | Music Appreciation."
▪ 2 Music Theory: The 3 Scales Needed for Trap Music. (2019).
▪ 3"Music Theory For Beginners | Scales, Chords And Time." Busy Works Beats
▪ 4"Trap Beats Are EASY
." Busy Works Beats
List of common scales (keys),
screenshot from FL Studio 20

8. Basic Music Theory
▪ If you were to ask the question “why is harmony important” you
could be pointed towards a two-year university course to
understand more about music theory as well as attaining ‘ear
training’ to better identify harmonies.(1) However, this level of
training is not necessary to be considered a professional.(2)
▪ There are lots of songs that have melodies sampled from other
songs. Most guitar riffs are played in C major and piano in E major
3rd(3).
▪ To create harmony it is important to understand what key any
samples are written in.
▪ My song was created in C# (C sharp) minor natural.
(1) John Romero, Professional trombonist at the MET
(2) Chris Teusner of The Emu Tree
(3) "The Most Popular Keys Of All Music On Spotify."
LoFi 3’s piano is sampled from elsewhere. This
track contains many varying affects including
pitch bending, vocals and reverberation giving it
its low fidelity sound.

9. Creating
Melodies
▪ You may decide that you want your first step to be to create a
melody. This will give you an idea of what mood you want your song
to set.
▪ You should also decide what you are going to use for a bassline at this
point because a melody made of bells piano or flutes (synthesized
sounds made in a VST, also generally not played in chords), tend to
pair well with 808’s (in the style of trap artists Future, Migos and 21
Savage) and would result in a trap beat. (1,2,3)
▪ (1) "FL Studio 12 Beginner's Trap Beat Tutorial | Part 2 Chords." Busy Works Beats
▪ (2) Hobbs, J. (2019). Your Beats Are Boring and Here's Why.
▪ (3) "3 Tricks To Better Melodies Everytime."
Kudi has an innovative drum pattern that echoes out at
the end of many bars. Small ideas such as this placed
throughout a song gives it a unique identity that will
have it stand out from a crowd. Its three melodies
intertwine with out saturating due to harmonisation.

10. Creating Melodies – Choosing Instruments
▪ Opting for a more natural, mellower melody, created with strings or
percussion instruments such as guitar or piano (as opposed to
synthesized sounds), is good for creating more natural 'raw' feeling
music. This is helpful because imperfections made when playing
instruments increase the quality of a song by adding more
unexpected variance.(1)(2)
▪ High quality in this case is based again on the variance. For
example, refer to Kid Cudi’s and Kanye West’s use of hums and
vocals to replace instruments.
▪ Physical instruments already have lots of variance but in modern
DAW based rap production where most sounds are synthesised, it is
important to add variance in the mastering and mixing phase such
as distortion or reverberation.
(1) Lounge, License. "Common Chord Progressions in Hip Hop & How To Use Them.
(2) Chris @ The Emu Tree

11. Creating Melodies – Trap &
808’s
▪ What we know as modern trap is music that utilizes drums and
basslines in the style of the 'Roland TR-808' drum synthesiser, a
machine launched in 1980 with mixed reviews due to the drums
sounding unrealistic as electronic music was not common at the
time. These unique drum sounds soon became famous for being
unique and the commonly used bassline/drum the '808' is named
after the machine.
▪ According to research, trap, a sub-genre of modern United States
Hip-Hop is considered the most enjoyed genre of this time. This is
most likely due to its simpler approach to production, meaning you
can get the most out of your creativity, making better music in
many different styles e.g. sad or aggressive.
Keegan$, a largely trap influenced
track involves a bell and 808
bassline in simple patterns to
allows more attention for the, hard
hitting drum pattern and possible
lyrics.

12. Creating Melodies
▪ Choose a VST plugin (or import a sample of a recorded instrument)
and select a noise that sounds good and would fit the profile of the
song you want to create.
▪ Experiment with chords as well, but make sure the melody only
takes up a certain part of the frequency range. 75 or so % of the
time that will be the 'high mid-range' to 'treble' because that leaves
room in the ‘low’ to ‘mid-range’ for vocals, chords, bass and drums.

13. Creating Melodies
▪ You should choose 1 to 3 different melodies to play throughout the song, all with slight or major differences to
create variance in the overall song.
▪ Melodies are usually very carefully decided upon because they are what makes the listener catch on with the
music, feel a vibe and connect.
▪ It is important that your melody is unique from other music. If you find that you don’t like the way your
melody sounds, either:
keep that pattern and try different instruments.
try using chords as your melody to broaden the frequency range to add presence
add a counter melody, a second melody of same or different instrument in the same or different octave that
complements your first melody well.
Otherwise start from scratch until you have decided upon something you are proud of. You can always mix
techniques to create more complex and possibly far better compositions.(1)
▪ Many hip-hop songs will only use even just two different chords throughout the whole song proving they don’t
need to be complicated. “Relating a song to an orchestra, a good one (melodies) will offset each other’s
rhythms and utilize harmony.” (1)
(1) Hobbs, J. (2019). Your Beats Are Boring and Here's Why.
(2) Liam Schoneveld
Thinking Too Much contains two distinct
melodies one that takes up the bass to mid and
the other presence to treble so they can be heard
distinctively while the gap between the frequency
ranges can be used for vocals.

14. Creating Basslines
▪ Basslines can be considered as another melody that takes up the sub bass
to low-mid frequency range.
▪ Basslines are considered its own technique because in modern
contemporary music, basslines are implemented very commonly to create a
sense of strength/depth.
▪ This is probably due to evolution teaching us that deeper noises are more
dangerous/aggressive and that is why they are almost always used in hip-
hop related music, a predominantly more aggressive/violent genre due to
the origin of mainstream influence being gang related music such as NWA.
▪ "FL Studio 12 Trap Beat Tutorial | Part 4 Bass." Busy Works Beats
▪ MasterClass. (2019). Melody vs. Harmony: Similarities and Differences with Musical Examples

15. Creating Basslines
▪ Utilizing notes in the bass range, create a melody.
▪ For added perfection, create it in the same key as the melody, for
example if the melody is set in Dm Natural, do the same with the
bassline. This is called harmonisation.
▪ Basslines in rap are generally simple and repeat every 2-4 bars.

16. Creating Basslines
▪ To create a bassline, select the sound you want to use. The best/easiest ways to do
this are by using simple instruments, either:
▪ Choose a sampled 808 drum sample that suits your needs, find and set the proper
frequency (by using ‘detect pitch range’ tool) to make it easier to harmonise. Extend
the hold and turn down the sustain and release (the attack also, unless you want the
bassline to be offset slightly in your song which may be desirable) this will create a
bass note that when played on the keyboard will play for the whole duration of the
key being held down (this is more customisable for some instruments such as bass
guitars which are plucked rather than sustained)
▪ Or
▪ In synthesiser 3osc you can use a basic sine wave sound (or chose up to two other
sounds) and lower the pitch so it is in your desired bass range. Change the attack,
delay etc as preferred. You also can modify other factors in most VSTs, e.g. in 3Osc.
Detune slightly changes the frequency on the left and right sound channels
separately and will add variation.
▪ Now remember, any effects can be added to any bassline or sound, e.g. distortion,
delay, reverberation to create a more desired and unique sound.
Trapshit3_4 is bass heavy, but side chaining removes any muddiness and distortion
usually heard with overlaying bass sounds. The fast paced tempo and dirty bass really
suits Australia’s English influenced grime/underground rap scene, while the instrument
the 808 ties it in with Americanised rap similar to XXX Look at Me, giving it a broader
possible audience. The computer game styled SFX is innovative and makes this track
uniquely modern.

17. Creating Drum
Patterns
▪ Accentuated sounds such as claps, triangles, rimshots, shakers and chants are often used in trap
music as variants of drums.
▪ Start by placing the closed high hats every second beat to create a structure to listen off. Place
your snares and then kicks where they sound best. A drum pattern will tend to go for 4 bars and
there may be 2-8 unique patterns per song to create variance (I used 3).(1) You may wish to
replace the drums after recording vocals because 'P' sounds landing on the kick drum will create
an interesting rhythm.(2)
▪ Hit song XO TOUR LIif3 uses the same drum pattern repeating every four bars except the high
hats are more unique and change every single bar for eight bars.
▪ Create odd variances in the drum patterns that wouldn’t seem expected, this is a technique
called syncopation and will make your music less predictable and more interesting.1(3)
▪ Producers, such as Kid Kudi utilise human voices including breaths and whispers because these
sounds have lots of variance and are unique.
▪ (1) "FL Studio 12 Beginner's Trap Beat Tutorial | Part 1 Drums." Busy Works Beats
▪ (2) "How To Create Good Drum Patterns In FL Studio 12."
▪ (3) Hobbs, J. (2019). Your Beats Are Boring and Here's Why.

18. Mixing and Effects
▪ Stereo shaper, distortion and glitch effect can be used on the bass to
make it sound larger and more aggressive.
▪ Time warp distortion effect on the melody adds variation and
complements the ever-growing Lo-fi style that is found in lots of music
by XXX, Kid Cudi and Lil Peep.
▪ Automatic panning on the melody and pads widens the sound as well
as makes it move between left and right creating a slightly
‘psychedelic’ effect used in Lo-Fi music.(1)
▪ During mixing you want to remove as much ‘muddiness’ as possible
and add clarity to your song. This is done mostly by reducing the
volume of specific frequencies of sounds so there isn’t too much of the
same frequency playing at the same time in a song.(1)
▪ (1) "FL Studio 12 Trap Beat Tutorial | Part 5 Mixing." Busy Works Beats

19. Song Arrangement
▪ Such as in ‘The End” by Kid Cudi,(1) the structure of a song can be like:
8 bars intro, Verse for 16 bars, Chorus 8 bars, 16 bars verse, Chorus 8
bars, Hook/bridge 4 bars, Verse 16 bars, Outro 2 bars.
Add dynamic breathing to your track. Dropping sounds in and out or
halving the speed for parts of the melody will help accentuate vocals
dramatically.(3)
▪ Drum patterns change between song sections.
▪ (1) "Kid Cudi (Ft. GLC, King Chip & Nicole Wray) – The End". 2019. Genius.
▪ (3) Hobbs, J. (2019). Your Beats Are Boring and Here's Why.

20. Mastering
▪ The difference between a low- and high-quality song is the use of slight
variations of pitch and velocity of notes and the variation of sound channels, i.e.
panning sounds so they are at different volumes in your left and right ear. This
creates a sense of space within music.
▪ Looking at low quality rap productions such as mine in the past, the failure to
create such variation left tracks bland and predictable giving the listener
nothing to make them want to keep listening.
20hoursedit$ makes use of VST Rift Machine and a time gate to
create a unique melody which drives the mood of the song.
Instruments/sounds can be heard moving around making use of
stereo giving the track its immersive quality.

21. Mastering
▪ Another important technique that makes the difference between a low
and a high-quality song is making sure frequencies don’t overlap
causing unwanted distortion. Changing specific sounds’ frequencies so
all sounds can be heard equally where they mean most is an important
process called EQing (equalizing). (1)
▪ Side-chaining is a form of EQing that pauses or cuts noises at points so
unnecessary sounds don’t take up precious frequency when they’re not
needed, such as decay from reverberation that bleeds into a loop of its
own sound. (2)
▪ Gross beat was programmed on the bass to cut out resonating white
noise, acting as a sidechain so the kick drum could be heard clearly.
▪ Alter the volume (velocity) and pitch and create a time off-set by
milliseconds to the drums to make them sound less computerized.
(1) "EQ 101: Everything Musicians Need To Know About EQ | LANDR Blog."
(2) YouTube. (2019). Aces Teaches: How To Sidechain Part 2 (Fruity Limiter) [FL Studio].

22. Producer Tag
▪ Producer tags played in a song are a form of signature to identify who
produced the song. They are generally used by professionals who produce for
other rap artists.
▪ To make a producer tag, choose your Producer name. The best quality names
have double meanings, but other variants include:
References to places, ideologies and stories.
The artist’s real name
Names with double meanings
Nicknames
Made up original names.
▪ Record single or multiple voices of your producer name and add reverb and
ping pong effect to extend the length of the sound. Render it and add the
reverse of the tail end of the sound to the start and consider adding more
effects such as time gates in gross beat.(1), (2)
(1)YouTube. (2019). FL Studio 12 - How to make a Producer TAG!.
(2)(PRODUCER TAGS IN 1 MINUTE. [online]
Untitled$ uses stereo atmospheric sounds to create a psychedelic
affect. This track is the only one to be specifically structured to suit
lyrics. The average quality of sounds used can be blamed on sleep
deprivation and time restriction but the structure alone is a useful
reference for future songs.

23. Conclusion
The track files can be found at:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8h38a64erk3dolh/AACN1ooctj4
E6ywD0xUX_f3va?dl=0
Tracks used in this slide show are listed on the right
with the final edited time depicted. Notably, the
tracks with ‘$’ symbols include my producer tag
that may have been added at a later date after the
original production was complete, although they
were all made sometime throughout or before the
research process.
Following all the techniques described in this
manual will have you producing trap songs of
similar quality to my own.

24. References
▪ "EQ 101: Everything Musicians Need To Know About EQ | LANDR Blog." LANDR Blog. N. p., 2018. Web. 6 March 2019.
https://blog.landr.com/eq-basics-everything-musicians-need-know-eq/
▪ "How To Create Good Drum Patterns In FL Studio 12." YouTube. N. p., 2019. Web. May 1 2019."FL Studio 12 Trap Beat Tutorial | Part 5
Mixing." YouTube. N. p., 2019. Web. 16 March 2019.
▪ YouTube. (2019). Gunswow. FL Studio 12 - How to make a Producer TAG!. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=9omknOdgS8M&t=136s [Accessed 1 April 2019].
▪ YouTube. (2019). Aces Teaches: How To Sidechain Part 2 (Fruity Limiter) [FL Studio]. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=zeSFbaSGafA [Accessed 13 March 2019].
▪ "FL Studio 12 Beginner's Trap Beat Tutorial | Part 1 Drums." YouTube. N. p., 2019. Web. 4 April 2019.
▪ .PRODUCER TAGS IN 1 MINUTE. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGx7oeiIlLM [Accessed 1 April 2019].
▪ "Kid Cudi (Ft. GLC, King Chip & Nicole Wray) – The End". 2019. Genius. Accessed April 1 2019. https://genius.com/Kid-cudi-the-end-lyrics.
▪ Hobbs, J. (2019). Your Beats Are Boring and Here's Why. [online] Ledger Note. Available at:
https://ledgernote.com/columns/beat-production/beats-boring-heres/ [Accessed 7 Mar. 2019].
▪ "FL Studio 12 Trap Beat Tutorial | Part 4 Bass." YouTube. N. p., 2019. Web. 28 March 2019.
▪ Lounge, License. "Common Chord Progressions in Hip Hop & How To Use Them." License Lounge. N. p., 2018. Web. 29 Apr. 2019.
▪ "Drake Beat Using ONLY FL Studio 12 Plugins." YouTube. N. p., 2019. Web. 3 April 2019.
▪ "FL Studio 12 Beginner's Trap Beat Tutorial | Part 2 Chords." YouTube. N. p., 2019. Web. 21 March 2019.
▪ “Relating a song to an orchestra, a good one will offset each other’s rhythms and utilize harmony.” Hobbs, J. (2019). Your Beats Are Boring
and Here's Why. [online] Ledger Note. Available at: https://ledgernote.com/columns/beat-production/beats-boring-heres/ [Accessed 7 Mar.
2019].
▪ "3 Tricks To Better Melodies Everytime." YouTube. N. p., 2019. Web. 4 April 2019.
▪ "Harmony | Music Appreciation." Courses.lumenlearning.com. N. p., 2019. Web. 6 June 2019.
▪ Music Theory: The 3 Scales Needed for Trap Music. (2019). YouTube. Retrieved 29 April 2019, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9Z0WDdt7nE
▪ "The Most Popular Keys Of All Music On Spotify." Insights. N. p., 2015. Web. 29 Apr. 2019.
▪ "Trap Beats Are EASY
." YouTube. N. p., 2019. Web. 4 April 2019.
▪ "Music Theory For Beginners | Scales, Chords And Time." YouTube. N. p., 2019. Web. 4 June 2019.
▪ MasterClass. (2019). Melody vs. Harmony: Similarities and Differences with Musical Examples - 2019 - MasterClass. [online] [Accessed 16 May 2019].
▪ Survey concluded on 28 May 2019
▪ Liam Schoneveld. Interviewed 28 April 2019
▪ Chris @ The Emu Tree. Interviewed 29 April 2019
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