Visually-Impaired Producer Taurus M. James (TaurusBeats) Makes 90s Hip-Hop/R&B Sample Flip Beat for the Producer Diary "COVID-19 Chronicles"
Music Producers, in this video TaurusBeats is making a beat and will show you how to avoid beat block in Reason Studios (Propellerhead) Reason by making a 90s Hip-Hop sample flip beat sketch using DopeSONIX Beat Machine 1.
You will also see how to humanize drums in Reason and how to train your ears for music using a piano preset and the transpose button on a MIDI keyboard controller.
The COVID-19 Chronicles is part of the TaurusBeats Producer Diary, documenting my personal thoughts and moods during this world-wide pandemic.
20200416 Beat Session 19
TaurusBeats making a beat: 90s Hip-Hop/R&B Sample Flip Beat
HOW TO AVOID BEAT BLOCK
This is a beat "sketch" or quick idea that I will come back to finalize later. Beat "sketching" is how I avoid beat block. Also, I play everything by hand to humanize the feel. This active engagement also helps me avoid beat block.
I also switch between making beats and building websites throughout the day. Going back and forth between CREATIVE and LOGIC allows me to "take a break" and still maintain high levels of productivity.
Sometimes, I just take a nap!
SAMPLE FLIPPING
I use the Reason NN-XT Advanced Sampler for sample flipping because it gives me more flexibility and control of the sample chops.
The sample chops in this session should be pretty familiar to crate diggers. I don't chop my samples in any particular way. When I flip the sample, I do a minimum of 4 different flip patterns. I usually only show one flip in a video. But let me know in the comments if you would like me to include the other sample flips.
The "COVID-19 Chronicles" is part of the TaurusBeats Producer Diary found at TaurusBeats.com.
"TaurusBeats" is Taurus M. James, Visually-Impaired Producer
FINDING THE KEY OF THE SAMPLE
I use the "A Grand Piano" preset in Reason NN-XT Advanced Sampler and the transpose feature on my Yamaha DJX to finding the KEY of the sample by ear. Using transpose in this manner is a great way to train your ears for music and find the key of any song or sample.
Once I find the sample's key, I can use any Reason instrument the way I play. This is HUGE, especially since I am not a trained pianist. I use transpose for ALL of the piano improvisations in my videos.
MAKING THE BEAT
I can hear the other parts in my head before I actually play/record them. The challenge is transferring what's in my head to the actual recording.
I created the main bass line using the "Hofner pick bass" preset in Reason NN-XT. I created the Smooth Keys part using the "Rhodes MK II Trem" preset in Reason NN-19. I keep the beat going while I build other parts of the beat in order to feel the energy from it and feel what to add next (or not).
VSTs and Reason devices I used to make this beat...
- Reason Alligator Triple Filtered Gate "Death Roll" preset
- Reason Synchronous Timed Effect Modulator "Default Synchronous" preset
- Reason NN-XT Advanced Sampler For Bass using "Hofner Pick Bass"
- Softube Bass Amp "8x10 Pick"
- Reason NN-19 Digital Sampler Electric Piano/Keys "Rhodes MK II Trem"
- Lo-Fi Combinator (Thanks to MG The Future for his tutorial!)
- DopeSONIX Beat Machine 1.5 "Hi Trek Pro" kit
Thanks for watching!
Remember:
"When life happens..."
Live Through The Loss!
We Overcome Daily!
I lost a lot of my eyesight, but none of my knowledge! I'm still making music. I just do it a little differently. What I lost in eyesight, I gained in VISION!
#LiveThroughTheLoss
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