Dance music manual

566 Pages·2019·35.849 MB·English

by  Snoman, Rick

Dance Music Manual
Dance Music Manual, aimed at the novice and seasoned professional alike,
takes the reader through the software and hardware needed to create original,
captivating, and professional sounding music.
Key features of Dance Music Manual include:
■ How to create compelling, professional- sounding original or remixed
dance tracks.
■ The differences between different genres and how to produce them.
■ How to expose your tracks to their chosen audience and equip you with
the skills to develop your career as a dance music producer and engineer.
Along with the book is a companion website, which provides examples of syn-
thesis programming, compression, effects, MIDI files, and examples of the tracks
discussed in this edition.
The new and improved fourth edition covers processes and techniques used by
music producers, masters, mixers, and DJs. Each page is full of facts presented in
a manner that is easy to absorb and implement.
Rick Snoman has over 30 years’ experience in the production of electric dance
music. He has released under various names including AeonSoul, Phiadra, Neu-
roKode, and Ascii, and has remixed professionally for numerous international
artists. He has written articles and columns for leading music technology maga-
zines, and is the founder of Dance Music Production, an industry leading educa-
tional website. He is the author of the first three editions of Dance Music Manual,
which are required reading at a number of universities, and actively encour-
ages the education/development of music producers. He currently runs his own
recording studio and works as a ghost producer for artists and DJs.

Dance Music Manual
Tools, Toys, and Techniques
Fourth Edition
Rick Snoman
Fourth edition published 2019
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2019 Rick Snoman
The right of Rick Snoman to be identified as author of this work has been asserted
by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents
Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in
any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter
invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered
trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent
to infringe.
First edition published by Focal Press 2004
Second edition published by Focal Press 2012
Third edition published by Focal Press 2014
Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data
Names: Snoman, Rick, author.
Title: Dance music manual : tools, toys, and techniques / Rick Snoman.
Description: Fourth edition. | Abingdon, Oxon ; New York,
NY : Routledge, 2019. | Includes index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018038174 | ISBN 9781138319622 (hardback : alk. paper) |
ISBN 9781138319646 (pbk. : alk. paper) | ISBN 9780429453830 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Electronic dance music—Instruction and study. | Electronic
dance music—Production and direction.
Classification: LCC MT723. S545 2019 | DDC 781.49—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018038174
ISBN: 978- 1-1 38- 31962- 2 (hbk)
ISBN: 978- 1-1 38- 31964- 6 (pbk)
ISBN: 978- 0-4 29- 45383- 0 (ebk)
Typeset in ITC Giovanni
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
Visit the companion website: https://www.dancemusicproduction.com/
This book is dedicated to every aspiring electronic dance musician, and their
passion for the music.

Contents
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSxi
INTRODUCTION xiii
CHAPTER 1 The studio centerpiece 1
CHAPTER 2 The audio interface 11
CHAPTER 3 Monitors, headphones, and your room 27
CHAPTER 4 Hearing protection 41
CHAPTER 5 The science of frequency and amplitude 47
CHAPTER 6 Synthesizers 55
vii
CHAPTER 7 FM and wavetable synthesis 73
CHAPTER 8 Modular synthesis 85
CHAPTER 9 The theory of sound design 99
CHAPTER 10 Samplers 111
CHAPTER 11 Compressors 125
CHAPTER 12 Further processors 143
CHAPTER 13 Effects 159
CHAPTER 14 The mixing desk 171
CHAPTER 15 Hybrid studios 185
CHAPTER 16 Fundamentals of rhythm 191
CHAPTER 17 Kicks and percussion 201
CHAPTER 18 Creating drum loops 217
viii Contents
CHAPTER 19 Fundamentals of music theory 229
CHAPTER 20 Chords and harmony 237
CHAPTER 21 Composing and designing strings 255
CHAPTER 22 Composing and designing leads 263
CHAPTER 23 Composing and designing bass 279
CHAPTER 24 Sound effects 293
CHAPTER 25 Vocals: recording and editing 301
CHAPTER 26 Formal structure in dance music 323
CHAPTER 27 An overview of House music 335
CHAPTER 28 Techno 353
CHAPTER 29 Uplifting Trance 365
CHAPTER 30 Dubstep 377
CHAPTER 31 Ambient and Chill Out 387
CHAPTER 32 Drum & Bass 401
CHAPTER 33 An overview of Dub 413
CHAPTER 34 Mixing theory 423
CHAPTER 35 Practical mixing 435
CHAPTER 36 Mastering 453
CHAPTER 37 Publishing and promotion 471
CHAPTER 38 A DJ’s perspective 493
Appendix A Binary and hex 509
Appendix B Decimal to hexadecimal conversion table 515
Appendix C General MIDI instrument patch maps 517
Appendix D General MIDI CC list 521
Appendix E Sequencer note divisions 523
Contents ix
Appendix F Tempo delay time chart 525
Appendix G Musical note to MIDI and frequencies 527
INDEX 533