How a techno track is made: kick, rumble, hi-hats and the computer

The kick: the foundation

Everything starts with the kick. The classic techno kick comes from the TR-909 drum machine, which had its own lesson. Today producers use samples of it or build a kick from scratch: a low tone whose pitch drops quickly, which gives the typical "boom", plus a short click at the start that makes the kick audible even on small speakers. A few tenths of a second of sound decide the character of the whole track.

Rumble: the boom underneath

In hypnotic and heavy techno a rumble works under the kick: a low, rolling bass. It is usually made from the kick itself: a copy of the kick goes through a long reverb, the highs are cut and it ducks whenever the original kick hits, so they don't clash. That technique is called sidechain. The result is a rumble that fills the space between beats. Our Studio has a separate "rumble" track: switch it on with the kick and hear the difference.

Hi-hats and swing

Hi-hats give a rhythm motion. An open hi-hat between the kicks is techno's signature, while closed hats in sixteenths drive everything forward. Producers often add swing: every other step is slightly delayed, so the rhythm stops sounding mechanical and starts to sway. Listen to Jeff Mills's "The Bells": the hats and percussion matter as much as the bell melody. You'll find swing in the Studio too.

The computer and the software

Most techno today is made in music production software, a DAW. One of the most popular in this genre is Ableton Live, mentioned in the previous lesson. Producers combine it with external synths and drum machines or work entirely with plugins. Good techno can be made on an ordinary laptop with headphones. Ears and patience matter more than gear.

Samples and copyright

Many techno tracks use samples: snippets of other recordings, voices, sounds from films. This used to be done freely; today releasing a track with a recognisable piece of someone else's recording requires permission from the rights holder. That is why producers often use ready-made sound libraries that come with a licence, or record their own sounds.