ABSTRACT

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 synthesis 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.

chapter 1|9 pages

The studio centerpiece

chapter 2|16 pages

The audio interface

chapter 3|13 pages

Monitors, headphones, and your room

chapter 4|6 pages

Hearing protection

chapter 5|8 pages

The science of frequency and amplitude

chapter 6|17 pages

Synthesizers

chapter 7|12 pages

FM and wavetable synthesis

chapter 8|13 pages

Modular synthesis

chapter 9|11 pages

The theory of sound design

chapter 10|13 pages

Samplers

chapter 11|18 pages

Compressors

chapter 12|15 pages

Further processors

chapter 13|12 pages

Effects

chapter 14|14 pages

The mixing desk

chapter 15|6 pages

Hybrid studios

chapter 16|10 pages

Fundamentals of rhythm

chapter 17|16 pages

Kicks and percussion

chapter 18|12 pages

Creating drum loops

chapter 19|8 pages

Fundamentals of music theory

chapter 20|18 pages

Chords and harmony

chapter 21|8 pages

Composing and designing strings

chapter 22|16 pages

Composing and designing leads

chapter 23|14 pages

Composing and designing bass

chapter 24|8 pages

Sound effects

chapter 25|22 pages

Vocals: recording and editing

chapter 26|12 pages

Formal structure in dance music

chapter 27|18 pages

An overview of House music

chapter 28|12 pages

Techno

chapter 29|12 pages

Uplifting Trance

chapter 30|10 pages

Dubstep

chapter 31|14 pages

Ambient and Chill Out

chapter 32|12 pages

Drum & Bass

chapter 33|10 pages

An overview of Dub

chapter 34|12 pages

Mixing theory

chapter 35|18 pages

Practical mixing

chapter 36|18 pages

Mastering

chapter 37|22 pages

Publishing and promotion

chapter 38|16 pages

A DJ’s perspective