FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Trap?

If you want to make Trap music I'm going to assume you already know how it sounds but in case you don't take a look over at the Trap Muzik subreddit. Personally I'd say trap has a very distinct sound to it. The main characteristics are the fast hi-hats, booming 808s and plenty of snare rolls. Now trap used to be solely just a distinct type of hip-hop beats that originated from the south but now it is starting to become incorporated into electronic music.The electronic genre of Trap keeps the hi-hats, the 808s and the snares but adds in EDM type synth leads generally. There is obviously more too it but that is the very basic jist of it.

What DAW should I use?

Well first off there are many different DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations) to choose from. FL studio, Ableton, Logic Pro (For mac users), Reason, Reaper, Cubase, and even things like Garage Band and Pro Tools can be used although, not necessarily optimal for the electronic music production.

Now which one to use? Try them out, above I linked many of those DAW's websites and a majority of them have free trials or at least something to try them out with. Figure out which one you like best and stick with it. Learn the ins and outs of whichever one you choose. All of the above DAWs are very powerful you just need to learn how to use all the tools available in them. I've heard plenty of people say it isn't the DAW you have, only how you use it.

So I've learned my DAW and been practicing, what do I do next?

Well in general with only the samples that come with your DAW you won't be able to get that exact Trap sound similar to what you hear on the radio or other peoples songs. This is where using different samples and/or VSTs come in. We have a great set of Sample Packs right here on this subreddit which you can find on the sidebar and right here.

VSTs you can find all over the place, these will generally supply the sound for your lead melodies. Whether is be an electronic or hip hop song various VSTs can supply you with an almost infinite amount of different sounds. There are usually quite a few VSTs included with your DAW but some popular ones are Massive and Nexus. There are tons and tons more than just these two and I suggest you do plenty more research before spending money on one of these. Generally to start I would say stick to the VSTs that come with your DAW and you can find for free.

If you are curious on what exactly a VST is, here is wikipedia's definition: “Virtual Studio Technology(VST) is a software interface that integrates software audio synthesizer and effect plugins with audio editors and hard-disk recording systems. VST and similar technologies use digital signal processing to simulate traditional recording studio hardware in software.”

How do I make a booming 808??

The Ultimate Guide to 808s

Addendum

I would also suggest to read up on how to structure your song, music theory and to also just listen to all kinds of different music. You find inspiration everywhere.

Also, just continue to practice practice practice. If you get frustrated doing one thing then switch it up. Read up tips and tricks. Learn how to mix, it will make your music sound way better.

I will probably continue to update this a bit more but this is all for now. If you have anything you feel should be included, write something up and I will include it in here.