Drum n Bass Arrangements

Have an urge to learn, or a calling to teach? Want to share some useful Youtube videos? Do it here!
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Billy+
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Joined: 09 Dec 2016

09 Jul 2021

So it's perhaps a bit naughty but it makes asking the question a lot easier!

Is this still a good representation of a DnB style arrangement?
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Also does anyone have other genre based arrangements to share ;)

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LABONERECORDINGS
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10 Jul 2021

That layout has a 64 bar intro, which if you're going for a near-6min track then yeah that's about right. We got used to reading templates like this so we got a feel of how long the track might be

64intro > 64 drop + main bass > 16 breakdown > 64 2nd drop > 16 outro

Another template can be 48 intro > 64 drop + main bass > 8 breakdown to 8 new build > 48 2nd drop > 16 bassless breakdown to end or another 16 to outro.

Each 16 bars = 22 secs @ 172bpm (we've studies a fair wack), so 64intro = 4x 16 bar = 22 sec x 4 = 88 sec = 1min 28.

48 bar intro gives you around a 1min before the drop, so your imapct hits faster than the longer intro.

Current tracks are around the 4m30 mark (Metrik, Sub Focus, the more electro-style DnB), which has a 48 bar intro before the main bassline drop, so the 1st 16 are dropped (quicker impact), but looking at the template it's not far off a common 'formula'. What you can do is import a couple of reference tracks, and see how to break it down (use blocks to mark out where you have the intro pads, then intro beats, then the drop>main section, then breakdown..... you might find there's quite a few tunes that follow this skeleton beat map, to be dj friendly... but you don't have to stick to the rules. People like Jonny L, man those beats used to start on a 1/16th hat (so the intro has 15 of the 16 hats which really f*cked with peoples heads when mixing), or there's a way to add extra tension to the 2nd drop where everyone hypes up hypes up hypes up then expects the drop but it's an extra 4 beats late, which can make a crowd go crazy.. if you get it right (Matrix and Futurebound did this iwrc)

However, use as a guide, what you really want to do is follow the sounds and the music, so it evolves how you want it to, so dont feel too regimented into a formula, but its a handy reference

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