Problems with intros...

[darklight199]

Easy guys, now then..

I'm having a bit of trouble with my tune construction. When I start a new project, I have the habit of constructing all the elements of the tune, in an 'all guns blazing' sorta style first off (starting from the top and working down so to speak), then building down to my intro, edits and such around this. But to be honest I'm having serious trouble constructing decent intros, particularly the build-ups, They always end up sounding pretty naff and I usually leave the tune out of frustration and start something else (now I have a great pile of potential tunes nothing but the middle bit!)..

So, I was just wondering if anyone's got any tips with regard to intro and build-up construction? And whether or not I may be going wrong with starting from the top down?

Cheers, Dan 

[thesect]

I guess whatever works for you mate - there is no definitive right or wrong way to approach this...

We go about it pretty much in the same way as you - build up a loop with all the different layers playing, then move onto the the intro, edits, etc at the arrangement stage.  Obviously if you've got some elements of the main body of the tune in the intro (e.g. fx, bass hits, tech stabs, whatever), then it'll help with the continuity and flow...  And if you've got something memorable (e.g. a vocal sample) to add, then this can also be a good link between a drop with lots going on and a sparse intro...

As for intro construction, we normally build up layers of fx and perc through the intro - before cutting back a little just before the drop.  This is to increase the impact when the bass and everything else comes in  

We don't have any hard and fast rules about this though and it'd get boring if everything was done in the same way...

Hmmmm, not massively helpful considering how much fucking typing I just did...  sorry 

[Lethal]

id go with what dave said...
just use elements of your main body... sometimes you can high pass them and add fx to give it a bit more space.... before dropping it all raw
depends on your track really... sometimes an intro is just a tool

[darklight199]

Nice, cheers for the advice guys..

I particularly have a problem with creating the right atmosphere when starting the intro.. I always use pad sounds, sweeps, industrial noises  and such, and it sounds pretty good, but when it comes to cutting it back a bit (as you said Dave) I find it hard to create continuity between the cut down and the section before hand. For example I'll try filtering out the pads or whatever before it drops, but it just sounds incoherent or just plain naff!

So how do you go about creating a nice smooth transition between the two?

[Lethal]

practice man...
but its continuity in your sounds... try the pad out on your main body of track and if it fits you can keep that continuity
depends on the track and vibe your going for, sometimes a jarring switch can work

[nufound]

Cheers!
The way you go about it is the way to do it!
Why?
Because when starting a project its pretty hard to know where you end up at..
Therefore you should make the high/top/final of the tune to begin with so you know where you are going.
Also by doing this you get confidence in the tune and start realizing that this piece of art needs a proper intro goddammit:)
I dont understand your trouble when thats already the way you go about it. Cause if you have a heavy loop, building up to it should be easy...?

Here goes... The hardest part of makin a tune is going from intro (sometimes absolute silence) to the start kick i dunno what to call it. You know "Kickoff"....
This is where you learn about the tune. If it sounds weak when kickoff you gotta do something. And that could be anything from turning down the hats and turning up the kick to take out elements to changing the note or the hole bassline...
Trust me. This is what its all about.
Keep it up. Bigup yaself!

[aconit]

hmm, i mean a nice intro can give a tune a particular spot but i actually think the intro is not as important as it seems. dnb is clubsound so why the hell such a trouble bout the intro thing. if you build a tune with breaks before you drop in (thats like i mostly do) the problem bout the taking back things gets more into the background cause you can just do it like you'd end a tune, filtering beats out, subtract things completely.... just ending the intro, know what i mean? i take elements i got from the middlepart and subtract elements from the beat and mostly start with kick and snare, sometimes just with a hat or drums, maybe filtered maybe not. the main thing in my opinion is that your intro should not have as much drive and punch as the mainpart has.

but m8, in my opinion all those things are part of the favour of different people so there is no strict way to do it, like there never is one (yes its never lupus lol).
just try playing round a bit and it works

p.s: dunno if that helps you a little, and by the way, one of the best intros i've ever heard is pendulum voyager and this is something bit different i think


cheers

lex

[danc9000]

I guess whatever works for you mate - there is no definitive right or wrong way to approach this...


Hmmmm, not massively helpful considering how much fucking typing I just did...  sorry 

right and right lol.... i usually go for the guns blazin but it just depends on yr mood... i dunno... try different things you wouldnt normally try... also what helped me alot in the begining was making all different kinds of shit not just dnb... helped me with a lot....

[kalkula]

well in my opinion this topic is lame i mean whole fuss about intro thing

intro is individualy thing


but this is simple minded tip for intro and ill say whole tune if you want

first as you say make skelet middle part of the tune main part call it how you like than copy it like 6.00min or something and than roll a joint chill a bit and than imagine you are on the party and do your tune how you like to play it on the party simplesimplesimple the way it use to be=)

p.s automatization of the main parts of the tune is first that comes to my mind when i say intro cause when you do that youll always get the same atmosphere as the main part cause its the same loops or sounds or whatever you use when you try to break in the main part from intro you can do whatever you want from drum break some nice vocals that take effect on listener even pause is music some reverses or just play fuckin bass over all just let it play this is just tips to tickel your mind i guess just practice and time are the key thats that


keep it up man its up to you not us

[nufound]

well in my opinion this topic is lame i mean whole fuss about intro thing

I guess you could use a fuss efx in a intro....

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