In January 2021 I opened two of my Logic Pro X projects on camera and walked through them step by step. Episode 1 was Social Gathering, a track from my Psytro Killer project. Episode 2 was my remix of Watermelon Sugar by Harry Styles. This post puts everything I showed in those videos in writing: how I arrange a track for DJs, how I layer leads, how I process the bass, and how I master. You can follow along with the videos or just use the steps.
The short version
- Give DJs a 16 bar intro and a 16 bar outro so the track is easy to mix.
- Build tension in the breakdown in two 8 bar steps, then use a big riser into the drop.
- Layer two or three synths on the same lead melody and give each one a different effect.
- Send all bass layers to one bus and treat them together.
- Start mastering with Ozone’s Master Assistant, then adjust it yourself.
1. Start from one idea you love
Social Gathering started at the beginning of the pandemic. I was sitting at home, wishing we could all be together again at dance events, and I was listening to a simple trance sequence in VPS Avenger that I really liked. I decided to create something with the same feeling. The whole track grew from that one arpeggio.
For the Watermelon Sugar remix the idea came from the radio. I loved the song, found the acapella online, placed it in the project and worked out the chords. Then I built my own layers, groove and beats around the vocal. When I play a remix like that in my sets, it feels like my own track, even though the song is someone else’s.
2. Arrange the track for DJs
I arrange most dance tracks the same simple way: intro, breakdown with a riser, a big drop, a second breakdown, a second drop, and an outro. It is easy to mix inside a set, and it works for dance music.
| Section | Social Gathering (Episode 1) | Watermelon Sugar remix (Episode 2) |
|---|---|---|
| Intro | 8 bars of kick with a filter, then 8 bars of the same kick without it, plus bass, synth, fills and risers | 16 bars of drums and a filtered version of the main bassline, with hats and crashes building up |
| First breakdown | The arpeggio with extra layers, then a riser with a lead loop | The vocal with pads and harmony for 8 bars, drums added in the next 8 bars, then a big riser |
| First drop | Fat kick, bassline and hats, then a new pluck melody on top after 8 bars | 16 bars of the main lead, then 8 bars of a simple arpeggio |
| Second breakdown | Fatter: double layered arpeggio and a harmonic pad, more tension in the second 8 bars | The vocal again with pads and long bass notes, a little longer than the first |
| Second drop | All parts together, then back to the pluck melody | The lead with the last chorus on top of the beat |
| Outro | 2 times 8 bars | 16 bars |
The intro and outro matter most for DJs. With a 16 bar intro, a DJ has at least 30 seconds to mix in from the last song. Filtering the kick in the first 8 bars, then opening it up, gives the feeling of a build before the first breakdown. You can make the outro 8 bars, but 16 bars gives every DJ enough time to change to the next song smoothly.
3. Layer your leads so they keep moving
My leads are almost never one synth. In the Watermelon Sugar drop, three different synths play the same melody, each with a different effect:
- one with a flanger, to add movement
- one with a phaser, for a wider sound
- one through Manipulator by Polyverse, one of my favorite effects for leads
My favorite synths for leads are Serum, which gives you a lot of ways to shape the sound, and Nexus (I used Nexus 3 in these videos). They fit well together. Sometimes I just double a layer and make one copy mono and the other stereo, which creates movement on its own. I also add modulation and LFOs inside the synth so the sound is always changing a little.
The pluck melody in Social Gathering works the same way: two Nexus sounds, one with a little flanger and the other with chorus, so it never feels static.
4. Process the bass as one group
I send every bass layer to one group I call the bass, so I can treat all of it separately from the rest of the mix. On that group I use:
- Saturation for warmth.
- OTT, even just around 20 percent, to add body.
- EQ and compression.
- LFO Tool, so the bass ducks a little every time the kick hits.
- Smack Attack, to make sure the bass has enough attack to cut through the mix. I also use it on kicks, sometimes on snares and leads, when I need an extra push without adding volume.
For both tracks the bass sound itself came from Nexus. On the remix I even added a little reverb to the bass. It is not something many people do, but sometimes it works.
5. Build the breakdown in two steps
In the remix breakdown, the vocal goes to its own bus with reverb, effects and a dynamic EQ, so I can control it as one part. The first 8 bars are simple, just a pad with harmony behind the vocal. In the second 8 bars I add drums to build tension and keep things moving, then a big riser takes you into the drop.
For pads I like Spire. The pads mainly play the chords, supported by long bass notes. The second breakdown is usually a little longer than the first, but every song is different.
6. Master with a starting point, then make it yours
I master all my tracks with iZotope Ozone. In these videos I used Ozone 9. Its Master Assistant listens to your track and suggests settings. I treat that as a starting point and then add my own:
- A basic EQ on the whole track.
- Dynamic EQ and multiband dynamics, to control each frequency range on its own.
- An exciter and an imager to open up the stereo field.
- The maximizer, to push the volume as far as it goes without ruining the sound.
Plugins used in these two projects
| Plugin | What I used it for |
|---|---|
| Logic Pro X | The DAW for both projects |
| VPS Avenger | The trance sequence that inspired Social Gathering |
| Serum | Lead layers |
| Nexus 3 | Leads, plucks and bass sounds |
| Spire | Pads |
| Manipulator by Polyverse | Lead effects |
| OTT, LFO Tool, Smack Attack | Bass and drum processing |
| iZotope Ozone 9 | Mastering |
For the gear I use today, see the DJ software and producer tools I use and recommend.
Watch the episodes
Episode 1: Social Gathering (15:34)
Questions producers ask me
How long should an intro be in a dance track?
I use 16 bars for the intro and the outro. That gives a DJ at least 30 seconds to mix in and out. 8 bars can work, but 16 is easier for everyone.
What tempo is the Psytro Killer sound?
Between 130 and 140 BPM. It is inspired by psychedelic trance but still sits in electro house and progressive. Social Gathering was the first track of that project, and it later appeared on the Psytro Killer album.
How do I make a remix of a song I like?
Start with the acapella, find the chords of the song, and build your own groove, drums and leads around the vocal. Keep the vocal on its own bus so you can control it as one part.
Hear more
Listen to my releases on the Music page, hear my DJ mixes on the Electro Club podcast, or get in touch if you want to work together.