Arts >> Music >> Digital Music

How to Make a Rap Beat Using Fruity Loops

Fruity Loops Studio is among the more basic digital audio workstations available, but it contains everything you need to produce a rap track. A rap beat is the base of a rap track; nearly all rap beats follow a two-step pattern, meaning that, if you divide the beat into four, the snare drum falls on the second and fourth measures of the beat. Use the built-in samples in FL Studio to create your own rap beat.

Instructions

    • 1

      Double-click the FL Studio desktop icon. Click "File," then "New" to start a new song. New Fruity Loops projects automatically load a basic drum set into the program.

    • 2

      Click the "Tempo" field and drag the mouse downward to lower it. Set the tempo at about 90 beats per minute.

    • 3

      Click the first and 11th beats in the "Kick" track to add the bass drum. Click the fifth and 13th beats to add the snare. Put a clap on the 13th beat as well. Click to place a hat on the first beat, then place a hat on every second beat.

    • 4

      Click the "Play" button to listen to the beat. As the beat is playing, click "Kick," then click the folder icon next to "Kick Basic." Navigate to a new kick sample and double-click it to replace the default kick. Repeat the process for the rest of the tracks; experiment with different samples until you find the sound you want.

    • 5

      Click "Channels," "Add one" and "Sampler" to add additional percussion to the hip-hop beat. Click "Sampler" on the track, click the folder icon and double-click a sample to load it. Click a beat in the pattern to place the percussion on it. Use the knobs directly to the left of the sample name to adjust its volume and panning.

    • 6

      Move the "Swing" slider at the top of the pattern to the right to increase the swing. Swing moves the drum samples slightly off the beat, giving the loop a more live sound. Hip-hop beats usually have a fairly high amount of swing.

Digital Music

Related Categories