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How to Remix a Song in Dubstep

Dubstep is a genre of electronic music defined by a mash-up of varying styles of music. Dubstep emerged in the London, UK club scene as experimental culmination of the two-step and drum & bass styles. The term dub comes from its association with dub-reggae, a style of reggae music characterized by delayed vocals and instrumentation and a rhythmic pattern that stays constant throughout. Dub originated as a product of sound engineers remixing instrumental reggae, by adding texture via delay and reverb to accentuate certain parts of the song. The tradition continues with laptop DJs working with a wide array of musical software to assist in making a dubstep remix.

Things You'll Need

  • Original song
  • Music recording software
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Instructions

  1. Choosing a Song

    • 1

      Remixing a song in dubstep requires careful consideration into what type of message you are trying to convey with the music and lyrics of the original composition. The lyrics of the song you wish to remix are essential to remain as part of the dubstep remix because they will help identify the connection between the remix and the original composition for your audience. This connection is essential because it shows that you have an appreciation for how the original was composed, while at the same time reflecting your taste for the best phrases, lyrical or instrumental, contained in the song.

    • 2

      Dubstep tracks often range between 138 beats per minute (BPM) to 142 BPM, relatively very high tempos. These high tempos transform your original song into a high tempo dubstep remix version, which lends itself to creating a more readily danceable track for your audience. Another defining characteristic of the dubstep style is the distinctive "wobble" bass effect which DJs and artists use to accentuate certain parts of a song. The sub-base maxes the song have a deep resonant frequency which gives the song depth and volume"as opposed to traditional D&B, jungle, or rave music. The deep bass gives the music a heavy texture, which will be instantly recognizable to fans of dubstep.

    • 3

      The term "step" relates to how the reggae rhythmic pattern is transformed via the dubstep genre into something which has a faster tempo and the rhythmic style is based on the base rather than the drums. With the wobble base effect already added to the dubstep remix, take out the original drums and replace them with a minimal tom-tom and/or high hat tone or sequence. The wobble effect should replace the need for a base-drum time effect or simulation in your dubstep remix. Add in a 3/4 high hat shuffle over your dubstep remix to give the remix a continual beat. The final touches on the dubstep remix are to throw in delay/pitch/filter effects over the final version to further distinguish your remix from the original.

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