Building Sounds

Part II focuses on crafting the individual elements of dark electronic music. We’ll cover drums, bass, leads, and how they work together.

The Sound Palette

Every track in Sonic Byte uses a consistent palette:

Drums

• Kick: Layered samples (bd_tek + bd_boom or bd_zum)
• Snare: sn_dub with optional layering
• Hi-hat: drum_cymbal_closed, high rate for metallic sound

Bass

• Character layer: tb303, prophet, or dsaw
• Sub layer: sine wave, one octave below

Leads

• Primary: prophet for warm, musical tones
• Texture: dark_ambience or hollow for atmosphere
• Arps: pulse for rhythmic patterns

Effects

• Reverb: Space and atmosphere
• Echo: Rhythmic interest
• Filters: Movement and energy

The Layering Principle

Single sounds are rarely enough. Layering creates:

1. Frequency coverage — Different sounds fill different ranges
2. Character — Combine punchy attack with sustained body
3. Width — Some layers can be wider than others

Example — A layered kick:

define :kick do |v=1|
  # Layer 1: Attack and punch
  sample :bd_tek, amp: 2*v, rate: 0.9
  
  # Layer 2: Sub weight
  sample :bd_boom, amp: 0.5*v, rate: 1.2, cutoff: 70
end

The Definition Pattern

Every track follows this structure:

use_bpm 100

# === SOUND DEFINITIONS ===
# Individual sounds with volume control

define :kick do |v=1|
  # ...
end

define :snare do |v=1|
  # ...
end

define :bass do |n, v=1, c=80|
  # ...
end

define :lead do |n, dur=0.5, v=1|
  # ...
end

# === PATTERN DEFINITIONS ===
# Combinations of sounds into musical phrases

define :drums do |k=1, s=1, h=1|
  # Uses kick, snare, hat
end

define :bassline do |v=1, c=80|
  # Uses bass
end

define :melody do |v=1|
  # Uses lead
end

# === ARRANGEMENT ===
# Structure using patterns

# Intro
# Build
# Main
# Break
# Peak
# Outro

This separation is key to maintainable music code.

Sound Quality Principles

1. Leave Headroom

Don’t max out volumes:

# BAD
sample :bd_tek, amp: 5  # Likely to distort

# GOOD  
sample :bd_tek, amp: 2  # Loud but clean

2. Cut Before Boost

Use filters to remove unwanted frequencies rather than boosting what you want:

# Remove rumble from hi-hats
sample :drum_cymbal_closed, cutoff: 130, hpf: 70

# Remove harshness from bass
use_synth :tb303
play :d2, cutoff: 75  # Not too bright

3. Contrast Creates Impact

Quiet moments make loud moments louder:

# Quiet verse
8.times { drums 0.6, 0.5, 0.4 }

# LOUD chorus (feels even louder after quiet)
8.times { drums 1.1, 1.0, 0.8 }

4. Frequency Separation

Each element should have its own space:

When elements compete, use filters:

# Bass with sub emphasis
define :bass do |n, v=1|
  use_synth :tb303
  play n, cutoff: 70  # Roll off highs
  
  use_synth :sine
  play n-12  # Pure sub
end

# Lead with bass rolled off
define :lead do |n, v=1|
  use_synth :prophet
  play n, cutoff: 90  # Brighter than bass
end

Sound Design Workflow

When creating sounds:

1. Start simple — One layer, basic parameters
2. Add layers — One at a time, listen to each
3. Adjust balance — Volume relationships between layers
4. Shape with filters — Remove unwanted frequencies
5. Add effects — Reverb, delay as needed
6. Test in context — Does it work with other elements?

The following chapters dive deep into each element: drums, bass, and leads.