Intro and Outro

The intro and outro frame your track. They’re also essential for DJ mixing — clean intros and outros let tracks blend smoothly.

The Intro

Purpose

1. Set the mood — Establish atmosphere before full energy
2. Introduce elements — Bring in sounds gradually
3. DJ-friendly — Provide bars for mixing in

Standard Intro (6-8 bars)

# INTRO: 8 bars
in_thread do
  8.times { drums 0.7, 0, 0.4 }  # Kicks + hats, no snare
end

in_thread do
  with_fx :lpf, cutoff: 50, cutoff_slide: 32 do |fx|
    control fx, cutoff: 80
    8.times { bassline 0.5, 50 }  # Filtered bass
  end
end

sleep 32

Intro Elements

What to include:

• Kicks (usually)
• Hi-hats (often)
• Filtered bass (sometimes)
• Atmospheric textures

What to exclude:

• Snares (save for build/main)
• Full bass (filtered only)
• Melodies (save the hook)

Intro Variations

Minimal (Tracks 1, 4):

8.times { drums 0.7, 0, 0.4 }  # Just kicks and hats

Atmospheric (Track 3):

in_thread do
  6.times { drums 0.6, 0, 0.5 }
end
in_thread do
  with_fx :reverb, room: 0.85, mix: 0.55 do
    2.times { arp 0.4 }
  end
end

Building (Track 7):

in_thread do
  4.times { drums 0.5, 0, 0.3 }
  4.times { drums 0.7, 0, 0.45 }
end
in_thread do
  with_fx :lpf, cutoff: 45, cutoff_slide: 32 do |fx|
    control fx, cutoff: 75
    8.times { bassline 0.4, 45 }
  end
end

The Outro

Purpose

1. Wind down — Release energy gradually
2. Provide closure — Signal the track is ending
3. DJ-friendly — Provide bars for mixing out

Standard Outro (4-8 bars)

# OUTRO: 6 bars
in_thread do
  6.times do |i|
    drums (1-i*0.12), (0.85-i*0.1), (0.7-i*0.08)
  end
end

in_thread do
  with_fx :reverb, room: 0.9, mix: 0.6 do
    with_fx :echo, phase: 1, decay: 8, mix: 0.5 do
      melody 0.4
    end
  end
end

sleep 24

Outro Techniques

Fade drums:

6.times do |i|
  drums (1-i*0.12), (0.85-i*0.1), (0.7-i*0.08)
end

Volume decreases each bar.

Filter closing:

with_fx :lpf, cutoff: 80, cutoff_slide: 24 do |fx|
  control fx, cutoff: 45
  6.times { bassline 0.7 }
end

Increase reverb:

with_fx :reverb, room: 0.95, mix: 0.65 do
  with_fx :echo, phase: 1.25, decay: 10, mix: 0.55 do
    arp 0.3
  end
end

Long decay (10) means notes ring out after playing stops.

Outro Variations

Quick fade (aggressive tracks):

4.times do |i|
  drums (0.9-i*0.2), 0, (0.6-i*0.12)
end

Long fade (atmospheric tracks):

8.times do |i|
  drums (0.8-i*0.08), (0.7-i*0.07), (0.6-i*0.06)
end

Definitive ending (Track 8):

# Final note, held long, fading
with_fx :reverb, room: 0.95, mix: 0.65 do
  lead :d4, 4, 0.3  # Root note, 4 beats, quiet
end

Intro/Outro Duration

Quick Reference

# Standard intro (8 bars)
in_thread do
  8.times { drums 0.7, 0, 0.4 }
end
in_thread do
  with_fx :lpf, cutoff: 50, cutoff_slide: 32 do |fx|
    control fx, cutoff: 80
    8.times { bassline 0.5, 50 }
  end
end
sleep 32

# Standard outro (6 bars)
in_thread do
  6.times { |i| drums (1-i*0.12), (0.85-i*0.1), (0.7-i*0.08) }
end
in_thread do
  with_fx :reverb, room: 0.9, mix: 0.6 do
    melody 0.4
  end
end
sleep 24