Drawing inspiration from the likes of Afrojack and Hardwell, brothers Clambake & Rav3era bring together all of the characteristics of Electro, Future and Bass House to producer stunning club bangers. Having both been working on their solo careers, they decided to join forces back in 2017 and have been welcoming success ever since. We asked them for their essential producing advise, here’s what they had to say.
Do you think that it is essential to be able to play an instrument or to be able to know music theory first before learning how to produce?
No, but it can be a good aid. So, for example, if you try to make melodies for your track and you already know which keys work together, that could help you a lot. But you can also make great music without learning an instrument or having to go through music theory first but it definitely helps.
What equipment would you suggest is best for a beginner to buy?
The first and most essential thing is a DAW. You have to find the DAW, which suits you the best. Once you find one you have to practice a lot of quick demo versions and if you find the perfect one, you have to learn to work with it and be patient.
Can you suggest any good YouTube channels or blogs for people to learn from?
If you use Ableton, you have to check Zen World‘s videos. For Fruity Loops, we really like the videos from Ultrasonic or Jonas Aden. But there are a lot more channels, where you can learn a lot of amazing things, YouTube will be your best friend!
What are some bad habits new producers should try to avoid?
Don’t try to create a whole track in one piece or one day… often the next day has the enlightenment for you. Every producer out there knows what we mean! It’s important to take your time.
How do you spark your creativity?
Sometimes you know exactly what you want, and sometimes you have ideas for basslines or melodies or sometimes you like a song and you think you'll move in that direction but you just have to stay open-minded with your ideas and the creativity will flow.
How do you normally approach writing a new song?
Sometimes, we find a nice sample or acapella, which brings us inspiration to work with, or sometimes one of us will create an idea and then we finish the track together. So, there are a lot of ways, how you can start to produce a song.
What piece of advice do you wish was given to you when you first started producing music?
That we should try to create our own style of music and don’t follow the crowd.
Which plug-ins are best to use?
There are a lot!
-Sylenth 1
-Serum
-Nexus
-Massive
-Valhalla Room
-FabFilter EQ
-Izotope Ozone 9
Do you think it is essential to learn how to mix and master?
For sure it’s really useful but it’s not essential there are many producers who hand that over to someone. I guess it’s entirely a personal preference.
What is your advice on sampling?
Work with samples that have the same key so that they harmonize together!
Clambake & Rav3era Online
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