Help me get some inspiration

when this happens to me i find getting a break out that has cool dynamics helps. one with a variation of snare rolls/rimshots/different snare tones. or digging out an obscure break with sounds that you wouldnt normally reach for and tryin to make it work for you.
 
Just take a kick and snare and randomly place a few hits of each anywhere on the sequencer within the same couple of bars (however long you want your "break" to be)

Then just listen back and tweak the hit points within 64ths until they fit rhythmically

Just think out of the box man each kick and snare hit is so short compared to the amount of space you have to play with within a bar or two of a break, a long as there's a rhythm of some sort to pick up on (or even if there isn't completely in some cases) it's all good

Just don't be afraid to fuck around
 
start with something else, make pads, leads, get some big fx and maybe some cool vox. trust me, sometimes starting with the horizon instead of the beats works wonders, for me anyway. you get a soundscape and suddenly you just imagine this phat break over it... which you WILL make right at that particular moment!
 
theres a teddy pendergrass song with a wicked break in it but i can't find the song again? its in the first minute or so


oh ye, try looking for some new breaks! that was my point lol
 
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for me also changing the habit of making everything sound as fat as possible even helps. ie not making splashy snares and stomping kicks but more softer ones, or even two different ones.

or if youre using mainly breaks, try single hits and vice versa - works a treat sometimes and brings more knowledge :D
 
I've got something simply beautiful with a half time beat - or a quarter time to be precise and those Ghost In The Shell samples... Haven't done beats this slow beats in ages, pretty excited and got the joy back!
 
I've got something simply beautiful with a half time beat - or a quarter time to be precise and those Ghost In The Shell samples... Haven't done beats this slow beats in ages, pretty excited and got the joy back!

best of luck :)
 
For me, beat inspiration comes from being in the shower and thinking/beatboxing would be the coolest dnb beat possible, thinking exactly how it would sound. Then write it down detailed about how it sounds and record the beatboxing bit if it into a mic and convert it to score, fix the timing issues and get to work.
 
Interesting. I used to this when I first got a phone that could record stuff... The quality was horrible but it was a nice way of 'saving' your work to try it out later, but didn't do it that much on drums.
 
listen to music that has nothing to do with club/dance. old electronica always gives me eureka moments. also, open a classical or ambient piece in an audio editor, and chop/loop any parts you find interesting. the more obscure the artist, the more likely your sampling will be original.
 
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