I'll help you as best I can but you've not phrased this terribly clearly.
bigmiles2000 wrote:So... dubstep. Everyone seems to be making it, yet I have basically no idea what I am doing.
I wouldn't say everyone's doing it.
![Wink ;)](./images/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif)
Any decent tips/tutorials for sound design and structure would be appreciated. Thanks!
I'll just run down some basic/intermediate dubstep facts/tips I know of:
Dubstep has 2 main forms, and then many subgenres beneath those. There's "modern" dubstep (from around 2009 onwards I believe. This is stuff like Skrillex, SKiSM, KTN, xKore, etc) and "old" dubstep (you might see it called "original" dubstep or even UKstep, and this is stuff from around 1998-2007, though it's obviously still produced. This is stuff like Benga, Hatcha, Digital Mystikz, Plastician, Skream, etc). Ignore the elitist cunts who say "old" dubstep is the only "real" dubstep.
You can tell what type of dubstep a song is very easily. Modern dubstep tends to focus on mid range, metallic basses and growls with the occasional wobble thrown in. You see a lot of FM synthesis for basslines, and you tend to develop an ear for FM basses. Older dubstep focuses heavily on the sub bass and is generally much more minimalistic, with primarily wobbles and simple filter cutoff modulations and LFOs.
If you're interested in the history aspects, here's some information. The name dubstep comes from the two genres which were combined to form it: "dub" and "2-step" (a form of garage). These influences are most clearly heard in early tracks. However, the name dubstep was not used to refer to this type of music until around 2002.
Modern dubstep (also called "brostep") tends to be at 140 BPM with a primarily halftime beat (obviously however this is subject to change). Drumstep, a dnb/dubstep hybrid, tends to be faster at 165-190 BPM. "Chillstep", which hearkens more towards the days of "old" dubstep and focuses heavily on atmosphere, calmness, and sub bass, as well as having more wobbles than FM basses and growls. Chillstep is often slower, at 120 BPM or so. "Deathstep" (
not darkstep) is the name of the very heavy, almost abrasive kind of dubstep from the likes of people such as Getter, Bratkilla, Mantis, etc. You can get a good feel for this kind of dubstep on the youtube channel "DarkstepWarrior" (the name is misleading, it is not darkstep). It is very important to realize that "darkstep" and "techstep" are subgenres of drum and bass,
not dubstep. Deathstep BPMs vary significantly. Finally, you've got a subgenre called "electro dubstep" (think Feed Me or, according to Exo, someone named "DJ Pon-3"). It's quite simple really. Essentially, it is dubstep combined with electro/electro house - it has a 4x4 beat and ranges from 110-140 and is structured more like house, but designed like dubstep.
I'm going to assume you wish to produce "modern" dubstep.
Learning FM synthesis will be very helpful to you in dubstep especially. FM is often considered the "hell mode" of synthesis, and I find it has a quite steep learning curve, but it will be well worth it. Common FM synths include FM8 and Sytrus. If you're using Reason, Thor is perfectly capable of FM synthesis. Additionally, Propellerhead released an RE called the PX7, which is specifically designed for FM synthesis.
A general tip for all kinds of music, but especially bass music: cut out low frequencies in everything that isn't a kick, snare, or a bass. This frees up a lot of headroom in your mix and keeps the low end relatively free of mud. You can just highpass the sound at maybe 150 hz, or as high as you can go without noticing an adverse change in the sound. Additionally, make sure you keep your basses centered. If you must stereo spread the bass,
do not spread the sub. I cannot stress how important that is; it makes the song almost impossible to listen to on headphones. Omnipony is guilty of this. Also don't brickwall your mixes unless you desperately want to do bigroom house and make it on Beatport top 10. Be sure you have good monitors or headphones that can properly allow you to hear sub.
Structure wise, dubstep can be quite formulaic and there's nothing wrong with that. At 140 BPM, 32 measures of intro/buildup places the drop squarely at 0:55 (well, technically at 0:54:857), but you can easily find dubstep tracks that don't drop until maybe 1:30 or drop at 0:35. This is all personal choice. Generally, however, dubstep follows this structure: Intro (16 or 24 measures), buildup (16 or 8 measures), drop (16, 24, or 32 measures), breakdown (8-16 measures), buildup (16 or 8 measures), 2nd drop (16 measures), breakdown (8-16 measures), outro (16 measures). That's intro, buildup, drop, breakdown, buildup, drop, breakdown, outro, if you want to read it without the numbers.
Beyond what I've outlined above, dubstep is really about finding your own sound. You cannot get recognition if your song sounds too much like an established artist. Experiment and find your own style. Hell, you could definitely combine dubstep with another type of music, especially one that hasn't really been done that much. Find a niche and fill it.
If you want to do oldschool dubstep, I also have some tips to add to this already ridiculously long post.
In oldschool dubstep, tempo varies a lot but usually does not exceed maybe 150 BPM or so. It tends to be slower, however, and a lot more lethargic. No high energy "get up and dance" type of sounds, but rather slow, plodding wobbles and massive subs. Speaking of massive subs, you may want to invest in good monitors or at least headphones. Simple sounds are best - use basic waveforms like saws and pulses and don't put too many effects on them. Filter cutoff automation, whether manual or via LFO is an old standby. Can't forget the beat though - a simple halftime thing with a kick and a snare (not too heavy, mind you) combined with a 4x4 ride and some hats should be fine.
I hope this post helped :3
EDIT: I added a structure part for modern dubstep.
EDIT2: I added a part about electro dubstep.