Key Takeaways
- It’s relatively easy to use free audio samples and DAWs to make music at home.
- Build a sound library and organize and arrange your samples to create a track from the ground up.
- Add effects and mix your tracks for a polished sound before exporting your files as a finished project.
Digital recording is more accessible than ever, and with free music production software and resources readily available, it’s pretty easy to create a musical masterpiece at home. Here are my steps for writing an original track using only free audio samples.
My Finished Track
Before I discuss how I created my track, here is the finished product. The whole process from start to end took me around an hour, using my existing sample library.
Preparing My Project
We are spoiled for choice, with many digital audio workstations (DAWs) available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. As a Mac user, I am a dedicated fan of Apple’s Logic Pro 11 ($200 at the App Store). However, you don’t need to spend any money on software, as plenty of excellent free music production solutions are available to help you build your music creation chops.
To start, I opened a new project and saved it (it can always be renamed later). At this point, you’ll usually be asked to confirm details such as your track type, audio inputs/outputs, your audio interface, and the number of tracks to create. I usually default to ten audio tracks (you can add more later if necessary). Your new project’s arrange page will appear before you.
For my project, I chose to use the extensive library of free audio samples included with Logic Pro. Alternatively, there are many resources for loops and samples online, like Freesound, where you can download thousands of audio samples for free. Once your samples are saved to your computer, importing is simply a case of dragging and dropping them onto an audio track on the arrange page of your DAW.
Importing the Samples
This is where the fun begins! I build my tracks from the ground up, starting with the beat, as this is the song’s foundation that defines its entire aesthetic. I sifted through several different samples until I found inspiration. My chosen beat is a 1980s-style groove called “Mysterious Funk Beat” with layered percussion and a nice electric snare and kick drum.
I dragged my samples directly onto my arrange page from the loop library on the right-hand side. You can also drag them directly from your hard drive. I looped the beat and clicked on various samples to preview before dragging them to a muted audio track on my arrange page to be organized later.
Arranging the Samples
Once I had enough samples to build the basics of my track, I set about organizing them. I duplicated the four-bar beat sample by holding down the alt/option key and dragging it with the pointer tool. A sequence of sixteen bars is usually long enough to start with.
After the beat came the bassline, which I built from a set of three samples called “Bumping Disco Bass.” I then combined these to create a four-bar section by repeating the first phrase twice. I added a sample of three electric piano chords, which became an almost constant motif throughout the song. I embellished the track with sweeping synth pads, percussive elements, and alternating guitar and piano riffs.
My track was taking shape! Once satisfied that I had enough musical elements, I dragged my samples around, duplicated entire sections, and inserted alternative drum samples to make the track less repetitive. This is my favorite part of the process, and I made sure there were a couple of breakdowns and buildups for dynamics to compensate for the lack of vocal elements.
Adding Effects to the Tracks
Effects add character to your samples and can help make a track unique. However, it can be tempting to overdo it, so I try to use restraint when adding effects to my individual tracks. My chosen beat was already quite wet with reverb, so I left it alone, focusing on the lead instruments instead.
Reverb adds space to individual instruments within the mix and is likely the most widely used effect. I used the SilverVerb plugin within Logic to add reverb to my guitar track, but every DAW comes with at least one reverb option. Other options might include delays for echo, dynamic tools like compressors (great for vocals and bass), and modulation tools like flangers, phasers, and chorus to add a synthesized effect to your samples.
Mixing My Project
Mixing a project is highly satisfying as your track comes to life. It is simply a case of pulling up the mixing console on your DAW and toggling the faders until each track sits precisely where you want it to be in the mix. Mixing a track always involves an element of trial and error, and there are some basic mixing rules to follow to ensure it sounds its best.
I kept things relatively simple when mixing my project, limiting the process to balancing the faders, ensuring my effects sounded good in the mix, and, most importantly, that none of my tracks were “clipping” or distorting. I started by making sure the beat was as loud as possible without the faders running into the red and using this as the reference point for the rest of the faders’ levels.
Exporting My Project
Exporting, or “bouncing,” audio combines all your song’s files into a single stereo audio file. Before exporting my project, I added automation to make the volume levels fade out at the very end. Upon multiple listens, you often start to hear projects differently. I decided it was lagging slightly and increased the tempo by two bpm. This seemed to do the trick, and my music was ready for export.
When exporting your track, you are given options for the file format you want to choose, such as MP3, AIFF, or WAV, and your preferred bit depth and sample rate. At this point, I selected the option to normalize my track to optimize its output levels.
Overall, I was satisfied with my track, although it sounded a little empty without lead instruments or vocals. Still, it could be suitable as a backing track or a soundtrack to a YouTube production or video game, and the creative process was enjoyable.
Even if you are simply a music fan who never aspired to be a musician, it is well worth trying to build a track using free samples. It has helped me understand the building blocks that create a song and better appreciate instrumentation and the songwriting process.
