Songwriting & Producing with Toontrack: Dream Pop

In this video tutorial series, Toontrack guru Luke Oswald and vocal extraordinaire Spencer Hansen return, and this time create a stunning Dream Pop song from scratch, using only Toontrack products and a DAW. See it built from nothing, all the way to mix and master!

Series Introduction

• Introduction (05:23) - Luke outlines the kind of EDM track that will be created in this tutorial series.

• The Dream Pop EZX Product Explained (06:32) - Learn about the Dream Pop EZX expansion for EZdrummer 2.

• EZkeys, String Machine, & EZmix 2 Product Overview (04:33) - Luke explains how he will use EZkeys, the String Machine expansion and EZmix 2 to create an EDM track.

EZdrummer 2 - Dream Pop Presets & Grooves

• Creating a Foundational Groove with EZdrummer 2 (05:49) - Luke begins the song creation process by auditioning EZdrummer 2 grooves from the Dream Pop expansion to find a "foundational" groove that can be used for this track.

• Adding Groove Layers with EZdrummer 2 (09:18) - Luke creates four additional instances of EZdrummer 2 and chooses a variety of grooves that work well for groove layering.

EZkeys - Creating a Song Track

• EZkeys Dream Pop MIDI (04:35) - Learn how to use the Dream Pop MIDI pack within EZkeys.

• Song Arrangement with EZkeys Pt. 1 (06:13) - Luke uses the Dream Pop MIDI pack to create the Intro, Verse, Pre-Chorus and Chorus of this "Dream Pop" track.

• Song Arrangement with EZkeys Pt. 2 (08:18) - Luke completes the song arrangement process by adding Verse 2, Pre-Chorus 2, Chorus 2, a Bridge, Chorus 3-4 and an Outro.

• Song Arrangement Overview (05:28) - A quick listen through the song arrangement to see if any other modifications need to be made to the piano part.

EZkeys - Creating Pads & Using EZmix 2

• Auditioning String Machine Sounds (04:23) - Listen to the String Machine EZKeys expansion as Luke auditions a variety of sounds and reveals some of his favorite presets.

• Creating Pad Chords in EZkeys (11:37) - Luke takes the piano part from previous tutorials and explains how to create simple chords using the same chord progression found within the main song track.

• Adding a 2nd EZkeys Pad Layer (02:37) - Learn how to add new EZKeys pad layers by using the "chord" MIDI created in the previous tutorial and the Dream Pads MIDI from the Dream Pop MIDI expansion.

• Using EZmix 2 with EZkeys (08:53) - Luke uses EZmix 2 on all EZKeys instances to add unique FX to the piano and pad tracks.

EZdrummer 2 - Groove Layer Arrangement & EZmix 2

• Adding EZdrummer 2 Layers Pt. 1 (08:34) - Luke takes the grooves that he picked from the Dream Pop EZX library and begins to layer them throughout the song arrangement.

• Adding EZdrummer 2 Layers Pt. 2 (06:23) - Learn how to add cymbal crashes, cymbal swells and modify groove MIDI within your DAW for custom groove adjustments.

• Using EZmix 2 with EZdrummer 2 (07:19) - Luke creates a drum bus and adds a couple of is favorite EZmix 2 drum bus presets.

Editing Your Piano Part & Volume Automation

• Editing EZkeys MIDI in Your DAW (05:56) - Luke now takes the piano part from EZKeys and modifies its MIDI in Studio One to add variety to some of the chords and modify the ending of the song.

• Volume Automation in Studio One (08:56) - Learn how to use volume automation to bring out different aspects of the song and build dynamics and intensity.

EZdrummer 2 - Creating Pads & Bass Tracks With The Dream Pop EZx

• Consolidating Virtual Instrument Tracks (05:41) - Learn how to bounce down your instrument tracks to create new audio tracks in order to conserve CPU resources.

• Creating Pads with EZdrummer 2 - Dream Pop EZX (10:31) - Luke explains how you can create additional instrument pad tracks using EZdrummer 2 and the Dream Pop EZX.

• Creating a Bass Track with EZdrummer 2 (07:52) - Learn how to create a bass track using EZdrummer 2 and the Dream Pop EZX.

Creating Vocal Tracks

• Vocal Track Overview (05:31) - Listen to each of the individual vocal tracks including lead vocals, background vocals and vocal FX tracks. (Vocals created by Spencer Hansen)

• EZmix 2 Presets for Lead & Background Vocals (05:01) - Luke explains the EZmix 2 FX chain used for the lead vocals and background vocals.

• EZmix 2 Presets for Vocal FX Tracks (04:36) - Learn how to spice up your vocal FX tracks with these EZmix 2 presets.

• EZmix 2 Presets for Beat Rhythm Vocal FX (05:34) - An explanation of the "beat rhythm" vocal track and how you can use EZmix 2 and an EQ to create an AM Radio effect.

EZmix 2 - Master Bus FX Chain

• Additional EZmix 2 FX (04:49) - Additional EZmix 2 effect presets are added to the Drum Bus, Pad Bus and Vocal FX tracks.

• EZmix 2 Mastering Preset (03:37) - Luke finishes this track with a great EZmix 2 Mastering preset from the Mastering II expansion.

• Series Recap (01:53) - A recap of all the Toontrack products used to create this track.