How I Made “Head Up High” feat. Barbara Tucker MP4
Video Tutorial | 3.2GB
Total runtime: 2hrs 4mins
Cubase
Delve into Jason Herd’s crafting of the disco house track Head Up High with Barbara Tucker and learn how to match the loudness and impact of Beatport’s Top 10. Discover his writing style, approach to collaboration and mix techniques for an energetic dancefloor hit.
Jason Herd boasts an impressive discography, with fourteen releases on Subliminal Records and numerous others on prominent labels like Size, Defected, and Toolroom. Beyond being a seasoned mix engineer and electronic music producer, he has graced the stages of Ibiza clubs like Space, Pacha, and Amnesia, as well as major festivals such as Global Gathering, Creamfields, and Stereosonic. Transitioning to focus on his label, Bohemian Disco, and a 1-1 mentorship program, Herd brings a wealth of experience and industry insights. His hiatus from regular releases underscores his dedication to refining the art of teaching electronic music production.
In this comprehensive two-hour course, Jason details his remote collaboration with Barbara Tucker. You’ll watch Jason shape each instrument and share his processing approach. He then zooms out, taking a more holistic approach, treating instrument groups on buses and on the master bus. Jason emphasizes dynamic processing, employing limiters and clippers strategically throughout his project, revealing this as his key mantra for achieving competitive loudness in mixes.
Jason dissects his Cubase project, revealing the power of an in-the-box approach for larger-than-life electronic sound. Skipping no beats in songwriting, he embraces favorite VSTs like Trilian for bass, Lounge Lizard for Rhodes, East West for orchestral strings, and Steinberg Groove Agent for drums. After these VSTs set the tonal palette, Jason invites real musicians to enhance his productions with a human touch.
Throughout thirteen chapters, Jason Herd meticulously dissects his finished track, showcasing an unwavering attention to detail as he fine-tunes every aspect. Employing techniques like sidechain compression and dynamic EQ bands, he achieves a dense mix while ensuring each element retains its space. With an ear for crest factor and headroom preservation, Jason explains his strategic use of inaudible clipping and limiting on individual elements to enhance loudness by reducing transient levels relative to the track’s RMS.
Enroll on the course to leverage Jason’s extensive industry experience as a mix engineer, producer, and mentor and gain invaluable insights to elevate your tracks. The course delivers specialized knowledge on house track arrangement, instrument-specific treatment, and preserving the natural sound of stems while maximizing headroom.