The ULTIMATE Guide to writing a Mid-Tempo Drop

Are you a fan of Rezz, 1788-l. Malaa, Deathpact, Godlands, Blanke, or BTSM? If you are then you are in the right place. Today we are going to show you what goes into writing a Mid Tempo track. Mid Tempo has been taking over the EDM scene in 2019 and we are sure it is going to keep growing in 2020. We are super excited to share some of our secrets when it comes to writing Mid Tempo. Here is how to write a Mid-Tempo Drop. 

If you are looking for the best resource for making Mid Tempo, don’t miss out on our brand new sample pack “Mid Temps.” We packed this thing with everything you need to make Mid Tempo. We designed them of your favorite artist and the sounds here are incredible. The pack was in development for over a year and we are over the moon with excitement on how it turned out. Check out the original song that we made only using the contents in the pack. Don’t miss your chance and grab the pack here.

 

Drums

Drums are one of the most important aspects of writing EDM. Mid Tempo typically follows a four on the floor pattern. Meeting that you want one kick drum on each downbeat. As for most EDM, it has a “backbeat feel.” This means that the snare drums lands on 2 and 4, keeping the groove moving forward. 

One of the most important aspects of Mid Tempo is, of course, the tempo. The tempo of Mid Tempo tracks is usually 95 on the slower side, and 110 on the faster side. The reason why this BPM is so cool is that 100 bpm is usually considered the walking tempo. Meaning that this genre has a nice walking feel to it.

 

Synths

Another super important aspect of writing a Mid Tempo drop is sound design. If you are familiar with the big Mid Tempo artist then you know the typical type of sounds that go into a Mid Tempo drop. Usually, they are pluck, deep, almost deep house type basses like Rezz or Malaa, or big distorted glitchy basses such as 1788-l and Blanke. We suggest grabbing your favorite amp distortion plugin and throwing them on your synths to create that buzzy sound that has made 1788-l and Blanke famous. If you are in Ableton, we suggest trying out the Bass Roundup preset.

Other types of sounds that work well in Mid Tempo are dubstep type womps or wubs. These typically flow well if you make them line up with the groove in Mid Tempo. We also suggest getting creative and trying new sounds, because innovation is what keeps the EDM genre flowing so feel free to try out different unique sounds as well. 

Fills

Fills are super important in Mid Tempo as well as any EDM genre. Typical tom fills are very common but a cool thing you can do is try glitch fills. If you are looking for cool glitch type samples. Make sure to check out our Mid Tempo pack called “Mid Temps” out now! We have tons of cool glitch samples as well as other types of fills that go great in Mid Tempo.

Another concept for common in Mid Tempo is synth fills. Using another sound maybe in combination with drums to create a cool contrasting fill. Get creative and take inspiration from your favorite artist to create awesome fills.

Sub

Last but not least, the low end. When making Mid Tempo, or any other genre of EDM really, make sure to just leave one sine wave in your low end. You can add other harmonics on top to create the illusion of a big bass, but you want to make sure that the only thing occupying your low end is the kick and sub. If you are in Ableton 10, we suggest trying out the Hip Hop Sub Bass preset in Operator. It's a classic that we use all the time for a super clean low end. 

Most Mid Tempo sub patterns are going to be similar to house music. This means, you usually want your low end to follow the pattern of your synths. Another option is to have it follow your kick, having a super heavy sounding bass. 

 

Thanks for checking out this article and if you are interested in learning more about writing Mid Tempo drops, check out our Youtube challenge tutorial where we go over making a Mid Tempo drop in 20 minutes. Also if you are looking for the best samples and presets for making Mid Tempo, don’t miss out on our Mid Tempo pack called “Mid Temps” you can grab it here.