We saw 2015 out in style. In December, we were busy sharing valuable videos and tutorials with you to help you take your music production to the next level, just like we do each and every month. To see each post below in detail, click the corresponding title to be taken through to the page. And for those not already in the know, make sure you’re subscribed to our YouTube channel and following us on Facebook and Twitter so you never miss out on our cutting edge content. Check out our latest monthly round-up below, as we recap some of the best things that happened in December 2015.
Free Traktor Microcourse on Plugged In
To celebrate the launch of our brand new Traktor online course last month, we created a free microcourse to help get you started with Native Instruments’ popular Traktor DJ software. This free, entry level taster course is perfect for those of you who want to learn how to DJ without needing to buy any DJ hardware, or alternatively if you just want to learn the basics of the software.
Head to the microcourse on Plugged In to get started. The microcourse is just a taste of the content you’d receive on our brand new DJ Skills with Traktor online course. This is the ideal time to sign up to any of our online courses, because you’ll save a massive 20% off when you enrol before January 11th. To get your discount, use the code CHRISTMAS20.
Enroll on our new Maschine Weekend Course at pointblank Los Angeles
December saw us launch our Maschine Weekend Course at pointblank Los Angeles. Classes to this brand new 2-day course start in February 2016, and students can expect to get to grips with composition, automation, FX and arrangement plus much more, all using Native Instruments’ Maschine hardware and software. To enroll, click here.
The Human League ‘Don’t You Want Me’ Ableton Deconstruction FFL! Xmas Special
Our final FFL! of 2015 focused on what is widely regarded as the greatest Christmas number one of all time – The Human League’s ‘Don’t You Want Me’. Using Ableton Live, Push 2 and the remake of the Korg ARP Odyssey, our Online School Manager and Ableton expert Ski Oakenfull rebuilt the track from scratch showing the music theory involved as well as the sound design that makes up the iconic synth sounds. Watch the video above.
Masters at Work: James Wiltshire (Freemasons) – Creating a Drum Track
Our Masters at Work series takes a detailed look at the most talented and experienced musicians, producers, engineers, artists and songwriters on the planet. Profiling their skills, we get an insight into both the creativity and technical ability that goes into making their music. Our latest instalment of the series took us to the Brighton studio of James Wiltshire. He’s one half of the Freemasons, and has worked with the likes of Kylie Minogue and Beyoncé as well as recently starting his own sample company F9 Audio. Luckily for you, we also included the stems and project downloads to go along with James’ videos. Click here to get them.
DJ Mag x pointblank Best of British Awards 2015
Every year, DJ Mag descends on a top London venue to host its famous Best of British Awards, in partnership with pointblank. This year saw the awards ceremony take place in Heaven, London, where some of the UK’s finest talent was on hand to show why it’s known for creating and curating some of the best electronic music in the world. As exclusive partner with DJ Mag for Best of British, pointblank was on location to speak to some of this year’s nominees about their careers, production, DJing and much more. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay informed about the video interviews as they’re released in the coming months. There’ll be Q&As with Anjunadeep’s Eli & Fur (pictured above), disco king Greg Wilson, Mr Beatnick (NTS Radio) and Sam Divine (Defected).
Register to Access Free Courses, Plugins, Projects, Samples & More
When you register with pointblank, you access an array of free sounds, plugins, online course samples, access to our social network Plugged In and much more! Simply register below and visit our Free Stuff page to get your hands on a range of exclusive music-making tools and tutorials provided by the team. Fill your boots!
