Have you ever considered recreating a masterpiece from the ground up? This week, pointblank Los Angeles’ expert lecturer, Adal Jamil, offers us a fascinating insight into how to remake Kendrick Lamar’s iconic hit ‘Alright’ using Ableton Live.
Adal Jamil is an up and coming young engineer based out of Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment in Sherman Oaks, CA. Since graduating from Los Angeles Recording School’s recording arts program, Adal has worked as an engineer/producer on a variety of projects including Polaris Rose and Kelsey Kerrigan. Adal is an expert user of the Native Instruments Maschine, and teaches on pointblank’s LA’s Beatmaking course.
The Sample
Everything starts with the right sample. Adal initiates the tutorial by pulling the sample into Ableton that forms the core of the track and tuning it to the appropriate key. This essential first step sets the musical foundation for the entire track, a clear illustration of the basic principles you’ll learn in our Music Production and Sound Design course at pointblank LA.
The Drums
Once the sample is laid down, it’s time to get our groove on. Adal sources the beats directly from Ableton’s extensive core library, demonstrating how to extract and integrate the various rhythms that shape ‘Alright’.
The Sub Bass
The plot thickens with the introduction of the sub-bass. For this, Adal employs the power of a plugin named SubLab by Future Audio Workstation, which injects depth in the lower end into the track.
The Saxophone
Next, Adal adds an extra layer on interest with a dash of saxophone, using Kontakt by Native Instruments and Arcade by Output. This infusion enhances the overall atmosphere and brings us a step closer to the final track.
The Wurli
To round it all off, Adal introduces a Wurli chord, harmoniously blending all the individual components into a seamless whole. This final touch adds some tension we hear throughout Kendrick’s track.
And voila, a meticulous, step-by-step deconstruction and recreation of Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Alright’. But it’s more than just a tutorial. It’s a showcase of the comprehensive learning experience that pointblank LA offers. And who knows? Your instructor might just be Adal himself.
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