MY TOP 5 TIPS FOR MAXIMIZING THE POTENTIAL OF ELEMENTS VOL. I

​

01) This is a different sort of sample bank or construction kit. How? It is designed to be used more than once and has as many possibilities as your imagination can create. I have used it myself and incorporated elements from my own use into the pack itself – this, along with my performances, makes it different and infinitely more valuable and enjoyable.

​

02) Very important. The Producer Performance files with either a seconds or minutes designation (sec., min.) have multiple chords, motifs, fragments, and jazz improvisation. Drag and drop the whole track into your DAW session and audition all the elements against the music you have in progress. Or, pick any beat from the pack and duplicate it for as long as needed. Then audition the performance elements against it. I chose this workflow for a reason. Rather than importing 20 two-bar loops and crowding your session, simply import a single file, find elements that inspire you, and get busy creating. You can repeatedly return to the performance file and discover new elements for future tracks. Or, drop one of my MIDI tracks in and use your own sounds.

​

03) Take nothing at face value. I created five demos to show the potential of each bank. They represent my take on the material at that moment on that particular day. I would have an entirely different take on the packs now. Experiment. Assess. Choose. Enjoy. Repeat.

​

04) This is not a drum beat pack. Plenty of gifted beatmakers have that lane covered. My producer pack contributes the other essential musical elements that make beats, tracks, and songs unique and successful.

​

05) Don't fear the jazz elements, and don't think they won't apply to your music. On the contrary, again, take nothing at face value. For example, most of the piano improvisation uses eighth and sixteenth notes. While some of the performances are loose, most are locked to the grid. Try cutting out notes in a pattern or random and putting short (8ms) fades on the cuts. Now listen. You'll have something very unique. Edit and process further as you hear it. Similarly, cut out a two or four-bar phrase and move it an eighth or sixteen note earlier or later. Again, you will get something you would never achieve otherwise. You might not know this, but the musical brain trust behind much of Dr. Dre's huge artist and producer success includes at least three musicians steeped in jazz, bassist Mike Elizondo, pianist Mark Batson, and drummer Trevor Lawrence Jr.

 

A word about the various keys the packs are in: You will notice they are all designated as minor. I chose this because most of the beats that adhere to one tonal center for any length of time are minor. Each pack has relative major chords as well, though. For the non-theory users, the major key is 3 half-steps up from the minor, e.g. Cm = Eb.

​

Finally, do read the Terms of Use for CharliePeacock.com and all sample and beat uses and abide by them. They represent your license to use the Producer Pack and hopefully benefit from it artistically and commercially. By taking the terms seriously, you respect the work that I've put into this music. And for that, I'll be grateful.

​

Most importantly, love your neighbor, have fun, and make music the whole world can sing.

​

Peace,

​

Charlie Peacock

Nashville, Tennessee, USA

July 6th, 2022