EDM PRODUCTION

Making Lo Fi music and modulations is all about embracing the imperfections and nostalgia. The best way to make Lo Fi sounds and remixes is with lo fidelity gear, like cassette tapes and analog synths. But there are also effects and plugins that are great for making lo fi music. Here are some ways to make lo fi music and sounds.

Cassette Tapes
Cassette tapes are great for making lo fi music. Use a walkman to dub music onto cassette tapes. Then dub the music back to a DAW. Cassette tapes will add an awesome lo fi texture to your mixes.

Warp the lo fi textures even more by touching the tape loops. The concept of making music by touching tape loops is a whole other methodology that evolved a lot with Steve Reich.

Microphone Resampling
Resample a mix by pointing a microphone at speaker. This is a super instant way to make a mix sound lo fi and less perfect. It will instantly reduce the quality and make it sound far away. Which is also great for making your mixes sound more 3D.

Pitch Shifting
Pitch shifting up and down is the easiest way to make a lo fi textures in any DAW. There are lots of plugins ands effects that pitch shift. The secret is to add the effect twice. Pitch shift one effect up and pitch shift the other effect down. In Ableton this can easily be done with the Little AlterBoy VST.

Time Stretching
Time stretching the audio via warping can also create a lo fi texture. It just takes a couple more steps. In Ableton resample a warped, re pitched version of the mix. Half time the resample so the mix plays really fast and sounds like chipmunks.

Then take the new, fast sample of the mix and time stretch it. Stretch the fast mix back out. Smashing the mix and then stretching it back out creates crunch and lo fi texture.

Hi Fidelity
Hi Fidelity music is the opposite of lo fi. Mixing hi-fidelity is super important for making aggressive EDM. Get the tips for Mixing Hi-Fidelity Agressive EDM here.