Pyramind
An Evening with Dave Smith | Video Recap | Part I
updated
In this segment, Pyramind Sound founder and Elevation XR co-founder Greg Gordon shares his background story behind Elevation Sky Park SF and how this waterfront project is being designed to bring together immersive domes, music, art, technology, wellness, culture, and community.
Built at the intersection of live entertainment, spatial audio, projection, experiential design, and urban revitalization, Elevation Sky Park SF aims to create a new kind of community gathering place for San Francisco. One where audiences can step inside, look up, and be transformed.
From immersive concerts and DJ events to cinematic dome experiences, cultural programming, wellness activations, and next-generation storytelling, Elevation Sky Park SF is being developed as a platform for artists, creators, partners, and the community to help shape the future of immersive entertainment.
Look Up. Be Transformed.
Join our Wefunder campaign and learn how you can participate in the future of Elevation Sky Park SF:
wefunder.com/elevationskypark
Investing involves risk. Please review the full offering materials on Wefunder before making any investment decision.
In this Pyramind exclusive talk, Encanti breaks down his full live set and reveals how he and his bandmate Zebbler build their show using Resolume + Ableton Live—from performance workflow to show structure and execution.
Join this channel to get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UCIJ0x4nL4uojXpMuM0fYs0Q/join
Join our community on Disco: pyramind.disco.co/memberships
Join this channel to get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UCIJ0x4nL4uojXpMuM0fYs0Q/join
Check out our programs at pyramind.com
Join our community on Disco: pyramind.disco.co/memberships
Join this channel to get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UCIJ0x4nL4uojXpMuM0fYs0Q/join
Check out our programs at pyramind.com
Join this channel to get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UCIJ0x4nL4uojXpMuM0fYs0Q/join
Join this channel to get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UCIJ0x4nL4uojXpMuM0fYs0Q/join
Join this channel to get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UCIJ0x4nL4uojXpMuM0fYs0Q/join
Join this channel to get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UCIJ0x4nL4uojXpMuM0fYs0Q/join
If you'd like to attend workshops like this, and get access to our full course catalog and coaching from industry pros, check out Pyramind's Complete Producer Program here pyramind.com/complete-music-producer-program-2-2
Join this channel to get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UCIJ0x4nL4uojXpMuM0fYs0Q/join
youtube.com/channel/UCIJ0x4nL4uojXpMuM0fYs0Q/join
Mubali is the musical project of Greg Farley, originally based in Monterey, California.
He came from a classical music background, due to playing viola for 9 years in school, as well as a funk and soul upbringing. He has been involved in electronic music as a whole since 2000, after being converted to the dj culture by Burning Man and Dj Dice.
After a short stint of being a Drum and Bass dj, he was enticed into the land of psychedelic trance by Dj’s Michael Liu and Hidroponik (A.K.A. Arahat ).
Around spring 2001, Mubali was born as a dj. He specialized in the heavier end of psychedelic trance with a slightly techy influence. As a dj he was into the French, Russian and Danish sounds, as well as being an avid supporter of local San Francisco producers like Ocelot, Random, Ghreg on Earth, Chromatone, The Fractal Cowboys, and Penta.
Part Three:
Developing kick sound (Ableton)
Developing bass (Ableton)
Synthesis, Oscillators, LFO’s (Ableton)
Frequency modulation (Ableton)
“Follow actions” and randomizing notes (Ableton)
youtube.com/channel/UCIJ0x4nL4uojXpMuM0fYs0Q/join
Mubali is the musical project of Greg Farley, originally based in Monterey, California.
He came from a classical music background, due to playing viola for 9 years in school, as well as a funk and soul upbringing. He has been involved in electronic music as a whole since 2000, after being converted to the dj culture by Burning Man and Dj Dice.
After a short stint of being a Drum and Bass dj, he was enticed into the land of psychedelic trance by Dj’s Michael Liu and Hidroponik (A.K.A. Arahat ).
Around spring 2001, Mubali was born as a dj. He specialized in the heavier end of psychedelic trance with a slightly techy influence. As a dj he was into the French, Russian and Danish sounds, as well as being an avid supporter of local San Francisco producers like Ocelot, Random, Ghreg on Earth, Chromatone, The Fractal Cowboys, and Penta.
Part Two:
Using frequency analyzers, oscilloscopes and RMS meters for level monitoring (Logic)
Sampling techniques (Logic)
Creating the groove, manipulating note length & velocity (Logic)
“Ghost Notes” and adding Flava to the rhythm (Logic)
Mubali is the musical project of Greg Farley, originally based in Monterey, California.
He came from a classical music background, due to playing viola for 9 years in school, as well as a funk and soul upbringing. He has been involved in electronic music as a whole since 2000, after being converted to the dj culture by Burning Man and Dj Dice.
After a short stint of being a Drum and Bass dj, he was enticed into the land of psychedelic trance by Dj’s Michael Liu and Hidroponik (A.K.A. Arahat ).
Around spring 2001, Mubali was born as a dj. He specialized in the heavier end of psychedelic trance with a slightly techy influence. As a dj he was into the French, Russian and Danish sounds, as well as being an avid supporter of local San Francisco producers like Ocelot, Random, Ghreg on Earth, Chromatone, The Fractal Cowboys, and Penta.
Part One:
Intro, history as a DAW producer and introduction to Logic
Explanation of Psychedelic trance music
“All Go Rhythm” track demo
Fundamental concepts that make up Psych Trance
Creating kick drum, infected mushroom technique (Logic)
Working at a comfortable volume (Logic)
Constructing a bass track (Logic)
Hailed by 800,000 YouTube viewers as “The Godfather of Controllerism”, Moldover returns to Pyramind for an interactive music production and controllerism workshop using Ableton Live and custom effects and controllers. Moldover gives an extensive rundown of his self-created setup including a controller-modded guitar, microphone effects box and his signature MOJO controller, and demonstrates how he integrates these tools into his live performances running everything through Ableton. He also offers his personal insights into the philosophy of being a performing artist and the challenges and sacrifices that entails.
Part Three:
Moldover talks about the evolution of his fun & collaborative ‘Jamboxes’ which allow several people to make music on one integrated controller- one of Moldover’s stances is that music should be fun and involve audience participation.
Matt takes questions from the audience and talks about different approaches to performing live and pre-production, syncing separate systems, live looping and buffering & latency. He wraps up the night with insights into the challenges of taking on a musical career, keeping a personal and professional balance and accepting failures along with successes.
Hailed by 800,000 YouTube viewers as “The Godfather of Controllerism”, Moldover returns to Pyramind for an interactive music production and controllerism workshop using Ableton Live and custom effects and controllers. Moldover gives an extensive rundown of his self-created setup including a controller-modded guitar, microphone effects box and his signature MOJO controller, and demonstrates how he integrates these tools into his live performances running everything through Ableton. He also offers his personal insights into the philosophy of being a performing artist and the challenges and sacrifices that entails.
Part Two:
Moldover takes a look into the creation of the ‘Robocaster’ electric guitar/controller and his desire to do away with the guitar effects pedal convention- many common and useful effects are now mapped to controls right on his guitar and are fully customizable through plug-ins in Ableton. He shows a similar approach to his mic effects box prototype which is connected as an extension of the MOJO. Additional Max for Live patches allow for custom integration in then software.
Hailed by 800,000 YouTube viewers as “The Godfather of Controllerism”, Moldover returns to Pyramind for an interactive music production and controllerism workshop using Ableton Live and custom effects and controllers. Moldover gives an extensive rundown of his self-created setup including a controller-modded guitar, microphone effects box and his signature MOJO controller, and demonstrates how he integrates these tools into his live performances running everything through Ableton. He also offers his personal insights into the philosophy of being a performing artist and the challenges and sacrifices that entails.
Part One:
Moldover begins by recounting his personal and musical history, connecting the dots that have led to his style and approach to production and songwriting. With a recently renewed interest in the basics of songwriting, he illustrates how some of the best works are successful because of the their simplicity- even if they showcase elaborate effects and production techniques. This simplicity in turn allows for works to be recreated live without relying too heavily upon pre-baked material, and leaves room for active showmanship from the performer to engage the audience.
Next, Matt opens up one of his Ableton sessions and shows his session and track layouts, and demonstrates what parts he performs live, which effects he modifies in real time and the different ways they can all work together.
When you think of hard hitting hip-hop beats and with sophisticated melodies, there’s only one name that comes to mind. Stoni is a Brooklyn native who grew up listening to everything from Bob Marley and Stevie Wonder, to Prince and The Rolling Stones. Stoni is a Native Instruments product specialist and musical hardware trainer for the industry’s A-list music makers, using Native Instruments Maschine drum machine as her weapon of choice and Traktor as her weapon on her Dj sets. Stoni is taking music making to a whole new level. Watch the 2+ hour presentation Stoni conducted at our ground campus in San Francisco.
Part Three
20. How to switch scenes during a live edit pt 2
21. Setting up sends & returns
22. Using automation
23. Sidechaining demo
24. Streamlining your Maschine workflow within your DAW’s
25. Editing Midi tips
26. How to change tempo during live DJ sets
27. Addresses specific workflow question from Ableton to Maschine
28. Maschine’s versatility in working with many different DAW’s
29. How to export stems & tracks
When you think of hard hitting hip-hop beats and with sophisticated melodies, there’s only one name that comes to mind. Stoni is a Brooklyn native who grew up listening to everything from Bob Marley and Stevie Wonder, to Prince and The Rolling Stones. Stoni is a Native Instruments product specialist and musical hardware trainer for the industry’s A-list music makers, using Native Instruments Maschine drum machine as her weapon of choice and Traktor as her weapon on her Dj sets. Stoni is taking music making to a whole new level. Watch the 2+ hour presentation Stoni conducted at our ground campus in San Francisco.
Part Two
14. Synthesis through DRUMSYNTH
15. Loading samples with the Instrument function
16. Live sequence-creating demo
17. How to quantize while recording
18. Adding/manipulating vocal sample
19. How to switch scenes during a live edit
When you think of hard hitting hip-hop beats and with sophisticated melodies, there’s only one name that comes to mind. Stoni is a Brooklyn native who grew up listening to everything from Bob Marley and Stevie Wonder, to Prince and The Rolling Stones. Stoni is a Native Instruments product specialist and musical hardware trainer for the industry’s A-list music makers, using Native Instruments Maschine drum machine as her weapon of choice and Traktor as her weapon on her Dj sets. Stoni is taking music making to a whole new level. Watch the 2+ hour presentation Stoni conducted at our ground campus in San Francisco.
Part One:
1. Introduction to Maschine Studio
2. Tour of the software / Groups and sample kits
3. Explaining keyboard mode and transposing on hardware
4. Editing effects with presets
5. Loading up custom drum kits
6. Importing drum kits into various DAW’s
7. Importing outside samples into Maschine
8. Creating beats with Patterns
9. Fine-tuning samples, ADSR vs 1-shots
10. Loading up plugins
11. “Notes live in Patterns, Patterns live in Scenes.”
12. 2.0 improvement with digital mixer
13. Screens viewable on hardware
Part Eleven:
Preparing your track for mastering, mix techniques, sidechaining for mixing, whether or not to buy a keyboard!
Join Rapper/Producer/Performer K.Flay as she showcases her unique and creative approach to the contemporary musical climate. She explains how to not only make sure that your musical voice is personalized, but how to create interesting content for social media in an ever growing do-it-yourself industry.
Part Seven: Keeping things simple, examples of her video work, creating content for social media.
Part Eight: Q&A part one: Vocal processing techniques and getting great takes with limited time.
Part Nine: Q&A part two: Inspiration, Harry Potter, dance music taking over and DEATH.
Part Seven, Eight & Nine:
Part Seven: Evolving DJ sets and genres, live mixing discussion, DJ-friendly arranging, Q+A.
Part Eight: Remixing your own and other’s tracks, prepping a live DJ set, choosing and working with vocalists, Morgan’s podcast session.
Part Nine: Transitioning to working music full time, finding management, income streams, Q+A, wrap-up.
Part Ten:
The arduous task of creating your own instrument from sampled analog synths.
Join Rapper/Producer/Performer K.Flay as she showcases her unique and creative approach to the contemporary musical climate. She explains how to not only make sure that your musical voice is personalized, but how to create interesting content for social media in an ever growing do-it-yourself industry.
Part Four: More sampling, the legalities of sampling, working in the studio, being nice, K.Flay’s Ableton Live set and organization methods.
Part Five: Mapping to a MIDI controller, various controller options, tempo tricks in Ableton Live, Dj culture, iTunes and mixing.
Part Six: BEING WEIRD. Three main things every artist needs to be successful. Web presence, DIY attitude, video skills, inappropriate street names.
Part Four, Five & Six:
Part Four: Self-discipline, work ethic and time management. Producing for clubs, pitfalls and solutions to writing on the road.
Part Five: Producing with headphones, comparing mixes and auditioning in different environments. Examples of synthesis and side-chaining kick to bass.
Part Six: How Morgan uses his DJ mixer/controller, a look at a live performance set in Ableton, using Xone Mixed In Key to match track keys for building DJ sets, live mixing tricks.
Part Nine:
A start to finish process in creating the bass for ‘Vision: Layering oscillators, multiband distortion, portamento, layering synths and creating a more organic sound.
Join Rapper/Producer/Performer K.Flay as she showcases her unique and creative approach to the contemporary musical climate. She explains how to not only make sure that your musical voice is personalized, but how to create interesting content for social media in an ever growing do-it-yourself industry.
Part One: Life story up to meeting college booking agent, making your way up the ranks, getting shows, early musical inspirations.
Part Two: Working creatively with a label. Workflow using Pro Tools and Logic. Building your own samples, the ES2 and EXS24.
Part Three: Plugins, inspiring creativity, the creative process, sampling techniques and the evolution of a track involving sampling.
Part Nine:
Setting production limitations to free yourself up, keeping perspective on a mix, knowing when a song is done, Q&A.
-~-~~-~~~-~~-~-
Please watch: FInd out what makes our community so unique and why we've been providing outstanding training for music producers for over 20 years. "Learn to produce. This is Pyramind. "
youtube.com/watch?v=T6VjGk2YbrY
-~-~~-~~~-~~-~-
Part One, Two & Three:
Part One: Introduction, presentation overview, points on building templates and organizing samples and kits.
Part Two: Morgan’s approach to production, track order, leaving room for vocals. A first look at an example track- layout, colors, parts and arrangement.
Part Three: Part layering, chord progressions and looping, breakdown and buildup, organizing into stems. Vocal production and incorporating vocals into a track.
Part Eight:
David explains what makes 7-Skies music, 7-Skies music. Creative inspirations, using the sounds of your environment and custom built instruments.
Originally Posted in 2014
Part Four:
Hardware setup/finalizing tracks
Time range spent on individual tracks (Reference to “White Sand” track)
His creative process for building tracks with singer/songwriters
Advantage of starting his own label
Relationship with Armada
Pros with working with another label
Advantages in creating different project names
Legal procedures that protect his label
Where he gets his inspiration
When an artist should start touring
Part Three:
In this part, Kyle shows his general production approach to his ‘Toxic’ remix and how he processed the vocal parts. He talks about networking with Vocalists and other artists, and why limiting your toolset can help you keep productive as an artist. He also discusses his creative workflow and how to stay inspired.
Finally, he runs through production techniques in ‘Stacy’s Mom’, talks about his approach to performing live and wraps up with a final Q&A with the audience.
Part Eight:
Streamlining an FX rack for vocal processing, dissecting a synth lead.
-~-~~-~~~-~~-~-
Please watch: FInd out what makes our community so unique and why we've been providing outstanding training for music producers for over 20 years. "Learn to produce. This is Pyramind. "
youtube.com/watch?v=T6VjGk2YbrY
-~-~~-~~~-~~-~-
Part Eight: Envelopes as brush strokes, creative looping, creating an interesting breakdown and the Fibonacci sequence used in music.
Part Seven:
Using the ringshifter with automation techniques, using the ESX24 to add low end sub power to your kicks.
Originally Posted in 2014
Part Three:
Constructing a buildup
Producing different styles for different projects
Playing for audiences in the U.S. vs. Abroad
Trends in music over time
Vocal track editing techniques
Part Two:
Kyle dissects his vocal processing and compression techniques and advises not to worry about ‘breaking the rules’, but to simply use what sounds good. He looks at detuning layers of a Massive lead sound to fatten and add impact.
Next, he looks at using creative percussion articulations and rhythmic motifs in drum programming to add tension and deviate from the 4/4 norm, and to switch up snare sounds in different sections to add contrast. He offers his take on when clipping is bad, why you should take risks and be original, using odd time signatures, creating unusual arrangements arcs.
Part Seven:
Ableton session layout and organization, setting up pre-loaded sidechain sends, sampling and re-pitching, arranging your tracks for DJ sets.
-~-~~-~~~-~~-~-
Please watch: FInd out what makes our community so unique and why we've been providing outstanding training for music producers for over 20 years. "Learn to produce. This is Pyramind. "
youtube.com/watch?v=T6VjGk2YbrY
-~-~~-~~~-~~-~-
Part Five: Hedflux’s own ‘Beat Repeat Street’ rack effect. Creating interest and movement with effects.
Part Six: Hedflux’s other customized rack effects. Bass programming, synthesis and processing.
Part Six:
Continuation of percussion and drum discussion, LFO vs sidechain compression, using automation for builds.
Originally Posted in 2014
Part Two:
Live production example: Routing for Effects and EQ’s
Live production example: Mixing drum track
Live production example: Adding/manipulating bass tracks
Live production example: Adding bass chords
Part Six:
Sourcing kick sounds, group processing to transform samples, automation using Maschine, evolving an idea from the Maschine iOS app into a completed track.
-~-~~-~~~-~~-~-
Please watch: FInd out what makes our community so unique and why we've been providing outstanding training for music producers for over 20 years. "Learn to produce. This is Pyramind. "
youtube.com/watch?v=T6VjGk2YbrY
-~-~~-~~~-~~-~-
Part One:
Kyle kicks off the presentation by stressing the importance of establishing a really strong sounding drum kit to lay the foundation for a track. Using his remix of ‘Demons’ as an example, he demonstrates how he chooses, tunes, EQ’s and layers his kick and snare sounds to get a tight, punchy sonic character.
Next, he breaks down his synth pad sound using a simple Massive setting and shows how to use layering and offset to create a rich, yet clean sound suitable for complex chords. He also illustrates how to use Razor for creative sound design techniques, using Autofilter and LFO tool to create movement, and how to use an extensive effects chain on simple presets to create huge sounds. Finally, Kyle talks about his approach to arranging and chord voicing and how contrasting tense and relaxed song sections can create an effective energetic impact.
Part Two: Defining Psychedelic Tech-funk. Frequencies in nature and science. First listen of his track.
Part Three: Drum programming, layering, blending, processing and EQ.
Part Five:
Finishing up layering synths for phat chords, using a ghost synth to trigger a reverb sidechain, favorite reverb plugin and creating evolving, stimulating percussion.
Part Twelve: Comparing EQ’s, mixing bass, atmospherics, which remix jobs to choose.
Part Thirteen: Q & A, workflow, staying motivated, automation, summing, originality.
Originally Posted in 2014
Roger has an over 20 year reputation within the international EDM scene with a release record of more than 500 tracks with some of the largest and most successful international record labels. Among them are Sony, EMI, Universal, and Warner, as well as all leading EDM labels such as Armada, Black Hole, Ministry Of Sound, Kontor, and Ultra. As a producer he has worked with and for artists such as Tiesto, Armin Van Buuren, Paul Oakenfold, Sarah MacLachlan, Ferry Corsten, Kosheen, Bryan Adams or Moya Brennan who is best known for her works with Hollywood producers such as Hans Zimmer. Roger’s unique live performances are rewarded with a fifth consecutive year in the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs Poll and a double EMPO nomination for Best Trance & Progressive DJ and Best Radio Show.
Part One:
Early music history and obtaining a record deal
The challenge of making money today
Factors that get your track recognized
How he chooses music for his label
Live production example: Bass drum & chords (replicating first track from new album)
Live production example: Discusses the advantage of using presets
Live production example: How he builds his tracks
Live production example: Explains his hardware setup
See the Blog here: pyramind.com/elite-session-with-roger-shah-armada-blackhole-magic-island
Become a subscribing member on our YouTube channel to view the rest of the videos in this series:
youtube.com/@PyramindSound


