Week 1
For my first week, I am going to be making a composition for Matheus França, who is Brazilian and was born in Rio de Janeiro. For his song I will be making a traditional samba and funk style song, I put out a form asking what people would expect from Brazilian music, and that is what the majority of people came back with. For this track I am going to be using guitars, pads, bass, vocal beat boxing, and hard hitting rhythmic drums. With all of these combining together, I should be able to make a groovy and danceable track, which is what you would expect from this style of music.
This here is an example of what my track is going to be based off of by the end.
Research
I created a Google form a week or so ago for people to answer questions I have asked for my FMP, it is pretty much one question for each player. These are the responses at the top, and it shows that people expect Samba and Phonk music (which is a more aggressive version of Funk, and I don't like it so I chose to just do Funk instead)
Music FMP (2025). https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe-M2TfIulceK4a1XdQB_YN-g0NAitDEKcSI5qJa6Yf2HjMjA/viewform. (Accessed 28th March 2025)
I also had a look at his Wikipedia to see if there was anything about his personal life, unfortunately it didn't really have that much to go off, and there was nowhere else online that had much information about him because he is not that well known globally, but I think with the limited resources that I have had I have done well with the song for this week.
Matheus França (2025) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matheus_Fran%C3%A7a (Accessed: 28 March 2025).
I also researched Bossa Nova drum beats to figure out what groove I want for the track. I ended up going with the bottom rhythm as that is what sounded best for me within my track. This rhythm goes; Kick, Snare, Snare, Kick, Snare Snare. Or the more traditional way to describe it is "Doom, Cha, Cha, Doom, Cha, Cha".
3 Essential Bossa Nova Beats - on jazz drumming (2021). https://www.onjazzdrumming.com/jazz-drumming/id-3-essential-bossa-nova-beats.html. (Accessed 28 March 2025)
Song for this week
For this week I composed a traditional Brazilian themed Samba / Funk track. I did this by using guitars, pads, a bass, vocal beat boxing, percussion, and hard hitting drums. All of these combined together create a very nice groove which is danceable to and is something that you would expect to hear from Brazil.
Here are all the tracks that I used throughout. In terms of effects I didn't use that many as it sounded pretty good as it was, but I will show where I used effects.
On the vocal beatboxing I used reverb and delay to add some more depth to the vocals, as they were very dry without it. I also added an EQ to reduce the low and high frequencies and also some mid frequencies, and I also added a compressor to make sure that the volume was even throughout the whole loop.
EQ - Short for Equaliser, helps you equal out the frequencies that a certain instrument is producing. These can be low end frequencies where your bass or kicks would normally sit, mid frequencies where your vocals and main instruments sit, and high frequencies are where hi-hat drums and snares normally sit.
Reverb - Short for Reverberation, it is an audio effect which emulates sound bouncing off surfaces, creating a sense of depth, ambience, and space.
Delay - An audio effect which emulates an echo by duplicating audio signal and playing it back after you select a specific period for it to play.
For the main guitar, I ended up using an EQ to cut out the lo frequencies to make room for the bass and the kick.
For the second guitar, I cut out the low frequencies to make space for the bass and the kick, but I also cut out the high frequencies to stop it from clashing with the high frequencies of the drums.
I also slightly panned this guitar to the right to give room for the main guitar.
Panning - The side that audio is more prominent in.
For the third guitar, I did the exact same as I did with the second one where I cut out the low frequencies using an EQ to make room for the bass and the kick, and I cut out the high frequencies to make room for the high drum frequencies.
Instead of panning this one to the right, I panned it to the left to give room for the second guitar.
For the first pad, I used an EQ to cut out the high and low frequencies, and I used reverb and delay to add more depth to the pad.
I also hard panned the pad to the left as I have another pad which I hard panned to the right.
For the second pad, I added 2 sets of Space designer to create some ambience, but with this amount of reverb I added a Limiter to reduce any feedback noise.
Like I mentioned already, I hard panned this pad to the right.
For the vocal chop, I cut out the high and low frequencies using an EQ, but I also boosted some of the low mid frequencies so the vocals are more defined.
For the drum percussion, I used an EQ to remove the low and high frequencies to give room for the other drums I used in the track. I also added a compressor to balance out the volume as it was originally an audio sample that wasn't in the correct rhythm of what I wanted it to be, so when I cut it up there were some parts that were too loud and some that were too quiet, so the compressor makes it all balanced out.
For the kick, I boosted the low frequencies to give it more of a punch.
For the perc, I reduced a lot of the frequencies as there was unwanted sound coming out of the low and high ends.
On the drums as a whole, I boosted the low end to make them more hard hitting and punchier.
These are the effects I used on the Bass. I used overdrive to add a punch to the bass because it was very flat without it, I also added an EQ to boost the low frequencies, but I also cut out the frequencies at 74 Hz to give space for the kick drum and also to make it not sound so muddy. To. give extra space for the kick drum I also side chained the bass to go quieter when the kick hits.
Over the whole track, I added a Limiter to reduce and peaks over 0 decibels, and then I increased the gain to make the whole track louder.
Here is the completed track audio.
Mixing and Mastering
I managed to finish my track early this week, so I have also practiced my mixing and mastering on a track that my friend sent to me. I think it has turned out very well for my standards, and it sounds very hard hitting and clean.
I had to split the track up into stems as I only had access to the audio file. What this does is it processes the audio file and has the vocals, drums, bass, and other instruments split into 4 separate tracks, with this I could mix them individually.
These are the effects I have used on the vocals, I added a tiny bit of reverb and delay to add some more depth to the vocals, as they were very dry beforehand. I have also added a really harsh EQ as well, specifically at the high end as there were a lot of moments where his Ts and Ss were piercing through the song, and they were coming in at 8,200 Hz so I cut out the frequencies there. I have also cut out Frequencies from 13,000 Hz and from 93.5 Hz. I also added a compression to balance out the vocals, to ensure that they are a steady volume throughout and there are no random quiet or loud parts.
These are the effects I used on the drums. The hi-hats were clashing with the vocals a lot so I added an EQ and cut out some of the higher frequencies so they could play alongside each other, I also cut out the low frequencies to stop any clashing with the bass as there is no kick drum, and I also boosted some of the mid frequencies to mare the snare more prominent. I also added a bit of distortion to the drums to give it a bit of a harder hitting and crunchier sound.
The bass was overriding pretty much everything when I first listened to the audio, so to stop that I reduced some of the low frequencies in a Channel EQ, but then I boosted them again in a Tube EQ to make it sound a bit different and to make sure it doesn't override the rest of the track, and I boosted some of the low mids in the Channel EQ to add more of a punch. I also added a compressor to cancel out any random loud or quiet parts of the bass.
This is all I did for the rest of the audio, as it sounded very good as it was, but I removed quite a bit of the low frequencies so it didn't clash with the bass, and I also reduced a bit of the high frequencies too so it didn't clash with the vocals and the hi-hats.
These are the effects I used on the master, I boosted some low frequencies as well as some high frequencies (which the image has cut off) to add some needed clarity to the whole song, the distortion also does this as well. I have also added a limiter so that there are no peaks above 0 dB and I have boosted the gain to make the track louder.
This is the audio for the mixed track.
Collaboration
I have done a collaboration this week as well, I was in the studios with 3 other people from the course, 2 of them wanted some guitar to be recorded on their tracks so I helped by setting up the mic in front of the amp and I also helped out in the recording studio, I helped with the recording of the guitar and also the use of effects to make it sound the way they wanted.
Week 2
For this week, I am going to be making a composition for Jean-Philippe Mateta, who is French and was born in Sevran to a French Mother and a Father from the DRC. For his song I will be making a traditional French Jazz song, with Congolese rumba elements. I put out a form asking what people would expect from French music and Congolese, and most people came back saying Jazz for French music and for Congolese music most people came back saying they'd expect fast paced drumming on some Congo drums. For this track I am going to be using some accordion, saxophone, piano, and rhythmic drums. With all of these combining together, I should be able to make a groovy and danceable French Jazz track, with the influences of Congolese drumming too.
I am going to be using this as my reference for the French elements of my song
Research
Congolese rumba (2025) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congolese_rumba (Accessed: 07 April 2025).
I will be using Wikipedia to help me out with researching Congolese rumba, as it is something I am not too familiar with. I have learnt from this that Congolese Rumba is a very rhythmic genre and deeply rooted not just within Congolese heritage, but Africa as a whole.
Google Search (2025). https://www.google.com/search?q=congolese+rumba+instruments&rlz=1C5GCEM_enGB1162GB1162&oq=congolese+rumba+ins&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBwgAEAAYgAQyBwgAEAAYgAQyBggBEEUYOTIICAIQABgWGB4yCAgDEAAYFhgeMggIBBAAGBYYHjIICAUQABgWGB4yDQgGEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyDQgHEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyBwgIEAAY7wUyBwgJEAAY7wXSAQg2NjQ3ajFqN6gCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8. (Accessed 7th April 2025)
I have researched some common instruments that are used within this genre, as I would like to use these within my track to keep it as traditional as I can.
Jean-Philippe Mateta (2025) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Philippe_Mateta (Accessed: 07 April 2025).
I am also going to be using Mateta's Wikipedia page to get any extra information on him.
(No date) YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBn5ViMIR3M (Accessed: 07 April 2025).
I will be using this video to help me out with certain parts of the Congolese Rumba elements of my song, it is a new genre that I have never even heard of before doing this project and I like the sound of it a lot, which is why I want to try and incorporate it into this project.
This is one of the questions from my form asking about French Music, it shows that people expect Jazz and Accordion music from France.
Music FMP (2025). https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe-M2TfIulceK4a1XdQB_YNg0NAitDEKcSI5qJa6Yf2HjMjA/viewform. (Accessed 7th April 2025)
This was another question about what people would expect from the DRC, it shows how people mainly expect Congo drumming and afro-beat music, which is all elements of Congolese Rumba.
Music FMP (2025). https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe-M2TfIulceK4a1XdQB_YNg0NAitDEKcSI5qJa6Yf2HjMjA/viewform. (Accessed 7th April 2025)
Song for the week
Here are all the instruments I used to create this track, I have used a Guitar, French horns, an Accordion, African style drums, and vocal samples.
Here is the drum pattern that I laid down, It is a mix of African themed instruments, I have used an Udu, Shaker, Sabar stick, Oghene, and a Talking drum. I have also combined these with a snare to add more depth to the drums. All of these combined and in the rhythm it is creates a good, danceable drum groove that I wanted for this track.
Jean-Philippe Mateta is French, so I really wanted to have some French influenced sounds in this track too, and these horns fit the track well.
To add more French influence, I also added an accordion in the background, the faint sounds of it it fit well within the rest of the track.
For the vocal samples, I added 2 EQs to cut out all the frequencies that I did not want, I found out with just 1 EQ I was still getting frequency signals from areas that I cut out, so I added another EQ to cut those out as well. I also used autotune to keep the vocal samples in key with the rest of the track.
For the drums, I only added an EQ to boost the low frequencies to give the heavier drums more of a punch, I didn't add any other effects to them as I thought they sounded great as they were already.
However I added an EQ on the snare to make room for the rest of the drums, and I also added reverb to add some needed depth, as without it the snare sounded really dry.
For the guitar, I added an EQ to cut out the frequencies that I didn't want, and I also added a compressor as there were parts where it was really loud, and parts where it was really quiet, so I added the compression to balance it all out.
For the horns, I added an EQ to cut out the frequencies that I didn't want, I added Reverb to add more depth to the sound, and I added a compressor to balance out the volume.
For the accordion, I added an EQ to cut out the unwanted frequencies, and I also added Reverb to add more depth to the sound.
Here is the audio for the track.
Week 3
This week, my plan is to create a composition for Ebere Eze, who was born in London to Nigerian parents. For his song I will be making a Nigerian Afro-beat track. I put out a survey asking people what music they would expect to come from Nigeria, and people came back saying Afro-beat, Upbeat songs, and pop music. For this song I will be having pop element instruments with Afro-beat style drums. I have never made an Afro-beat track before so I will be watching YouTube videos to get references, ideas, and learn how to make an Afro-beat track.
Research
(2025) YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7iu5jpnrEY (Accessed: 22 April 2025).
I will be using this video to help me learn how to make an Afro-beat song in Logic.
Eberechi Eze (2025) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eberechi_Eze (Accessed: 22 April 2025).
I will be using his Wikipedia page to get further references on his background as a person and how and where he grew up.
Afrobeat (2025) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afrobeat (Accessed: 22 April 2025).
I will also be using the Wikipedia page on Afro-beat to get further information on the genre. I have learnt that similarly to Congolese Rumba, it is a very rhythmic genre not just rooted within Western African culture but Africa as a whole. I have also learnt that it has influences from Jazz, Funk, and Soul genres.
Here are some of the answers from my survey, it shows how people mainly expect Afro-beat music to come from Nigeria.
Music FMP (2025). https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe-M2TfIulceK4a1XdQB_YN-g0NAitDEKcSI5qJa6Yf2HjMjA/viewform. (Accessed 22nd April 2025)
Song for the week
Here are all the tracks that I used for my song, I used a kick, snare rimshot, conga, crash, and shaker for the drums. And for the rest of the track I used an electric piano, 2 marimbas, and an 808 bass.
For the kick, I used an EQ to boost the low end frequencies and remove the high end frequencies as there was some noise coming through at that end which I did not want.
For the rimshot, I left it as it was originally as it sounded great already so I didn't need to change anything about it.
For the crash, I used an EQ to remove the low end frequencies and to also boost the high end frequencies as it didn't have enough originally. I also added a pitch shifter and pitched it up by 150 cents as the original crash had too low of a base note, so by doing this I can move the note up the scale of notes up to where I want it to sit.
For the shaker, I very slightly boosted the high end frequencies using an EQ to add some more clarity to it.
For the electric piano, I used an EQ to remove the low and high frequencies and to also reduce some of the mid frequencies. Doing this creates a different tone to what the electric piano originally sounds like, and this tone fit well within my song.
For the first marimba which follows some of the same notes as the electric piano, I used 2 an EQ to remove any unwanted frequencies, and I also used space designer to add reverb which adds some more depth to the sound.
For the 2nd marimba, I used 2 EQs to dampen it down a lot, and I also used space designer here to add some more depth to the sound.
For the 808 bass, I used an EQ to boost some low frequencies to create more of a punch, and then I also added a compressor sidechain for whenever the kick drum plays, so the 2 don't crash.
On the stereo output, I added this limiter which stops the track from peaking over 0 dB, this makes sure that everything ends up being a balanced volume.
Here is the song for the track.
Week 4
This week, I will create a track for Adam Wharton, who is a very calm and composed player. So for this track I will be creating an ambient soundscape which matches with his playstyle. I put out a survey asking people what they expected from a calming person, but people came back with lots of different answers, so I settled on just making an ambient track. I'm very familiar with the genre so I won't have to do too much research on it, and I know how to make a song in this style.
Research
Here are some of the answers that people put for my form.
Music FMP (2025). https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe-M2TfIulceK4a1XdQB_YNg0NAitDEKcSI5qJa6Yf2HjMjA/viewform. (Accessed 28th April 2025)
Like all the other players, I have checked his Wikipedia page for any more information on him that I could use to reference my track.
Wikipedia contributors (2025) Adam Wharton. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Wharton. (Accessed 28th April 2025)
Song for the week
Here are the instruments I used to make this track up. I ended up using 6 pads to combine together to create an atmospheric soundscape.
Here is all the automation that I used in the track, I used this to add some more dynamics to the composition.
Here are the effects that I used on the first pad. I used an EQ to cut out the high and low frequencies that I didn't want, I also added Space Designer and 2 sets of AVerb to make it sound more ambient. I had to also add a Limiter to stop it from peaking in volume.
I also ended up panning it to the left, as it was panning to the right on it's own so I did this to balance out the panning.
For the second pad, I used another EQ to cut out the highs, lows, and some mids that I didn't want. I also used Space Designer and AVerb to add some more ambience to the sound, I also added a Delay to add some more depth to the instrument, and like I did with the last pad I added a limiter so the volume doesn't peak.
For the third pad, I did the same thing with the EQ where I cut out the unwanted low and high frequencies, the original sound was very dry this time, so I added 2 sets of Space Designer to make it more wet, and I also added AVerb to create more ambience for the instrument. Like I did with the other 2 pads, I added a Limiter to stop the volume from peaking.
For the fourth pad I used an EQ to boost the lows, highs, and some mid frequencies because I wanted it to sound fuller and have more clarity. I also added a Chorus to create a different effect for the pad instead of keeping it too basic. I also added Space Designer and AVerb to make it sound more ambient. This time I didn't add a Limiter as it was very quiet and the volume wasn't peaking.
For the fifth pad, I did similar stuff to the 4th pad, but I boosted more of the high mid and low mid frequencies in the EQ.
For the sixth pad, I didn't feel the need to add an EQ as I thought the frequencies were already at where I wanted them to be, I added Space Designer and AVerb to add more ambience to the sound, and I added a Delay to add more depth to the sound.
Over the whole composition, on the Stereo Output I added an EQ to boost the high frequencies to add more clarity to the track, I also added a Mid/Side compressor to spread to the composition, and I also added a Limiter to ensure there were no peaks throughout the track, and I also boosted the Gain to make the track louder.
Here is the finished song, I have had to upload it to YouTube this time as SoundCloud wasn't working, and I also couldn't upload a WAV file from google drive into the website.
Week 5
This week, my plan is to create a composition for Daniel Muñoz, who was born in Amalfi, Colombia. For his song I will be making a Latin-American Reggaeton track. I put out a survey asking people what music they would expect to come from Colombia, and most people came back saying Reggaeton. For this song I will be having traditional Latin American instruments with hard hitting Reggaeton style drums. I have never made a Reggaeton track before, but I know a fair amount about the genre, so I will be listening to 1 or 2 songs within this genre just to get some ideas for my track.
Research
I have researched some traditional Latin American instruments to use in my track, all of these give me a wide variety to choose from for my track and I can get loads of different ideas using them.
I have also researched the traditional drum groove for Reggaeton and I will be using this within my song.
I have also had a look at Daniel Muñoz's Wikipedia page to get some further influence of what he is like within his personal life and how I can use that to mould my track.
Wikipedia contributors (2025b) Daniel Muñoz (footballer). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Mu%C3%B1oz_(footballer). (Accessed May 6th 2025)
I have also put out this survey asking what people expected from Colombian music and most people have come back saying Reggaeton, Upbeat Spanish, or pop music.
Music FMP (2025). https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe-M2TfIulceK4a1XdQB_YNg0NAitDEKcSI5qJa6Yf2HjMjA/viewform. (Accessed 6th May 2025)
I played a demo of my track from this week to Lumi who is a teaching assistant in my class and she is of Paraguayan heritage, so she knows quite a lot about Southern American genres and music. And she suggested that I should check out Totó La Momposina who is a Colombian artist and to use some of her ideas in her songs within my own. I thought the song was very good with the way the drums and. percussion were played alongside her vocals.
Real World Records (2015) Totó La Momposina - La Candela Viva (live at Real World Studios). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnmtdHiKdTE. (Accessed 9th May 2025)
Song for the week
Here are the tracks I used for the song, I used a shaker, tom, snare rimshot, kick, and congos for the drums. I also used 2 guitars, a synth lead, and some bass.
For the shaker, I cut out all of the low end frequencies as there were some slight action down that end and it didn't sound great, so I cut them out. I also added a delay to add more of a groove to the shaker as without it it felt very basic, dry, and simple.
For the tom, all I did was reduce the low and high frequencies, but I boosted some of the mid frequencies to give the tom a different tone. This makes it fit in well when it plays with the snare.
For the rimshot, I reduced some of the low, mid, and high frequencies, but only very subtly. I also added a delay so it didn't sound basic.
For the kick, I boosted some of the low frequencies, but I also cut out the frequencies as 60 Hz as that is where the bass mostly lives, so I did this to avoid the 2 from clashing together. I also removed the high frequencies as there was some unwanted action going on at that end.
For the congos, I removed some of the low and high frequencies, and then I also added AUPitch to pitch the sample I used into key.
For the first guitar all I did was remove the high and low frequencies.
But for the second guitar, I also added reverb to make sure it didn't sound too dry and that it had some more depth to it.
For the pluck that I used, I used an EQ to cut out most of the low, low mids, high, and high mid frequencies as I didn't like how it sounded originally. I also added a chorus for some harmonisation, and I used Space Designer and a Tape Delay to add more depth to the sound and to not keep it sounding dry.
For the bass, I used the session player to get. nice groove, I then bounced down whee I liked it most and where it fit into the track best, and I chopped it up to make it fit better for my liking. I also added an EQ to cut out some high mid frequencies, and then I cut out the frequencies at 64.5 Hz because that is where the kick is most promenant and I didn't want the 2 to clash together.
This is the finished song.
Week 6
This week, I am going to be creating a track for Maxence Lacroix, who is of Malagasy descent (an ethnic group from Madagascar) on his Mothers side. Malagasy music has influences from everywhere around the world, that includes; African, Indonesian, Southeast Asian, European, Arabic, Caribbean, and North American music. I will also be combining this with traditional music from Guadeloupe, which is a French overseas territory, and is also where his dad is from. Guadeloupean music has influences from African, Caribbean, Spanish, French, and Latin American music. The combination of these 2 styles of music should create a diverse soundscape for people to listen to and enjoy.
Research
I want to sample some traditional Malagasy musical instruments within this track, so these will be some of the instruments that I use.
Google Search (2025). https://www.google.com/search?q=traditional+madagascar+musical+instruments&rlz=1C5GCEM_enGB1155GB1155&oq=traditional+madagascar+musical+instruments&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIICAEQABgWGB4yDQgCEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyDQgDEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyDQgEEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyDQgFEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyCggGEAAYgAQYogQyCggHEAAYgAQYogQyCggIEAAYgAQYogQyBwgJEAAY7wXSAQc1MjlqMGo3qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8. (Accessed 13th May 2025)
Likewise, I would like to sample some traditional instruments from Guadeloupe and incorporate those within my track.
Here is a Malagasy song that I am going to use for ideas for parts of my track as I am not familiar with the genre. I have noticed that there is a lack of a bass instruments and that the vocals, drums, and accordion all combine together to fill in those lower frequencies.
Diego Azalah (2011) Madagascar - Saramba ' Alamino' - 2011. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8w5d_kJ84m4. (Accessed 13th May 2025)
Here is a song from Haiti that is about Guadeloupe. I couldn't find many Guadeloupean songs anywhere, but this song will still help me as Haiti and Guadeloupe share a lot of similarities within their cultures and within their music.
JACKY RICHARD (2017) Jacky Richard - La Gwadloup sé tan nou - original. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdH7LbjiEZE. (Accessed 16th May 2025)
Song for the week
Here are the tracks that I used to make this song. I ended up improvising and adding a French hip-hop style section in the middle as that is where Lacroix is from and it felt weird to not include that element of his background.
For the first Valiha, I used this EQ in a very unique way. The sample that I used was old, wasn't that clear, and didn't really sound well with all the other instruments. To make it sound clearer I boosted the low mid frequencies, removed some of the high mid frequencies and removed the high ad low frequencies. Doing this made the Valiha sound a lot clearer. I also combined this by using a compressor to balance out the volume and to avoid any random quiet or loud parts. I also used a limiter to reduce any peaks over 0 decibels.
For the second Valiha I used a similar process to the last one, but I changed the way I used the EQ a bit. I still boosted the low mid frequencies but I didn't removed as many frequencies in the high mid and high ends as it didn't need it. And like the last one I used a compressor to ensure there were no random loud or quiet parts, and I used a limiter to avoid it from going above 0 decibels.
I ended up sampling the drums from this song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdH7LbjiEZE and using it to create the groove for this song. I used an EQ to cut our the low frequencies as I have another kick that will fill in those frequencies, I also boosted the mid and high frequencies to make it clearer. I used AUPitch to pitch it up by 100 cents to put them in key too.
For my other set of drums, I slightly reduced the low frequencies as the kick drum was overpowering everything else, I also added Space Designer to add some more depth to the drums as they sounded very dry without it.
For the Valiha that I chopped up when the song changes to a more French hip-hop style I did the exact same process as before apart from using AUPitch to pitch it down by 1 octave. I also chopped it up and moved certain parts of the audio around to sample it to match the beat.
I did the same process to the second chopped up Valiha, except the EQ is on a different setting as it made it sound more clear having it like this.
For the hip-hop drums, I used a limiter to make sure it didn't peak above 0 decibels, and I also pushed the gain up to make it louder. At the end of the track, I automated the drums to have a distortion turned on and also for the high end frequencies to slowly get cut out as the song ends.
For the Stereo output track, I added an EQ to boost the high end frequencies to give the track some more clarity, and I also slightly boosted the lower frequencies so that there would be a nice punch when the kick plays. I also added a limiter so that the song wouldn't peak over 0 decibels but boosted the gain up to make it louder.
Here is the completed song.