We recently spoke with the team behind Storm Music Group’s new label, Infinity Beats, about their plans, trajectory, and the artists they’re working with. The interview shed light on their focus on high-energy, festival-ready productions and hinted at some exciting releases. Hearing their first track was an “A-Ha” moment that confirmed the label’s ambitions.

Over the past year, we’ve closely followed Xavi del Mundo’s career growth and it’s no surprise he’s one of the label’s first releases. His track, “In Your Soul,” is a heavy-hitting anthem that delivers on the label’s promise. While we’ve covered Xavi before, we’ve never gone behind the scenes to explore his production techniques, tools, and tips for creating such impactful music. Check out the track below to get a taste of his sound before diving into the latest edition of How It Was Made: Xavi del Mundo – In Your Soul.

KICK 2

One of the key plugins I used to get the kick punchy and sharp was KICK 2. This plugin offers a ton of great kicks that you can fully customize to fit the right key and length for your track. Even though I tweak a lot within KICK 2, I also like to layer in additional samples, sometimes just taking short parts of other kicks, like the transient or sub. I also used Serum, which I think is well-known among producers, for the lead in the track.

I love crafting unique sounds and experimenting with different plugins, so I started from the DEFAULT setting in KICK 2 to build my own kick from scratch. For the main lead, I also started from INIT in Serum and built the sound from the ground up. If you’re ever in a creative block, I recommend messing around without knowing exactly what you’re doing—it’s super fun! For one of the layers under the main lead, I used a preset called DS_DTH_synth_lead_afar_bright, which I believe is available on Splice!

As I mentioned earlier, creating your own sounds is a great way to stand out in a genre where many tracks can sound similar. However, I’m definitely not against using presets—there’s nothing wrong with that, and I use them often too! One tip I can give for using Serum is to make the most of the built-in FX. These can really take your sound to the next level, and it’s super convenient that you don’t have to look for external plugins. Definitely make use of them!

The Ultimate Looper

For the effect you hear right before the first drop on the lead, I used The Ultimate Looper by NS AUDIO. This plugin, developed in the Netherlands, is quite popular in the Hardstyle scene. It’s a simple yet powerful tool, almost like a one-knob plugin. It samples the last bit of audio and loops it, with the speed of the repeats controlled by how far you turn the knob. The lower the knob’s percentage, the faster the repetition. I found that this effect adds a lot of energy right before the drop, making it a perfect fit.

In the track, I applied this trick not only before the first drop but also in the final build, where it subtly pitches the lead in the background. This adds an atmospheric layer to the track. I kept the settings exactly as they are when you open the plugin, only automating the main knob to control the looping effect. It’s super easy to use, but the impact it has is noticeable.

While the way I used it works well, I’ve seen some interesting approaches where people start the plugin at 0% and then bring it back to 100% gradually. It creates a dynamic shift in the track, and I recommend trying it out—it could lead to some cool variations for your own productions!

OSC-4

The next plugin I used to achieve an old-school VHS sound for the short break sections in the drop is OSC-45 by Spectral Plugins. It’s a cassette simulator with plenty of presets to choose from, but once again, I decided to start from scratch with “no preset.” What’s great about this plugin is that it’s still available for free, and it’s super easy to use, making it accessible for anyone looking to experiment with this type of sound.

I focused on automating the dry/wet knob, especially for the general setting and the distortion. I let it gradually build up over the four beats where I applied the effect. This creates subtle changes in the sound of the lead, adding fresh variations to the track without overcomplicating things.

Even though I only used 2-3 knobs for this effect, you can push the plugin further to get a true cassette tape vibe. If you want, it can also function as a distortion plugin or to add noise to your mix. I haven’t tried that yet myself, but let me know what you think if you do!

SuperMassive

The last plugin I want to highlight is one that might be more familiar to some—SuperMassive by Valhalla. It’s known for its reverb, echoes, and to create incredibly spacey sounds. As the name suggests, these sounds can be super massive! But it also has other functions, and I decided to use it in a different way.

I used it specifically for reverb automation. I’ve tried several other plugins for this purpose, but this one just works best for me and for this genre. After each note, I automate the dry/wet knob, pushing it up to 100% and then bringing it back to 0% by the time the next note plays. The setting I used was “Mode: ANDROMEDA, Preset: WideVocalSwell.” After trying out many presets, this one turned out to be perfect for what I needed.

If you’re struggling to find the right plugin for this kind of effect, give this one a shot. I’d also recommend exploring the other features it has to offer! If you’re looking to create atmospheric or spacey vibes in your music, there are plenty of other presets that will help you achieve that.

Quick Fire Tips For Making Electro House

Tip #1: Focus on building a track structure that keeps the energy high and the rhythm strong, ensuring there’s always a groove for people to dance to.

Tip #2: When you’re in a creative block, find something that sparks your inspiration. For me and for this track, it was starting from scratch and building sounds from the ground up.

Tip #3: Automate your reverb to add dynamic space to your track. This can create a more pumping, energetic sound that enhances the overall groove. 

Tip #4: If possible, try playing your track live in front of an audience. It gives you valuable feedback on how people react and whether they’ll actually dance to it. 

Tip #5 Perhaps the most important tip, and this applies to all genres: Get feedback on your track! After an 8-hour studio session, you might miss things that fresh ears will catch

The post How It Was Made: Xavi del Mundo – In Your Soul (Storm Infinity Beats) appeared first on Magnetic Magazine.