In the Studio with Zack Martino TUTORIAL
A new teacher has arrived, and he goes by the name of Zack Martino. With his unique and recognizable sound, the young New York City native gained over one million monthly listeners on Spotify while dropping remixes for Armin van Buuren (‘Lonely For You’), Galantis (‘Rich Boy’) and The Chainsmokers (‘Paris’). His tracks ‘Hold On To Me’ and ‘Doomsday’ (with VASSY) were even considered for a Grammy for Best Dance Recording, and topped the U.S. charts.
In his first-ever course for Armada University and FaderPro, Zack Martino builds a track from scratch based on a vocal from Irish singer-songwriter Lenii. The track idea has been shelved for a whopping seven years until Zack Martino used the song’s framework as a starting point for this masterclass, in which he produces a release-worthy version live on camera. The resulting record has just been officially released, and this is your chance to get an inside look into the making of a genuine pop-dance smash hit.
Chapter 1: Intro To Vocal Production + Creating The Lead
Zack pulls up his vocal and starts to create the chord progression to shape the record’s style and tone. He discusses the structure, what sounds he’ll be using to represent his musical direction. And how he can find them quickly to stay in the creative headspace.
Chapter 2: Creating The Signature Build
Using EFX and his signature sounds, Zack Martino adds energy into the track and builds up into the drop.
Chapter 3: Perfecting The Piano Lead
Zack Martino focuses on building the piano lead melody and finding the perfect sound for this main section of the record.
Chapter 4: Creating Musical Chops and Scats
Using various editing techniques and tricks, Zack Martino adds chops and scats to break up the melody and main pianos for extra energy, emotion and delivery.
Chapter 5: Creating The Sub Bass
Zack Martino focuses down on the sub bass to power up the drop section and add more muscle to the track.
Chapter 6: Creating Vocal Chops and Scats
With the help of a range of editing techniques and tricks, Zack Martino chops up the vocals to create new and exciting vocal pieces that keep the vibe and energy of the record going.
Chapter 7: Creating Arps + Recycling Sounds From Unfinished Projects
After having a bit of melodic fun with arpeggios, Zack Martino opens up a few older projects to migrate some of his tried and tested sounds into the new project.
Chapter 8: Selecting Finishing Sounds
Zack Martino digs into the layout and structure of the record to find the missing gaps, and then starts searching for the right sounds to fill the void.
Chapter 9: Housekeeping – Part 1
Zack Martino adds EFX, snares, hi-hats and accents in areas of need and removes the elements that the record can do without.
Chapter 10: Housekeeping – Part 2
A continuation of Chapter 9: Zack Martino adds EFX, snares, hi-hats and accents in areas of need and removes the elements that the record can do without.
Chapter 11: Final Vocal Production + Arrangement – Part 1
Zack Martino puts the final touches to the vocal production and arrangement, after which he starts the mixing and editing process.
Chapter 12: Final Vocal production + Arrangement – Part 2
A continuation of Chapter 11: Zack Martino puts the final touches to the vocal production and arrangement, after which he starts the mixing and editing process.
Chapter 13: Adding Final Kicks
Zack Martino adds the final kicks and drums to carry the weight of the record and keep the momentum on a high.
Chapter 14: Final Listen-Through + Mastering
And lastly, Zack Martino has a final listen on the mix, all the while tweaking and EQing various sections. He also starts up the mastering process and discusses the internal plug-ins that can assist him in this task.