Creating a Simple Lo-Fi Beat in FL Studio: A Step-by-Step Guide By Lofi Minutes

Introduction:

Lo-Fi beats have gained significant popularity in recent years for their laid-back and nostalgic vibes. If you're looking to dive into the world of music production and create your own Lo-Fi beats, this article will guide you through the process of crafting a simple Lo-Fi beat in FL Studio without using any pre-existing samples. So, let's get started!

Step 1: Setting up the Project

Launch FL Studio and create a new project. Set the project tempo to around 80-90 BPM (beats per minute) to capture the relaxed feel of Lo-Fi music. Select the C minor scale to establish the desired mood.

Step 2: Creating the Drums

Start by opening the Channel Rack in FL Studio. Create a new channel and load a drum sampler or synthesizer of your choice. You can use FL Studio's built-in plugins like FPC, Drumaxx, or even the basic 3xOsc synthesizer.

Design a simple drum pattern by placing kicks on the first and third beats of each bar, and snares on the second and fourth beats. Add some hi-hats or shakers to fill in the gaps and create a rhythmic groove. Experiment with the velocity and timing of the drum hits to add a human touch and variation to the pattern.

Step 3: Crafting the Chord Progression

Create a new instrument channel and load a synthesizer that allows you to create rich, atmospheric sounds. FL Studio offers various options like Sytrus, Harmless, or Serum.

Start by playing chords in the C minor scale. Here's a simple chord progression to get you started:

Cm chord: C, Eb, G

Abmaj chord: Ab, C, Eb

Ebmaj chord: Eb, G, Bb

Gmaj chord: G, B, D

Experiment with different inversions and voicings to find the sound that appeals to you. Adjust the attack and release settings to achieve a softer and more relaxed sound.

Step 4: Adding Melodic Elements

To enhance your Lo-Fi beat, introduce some melodic elements. Create a new instrument channel and select a mellow instrument like a Rhodes piano, a warm pad, or a plucked guitar sound.

Compose a simple melody using notes from the C minor scale. Here are some possible notes that you can use to create melodies that harmonize with the chord progression:

Cm chord: C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab

Abmaj chord: Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb, F

Ebmaj chord: Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C

Gmaj chord: G, A, B, C, D, E

Experiment with these notes and their placements to create a simple and catchy melody that complements the chord progression. You can vary the rhythm, use slides, vibrato, or legato to add expressiveness and make your melody stand out.

Step 5: Applying Lo-Fi Effects

One of the defining characteristics of Lo-Fi music is the vintage and degraded sound. To achieve this, apply some effects to your individual tracks or the master channel. Here are a few suggestions:

a) Vinyl Crackles: Add vinyl crackle samples or use plugins that simulate vinyl noise to give your beat an authentic Lo-Fi texture.

b) Low-pass Filtering: Apply a low-pass filter to your drum track, chords, and melodies to reduce the high-frequency content and create a warm, muffled sound.

c) Tape Saturation: Use tape saturation plugins to emulate the sound of analog tape, adding warmth and subtle distortion to your mix.

d) Reverb and Delay: Apply reverb and delay effects to create a sense of space and depth in your mix. Experiment with different settings to achieve the desired ambiance.

Resource List:

FL Studio (https://www.image-line.com/flstudio/)

FL Studio Documentation (https://www.image-line.com/support/flstudio_online_manual/)

YouTube tutorials:

SeamlessR (https://www.youtube.com/user/SeamlessR)

In The Mix (https://www.youtube.com/c/inthemix)

Busy Works Beats (https://www.youtube.com/user/busyworksbeats)

Online communities and forums:

r/FL_Studio (https://www.reddit.com/r/FL_Studio/)

Image-Line Forums (https://forum.image-line.com/)

Sample libraries and sound packs:

Splice (https://splice.com/)

Native Instruments (https://www.native-instruments.com/)

Loopmasters (https://www.loopmasters.com/)

Remember, exploring and experimenting with different resources will help you find your unique sound and style within the realm of Lo-Fi beat production. Enjoy the journey and have fun creating your own Lo-Fi beats in FL Studio!

lofi

Optimize Your Ad Traffic: Mistake #1

Like many of us running traffic on popular online platforms like Google and Facebook, I’m sure you’ve experienced some significant (and not so great) changes in your CPL, conversion rate, and monthly ad spend.  

And I won’t even get started on how frequently ad accounts are being shut down. 

Here’s what we’re learning…

It’s NOT going to get any easier. 

In fact, expect things to get even more difficult as more and more restrictions unfold. 

Any good news? 

Over the next few Infinite Business Newsletter editions, I’ve going to cover the TOP 3 costliest mistakes businesses are making right now when it comes to running ads and driving traffic. 

These are also the most common mistakes that are pretty easy to rectify (as they are variables you CAN control).  

If you have an inhouse team member who takes care of your ad management, or you outsource it to a third party, make sure you forward them these three newsletters to ensure you get them corrected. 

The first mistake has everything to do with how your target audience “sees” you. 

96% of consumers simply don’t trust ads. Not a HUGE surprise.  But did you know that fewer than 1 in 5 adults say they trusted social media ads? 

As if the odds weren’t already stacked against us!

The challenge: Create an ad that not only grabs our prospect's attention, but ALSO conveys “trustworthy” and our “message” must be compelling enough to get them to take action.

One of the biggest ways to instantly FAIL in this task is using stock images in your ads and your social posts. 

How often do you see companies like Apple, or Pepsi, or Canon using stock images in their ads? 

You won’t. And there’s a very good reason why…

Nothing displays lack of ingenuity and effort quite like having the same stock photos that have been circulated all over the web. Using stock photography translates that you just don’t care about your brand or your culture…or even the message you are trying to deliver. 

It also shows lack of differentiation and authenticity (as clearly you look like everyone else). Those “big league” players know the value in building their brand–they want to be unique, they WANT to stand out. They want to resonate with their audience on a higher level. 

If you really want to resonate with your audience, entrust a dedicated person on your team to be responsible for unique content and ad creation. 

Create your own unique content. 

You don’t need to be in the race to post all day everyday, either. It’s all about quality content. Just look and see how many times big, successful companies post in the red oceans and win big. They only post quality videos a few times and they are almost always part of a campaign that leads you to the next one. 

Strategic placement of creative custom footage and ads is exactly how you play to win.

Now, I hear this quite often… 

I know it might seem EASIER and sometimes even FREE to just get a subscription to some stock photography service or platform. 

But have you ever read the fine print? Many subscriptions under a free subscription are free, but with risk. The site might only let you use it as long as your subscription is valid. Some time goes by, and maybe your forced to pull your ad because you canceled your subscription. 

Sometimes the creator of the stock footage decides they don’t want their photography on the site anymore and requests it to be pulled. Then the content creator might place a block on any photos videos on YouTube or Facebook using that footage regardless of the license you have. 

In rare cases, getting the wrong license can and will lead to lawsuits. Let’s say you paid for a license for up to 100K reach and you exceed that reach. Now you have to adjust and pay for more licenses. If don’t, you could be up against legal action if they can prove that you knew and didn’t pay. Then they go for a big chunk of your earnings. It’s simply not worth it. 

Another reason NOT to use stock photography is the risk of using a photo that someone has used and in turn has created a negative “anchor” around it.  Then you use it (not knowing)and when your audience sees it, they automatically feel negatively towards you. 

Using stock images can cause a major disruption in the message you are trying to send to your target audience.  

One last tip: 

Think long and hard about the message you want your audience to see. Ask yourself if what you are putting out is congruent and aligned with your brand, your culture…Your mission…Does it represent who you are as a company?

As always, get clear on what you are offering, and the value it brings. By doing this, you’ll become the trendsetter. 

One of the best ways to own your market is to position your brand as the trusted company it is… Again, one of the best ways to do that in your ads is to create and promote your own content. 

If you don’t have a team member or a third party that can help you optimize your ads (and ad spend), I highly recommend investing in a traffic audit (having a team of ad experts put your ad accounts, strategies, ads and stats under a microscope and audit every moving part of your prospect journey). 

My senior ad team performs Premier Traffic Audits here at Business Nitrogen. It’s a 30+ point comprehensive audit process that identifies any and all areas that can decrease your CPL, increase your conversion rate, and optimize your ad spend overall.  Sometimes just one discovery and alteration can pay dividends in the end. 

You can get more information here: Premier Traffic Audit. 

Stay tuned for Mistake #2!

To your success, 

David

Breaching Boundaries: Stepping into the Walled Gardens of Ad Tech and Advertising

The globe of advertisement technology and also marketing has actually seen quick advancement over the past couple of years, causing the surge of walled yards. These walled gardens are shut communities possessed by major gamers in the market, such as Google, Facebook, and Amazon.

While these walled yards use advertisers access to a big target market as well as important information, they likewise create obstacles for smaller gamers in the industry. These obstacles include minimal accessibility to data and analytics, high advertising and marketing prices, and also a demand for even more transparency.

Several market players are looking in the direction of choice remedies to overcome these obstacles. One such option is utilizing open-source technology as well as devices that enable greater transparency and partnership between different gamers in the sector.

One more solution is the development of independent advertisement technology firms, which supply a equal opportunity for smaller gamers. These firms can aggregate information from multiple resources and offer access to a larger data pool while still offering transparency and also responsibility.

Ultimately, the industry is likewise discovering making use of blockchain modern technology to create a decentralized advertisement network that any one player in the sector does not manage. This would permit higher transparency and also fair competitors while using marketers greater control over their information and campaigns.

Finally, walled yards supply several benefits however additionally develop barriers for smaller gamers in the ad technology as well as advertising sector. Getting rid of these obstacles will certainly call for a mix of services, including using open-source modern technology, creating independent ad technology business, and discovering blockchain technology.

walled gardens advertising

How Using Drones Is Changing The Roofing Industry

Drones are revolutionizing the roofing industry by providing numerous benefits and improving various aspects of the roofing process. Here are some ways in which drones are enhancing the roofing industry:

1. Roof Inspections: Drones equipped with high-resolution cameras can quickly and accurately inspect roofs, capturing detailed images and videos. This enables roofing professionals to identify issues such as cracks, leaks, or damaged shingles without physically climbing onto the roof. It saves time, reduces risks, and allows for more thorough inspections.

2. Safety: Roof inspections and maintenance tasks often involve risks for workers, such as falls from heights or exposure to hazardous materials. By using drones, roofing professionals can significantly reduce these risks as they can perform inspections remotely. Workers can operate the drones from the ground, eliminating the need to climb ladders or walk on potentially unsafe roofs.

3. Efficiency and Time-Saving: Drones enable faster roof inspections compared to traditional methods. Instead of manually inspecting each area, a drone can fly over the roof and capture comprehensive images and videos within a short time. This efficiency leads to time savings, allowing roofing professionals to assess more roofs in a day.

4. Accuracy and Documentation: Drones capture high-resolution images and videos that provide precise details of the roof condition. These visuals can be stored and analyzed later, ensuring accurate documentation of roof inspections. The detailed data collected by drones helps roofing professionals to create more precise estimates, identify specific problem areas, and make informed decisions.

5. Accessibility: Some roofs are challenging to access due to their height, steepness, or structural complexities. Drones can access these hard-to-reach areas easily and capture visual data. This accessibility allows roofing professionals to assess the condition of roofs that were previously difficult or dangerous to inspect.

6. Thermal Imaging: Advanced drones equipped with thermal cameras can identify areas of heat loss or water intrusion in roofs. Thermal imaging technology can detect temperature differences and highlight potential leaks or insulation issues. This capability enables early detection of problems that may not be visible to the naked eye, helping to prevent further damage and increase energy efficiency.

7. Marketing and Presentations: Drones can capture impressive aerial footage and images of completed roofing projects. Roofing companies can utilize this visual content for marketing purposes, showcasing their work and expertise to potential clients. Aerial views provide a unique perspective and enhance presentations and proposals, giving customers a better understanding of the scope and quality of the roofing project.

TylerTexas

Do You Create Results with 100% Certainty?

In the last edition of The Infinite Business Newsletter, I talked about the vital importance of innovation (aka continual improvement). 

The commitment to always be striving for new, better and different allows your company to stay relevant and service your clients even better. 

I’m always shocked to discover most businesses fail to use one of the most powerful tools in their tool box when it comes to finding out EXACTLY how to service their clients better (Maybe it’s obvious, therefore it’s often missed)...

And if you aren’t doing this to some degree in your business, it’s never too late to start…  

One of the quickest ways to innovate and take steps to improve your business is by asking the most important person or people in your business.

Who are the most important people in any business?

Your clients. 

Your clients are the BEST people to go to when you seek improvement suggestions, ideas for new products or services, or to discover future wants, needs, and desires. 

How do you really get inside the mind of your future clients? By asking your best clients…As they once were your prospect.

The wealth of invaluable information and insight you can gain just by having a conversation with a client is absolutely priceless. 

Which is why I’m so surprised more business owners don’t utilize this approach.  

One business owner I know created something called a “Client Council”.  He runs a very successful service business that specializes in HVAC.  Each year he selects 10 of his best clients and asks them if they’d like to be a part of his Client Council. As a council member, they agree to give him insight and input on anything he sends them (marketing pieces, offers, new service ideas, etc.) and they give their honest feedback.  

In exchange for their council “work” he gives them 20% off any service in his company for an entire year. He  also extends a new customer one time 20% off coupon to any friends or family that live in the area (brilliant how he wove a referral strategy into this program)!

By having this ongoing council, he gets continual insight and feedback on what he is doing, or would like to do. 

He also attains new customers from these referrals. 

What’s also important to note, is he selects new council members each year, giving him a variety of people to test his marketing on. 

The positioning is perfectly structured for his clients too.  First, it’s not a HUGE commitment (only 1 year). It also makes the client feel special to be a part of an exclusive and unique group. Let’s face it, they have probably never been asked to be a part of something like his council ever before. It also gives them the opportunity to become the hero to any friends or family that need HVAC work done…As they hold the key to getting them 20% off their first service call. 

People like to be the heroes and have solutions to help people, which is why people will go out of their way to recommend any product or service they know could help someone (especially with the added bonus of saving them some money). 

It’s a win-win-win for everyone.  

Another business owner I know takes his clients out for Client Appreciation dinners. He invites 3 or 4 clients and their spouses to a restaurant for dinner on him, as a way of thanking them for their business. In their time together, he is able to ask them as a collective group what they think about new products and services he’s thinking of offering in his business. He gets to find out what’s changing in their lives which gives him even more ideas on how to improve his business as well. He schedules these dinners twice a year, and has for the last 20 years. 

Now you might be thinking, “I don’t have the ability to meet with my clients one-on-one.”  

If you don’t have that ability to meet in person with clients, simply call them. 

Many times with our clients, I’ll randomly hop on a meeting they have scheduled with my team just to check in and ask them how they are doing. If one of these clients is someone I think would be a perfect candidate for a new program we are offering, I’ll ask them if they’d be interested in scheduling a one-on-one with me to discuss in greater detail.

Another EASY way to get insight and input from your clients is by sending them regular surveys on a consistent basis. You can send them by email or direct mail. I highly recommend implementing this strategy in your business no matter what, and in addition to any other thing you do. 

Sending out “How are we doing?” surveys on a regular basis shows your clients you really care about the level of service you provide them (that you are always looking for ways to improve). It also gets you information you need. 

It’s easy for anyone to set something like this up in their business. Remember, people want to share their experiences…They desire to feel heard. 

One last example that I couldn’t resist including because it’s so good… 

I heard about this approach from a mastermind I attended. The business owner ran live events at least twice a year for high school students interested in the field of medicine.

His main marketing vehicle was direct mail. His company established a successful “control” and had tested a few new strategies and vehicles to no avail in beating their existing “control”. 

One day as he was talking to his CMO about what to test next, and she suggested it was time to start testing different messaging. Messaging that really resonated with the parents and the students. 

“How would we know what to test?,” He said. She then said, “We ask them.” A bit confused, he asked, “Who?”she said, “Our prospects”.  

Here’s where it gets interesting…

They brainstormed various ways to attain all the relevant information they would need to guide them to create the perfect messaging. They knew in order to get it right, with 100% certainty (and in the shortest amount of time before the next event), they would need to do something extreme. 

They landed on what they called a “Prospect Tour”. They chose 10 prospects at random that agreed to meet with both of them in person. They then flew around the country to visit each of the prospects and their families.   

Extreme? Yes. 

But what they were able to discover in a few weeks of talking to prospects one-on-one was absolutely eye-opening. Not only did they gain insight on objections they never considered, they achieved their ultimate goal (which was to collect exact verbiage directly from their prospects that they could use in their copy).  Messaging that ended up resonating on such a deeper level with their prospective audience. 

I hope these examples gave you some ideas on how you too can gain insight quite easily from prospective clients and existing clients to help propel your business forward. 

Think about integrating any one of these strategies (or variations of them) in your marketing efforts.  At the very least, get a survey out to your clients every 6 months, even if it's just one question you ask them. It’ll pay dividends in the long run, and quickly elevates your business to new heights if you take what you learn and make necessary changes to continually improve. 

To your success, 

David