How to Make a Trap Beat in Logic Pro

Working in Logic Pro and want to make a trap beat? With a drum kit, the Step Sequencer and an 808 in Quick Sampler, you'll have a loop going in no time. In this guide you build a trap beat, from an empty project to a loop a rapper can write to.

What makes a beat trap?

• A tempo between 130 and 150 BPM, often around 140, in half-time. More on what BPM is trap.
• The snare on beat 3 instead of 2 and 4.
• Fast hi-hats with rolls.
• A heavy 808 that follows the root notes of your chords.
• A dark or emotional melody, usually in a minor key.

Step 1: tempo and key

Set your project tempo to 140 BPM. That's a safe starting point. Working from a sample or a reference beat? Find the BPM and key first with the free Beat Lab.

Step 2: chords or melody

Pick a minor key and keep it simple. Two to four chords on repeat often work better than something complicated. With the free chord progression generator you pick the Dark or Sad mood and download the MIDI. Then just drag it into your project. Need a melody on top? Read how to make a melody for your beat.

Step 3: pick a drum kit

According to Apple, you choose Track > New Software Instrument Track, click Electronic Drum Kit in the Library and pick a kit. That gives you a kit in Drum Machine Designer. Want to use your own sounds? According to Apple, you drag a WAV, AIFF or MP3 file from the Finder or one of the Logic browsers onto a pad.

Looking for drum sounds? NAME The Trap Oneshot Pack Vol. 1 includes 26 808s, 22 closed hats, 12 claps and 20 kicks, among other sounds, all royalty-free.

Step 4: draw your drums in the Step Sequencer

According to Apple, you Control-click in an empty part of the Tracks area of your drum track and choose Create Pattern Region. In the Step Sequencer, every row is a piece of your kit. Click in the grid to turn steps on. You can do that while it's playing too.

Working in sixteenths, beat 1 is on step 1, beat 2 on step 5, beat 3 on step 9 and beat 4 on step 13.

• Snare or clap: on beat 3, so step 9. That gives you the half-time feel.
• Kick: on beat 1, then a few kicks that move with your 808.
• Hi-hats: on every step or every other step.

Want a two-bar pattern? According to Apple, you choose a different length in the Pattern Length menu.

Step 5: hi-hat rolls

According to Apple, you have two handy options:

• Note Repeat: choose Note Repeat in the Edit Mode selector and drag a step up for more repeats. Per step that goes from 1 to 16 times.
• Step Rate: choose a smaller note value for your whole pattern in the Step Rate menu.

Put rolls mainly right before the snare or at the end of a bar. More ideas in how to make hi-hat rolls. That article is about FL Studio, but the idea is the same.

Step 6: velocity and swing

If every hi-hat hits equally hard, it sounds like a machine. According to Apple, you choose Velocity/Value in the Edit Mode selector and drag a step up or down. In your pattern settings, the Swing slider sets a percentage and you choose whether the swing applies to eighths or sixteenths. Start subtle.

Step 7: the 808

Drag your 808 sample to the empty area below your last track and choose Quick Sampler. According to Apple, you then get two options. With Quick Sampler (Optimized), Logic analyzes your file and adjusts things like its tuning and loudness. With Quick Sampler (Original), everything stays as it is.

Play the root notes of your chords and let the 808 ring out on the important moments. Sounds slightly off? In Quick Sampler you tune with Coarse in semitones and with Fine in cents, according to Apple. How to measure the note of your 808 is in how to tune an 808 in FL Studio. The idea is the same.

Want sliding 808s? According to Apple, Glide sets how long it takes to slide from one pitch to the next. New to 808s? Read what an 808 is first.

Kick and 808 getting in each other's way? Read how to mix 808 and kick.

From loop to beat

A one or two-bar loop isn't a beat yet. Give your beat a structure with an intro, hooks and verses. How to do that is in from loop to beat.

Common mistakes

• Kick and 808 in the same spot. Two low sounds at once make your mix dull.
• 808 in the wrong key. Check your key and tune your 808.
• All hi-hats equally loud. Vary the velocity.
• Too busy. A rapper needs space. Fewer layers is often better.

How to get your beat out of Logic as a WAV, MP3 or separate tracks is in how to export a beat in Logic Pro. Beat done and ready to rap on it? Read how to mix rap vocals in Logic Pro. Want to master your track yourself after that? Read how to master in Logic Pro. Working in FL Studio or Ableton? Read how to make a trap beat in FL Studio or how to make a trap beat in Ableton Live. Rather make drill? Read how to make a drill beat in Logic Pro. Or browse all beats right away.

FAQ

Can you make trap in Logic Pro?

Yes. A kit in Drum Machine Designer, the Step Sequencer and an 808 in Quick Sampler give you the basics.

How do you make hi-hat rolls in Logic Pro?

In the Step Sequencer, choose Note Repeat in the Edit Mode selector and drag a step up. That step then plays several times.

What BPM is a trap beat?

Usually between 130 and 150 BPM, often around 140. Because trap is in half-time, it feels like half that.

Source: Apple's Logic Pro user guide and support pages.