In this video I’m building an R&B banger from scratch—starting on the Maschine MK3 in the daytime for once—and then bouncing everything into Logic Pro X to write the song live. I set the tempo at 125 (because 124 is weird), then I dig into some of my favorite Maschine drum sounds and start stacking the groove: snare, kick, little rhythmic elements, and bounce-y accents. I’m picky about levels too—if a sound is trying to be the “main character,” I’m turning it down so the pocket stays clean. Once the beat feels moody and inspiring, I export it to Logic and start writing before the beat is even “finished,” because that’s honestly how I work. I lay down a verse and hook fast—even if it’s rough—then I throw a real-time tuner on (G# minor) just to keep me locked in while I’m composing. After that, I add some simple organ chords, sprinkle in a couple extra drums/synths, and then I go back to tighten the vocals. For the hook, I layer a bunch of doubles to get that breathy-but-powerful sound with space. And at the end, I give y’all a special treat: a sneak preview of my new song “Free” coming soon.