Slap House remixes are slap bass-filled gems of the dance floor. If you’re keen on making a slap house remix, then read on to find out how to do it, with a slight detour on the history of the slap bass technique.

The History of Slap Bass

Did you know that slap house is reliant on the slap bass which originated in the funk genre? In EDM, slap house uses the slap bass with fast tempos and catchy melodies. The slap bass technique has evolved to bring in an energetic, almost aggressive sound that charges up the dance floor. 

Slap bass is not new to the music scene. The technique started in the 60s on actual bass guitars and gained traction by the 90s, with bands such as The Prodigy making use of it. It is now a common technique that’s used in many genres.

Slap Bass and the Synth in EDM

We can’t really talk about slap house without talking about the slap bass, which then takes us into a quick discussion on the synth. When producers use synths to create the slap bass sound, they get more control over the sound, and they can make it more unique. In the beginning, recordings of real bass guitars were used. What makes the synth option popular in EDM is that producers get to layer the slap bass many times to get a thicker and more powerful sound. This, then, gives the listener (and dancer) that slap house feel.

If you want to see how it’s done, watch this tutorial, and keep reading.

How to Make a Slap House Remix Intro

First set the BPM to 125, then find a vocal to remix. The tutorial uses “La La La”. For the Intro, make sure you use a LOT of reverb. The tutorial stresses a ‘shitload’, so best we take their advice and do the same. It gives an example of acapella with reverb, so it is definitely a must watch if you’d like to hear the examples. 

Next up, add a reese bass. Find notes that sound good with the vocal. The reese bass adds a really good depth to the sound. Add a Meduza style lead, ambiance and FX, and your intro will be done.

How to Make the Slap House Remix Break

Choose your break vocals. Listen to the tutorial at 2.57 to hear their chosen vocals. 

Add cymbal loops and snaps. Also add some FX. Add Uplifter. The full break will sound really good when you listen to it at this point. 

How to Make the Slap House Remix Build Up

The build up includes repeated intro parts:

• Intro Elements
• Add build up drums
• Add a build up drone
• Finally, add a ton of FX

Make sure you add a ton of automation to transition in the drop smoothly. The build up should sound amazing when you play it back at this point,

How to Make the Slap House Remix Drop

Using the same “la la la” vocals, use the manipulator plugin to edit the vocals. Put the formant at -5:00, which doesn’t alter the pitch itself. Listening to it at this point, you’ll hear that Slap House Remix vibe. 

Now it’s time for the drop where we’ll make the drums. First add the kick, then add pre-shifted claps. It’s now time for the slap bass. 

Use a lot of layers to get the sound right. Try these:

• Slap Bass 1
• Slap Bass 2
• Slap Bass 3
• Slap Bass 4
• Slap Bass 5
• Slap Bass 6
• Slap Bass 7

Then listen to them all together to hear the fat sound.

To do the slap bass mixing, use these:

• Equalizer
• Decapitator
• Saturation
• After-EQ
• DJM Filter
• Reverb
• Sidechain
• Then add Bass FX to fill in the gaps

At this point, add a powerful sub bass and you can listen to the full bassline. The final step here would be to add some small FX. Add percussion to give the bassline more punch. It won’t hurt to add a bit more FX. With that done, it’s time to add a 2nd vocal for the 2nd part of the drop. The extra vocal layer is a nice touch. 

Now, you’ll add drop leads with the same melody as the vocal. You’ll also want to add drum loops and some more FX for the 2nd part of the drop. 

Do You Need Samples and Presets?

Yes. All the samples and presets in our handy tutorial are from the Slap House Sample Pack. Infinity is the Ultimate Slap House sample pack. It contains 360 samples, 80 Serum Presets, 70 Slyenth1 Presets and 5 professional FLPs. It’s inspired by Dynoro, Alok, Vize, Imanbek, R3hab, & many more. 

Some say that Slap House is credited with bringing the slap bass back into the EDM scene, but did it ever really leave? Its unique sound has an energy that can drive people onto that dance floor and feel the beat in their bodies. Why not try making a slap house remix that would make Dynoro and R3hab proud?