How to Make a Progressive House Remix in FL Studio 20

Progressive House, as you know, is a very popular sub-genre of EDM, which is why you’re reading this article on remixing a Progressive House track. The gradual buildups, complex melodies, and atmospheric sounds make it a firm favourite both on and off the dance floor. 

So, you’re keen to learn how to make a remix in the Progressive House genre? Good.

 First up, read this: 

5 Tips For A Progressive House Remix

  1. Choose the right track to remix
  2. Start with a solid intro
  3. Build the tension
  4. Drop the beat in a strong and powerful way
  5. Add some breakdown for variety

These tips are pretty general, so let’s get stuck into the details, which is based on this tutorial. 

8 Steps to A Progressive House Remix 

There are only 8 main steps to follow to make a progressive house remix using FL Studio 20. We’re starting with the intro, then moving to the melody, the leads, the chords, the baseline, and finally the break and build up.

1. Making a Progressive House Remix Intro

The tutorial uses an Acapella from a song called “The Funeral”. If the original vocal is all over the place, like if the chorus were in a different BPM than the break, and there were a bar between every musical sentence, put some time in to get the BPM to 128. Or choose a song with an even BPM! 

When you’ve got that vocal down, the acapella, it’s time to write the chord progression.

You can just be a bit lazy and use the chords of the original song. No harm, no foul. Be sure to play with the velocity to give a nice feeling. 

(Side note: you’re going to use this piece in the break later).

2. Making the Progressive House Melody

Start on the root note C. Then make a nice motif. Just try to keep the same vibe and finish the melody and be sure to add a variation. 

3. Making the Leads Progressive House Style

To get a full sound, use more than one layer. 

Use the following layers:

  • A Supersaw Layer
  • Another Supersaw layer
  • Magnatron Lead
  • A Pluck Layer
  • A Filtered Supersaw
  • A Violin layer
  • A Piano layer
  • A Detuned Supersaw
  • A Vibrating lead

Then listen to them all together

For the mixing, use: 

  • Fruity Parametic E2Q
  • OTT
  • Fruity Filter
  • Kickstart

Create a separate track for the reverb, because this way you can process the reverb individually as well. 

4. Making the Chords of Your Progressive House Remix

Now move on to the chords, which are really important in Progressive House, so make sure they sound good! Use a couple of layers:

  • Martin Garrix Chord
  • Plucky Supersaw
  • Normal Supersaw
  • Nexus Grand Piano
  • Gated Chord

Then have a listen to how they sound. 

For the mixing, use:

  • Fruity Parametic EQ2
  • Dimension Expander
  • OTT
  • Kickstart

Then, make a bassline.

5. Making The Progressive House Bassline

The bassline consists of a few layers. 

Use these:

  • Uplifting bass
  • Grungy Bass
  • Futuristic Bass
  • Sub Bass
  • Saw Bass
  • Arpeggiated Bass
  • Rhythmic Variation

Be sure to add an arp because it’s great to fill up the sound. 

Then listen to the arp melody and add some ambiance FX.

6. Making a Progressive House Drum Beat

Make a basic Progressive House drumbeat. Very simply, use a progressive house drum loop. 

7. The Break of a Progressive House Remix

In Progressive House, the break is super important. It captures emotion, and builds up to the drop. Try to build your break around your vocals. 

Use the following:

  • Emotional Piano
  • A 2nd piano for the climax
  • Lower velocity on off beat
  • A 2nd piano for the climax
  • A mysterious pad
  • Emotional strings
  • Uplifting plucks
  • Guitar Bass
  • Choirs from heaven
  • Ambiance
  • Cinematic Drums and Shakers 

Then listen to them all together. 

8. The Build Up of a Progressive House Remix 

In the build up, introduce the drop melody. 

Use:

  • Build Up Leads
  • Build Up Elements
A Progressive House Producer making magic

Do you Need Samples and Presets?

Yes, you do. Buy Lost. It’s a progressive house sample pack. That’s all you need to have apart from FL Studio 20. It has over 400 samples, 85 Sylenth1, V2 presets, and 4 FLPS, giving you the most polished and professional sounds. 

The Final Note on Making Progressive House Remixes

As said at the beginning of this article, choose the right track to remix. Once that’s done, make sure you have all the tools you need, like a sample pack and FL Studio 20. Follow the 8 steps outlined above and you will be making progressive house remixes with confidence soon.