How to Create a Beatport #1 Hit Like Mau P

In this tutorial, Yannick from The Producer School breaks down how to recreate a Beatport number one tech house track step by step - covering the bass design, drum programming, vocal chops, and mix processing that define the sound. Working at 128 BPM in FL Studio, he builds the track from scratch using stems from the original source material, showing exactly how each element is layered and processed to achieve that tight, energetic result. Most of the sounds used in this video come from the Motion producer pack.

How Do You Set Up the Foundation for a Tech House Hit?

The starting point for this style of track is getting the tempo right. The track is set to 128 BPM, which is typical for tech house and modern house productions in this style. To work with the original source material, the track is loaded into FL Studio and the built-in FL Studio stem splitter is used to extract the bass and vocal elements separately. This makes it much easier to isolate and repitch the components you want to use. The stems are initially muted and the build starts from scratch - kick drum first, then bass - so the groove is established before any melodic elements are layered on top.

How to Design the Bass Sound for a Tech House Track

The bass is built using a Serum preset from the Motion pack - a fake bass guitar character achieved by blending a saw wave table with synth processing. The filter cutoff is modulated by envelope one to give the sound a plucky, percussive attack. The effects chain is built up step by step:

1. Asymmetrical distortion for harmonic character and grit
2. A splitter adding saturation on the high end only
3. An EQ boosting the mids for presence and punch
4. A final filter cutting the very top end to prevent harshness

After drawing in the baseline, glide notes are added by enabling mono legato in Serum's voicing section with portamento time turned on. This creates funky sliding transitions between notes, adding movement and feel to an otherwise straightforward bassline pattern.

How to Process the Bass in the Mix

Once the baseline pattern is drawn in and dragged into the playlist, the bass is sent to a dedicated mixer channel for processing. The key processing steps are:

1. OTT multiband compression to tighten and control the dynamics
2. Decapitator for additional saturation and warmth - mixed in partially, not fully
3. Kickstart 2 for sidechain compression against the kick drum - set to a heavy amount since the kick is large and punchy

A second, wider accent bass from the Motion pack is layered on top of the main bass hits. This accent sound has its low frequencies removed so it only adds nuance and width, not competing with the fundamental. It also receives its own distortion and Kickstart 2 sidechain treatment. Stems of the original bass are additionally layered for further accent on the key hits.

What Drum Elements Make Up a Beatport Number One Tech House Track?

The drums are built from several layered elements to create depth and variety throughout the arrangement. The core drum setup consists of:

• A four-on-the-floor kick, sampled closely to the original production
• A double kick added on certain beats plus at the end of phrases for a stuttered feel
• An open hi-hat on every offbeat using two layered samples - a snappy short version and a longer 909-style open hat
• A main clap plus a lower second clap layer for more mid-frequency body
• A 16th-note closed hi-hat with velocity adjustments to add groove
• A minimal glitchy percussion loop and a pitch-shifted percussion loop at very low volume for ear candy
• A vinyl noise sample underneath for an old school house feel
• A 909 sample crash at the drop transition
• A shaker loop introduced in the second part of the drop for extra energy

How Do You Create the Vocal Chop Effect?

The vocal element is taken from extracted stems of the original track. The relevant section is cut, placed over the drop, and sent to a dedicated mixer channel. Processing on the vocal chop includes:

1. Low end removal with an EQ to keep it sitting above the bass frequencies
2. Sidechain compression via Kickstart 2
3. Volume reduction so it sits as a supporting element rather than the lead
4. A stutter effect using Gross Beat with the 1/4 beat gate setting
5. An automated mix control on the Gross Beat that gradually opens up the stutter effect over time

The original source material is also used at the end of the first drop section - a single bar of the original playback - to create a natural transition point and reference the familiar melody that listeners already know.

What Is the Arrangement Structure of This Style of Track?

The arrangement is kept relatively simple, which is characteristic of this style of tech house. The main sections are a drop with the full drum kit, bassline, accent bass, and vocal chops running. A second part of the drop introduces the shaker loop and additional one-shot percussion to lift the energy without overcomplicating the mix. The track follows a fairly direct drop-based structure rather than a complex four-part breakdown, which matches how the original production works. The combination of a strong, recognizable vocal hook, a funky sliding bassline, and a punchy four-on-the-floor kick is what drives the track's appeal and accessibility on dance floors.

Almost every sound used in this breakdown comes from the Motion producer pack - a house, tech house, and new disco sample and preset pack. Check it out at The Producer School for full details and previews.

Tutorial by Niek, co-founder of The Producer School. For more production tutorials, subscribe to The Producer School on YouTube (280K+ subscribers).