How To Make Melodic Techno like MRAK (Afterlife)

MRAK is the solo project of one half of the Italian duo Tale of Us, and his sound is defined by dark, cinematic melodic techno with hypnotic live performances. In this tutorial, Niek breaks down every essential element needed to create a track in the MRAK style - covering the kick and bass foundation, lead sounds with advanced serum modulations, counter melody design, spoken word samples, and full arrangement structure. All sounds used come from The Producer School's melodic techno sample pack Voyage.

How to Set Up the Kick and Rolling Bass Foundation

Every melodic techno track starts with a solid kick and bass relationship. For MRAK-style productions, set the project tempo to 124 BPM - a great starting point for this genre. Choose a deep kick with plenty of punch; the Voyage pack includes several suitable options for this style. For the bass line, build a 1/16 note rolling bass pattern - this type of constantly moving bass is a signature of modern MRAK tracks. Use a simple saw bass preset and pick A as the root note. For processing, add an OTT (Multiband Compressor) at approximately 20% depth for extra multiband compression and add Kickstart sidechain compression using a fairly steep sidechain curve so the bass ducks cleanly when the kick hits. Without sidechain, the bass and kick will clash and muddy the low end. For a second bass layer (the "top bass"), use the preset called Deserted from the Voyage pack - a slightly wider sound that adds accents on top of the rolling sub. On the top bass, apply an EQ to remove everything below around 90 Hz so the sub frequencies remain the responsibility of the first bass layer, and add a lighter Kickstart curve since this layer does not interfere with the kick as directly.

How to Design the Main Supersaw Lead Sound

The main lead in a MRAK-style track is a large, roomy supersaw. In this tutorial, the preset used is called Empire from the Voyage pack - a very wide, reverberant supersaw that you hear throughout modern melodic techno. For the melody, write a pattern using triplets in the piano roll. To work in triplets in FL Studio, switch the grid to 1/6 or 1/3 beat resolution, which gives you three subdivisions per grid section. The Empire preset has velocity modulation mapped to the filter cutoff inside Serum, so by varying MIDI note velocities you can dynamically open and close the filter throughout the melody - starting with a more closed cutoff at the beginning and gradually building it open. For processing, apply an EQ to remove some low end and boost the highs, add another OTT pass, and use the stereo separation knob in the FL Studio mixer (drag slightly left) to widen the sound to around 30% extra separation. The key effect on this lead is an automated reverb: use the Valhalla Vintage Verb with a long decay time and high wet level, then automate the wet level to shoot upward after the last note plays. This creates the signature atmospheric reverb swell that MRAK uses extensively.

What Makes the Counter Melody Lead Sound Special?

The counter melody in this tutorial uses a preset called Masterminds from the Voyage pack, and it stands out because of a layered LFO modulation structure that creates an evolving, organic texture. The sound itself is a simple saw lead with white noise, but there are multiple modulations stacked on top of each other. LFO 1 modulates the filter cutoff, creating movement in the tone. LFO 2 then modulates the rate of LFO 1 - meaning the speed of the filter movement changes over time, rather than staying at a fixed rate. This LFO-on-LFO technique produces a slow, unpredictable texture that feels alive rather than mechanical. A third LFO adds subtle fine-tuning modulation to give the sound an analog instability, and a fourth LFO adds gentle panning movement. For effects, a light distortion and a chorus are applied to widen the sound. For the counter melody processing, apply an EQ removing everything below around 150 Hz, add a large reverb (Fruity Reverb with a size setting and gate time pushed to around 6 seconds), and use a Fruity Peak Controller to create a sidechain reverb effect where the reverb level rises when the lead is silent and ducks when the lead plays.

How to Build the Bass Stab Element

The bass stab in a MRAK-style track punches in rhythmically between other elements, adding drama and forward momentum. The preset used here is called Vortex from the Voyage pack - a very simple stab sound in Serum. Write the stab pattern on the normal 1/16 grid (not the triplet grid). To give the stab more impact, layer a cinematic tom drum hit from the Voyage pack alongside it. MRAK regularly uses cinematic percussion hits like tom drums in his productions, and layering them with bass stabs creates a dramatic combined impact. Add a second layer using a taiko drum hit for additional weight, then combine it with the stab so both trigger at the same time. For processing on the stab itself, apply an EQ to shape the low and high-mid frequencies, use Decapitator for saturation warmth, add an OTT pass, and apply sidechain compression. Together, the bass stab plus the layered drum hits creates a weighty, cinematic accent that is central to the MRAK sound.

How to Design the Buildup for a MRAK-Style Track

The buildup in a MRAK-style track reuses many drop elements but introduces new ones and builds tension through automation. Start with the arpeggio from the drop. Add a low dramatic bass sound that moves through different notes - beginning on the root note (A), dropping down to F, then moving to G to create harmonic progression. During the peak buildup tension section, hold on the root note to build anticipation. Add a high cinematic lead sound (the preset Fear from the Voyage pack, with built-in delay and reverb) to increase the epic atmosphere. Automate the filter cutoff on the main supersaw lead so it opens gradually rather than being heard at full intensity immediately. Also automate the arpeggio Decay parameter so the notes get longer and longer as the buildup progresses, then snap back to very short just before the drop hits. Add a rolling snare fill that lengthens and intensifies. Add white noise uplifters and a synth riser. Just before the drop, use a synth fill sound (the preset Lead Mystical from the Voyage pack) that has a pitch bend modulation from LFO 3 already programmed, which sweeps the pitch up cleanly into the drop.

How to Use Spoken Word Samples the MRAK Way

One of MRAK's most recognizable production techniques is sampling spoken word audio from movies or older recordings to tell a story within the track. For this tutorial, a scene from the first Matrix film was sampled - a well-known monologue that fits the dark, cinematic atmosphere of the production. The original recording had significant background noise, so the audio was processed through Adobe Podcast's AI Voice Enhancer to reduce noise and clarify the vocal before any creative effects were applied. The processing chain for the spoken word sample includes:

1. EQ for general frequency shaping
2. A second EQ set to make the voice sound more like a radio or telephone recording, adding vintage character
3. FabFilter Pro-C for compression to control dynamics
4. Delay (Delay 3) to make the voice more spacey and atmospheric
5. A large reverb to place it in a big, distant-sounding space

The sample plays in the final moments of the buildup and leads directly into the drop, giving the moment a cinematic, narrative quality that defines the MRAK aesthetic.

All the sounds, presets, and project files used in this tutorial are available in the Voyage melodic techno producer pack from The Producer School, which includes Serum presets, a sample pack, vocals, and complete project files to help you build tracks in this style.

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