Master Modern Tech House Production: Max Styler Style Tutorial

Max Styler was ranked the most supported producer of the year, and this tutorial breaks down exactly how to replicate his modern tech house sound - a blend of groovy, driving drums, deep plucky bass, and hypnotic melodic layers that manages to feel both underground and universally appealing. Niek from The Producer School walks through the entire process in FL Studio, covering drum programming, bass design in Serum, synth layering, side-chaining, and arrangement, using sounds from the After Hours tech house and indie dance producer pack.

What Makes Max Styler's Sound Distinct in Modern Tech House?

Max Styler's production approach combines groovy tech house with melodic indie dance elements in a way that feels both dark and accessible. His key sonic identifiers are live drum textures, particularly acoustic and 909-style hats used together, deep and plucky bass lines with strong one-eighth-note rhythms, and a minimalist philosophy that prioritises selecting the right sounds over adding many layers. He was one of the first producers in tech house to integrate live drum textures as a core element rather than a background texture. The tracks run at around 128 to 130 BPM - this tutorial uses 128 BPM. His arrangements are straightforward but effective because every sound earns its place in the mix and is processed to its full potential before it is committed to the arrangement.

How to Program Max Styler-Style Drums

The drum programming in this style is built in layers, combining electronic and acoustic elements:

1. Start with a deep, punchy kick - the "After Hours Kick 12" preset provides the right fat, punchy character.
2. Add an acoustic hat loop, chopping it up so open hits land with a different feel. Layer a second, noisier hat loop underneath at a lower volume for texture.
3. Program a snare using a gated reverb effect - use Valhalla Vintage Verb gated reverb presets, lowering the mix and adding distortion with a Decapitator after the reverb for extra punch.
4. Place open hat loops on the offbeats. Layer a classic 909 open hat with a breath loop, panned slightly to the left.
5. For texture underneath the whole drum group, use a noisy crackle loop and a chopped ambient noise loop to add grit and analogue feel.
6. Add a laser hit sample, used sparingly on simple patterns to give the groove an unexpected accent.
7. In the second section of the drop, introduce an additional analogue-sounding open hat loop for extra energy.

The principle is to keep the structure simple while using the right combination of acoustic and electronic textures to make the groove feel alive.

How Do You Create the Bass Sound in This Style?

The bass is built using the "Bass Drag" preset in Serum from the After Hours pack - a deep, plucky bass that uses two oscillators:

• Oscillator A: The "I Can Has Kick" wavetable from the digital section, described as a crunchy saw - ideal for this style.
• Oscillator B: A standard saw oscillator providing additional low-end weight.
• FX chain: Asymmetrical distortion, a hyper effect, compressor, OTT multiband compressor, and an EQ (some inactive, used for macro control).

The bass pattern starts as a simple one-eighth-note baseline - effective on its own - then gets variation by doubling one hit to sixteenth notes and ending a phrase on a D sharp. This is a typical modern tech house baseline move: mostly stable with one rhythmic twist and a passing note at the end of the bar. Side-chaining is applied using Kickstart with a steep curve and the band function engaged, so only the low frequencies duck when the kick hits. This preserves the pluckiness and mid-range punch of the bass while removing low-end clashes with the kick.

How to Add Melodic Layers Without Over-Complicating the Mix

Max Styler's approach to melodic layering is restrained - a few sounds that work well together rather than many that compete. Two synth layers are used in this project:

• Robotic pluck layer: The "Pluck Trill" preset from the After Hours pack. It includes a phaser effect that gives it an electro-inspired, robotic quality you can hear in Max Styler tracks. Plays a simple pattern hitting every eighth note with a couple of double hits for variation.
• Perfect fifth pad layer: The "Dynamics" preset, introduced in the second half of the drop for added energy. It contains a natural perfect fifth interval that adds harmonic richness without melodic complexity. The same simple pattern as the pluck layer is used, kept long and sustained.

Both layers are kept simple and functional - they do not carry a melody but rather reinforce the groove and add harmonic depth. This balance between groove and melody is central to the Max Styler aesthetic.

What Is the Role of Cutoff Automation in the Arrangement?

Cutoff automation on the bass is one of the primary tools for creating movement and interest throughout the drop without needing to add more layers. In FL Studio, an automation clip is created with a simple repeating pattern applied to the bass filter cutoff - a subtle rise and fall that repeats throughout the drop. The automation is kept minimal: just enough movement to make the drop feel alive and dynamic. This technique prevents the arrangement from feeling static while maintaining the focused, driving character of the track. Combined with a high-pass filter on the bass during the buildup, the cutoff automation covers both the build tension (restricting the low end before the drop) and drop energy (allowing the full bass to breathe and move rhythmically). A vocal sample from the After Hours pack - "It take flight, it stack dreams, build it" - is used in the buildup alongside drum fills and risers to signal the incoming drop.

How to Finalise the Drop and Arrangement for a Max Styler Style Track

The drop arrangement in this style is built from a tightly focused set of elements:

1. First section of the drop: Full drums, bass with cutoff automation, the robotic pluck layer. Keep things minimal and let the groove do the work.
2. Second section of the drop: Introduce the additional open hat loop and the perfect fifth synth layer for added energy and variation.
3. Transition points: Use simple downlifters, an impact sound, and a crash to mark the end of one section and the beginning of the next.
4. Buildup: Remove the open drop elements, keep the bass with a high-pass filter, add drum fills and risers, and play the vocal sample for anticipation.

The finished result demonstrates that this style rewards restraint - every element is chosen carefully, processed properly, and placed purposefully. Complexity comes from the quality of the groove and sound selection, not from the number of layers.

All sounds used in this tutorial - including the kick, acoustic hat loops, snare samples, the Bass Drag and Pluck Trill Serum presets, the Dynamics preset, and the vocal sample - are included in the After Hours tech house and indie dance producer pack, along with project files, additional presets, and more.

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