How to Use a Reference Track for Arrangement Without Copying
Table of Contents
Use a reference track to answer specific arrangement and mix questions, not to trace another producer's record. Mark its large sections, study how the energy changes, then choose where your own track should follow or differ. For mixing, compare balance and movement at a matched level rather than copying settings.
A reference is a decision tool
The empty timeline can make a strong loop feel directionless. A finished track gives you a visible journey and a listening standard, but it does not know what your own sounds need.
Before loading a reference, write one question:
- Where does the intro hand over to the main groove?
- How long does the first idea develop?
- What disappears before the drop?
- How does the second half differ?
- Does my mix lose punch or clarity compared with a stable target?
One clear question keeps the comparison useful.
1. Choose a reference that fits the job
For arrangement, choose a track with a relevant pace, energy path or audience use. It does not need the same sounds or exact subgenre.
For mixing, choose a well-balanced track that represents the weight, brightness or impact you are trying to judge. Use more than one reference when one record has an unusual balance.
Do not treat one reference as a universal Techno rule.
2. Map the large sections
Turn Up The Bass demonstrates the arrangement method by loading a reference, listening from the beginning and adding locators for the main sections.
We line up a finished track, begin listening through its large sections and add Ableton Live locators to create the roadmap.
Read the course transcript
All right, this is the video where we stop talking about the track and actually start doing some production. So far, module two, we've listened to the finished track, name every sound in it, talked about the big picture decisions, the BPM, the key, the arrangement principles, all conceptual, all study. This video bridges the gap. I want to show you how I start every project, and that is by creating a roadmap. So what I'm going to do is I'm actually going to use the song that we're working on in this masterclass as
our roadmap. So the markers look exactly the same as the project file that you have open in Ableton. So we understand our arrangement and we have the skeleton, the roadmap laid out. And this is something I do every single project. So the first thing we're going to do is we are going to open a brand new Ableton project. Next, we're going to set the BPM to our BPM, which is 156 up here in the top left corner. Then we're going to hit tab and we're going to go into the arrangement
view. Next, we're going to go to where our export is and I'm going to click it in the finder and I'm just going to drag it right onto our project. And if we zoom in, we should be able to see that the transients are lined right up on the grid, meaning our track is perfectly on grid and we're ready to start making our markers. So all I'm really going to do is I'm going to listen through the project and right click up here in this area where there's like that speaker
icon. I'm going to right click, hit add locator whenever I feel there is a new section that is started. And typically, I'm going to be making these markers every eight bars. So let's right click and delete this first marker and start listening. OK, so for this first part of the song, I'm going to hit I'm going to right click, hit add locator, and I'm going to call this high pass intro. This is basically just a classic trance technique. You take your drums, you high pass them, meaning you're cutting the low
end or the sub frequencies out of the track. And it just like slowly intros the drum. So it's not like everything at once. So high pass intro here. And then let's go to the end here and we'll find where our new part starts. OK, so the new part starts right here. And you notice we're at the start of bar nine, meaning it's been eight full bars. So we're going to hit add locator and then I'm going to type intro one point one, because this is the first part of our intro.
OK, now we're at a new part. It's been another eight bars. I'm going to right click here, add locator, call this intro one point two. OK, so this is a new part, but real quick, I want to explain why I do intro one point one, one point two and etc. So so let's say I have an even longer section and it goes to intro one point three or intro one point five. I know that each like point something point one point two. I know each one of those sections are eight
bars long. So if it's intro one point three, I can do three times eight. That's twenty four bars. I know that my intro has to be twenty four bars long. So I need to think when I'm writing, how am I going to make this twenty four bars interesting? Like what am I going to add? What am I going to subtract? So I that's the reason why I do like the decimal points like the one point one one point two. Anyway, now we have a new part at bar twenty five. This
is the breakdown. This is what I'm calling the breakdown. So we're going to right click right here. Add locator breakdown one point one. OK, this is the build up. This is not the breakdown. So breakdown one point one. That's all we got. Eight bars. But now we're at bar thirty three and we're going to call this build one point one because this is the build up leading up to our drop. OK, bar forty one drop one point one. OK, now it's been another eight bars, so I'm going to right click
here. Drop one point two. OK, now this part is a little trickier and you could call this one of two things. I actually instead of calling this drop one point three, I actually like calling this drop outro because we're sort of transitioning out of the drop. The energy hasn't got the energy hasn't gotten higher. It's kind of like we're starting to take things away. So I like to call this drop outro drop outro one point one because this it's the outro of the drop. You know, it makes sense. Now let's
keep listening. OK, so now we have drop outro one point two.
Mark broad changes such as:
- intro;
- first main groove;
- breakdown;
- buildup;
- drop or return;
- second-half change;
- outro.
Keep the first pass broad. You are building a map, not copying every fill, automation lane or bar count.
3. Give each marker a job
Write one reason for every section:
- establish the pulse;
- introduce the main identity;
- reduce pressure;
- rebuild expectation;
- return with a changed role;
- remove energy into the ending.
Move that list into your own project. Build the jobs with your sounds and patterns.
The completed Turn Up The Bass roadmap shows how the markers become a production guide rather than a track to trace.
We complete the section markers, review the finished roadmap and explain how to use it while arranging your own track.
Read the course transcript
OK, so this is another breakdown breakdown, but this is breakdown two. We already had a breakdown one, so I'm going to call this breakdown two point one. OK, another eight bars, so we're calling this breakdown two point two. OK, and now we're building back up again. I can tell by the drums, there's a riser in the background. The energy has taken a noticeable step up. So let's right click here and we're going to call this build two point one because it's our second build. So let's keep listening. OK, another eight
bars build two point two. OK, we got drop two point one. OK, drop two point two. We can skip ahead a little. OK, so that was eight bars there. We'll call this drop two point three because we're actually, you know, we're still taking the energy up here. OK, another eight bars drop two point four. OK, so some people would call this the outro. I actually think this is more again like a drop outro because I wouldn't you know, if I was DJing and I was listening to this, I wouldn't call
this like a pure outro where Now this I would call an outro because right here I would be like, OK, loop that really cool like little loop and then I'll start mixing in another song. So this is outro one point one. OK, outro one point two. OK, so this is just clearly outro for the rest of the song. So we're going to call this outro one point three and then let's skip ahead eight bars to one seventy seven. And that's how the song ends outro one point four. OK, I know
that was I was really tedious with that, but I just wanted to show you the full like process. And this is exactly what I do. I didn't cut any of the parts out, except I'd be doing with this with like another song or some of my favorite songs versus the song that we had already written. But I just wanted to do this for you. So if you went through and did this, it would match up exactly to our project file that we're working on. I do this every single time I
produce, drag in a favorite song, add the locators, and then I can delete that song as a reference. And then I have a roadmap for me to start arranging my own song. So now that you know how to make a roadmap, the studying is over. Module two is done. It's time to get into the fun stuff, which is diving into the project, going through all the sounds, remaking some of them and really getting into the nitty gritty of how to make Schranz. Next up, the kick.
4. Decide where your track should differ
Ask four questions at each marker:
- What job does the reference section perform?
- Does my track need the same job?
- How long does my own idea need?
- What will make this section belong to my track?
Your vocal may need more room. Your main groove may arrive sooner. Your second half may change through percussion instead of a new synth. Those differences are the point.
Do not copy audio, MIDI, melody, automation or settings. Take the decision, not the material.
5. Compare the journey, not the identity
After arranging, listen to both tracks again. Compare:
- where pressure rises and falls;
- when the main identity appears and returns;
- whether contrast arrives before fatigue;
- whether the ending feels complete.
Remove the reference and listen to your track alone. If the timeline still makes sense, the reference has done its job.
For the full loop-to-track workflow, read How to Turn an 8-Bar Techno Loop Into a Full Track.
6. Save an earlier version before mix comparisons
Before major mix changes, save a new project version and export the current state. This gives you an honest earlier reference rather than relying on memory.
The Apollo Peak Time project loads the earlier export into MetricAB and keeps it synchronized with the working session so changes can be checked against the original state.
We export the pre-mix state, load it into a reference tool and compare decisions without copying another track's settings.
Read the course transcript
The next thing we're going to do is we're going to export the current version of our track. This is just so we have a reference of what it sounded like before we started mixing. So we can check back and forth to make sure that the changes we're doing are actually improving the song. So I've already made that export and the plugin that we're going to use to reference our track is one called MetricAB. This is an incredible plugin. I love using it. I already have a ton of songs already in
here. These are songs that I love that I reference. So what you can do is you can click up here, default, hit new preset, hit okay. So then we're going to go find our track. So I'm going to hit these little three lines right here, hit load audio file. And let's see, we have our export right here. So we can load that up. And then the last thing we have to do is where this says latch, we need to click this dropdown and make sure it says sync. So no matter
where we press play in our project, MetricAB will make sure that the reference song is in sync with our actual project. So if we press play, whenever this is blue, this is our project. And whenever it's orange, this is the reference file that's playing. So you can see it skips around inside Metric AB whenever we're skipping around the project. And we just want to always be referencing our original song to make sure that we're not making our track worse.
The plugin is one tool. Any method that lets you switch reliably between level-matched versions can perform the same job.
7. Match playback level before judging the mix
A louder reference often seems clearer and more exciting even when the balance is not better. Turn it down until the perceived levels are close.
Now compare relationships:
- kick against bass;
- low end against the rest of the track;
- main identity against drums;
- bright energy against fatigue;
- quiet and loud section contrast.
Do not copy an EQ curve, limiter setting or frequency target simply because it appears in the reference. Different sources and arrangements need different settings.
8. Reset tired ears
Switch away from the project, lower the monitoring level and return after a break. Use the reference to restore perspective, not to force every difference out of your mix.
If a change does not improve the track at a matched level, remove it. A reference is allowed to prove that the earlier version was better.
Reference-track checklist
- Choose one question.
- Pick a reference suited to that question.
- Mark the large arrangement sections.
- Give every marker a job.
- Choose where your track should differ.
- Save an earlier version before mix changes.
- Compare at a matched playback level.
- Remove the reference and approve your track on its own.
Continue with the complete production system
The Everything Bundle currently includes Techno and Hard Techno sounds, MIDI, Serum presets, Ableton tools, project files and a 58-lesson Techno masterclass. Confirm the current contents and compatibility on the product page.
For the separate Turn Up The Bass Schranz arrangement method shown here, Diablo 3 Hard Techno Essentials offers a Masterclass Included option with the 50-lesson course. Diablo 3 is not included in the current Everything Bundle.
