House

History and character

House was born in Chicago between 1981 and 1985. The name comes from the Warehouse, the club where New York DJ Frankie Knuckles played disco, soul and European electronic music, edited and extended with tapes and drum machines; the city's record stores began labeling that music "house" and then the local productions too. The first recognized record is Jesse Saunders — On and On (1984); by 1985 the word "house" already meant the Chicago productions released by Trax Records and DJ International, also spread by radio station WBMX (Hot Mix 5). Cheap, second-hand instruments — the Roland TR-808, TR-909, TR-707, TB-303, Juno — replaced the orchestra of disco.

In the early years house immediately split into strands: raw Chicago jacking (Chip E., Farley Jackmaster Funk, Steve "Silk" Hurley), the jazzy deep house of Larry Heard (Mr. Fingers, Can You Feel It, 1986), the TB-303 acid house (Phuture, Acid Tracks, 1987) and the gospel garage house of New York and New Jersey (Paradise Garage, Zanzibar). In 1987–88 acid house exploded in the United Kingdom (Shoom, the "Second Summer of Love") and house became a European language: Italian piano house, French touch, English progressive, then tech house, electro and future house, all the way to South African afro house and the melodic house of the 2010s–2020s.

Aesthetics: DJ music, built in 8-bar phrases and designed to be mixed; the four-on-the-floor kick is a shared heartbeat, and the groove comes from the dialogue between kick, offbeat hi-hat, syncopated bass and short chords. The vocal, when there is one, is soul or gospel (the "diva") or a repeated sample; the harmony comes from soul, jazz and disco, but it is cyclical and serves the dance more than the story.

Scales and keys

Convention: Roman numerals are relative to the major scale of the same tonic (uppercase = major, lowercase = minor, ° diminished, ø half-diminished, + augmented; b/# = degree lowered/raised relative to major: in A minor F = bVI, G = bVII). The notes and chords below are calculated exactly from the formula.

Dorian (the mother scale of soul house)

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 — steps: W H W W W H W
• On A: A B C D E F# G
• Diatonic triads: Am i · Bm ii · C bIII · D IV · Em v · F#dim vi° · G bVII
• Seventh chords: Am7 i7 · Bm7 ii7 · Cmaj7 bIIImaj7 · D7 IV7 · Em7 v7 · F#m7b5 viø7 · Gmaj7 bVIImaj7
• Characteristic note: the major sixth (F# in A Dorian). Compared with natural minor, it raises the bVI to 6: the IV chord becomes major (D, D7, D9) and the i–IV loop sounds minor but bright, "hopeful", typically soul/gospel.
• Use in the genre: the i7–IV9 loop (Am7–D9) is the house loop par excellence: Rhodes or organ stabs, with a bass alternating A and D with octaves. Vocal melodies sit in the minor pentatonic (A C D E G) and touch F# on the IV to brighten the chord.
• Usage example: New York deep and garage house (Kerri Chandler, Masters at Work) makes heavy use of minor seventh/ninth Dorian loops; Larry Heard's deep house has the same color.
• Common mistakes: playing F (b6) in the melody over the D major chord (it creates a b9 against F#, which clashes); confusing Dorian with natural minor by putting an Fmaj7 in the loop: the color changes completely.

Aeolian / natural minor

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 — steps: W H W W H W W
• On F: F G Ab Bb C Db Eb
• Diatonic triads: Fm i · Gdim ii° · Ab bIII · Bbm iv · Cm v · Db bVI · Eb bVII
• Seventh chords: Fm7 i7 · Gm7b5 iiø7 · Abmaj7 bIIImaj7 · Bbm7 iv7 · Cm7 v7 · Dbmaj7 bVImaj7 · Eb7 bVII7
• Characteristic note: the b6 (Db in F minor), which makes the bVI (Dbmaj7) soft and melancholic. Without a leading tone the V is minor (Cm7): no strong resolution, perfect for loops that never close.
• Use in the genre: four-chord minor loops (i–bVI–bVII–v or i–bVI–bIII–bVII), late-night piano house, darker basslines, vocals in the minor pentatonic. Widely used in tech house and progressive.
• Common mistakes: using the major V (C7) with a leading tone in every loop: it becomes harmonic minor and the track sounds "classical" or Latin instead of house; putting too many full chords in the low register.

Ionian / major with extensions

• Formula: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 — steps: W W H W W W H
• On C: C D E F G A B
• Diatonic triads: C I · Dm ii · Em iii · F IV · G V · Am vi · Bdim vii°
• Seventh chords: Cmaj7 Imaj7 · Dm7 ii7 · Em7 iii7 · Fmaj7 IVmaj7 · G7 V7 · Am7 vi7 · Bm7b5 viiø7
• Characteristic note: the major seventh (B) and the fourth used as a suspension: in house, major is almost always heard with maj7, 6 and 9 (Cmaj9, Fmaj7, G6) to avoid the "nursery rhyme" effect.
• Use in the genre: '90s piano house, gospel garage, disco house: IV–V–iii–vi and ii–V–I–vi loops with seventh chords, offbeat piano stabs.
• Common mistakes: bare triads in the mid-high register (they sound pop/Eurodance); V–I cadences that are too frequent and break the hypnosis of the loop.

Mixolydian (funk/disco color)

• Formula: 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 — steps: W W H W W H W
• On G: G A B C D E F
• Diatonic triads: G I · Am ii · Bdim iii° · C IV · Dm v · Em vi · F bVII
• Seventh chords: G7 I7 · Am7 ii7 · Bm7b5 iiiø7 · Cmaj7 IVmaj7 · Dm7 v7 · Em7 vi7 · Fmaj7 bVIImaj7
• Characteristic note: the b7 over a major chord (F in G Mixolydian): the tonic chord is a G7 or G9 that doesn't ask to resolve, as in funk.
• Use in the genre: I–bVII loops (G–F) or an I7 vamp with funk basslines, guitars and clavinet in disco-derived house; backing vocals in the major pentatonic with the b7 as a blue note.
• Common mistakes: putting F# (leading tone) in the bass or melody: you go back to major and the groove loses its funk "dirt".

Minor pentatonic (vocals, riffs, stabs)

• Formula: 1 b3 4 5 b7 — steps: W+H W W W+H W
• On A: A C D E G
• Characteristic note: no semitones: no note clashes over i–IV, i–bVI or i–bVII loops; it is the "safe" scale for vocal hooks, organ riffs and bass.
• Use in the genre: short repeated vocal phrases, call and response between diva and chorus, M1/Korg organ riffs, bass lines (A–C–D–E–G with octaves).
• Common mistakes: staying on the same 3 notes without new rhythm: the pentatonic lives on syncopation and varied repetition.

How to choose between the scales

Rule of thumb: choose the scale based on the IV or VI chord you want to use (major IV → Dorian; bVI → Aeolian), and write melody and bass starting from the pentatonic, then add the characteristic note on the strong beats.

Harmony

Harmonic function

House harmony is cyclical: a loop of 1, 2 or 4 chords repeated throughout the track, with few complete V–I cadences. The tonal center is established by repetition and by the bass, not by resolution. The loop has to work endlessly: the last chord must "pull" toward the first (e.g. a v7 or bVII returning to i).

Harmonic rhythm and density

• One chord per bar or every two bars; in 2-chord loops, often 2 bars each.
• Short stabs (1/16–1/8) on the offbeat or syncopated: the chord is also a rhythmic element.
• Low density below 200 Hz: the bass plays the root, the chords sit between C3 and C5.

Voicing

• Seventh, ninth and eleventh chords taken from soul and jazz: m7, m9, m11, maj7, maj9, 7sus4, 9sus4, 6/9.
• Tight close-position voicings for the stabs (e.g. Am9 = C E G B over A in the bass), open and late-entering voicings for pads and Rhodes.
• Parallel chords ("chord memory"): a single m7 or m9 voicing transposed onto several roots, typical of Chicago house and deep house (planing).
• Pedals: tonic held in the bass while the chords above change (Am7 → G/A → Fmaj7/A).

Cadences and borrowing

• Suspended ii–V–I: the dominant 9sus4 instead of the 7 avoids the tritone and makes the resolution soft.
• Borrowing the major IV in minor (Dorian) and the bVII in major (Mixolydian).
• In garage and piano house: diatonic descents by step (IV–iii–ii–I) and secondary dominants (VI7 → ii).
• Modulations are rare; when they occur, they are whole-step jumps in the last chorus of the pop vocal versions.

Examples

• Am7–D9 (i7–IV9): two Dorian chords, the whole track.
• Fmaj7–G6–Em7–Am7 (IVmaj7–V6–iii7–vi7): '90s piano anthem.
• Dm9 played as stabs and transposed to Fm9 and Gm9: chord memory à la Larry Heard.

Typical progressions

Rhythm and groove

• Meter and grid: 4/4, kick on every quarter note (four on the floor). Sixteenth-note grid; almost all of the groove sits on the even sixteenths (2nd and 4th of each beat) and on the offbeats.
• Feel: the contrast between the downbeat (kick) and the offbeat (open hat, bass, stabs) produces the characteristic "pumping". Swing on the sixteenths is light to medium: 52–58% in MPC style; in FL Studio's Channel rack about 10–30 on the Swing knob, applied to hats, shaker and percussion, rarely to the kick.
• Accents: strong accent on 2 and 4 (clap) and on the offbeat (open hat). Syncopations sit in the bass, the stabs and the percussion (3/16, 2&, 4&).
• Microtiming: shaker and congas slightly late (5–15 ms), clap sometimes 5–10 ms after the grid for a more relaxed feel; kick always on the grid.
• Variation: repetition with micro-changes every 4 or 8 bars, subtraction and addition of elements, filters. No half time.

Drums

Role of the kick

The kick is the metronome and the DJ's reference point: always on the 4 quarter notes (steps 1, 5, 9, 13 in sixteenths). A short, round sound (shortened 909 or 808 with reduced decay, 150–300 ms), fundamental between 50 and 65 Hz, click at 2–4 kHz. Constant velocity; no ghost notes.

Snare and clap

Clap (909, 808 or sample) on 2 and 4 (steps 5 and 13), often doubled by a short snare. In the added variants: ghost clap on the 4& (step 15) at 50–60% velocity, clap roll at the end of a phrase. The tail (room reverb 0.6–1 s) gives the size of the club.

Hi-hat and ride

• Open hat on the offbeat (steps 3, 7, 11, 15): the "tss" that pushes, decay 120–200 ms, choked by the next kick (choke group).
• Closed hat in eighths or sixteenths with accents on the even sixteenths; velocity pattern like 100-60-85-60.
• Ride in eighths in full moments (typical of the 909) to increase energy without adding volume.

Percussion

Swung sixteenth-note shaker, tambourine on 2 and 4 or on the offbeat, congas and bongos (3/16 and 2&), syncopated rims, 808 cowbell. They give the "Latin" groove and the lateral movement (panning).

Dynamics, ghost notes and groove

Ghost notes sit on shaker, hat and rim (velocity 30–60%). Swing is applied to hats and percussion, not to kick and clap. A good house groove rests on 3 layers: kick+clap (straight), hat+open hat (push), shaker+perc (swing).

Interaction with bass and vocals

The bass avoids the downbeat or just grazes it (short notes on the offbeat, octaves): kick and bass alternate. Under the vocal, remove the ride and high percussion (4–8 kHz) or lower them by 2–3 dB.

Changes between sections

• DJ intro: kick + hat, then clap and perc every 8 bars.
• Groove/verse: full drums without ride.
• Breakdown: no kick, filtered hats or shaker remain; snare roll in the last 4–8 bars.
• Drop/main section: ride, louder open hat, crash on the 1.
• Outro: elements are removed in reverse order.

Fills and transitions

Few fills: work by subtraction (remove the kick for 1 bar or half a bar), snare/clap roll of 1–2 bars, reverse cymbal, high-pass filter on the drums for 4 bars.

Choosing sounds

909 (kick, clap, sampled 6-bit hats), 808 (long kick, cowbell, clap), 707; samples from disco breaks. Tune the kick to the tonic or the fifth of the track if it has a tonal tail.

Typical mistakes

A kick that is too long and covers the bass; clap and kick together with no space (clap too low); hats all at the same velocity; swing applied to the kick; too many high elements that make the groove tiring.

Bass

• Sound: analog synth bass (filtered saw or square, Juno/SH-101/TB-303/Minimoog), organ bass (Korg M1 "organ 2"), sampled electric bass in disco/garage house. Fundamental between 40 and 110 Hz, harmonics between 200 Hz and 1 kHz so it can be heard even on small systems.
• Range: C1–C3 (32–130 Hz); notes below E1 (41 Hz) should be used with caution.
• Relationship with the kick: interlocking: the bass plays mostly on the offbeats (steps 3, 7, 11, 15) and on the sixteenths after the kick (steps 2, 4, 10). Light sidechain (2–4 dB) or LFO ducking; tune the kick so its fundamental doesn't clash with the bass tonic (same note or fifth).
• Note choice: tonic, octave, fifth, minor seventh; chromatic passing notes toward the chord change (e.g. A–A–C–C#–D to go from Am7 to D9). Alternating octaves in sixteenths (disco). Short glides only in acid lines.
• Rhythm: syncopated lines of 1 or 2 bars repeated; short notes (staccato, 1/16–1/8) to leave space for the kick.
• Typical examples: offbeat bass (offbeats only), disco walking bass in octaves, '90s syncopated organ bass, 303 acid line in sixteenths with accents and slides.

Harmonic instruments

• Piano: the "M1 Piano" (Korg M1, 1988) and sampled pianos are the hallmark of piano house: close-position stabs, doubled at the high octave, syncopated offbeat rhythm (3/16, 2&, 4&). Range C3–C6.
• Organ: organ stabs with short percussion (B-3 or digital preset organs), syncopated riffs, organ bass.
• Rhodes and Wurlitzer: m9/maj9 chords in deep and garage, slow stereo tremolo.
• Pads and strings: beds in the breakdowns, Solina/Juno, sampled disco strings ("orchestra hit" stabs in '90s house).
• Synth stabs: Juno/Prophet chord stabs with 0 attack and 150–300 ms filter decay, often in a tempo-synced delay.
• Guitars: muted funk guitars (disco house), rarely full chords.

Voicings in the mid register, leaving space free below C3 for the bass and above 8 kHz for hats and air.

Melody and vocals

• Lead vocal: the soul/gospel diva (Robin S, Crystal Waters, Barbara Tucker) or the male soul singer (Robert Owens). Mid-high register, short repeated phrases (2–4 bars), melisma at the end of phrases, plenty of hook repetition.
• Backing vocals: call and response between soloist and chorus, harmonies in thirds and sixths above the melody, octave doublings in the choruses; gospel choirs in garage tracks.
• Vocal samples: phrases cut from disco/soul records, repeated rhythmically, pitched; spoken word (Chicago, deep).
• Instrumental melodies: pentatonic piano or organ riffs, simple synth leads, sampled winds.
• Effects: short plate or hall reverb (1.2–2 s) on a send, tempo-synced delay (dotted 1/8, 1/4) only on the tails of phrases ("throw"), light chorus on the backing vocals, filters on the vocals in the breakdowns.
• Intervals: pentatonic, thirds and fourths; octave leaps in the ad-libs.

Instruments

• Drum machines: Roland TR-909, TR-808, TR-707/727, Linn/Drumulator, samplers (E-mu SP-1200, Akai S-series and MPC, Ensoniq).
• Synths: Roland TB-303 (acid), Juno-60/106, SH-101, Korg M1 (piano, organ), Korg Poly-61 (used on On and On), DX7 (FM basses and pianos), Prophet and Jupiter for stabs and pads.
• Acoustic instruments and samples: piano, organ, Rhodes, electric bass, funk guitar, sampled disco strings and winds, Latin percussion (congas, bongos, timbales, shaker, tambourine).
• Vocals: soul/gospel soloist, backing vocals, spoken word.
• Effects: filters (resonant low-pass/high-pass), phaser, tape and digital delays, plate reverbs.

Drum patterns

Synths and sounds

• Jun-6 V — Pad, stab and warm bass: A DCO with sub and noise, 24 dB filter and Chorus I/II: soft pads and round late-'80s basslines. For the bass: saw + sub, cutoff 30–40%, env mod 30%, decay 250 ms, chorus off. For the stab: attack 0, VCF decay 200 ms, Chorus I.
• Stage-73 V — Electric piano chords: Rhodes for seventh and ninth stabs: slow stereo tremolo (2–4 Hz, low depth), a little preamp drive to make it cut through, EQ that removes 200–300 Hz.
• B-3 V — Organ stab and organ bass: Organ stabs with short percussion are a house trademark: drawbars 88 8000 000, fast 2nd or 3rd percussion, slow or off Leslie for the stabs, light drive.
• Piano V — Piano house: Bright grand or upright piano: cut below 150 Hz, fast compression and a doubled octave above for the "M1 Piano" sound.
• Prophet-5 V — Polyphonic stabs and brass: Bright synth stabs: 2 slightly detuned saw oscillators, attack 0, short filter decay (150–300 ms), low filter sustain; great in a tempo-synced delay.
• Mini V — Mono bass: Full bass with oscillator 1 on saw and 2 on square an octave below, 24 dB ladder filter with little resonance, short decay for staccato notes; short glide for funk lines.
• Solina V — Breakdown strings: Vintage string ensemble for breakdowns and disco house; filter below 6–8 kHz so they don't cover the vocal.

Song structure

A DJ-oriented form, in phrases of 8 bars (multiples of 16 and 32). "Extended mix" version 6–7 minutes at 124 BPM (≈ 190–220 bars).

Radio edit: 3–3:30 min, 4–8 bar intro, a more pop verse–chorus structure. Arrangement rule: every 8 bars something enters, exits or changes (filter, new percussion, bass variation).

Mixing and mastering

Sonic goal

Kick and bass as the protagonists and clearly separated, a groove that reads on a club system (strong but controlled sub), warm mids, bright but not aggressive highs. A centered mix: everything below 120 Hz in mono. Typical balance (starting reference, with the kick at −6 dBFS peak on the bus): kick 0 dB, bass −2/−4 dB, clap −4/−6, hat −10/−14, vocal 0/−2 relative to the perceived kick. References: Robin S — Show Me Love (StoneBridge mix), Kerri Chandler, Purple Disco Machine for modern house.

Kick

• EQ: HP at 25–30 Hz (24 dB/oct); fundamental emphasis +1/+3 dB at 50–65 Hz (Q 1.5); cut −2/−4 dB at 250–400 Hz (Q 2) to remove the "cardboard"; click +1/+2 dB at 2.5–4 kHz.
• Compression: often not needed; if so, VCA (Fruity Compressor, Pro-C 2 "Punch") ratio 4:1, attack 10–30 ms (lets the transient through), release 50–100 ms, GR 2–3 dB.
• Transient shaper: FL Studio's Transient Processor or Kilohearts for +2/+4 dB of attack and −2 dB of sustain if the tail covers the bass.
• Saturation: light, tape or tube (Fruity Blood Overdrive with little gain, Saturn 2 "Warm Tape") so it can be heard on small speakers.
• Space: no direct reverb; at most a very short room (0.2–0.4 s) on a send at −20 dB, HP 300 Hz on the return.
• Stereo: mono, in the center.

Snare and clap

• EQ: HP 150–200 Hz; body +1/+2 dB at 800 Hz–1.2 kHz; presence +2 dB at 3–5 kHz; cut 6–8 kHz if harsh.
• Compression: fast FET/VCA, ratio 4:1, attack 1–5 ms, release 60–100 ms, GR 3–4 dB; or parallel for body.
• Saturation: light overdrive or clipper (Fruity Soft Clipper) to even out the peaks.
• Space: room or plate 0.8–1.2 s, pre-delay 10–20 ms, HP 400 Hz and LP 8 kHz on the return; in the breakdown, a longer automated reverb.
• Stereo: clap in the center; a secondary layer widened (Haas 10–15 ms or stereo shaper) for width.

Hi-hat and percussion

• EQ: HP 300–500 Hz (hat 500–800), watch 6–10 kHz (dynamic cut −2/−3 dB if it sibilates), air +1/+2 dB at a 12 kHz shelf.
• Compression: usually no; a percussion bus with light compression (2:1, attack 10 ms, GR 1–2 dB) to glue.
• Saturation: tape to smooth the 909's 6-bit sound; light bitcrusher for character.
• Space: shaker and congas in a short room (0.5–0.8 s) to put them "behind"; filtered dotted 1/8 delay on sporadic perc.
• Panning: closed hat 10–20% L or R, open hat center or opposite, shaker 30–50%, high/low congas on opposite sides (L30/R30), tambourine 40%.
• Automation: HP filter on the perc in the builds, ride volume +2 dB in the drop.

Bass

• EQ: HP at 30 Hz; fundamental 50–100 Hz; cut 200–300 Hz if it clogs; harmonics +1/+2 dB at 700 Hz–1.2 kHz for legibility; LP at 3–6 kHz if presence isn't needed.
• Compression: opto or VCA, ratio 3–4:1, attack 10–20 ms, release 80–150 ms, GR 3–5 dB to even out the notes.
• Saturation: moderate tube or tape (Saturn 2, Decapitator "A") for harmonics; distortion only in the more tech-oriented house.
• Space: no reverb below 200 Hz; optional chorus only above 200 Hz (multiband).
• Stereo: mono below 120–150 Hz (Fruity Stereo Shaper or Pro-Q 3 in mid/side).
• Sidechain: 2–4 dB of reduction with fast attack and tempo-synced release (about 1/16–1/8: 120–180 ms at 124 BPM).

Synths, pads, piano, organ

• EQ: HP 120–200 Hz on everything that isn't bass; cut 250–400 Hz on the pads; piano/organ presence 2–4 kHz; LP on the pads at 8–10 kHz to leave room for hats and vocals.
• Compression: piano stabs with a fast compressor (ratio 4:1, attack 5 ms, release 50 ms) to even them out; pads lightly compressed.
• Saturation: tape on the synth bus, light overdrive on the organ.
• Space: stabs in a dotted 1/8 delay (≈ 363 ms at 124 BPM) with HP 300 Hz and feedback 25–35%; pads in a 2–3 s hall; piano in a 1.5 s plate.
• Stereo: wide pads (chorus, unison), stabs in the center or slightly widened, organ 20% L or R.
• Automation: low-pass filter cutoff opening over 8–16 bars, delay volume on the tails.

Lead vocal

• Chain: corrective EQ (HP 80–100 Hz, −2/−3 dB at 250–400 Hz), de-esser (5–8 kHz), serial compression: fast FET (1176-style, 4:1, 3–5 dB GR) then opto (LA-2A-style, 2–3 dB GR), creative EQ (+2 dB at 3 kHz, air shelf +2 dB at 12 kHz).
• Saturation: light, tape or tube.
• Space: plate 1.2–1.8 s with 20–40 ms pre-delay (HP 300 Hz, LP 8 kHz on the return); 1/4 or dotted 1/8 delay thrown on the last words.
• Position: center, 0–2 dB above the rest in the choruses; ducking the pads under the vocal (Trackspacer or dynamic sidechain 2–3 dB at 1–4 kHz).

Backing vocals

HP 150 Hz, more compressed than the lead (GR 5–6 dB), darker (LP 10 kHz), widened (L/R doubles 60–100%), longer reverb (hall 2–2.5 s). Volume 4–8 dB below the lead.

FX

Risers, white noise sweeps, reverse cymbals, impacts: HP 200–300 Hz (leave the sub to the kick), wide in stereo, volume and filter automation; trim the tails at the start of the drop.

Buses and groups

• Drum bus: glue compression (SSL-style, 2:1–4:1, attack 10–30 ms, auto release or 100 ms, GR 1–3 dB), light tape saturation; parallel if more body is needed.
• Bass bus (bass + optional sub): mono below 120 Hz, light limiter.
• Music bus (synth/piano/pad): sidechain, group EQ, tape.
• Vocal bus: 1–2 dB compression, shared reverb and delay.

Sidechain

From the kick (ghost track or Fruity Peak Controller / Kickstart / LFOTool) onto bass (2–4 dB), pads (4–8 dB), reverbs (3–6 dB), synths (2–4 dB). The "pumping" effect must be a groove, not a hole: release in time with the track (≈ 1/8 at 124 BPM = 242 ms).

Master

• Chain: light corrective EQ (HP 20–25 Hz) → bus compressor 1–2 dB GR (2:1, attack 30 ms, auto release) → light saturation/clipper → limiter (Fruity Limiter, Pro-L 2, Ozone Maximizer).
• Target: club/DJ master −9/−7 LUFS integrated; short-term in the drop −7/−6; more dynamic house (deep) −10/−9. For streaming the platform normalizes to about −14 LUFS: an over-squashed master loses punch without getting louder.
• True peak: ≤ −1 dBTP for streaming, −0.3/−0.5 dBTP for club files; crest factor in the drop 8–10 dB.
• Dynamics: the breakdown should stay 3–6 LU below the drop.

Common mistakes

Sub not in mono; bass and kick on the same frequency with no sidechain or tuning; too many elements between 200 and 500 Hz ("muddy" mix); hats and shakers too loud (listening fatigue); unfiltered reverbs that dirty the low-mids; a limiter that squashes the kick; a vocal that gets lost because the pads occupy 1–4 kHz.

Reference tracks for mixing

• Robin S — Show Me Love (StoneBridge mix, 1993): organ bass and kick.
• Kerri Chandler — Bar A Thym (1998): deep bass and sub, groove.
• Crystal Waters — Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless) (1991): vocal and organ.
• Daft Punk — Around the World (1997): filters and compression.
• Purple Disco Machine — Hypnotized (2020): modern house, bright and clean.

Reference listening

• Jesse Saunders — On and On (1984)
• Mr. Fingers — Can You Feel It (1986)
• Marshall Jefferson — Move Your Body (1986)
• Frankie Knuckles & Jamie Principle — Your Love (1986–87)
• Phuture — Acid Tracks (1987)
• Crystal Waters — Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless) (1991)
• Robin S — Show Me Love (StoneBridge mix, 1993)
• Daft Punk — Around the World (1997)
• Kerri Chandler — Bar A Thym (1998)
• Purple Disco Machine — Hypnotized (2020)