Tips on how to produce trance, progressive house, and electronica music? (Percussion in particular)

[Pyro Paper Planes]

I've recently challenged myself to arrange several different kinds of remixes. I've finished two piano solos, and an electronica chill-out piece (the former of which have been submitted and accepted by the OverClocked ReMix Judging Panel). One particular genre of music I would like to mix is trance (or, to be more specific, something in the style of bLiNd's work). I already have the MIDI framework from working on the track previously (

).

I'm mostly having trouble with the percussion. I don't know what to look for in a kick, snare, clap, hi-hat, etc. I definitely have the software to do it now (Komplete Ultimate 8 + Omnisphere + Logic Studio). Does anyone have any advice in what library I should use, presets, instruments, or general settings?

Also, any suggestions in what to look for in particular instruments too would be useful. I'm a little overwhelmed by all of the options.

Thank you for your time.

[Rozovian]

Pick some nice electronic tracks you like (from ocr or otherwise) and study their drums. Then load Battery and start gathering different drum elements. Then layer them, pitch them, adjust volume envelope and sample start location and eq and whatever else you need to make those layers work well together.

For example, a kick can have a click part, a thud part, and a boom part. Find a good click and cut out the rest of that sample's sound. Find a good thud, cut it appropirately short and pitch it to work with the click if necessary. Repeat for boom. This is an example, you kick (like any drum element) can be made up of a single sample... or a dozen. Using only two or three makes it a lot easier to work with, tho.

Different styles of electronica have different sounds, so youtube some big artists in each style of electronic music you're interested in and study their drums. Read about drums, production and sound in general to grow your vocabulary (some things are easier if you have words for them).

Also, check out zircon's various guides and vids...

.

[Yoozer]

I'm mostly having trouble with the percussion. I don't know what to look for in a kick, snare, clap, hi-hat, etc.

Something like

Also, any suggestions in what to look for in particular instruments too would be useful. I'm a little overwhelmed by all of the options.

You've got everything you need except for percussion, really. Rozovian's got it right with the way kicks work. Use EXS or Battery to layer several samples, use the EQ per sample to make the parts not interfere with eachother, and don't be afraid to resample and re-compress/limit the sample again to pump up the volume.

Don't worry too much - the rest of the song has to work with the percussion as well. A great kick will not save a crappy song, so focus on what you can do first, and outsource the rest for as long as needed.