A Beginner's Guide to Rave Stabs

A beginner’s guide to rave stabs. I kick off with a little context, then cover how to make some classic stabs with various synths.

Check out my DnB music on Spotify!
tinyurl.com/dfchzrdz

Check out my latest happy hardcore EP:
tinyurl.com/bdz4xmpd

Chapter markers:

00:00 Intro

00:20 Chapter 1: What are rave stabs?

01:30 Chapter 2: Hardware samplers

04:56 Chapter 3: The digital 80s

07:20 Chapter 4: Hardcore rave

11:05 Chapter 5: Sampling and resampling

13:35 Chapter 6: Where do I get rave stabs?

15:39 Chapter 7: The Landlord stab

19:04 Chapter 8: Moog saws

21:09 Chapter 9: What the...

24:46 Chapter 10: Elec.Organ

27:32 Chapter 11: Bass stabs

Tunes mentioned:

LA Style - James Brown Is Dead
   • L . A .  Style James Brown  Is Dead  ...

Wax Doctor - A New Direction
   • Wax Doctor - A New Direction

Human Resource - Dominator
   • Human Resource - Dominator

The Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever
   • The Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever

Jazz & the Brothers Grimm feat. Baby D and MC Juice - Casanova
   • BROTHERS GRIM - CASANOVA

Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force - Planet Rock
   • Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Forc...

Kate Bush - The Dreaming
   • Kate Bush - The Dreaming - Official M...

Freeez - I.O.U.
   • Freeez - I.O.U. (Extended 12" Mix) - ...

Nightwriters - Let The Music Use You
   • The Night Writers ‎– Let The Music (U...

Rhythim is Rhythim - Strings of Life
   • Rhythm Is Rhythm - Strings Of Life - ...

Nexus 21 - Self-Hypnosis
   • Nexus 21 - Self Hypnosis (Mr Whippy Mix)

MC Duke - I’m Riffin’
   • MC Duke - I'm Riffin

Wayne Smith - Under Mi Sleng Teng
   • Wayne Smith - Under Me Sleng Teng

Frank De Wulf - The Tape (Remix)
   • The Tape (Remix)

Mimmo Mix feat. Valerie Etienne - All Your Love
   • Mimmo Mix feat. Valerie Etienne - All...

The Orb - Little Fluffy Clouds
   • Little Fluffy Clouds

Happy Mondays - Hallelujah (Club Mix)
   • Happy Mondays - Hallelujah (club mix)

Manix - Feel Real Good
   • Manix - Feel Real Good (1991)

2 Bad Mice - Hold It Down
   • 2 Bad Mice - Hold It Down - 1991

Acen - Close Your Eyes (Optikonfusion!)
   • ACEN - Close Your Eyes (Remix I) (Opt...

Boogie Down Productions - South Bronx
   • Boogie Down Productions- South Bronx

Nitro Deluxe - Let's Get Brutal (Brutal Dub)
   • Let's Get Brutal (Brutal Dub)

Inner City - Good Life
   • Inner City - Good Life (Official Video)

Outlander - Vamp
   • Outlander - Vamp  -  R&S Records Clas...

Landlord - I Like It (Blow Out Dub)
   • Landlord - I Like It  (blow out dub)

2 Bad Mice - Bombscare
   • 2 bad mice bombscare

Neon - Don’t Mess With This Beat
   • NEON - DON'T MESS WITH THIS BEAT (INS...

Jessie Deep! - S.H.U.M.
   • Jessie Deep! - S.H.U.M. (1992)

Spectrum - Brazil
   • Spectrum - Brazil (1990)

Second Phase - Mentasm
   • Second Phase - Mentasm - R&S Records ...

Fatback Band - Kool Whip
   • Kool Whip - Fatback (1981)

Urban Shakedown - Some Justice
   • Urban Shakedown feat. Micky Finn - "S...

Electric Light Orchestra - So Fine
   • Electric Light Orchestra - So Fine (A...

Patti LaBelle - Something Special
   • Patti LaBelle - Something Special (Is...

Shades of Rhythm - Sweet Sensation
   • SHADES OF RHYTHM-SWEET SENSATION

Jumbo Records & Tapes – 250 Discojingles
   • jingles( nrj club ( mon stop music ) ...

The Prodigy - Your Love
   • Video

Vibena - Positive Energy Part 1
   • Vibena - Positive Energy Part 1

Blame - Music Takes You
   • Blame - Music Takes You (Original Ver...

SL2 - DJs Take Control
   • SL2 - DJs Take Control (Night Mix)

Altern 8 - Evapour 8
   • Altern 8 - E Vapor 8

DJ Seduction - Hardcore Heaven
   • DJ Seduction - Hardcore Heaven (Offic...

Terrorize - It’s Just a Feeling
   • TERRORIZE - IT'S JUST A FEELING

Acen - Close Your Eyes (XXX Mix)
   • Acen - Close Your Eyes (XXX Mix)

Bizarre Inc. - Plutonic
   • Bizarre Inc. - Plutonic

Agent Orange - Sounds a Bit Flakey (Jungle Mix)
   • Agent Orange - Sounds A Bit Flakey (J...

DJ Force & The Evolution - Simply Electric
   • Simply Electric (Original Mix)

Psychotropic - Hypnosis
   • Psychotropic - Hypnosis

N-Joi - Malfunction
   • Video

Hyper on Experience - Lord of the Null Lines (Foul Play remix)
   • Hyper On Experience - Lord Of Null Li...

Andy C - Something New Part 2
   • ANDY C SOMETHING NEW PART 2

Further viewing, reading and resources:

Vox video
   • The sound that connects Stravinsky to...

Prodigy in FM
tinyurl.com/mr34k3wb

Creating the Spectrum Brazil stab
   • Creating the Spectrum Brazil rave sta...

Rave Generator 2
tinyurl.com/yenrjz29

Chroma
tinyurl.com/yckjfpph

DX7 ROMs
tinyurl.com/2p8a4k8d

The real origin of the "Landlord" stab
tinyurl.com/yt33metb

Eric Persing interview
tinyurl.com/3cbcau5s

Arturia CZ-V presets
tinyurl.com/y67amdfj

Ron Wells - Jungle Techno Vol 1
tinyurl.com/5n7w2jej

PG-8X at Martin Lüders’ VST site
tinyurl.com/2p9d6w8t

Picture credits:

Thumbnail photo by Zachary Smith on Unsplash

Mellotron:
tinyurl.com/2s3bv82y

Silicon Chip:
tinyurl.com/yj58u2p2

Roland TB-303:
tinyurl.com/fn2v9tb4

Roland SH-101:
tinyurl.com/2p94vcrp

Roland D-50:
tinyurl.com/5fkfspck

Korg M1:
tinyurl.com/y7885cm7

Roland TR-808
tinyurl.com/2t4z6jvb

Roland TR-909
tinyurl.com/ycy8vun3

@snoozyboio 1 year ago

Oh, RAVE stabs, not rave STABS.

@DJBathtub 1 year ago

This video is a work of art. You need a Netflix documentary!❤

@JoelWest 1 year ago

Your guides are unreal man, crazy you only have 5k subs...

@CarrotUK 1 year ago

Hearing the Landlord stab pattern as a Happy Hardcore one was kind of cursed but brilliant at the same time haha, impeccable research and great video!

@Spacek531 1 year ago

Listening to each stab individually is like a hit right in the noggin. I love these stabs!

@idlevice1935 1 year ago

Tim, what a legend! I've watched all of your Beginners Guides... amazing. The history, tutorials AND the links to the featured tracks!!❤‍🔥I'm 52 and have rediscovered tunes from my youth and discovered similar/adjacent music. Not to mention what you're doing for my production skills. Keep up the great work.

@templeofleila 1 year ago

That was so good! It was like a history/music appreciation class with a retro tutorial for the kids coming up in it.. Very nice!

@stylusnation 1 year ago

Amazing history and great tips, I really appreciate the thought and care that you put into these videos - respect!

@iKiWY 1 year ago

Started researching rave stabs more deeply yesterday for fun and now this poped up, amazing timing!!

@H34DR00M 1 year ago

Great video! I really like your well researched content and your calm way of presenting it.

@KevDmusic 1 year ago

Fantastic Tim, this goes for all your videos! so much great information in all of them, really appreciate you sharing your knowledge with us

@djdren 1 year ago

it just so amazing the amount of knowledge you drop on each episodes ..

@maschinelab8598 1 year ago

Love your content! The two jungle videos are soooo dope!

@bentibbs8919 1 year ago

These beginner's guides are fantastic Tim, packed full with helpful information and really well presented. Please keep up the great work!

@ruuen 1 year ago

Love all your videos Tim, such a massive source of useful information and history. Keep up the good work!!

@SamO-jf8zq 1 year ago

every video you've posted is absolute gold. there's massive value in learning where the sounds i've been hearing my whole life have come from and your delivery is fantastic. massive fan of the channel.