How to Sound Like Metro Boomin
There has been an explosion of great beatmakers in the past decades, but few have been more influential than Metro Boomin. The St. Louis native has redefined the art of making dark and moody trap beats, infusing each of his tracks with plenty of creepy space and modern ambiance, a perfect complement to the lyrics of like-minded artists such as 21 Savage, Young Thug, and Gunna. If you’re a producer yourself and you’d like to emulate Leland Tyler Wayne’s vibe, here are a few of the plugins that might be useful for you. I’ll go through the ones he has been using throughout his career, and I’ll sometimes offer a few alternatives I prefer. I’ll also go through his philosophy as a musician. Internet Tattoo wants some more, let’s do this!
SYNTHS
The Attic 2 | Soniccouture
I read online that Metro is a big fan of The Attic 2 by Sonicouture, an emulation of some rare and odd-ball analog synths. If you circle through the presets of the Soniccouture collection, you’ll probably find some instantly recognizable sounds from Metro’s catalog.
The Attic 2 is a great place to start, but at this point, it can feel a bit outdated if you’re looking to branch out and access more sonic possibilities. If you don’t already own it, I’d probably suggest you start with Arturia’s Analog Lab V.
Analog Lab V | Arturia
Analog Lab V offers you access to a seemingly endless library of presets. What makes it unique is that it takes its sounds from all the vintage synths that Arturia has emulated to perfection. You also get some modern edge with presets from their flagship soft synth Pigments.
You don’t have to own the V Collection 9 to play around in the Lab, which makes it the perfect entry point. If you do decide to get the collection though, you’ll have the opportunity to open the presets in their respective instruments and you’ll have more control over the various parameters.
Kontakt | Native Instruments
Kontakt is essentially a host to various instruments. There’s a free version that enables you to play all the third-party instruments that are floating around the web, but the paid version offers a lot of incredible sampled instruments.
Native Instruments has recently released an updated version of the VST that comes with a bunch of really exciting instruments. With their streamlined interfaces and their great presets, they are all a joy to use. If you like some of Metro's more organic or experimental productions, this one might be for you.
Download Kontakt here.
Nexus | reFX
Nexus is a rompler that has shaped modern hip hop, for better or worse (depending on who you ask…). The controversial VST can be divisive, and I must admit it contains some awesome presets, as well as some pretty cheesy ones. (Euro-dance anyone?)
Still, Metro has used Nexus a lot, and as it's often the case with trap, some of the crazier sounds can make some of the best beats. If you want to catch the vibe of such tracks as Bad and Boujee (preset: VZ Bells 1) and Tuesday (preset: Chillzone 1), look no further. Nexus is the instrument you’re looking for
Omnisphere 2 | Spectrasonics
This one doesn’t really need any presentation. Omnisphere is often considered the industry standard. Once again, circling through the presets, you’ll probably recognize many Metro Boomin sounds, especially if you browse the bell and the synthesizer preset banks.
The only drawback with Omnisphere, really, is its price tag. It will set you back a few hundred dollars and it’s rarely on sale. There’s also a certain learning curve because its possibilities are really vast. If you end up getting it, I’d recommend using it on all your beats for a few months to really get a good grasp on its magnitude.
If you’re not ready to make the plunge, there are some valid alternatives that won’t cost you an arm and a leg…
xPand!2 | AIR Music Technology
At a fraction of the price of Omnisphere, xPand!2 can’t really compete with the synth behemoth, but it still can produce some very impressive sounds. xPand! allows you to combine layers and effects to create some pretty interesting sounds.
Honestly, it’s so affordable that you don’t really have to think about it. Getting this one is pretty much a no-brainer.
DRUMS + BASS
SubLab XL | Future Audio Workshop
Metro Boomin is famous for his deep and muted 808s. I also notice he uses a lot of reese-style basses, a sustained synth tone with a fuzzy edge. You can get both these sounds - and so much more - with SubLab XL.
From its great presets to its psychedelic interface, SubLab XL is my most recent plugin crush. I’ve been using it a lot on my beats lately, and I really appreciate its flexibility and its friendly UI. There is also a lite version that’s cheaper (and you have the option to upgrade to XL later.)
There are also some interesting expansion packs, including some 808s that have been tailored to sound just like the ones at the heart of the big trap hits of recent years.
A strong recommendation coming from me to you.
Hatz | Thenatan
Sometimes I struggle with creating fresh hi-hat patterns. When I punch in MIDI, sometimes I feel like I don’t really know what I’m doing, and the results vary, to say the least. If you feel the same, Hatz by Thenatan might be the VST for you.
Described as a hi-hat rolls engine, Hatz offers hundreds of easily-tweakable patterns, a bunch of samples, and effects for an infinity of possibilities. Also, you know it’s cool because “hats” is spelled with a “z.”
Another knock-out for the good folks at Thenatan, who also made Bells, a great instrument that would fit right into Metro’s universe.
EFFECTS
Gross Beat | Image Line
Gross Beat is another one of those FL Studio effects that have been part of the modern producer’s bag of tricks for the past couple of years.
It’s described as a real-time audio stream effect, and it doesn’t offer a lot of possibilities, but it’s most famous for that slurry, pitched-down re-sampled sound that’s been at the foreground of a lot of trap hits.
Gross Beat can be purchased individually if you don’t use FL Studio, but it is only compatible with Windows. Either way, I have a few plugins that can do pretty much the same job - and then some - and they work on both Mac and PC…
ShaperBox 3 | Cable Guys
ShaperBox is an insanely powerful effect environment, and it’s one that I use on every track I make. It lets you edit curves that are repeated on a loop and combine various modulations that act in real time.
So basically, you can use the time stretch module and do some Gross Beat-type stuff, but you can also automate many other parameters, from filtering to panning. You can also channel a docking/side-chaining effect to give your tracks that sweet pumping edge.
Seriously, the results speak for themselves, and especially if you’re inspired by electronic music like Metro Boomin, this is a must.
HalfTime | Cableguys
If you can’t afford ShaperBox 3 just yet, you can always get its small brother HalfTime. Also designed by the company Cableguys, HalfTime can give you the Gross Beat effect with a few essential parameters at the click of a mouse.
It’s not as complete and creative as ShaperBox, but it’s still a very interesting tool that can help you transform loops or samples and make something interesting.
Hardcore | Image Line
Metro Boomin probably started using Hardcore because it’s included for free in FL Studio. This module is inspired by 10 classic stompboxes, and while it was probably designed with the guitarist in mind, it’s interesting to use it on synths and 808s.
For a lot of his earlier work, Metro worked with what he could get his hands on, and this attitude is really inspiring. Don’t let plugin nerds tell you what you can and can do. If you want to develop your sound, it’s always a good idea to break some rules.
The only downside is that Hardcore is only available, but don’t worry, there are some great alternatives out there…
Guitar Rig 6 | Native Instruments
A much more powerful alternative in the world of amp simulation would be Guitar Rig 6 by Native Instruments. This little gem has gone through a huge transformation with its last update, and it might just be better than the best of amps and pedals to get great guitar and bass tones in the box.
Guitar Rig offers all kinds of great compression and whacky effects, and I never thought about using it for synths and just general mix purposes before I saw that Metro Boomin was using guitar effects on his synths to get unique textures.
Now I’m eager to experiment with guitar effects to see what kind of crazy lofi sounds I can come up with.
Retro Color RC-20 | XLN Audio
Metro Boomin has used Effector a lot on his production. This FL Studio native VST is a great tool for filter, saturation, distortion and the likes, and you should definitely give it a spin if you work in FL.
That being said, if you’re using another DAW, or if you want to expand your sonic universe, look no further than Retro Color RC-20, an inventive multi-effect plugin that has become a staple in the world of hip hop.
RC-20 has all the dark filters and flavors of distortion you need to riff on the Boomin sound, and it also gives you access to a great reverb engine, modulation, and tape degradation. Basically, all you need to do is make the elements in your beats stand out and sound weird.
Effectrix | Sugar Bytes
Wayne has also used Effectrix in the past, like many producers of the past decade. This effect sequencer lets you program different types of modulations on a loop, which can liven ordinary sounds, not unlike ShaperBox.
Effectrix is super intuitive and fun to use. Its most characteristic effect is probably the loop function that repeats a short portion of the audio when it’s engaged. It’s been used by pretty much everyone, from Daft Punk to XXXtentacion.
You don’t hear Effectrix as much these days. Like many effects that take their time, maybe it has become a bit outdated. All the more reason to dust it off and find a way to make something new and original with it!
SAMPLES
You’ll find all sorts of kits floating around the Internet, and Metro Boomin uses some pretty run-of-the-mill drum samples, not to say they’re not efficient! Like a lot of trap, we’re talking about saturated 808-style drums.
Lately, I’ve loved working with some of the free kits from ProducerGrind. If you’re looking for something a little more experimental, you can take a look at the samples on Splice, or you can even design your own using a TR-808 plugin. Sky’s the limit.
Drums make the beatmaker, so I suggest you experiment a lot and keep what works for you!
If Young Metro Don’t Trust You…
In the end, it might be an interesting exercise to learn to reproduce a great producer’s sound, but it’s probably even cooler to let yourself be inspired by what made the artist unique. In Metro Boomin’s case, it’s all about keeping it simple and focusing on creativity.
Metro arrived at his particular sound palette by following his muse and using the tools he had on hand at the time. If he had waited for the perfect vintage gear, the most professional studio, and all the expensive plugins he desired, we might not know him today. And hip hop would be missing out...
By using different tools than the big producers of the time, he managed to invent a style of his own that’s both so unique and exciting. No wonder so many people became fans of him as much as of the artists he produced.
This brings me to another point… I think it’s important for beatmakers to find like-minded vocalists - whether we’re talking about rappers or singers - and make actual tracks, not just beats. It’s OK if you want to be an instrumental artist, but if a beat is meant for an artist to get on it, it will never feel complete before you find the right collaborator.
And it never hurts to get out of the studio once in a while. Just sayin’.
Disclaimer: All these opinions are my own, but - full disclosure - some of those links are affiliates. If you decide to purchase a product through the link I make a little scratch. No big deal. It’s cool.