Learn how to produce a deep, groovy, and emotional Afro & Melodic House track inspired by HotLap in this complete full-track production tutorial (Tutorial #2 from our MAGNIFIED 2 series).
Every drum loop, vocal stem, string layer, and Serum 2 preset used in this breakdown comes from MAGNIFIED 2 – Afro & Melodic House Sample Pack, where this exact HotLap-inspired track is included as a full project file for Ableton Live, FL Studio, and Logic Pro.
What you will learn
1. Detailed 11-Element Organic Drum & Percussion Groove
We start by building an intricate, rolling rhythm section that stays energetic without ever feeling cluttered:
• Kick & Tom Loop: A punchy kick paired with a warm, syncopated tom loop that sets the foundational swing.
• 4 Shaker Loops & 3 Hat Loops: Four complementary shaker loops and three layered hi-hat loops weave together for silky 16th-note movement.
• Cowbell, Short Clap Fill & Texture Loop: A woody cowbell loop, a snappy short clap fill on turnarounds, and a continuous vinyl/white-noise texture loop glue the drum bus together.
2. Three-Layer Inter-Bass Sidechain Architecture (BS – Pulse, BS – Hollow & BS – Grime)
To achieve HotLap’s signature deep, rolling low end without any frequency masking, we stack three Serum 2 bass presets from MAGNIFIED 2 using inter-bass sidechain routing:
• Main Bass (BS – Pulse) & High Movement Bass (BS – Hollow): BS – Pulse anchors the fundamental sub groove while BS – Hollow plays higher syncopated notes for melodic bounce.
• Third Bass (BS – Grime) Sidechained to Both Kick & Basses: BS – Grime injects gritty low-mid texture and is sidechained not only to the kick, but also to the first two bass layers so it only breathes in the exact pockets between their notes!
3. Layered Strings, Main Lead, Pluck & Dual Pads (LD – Ritual, PL – Glass, LD – Signal, LD – Phantom, PD – Dreamer & PD – Cloud)
The emotional melodic section combines orchestral strings with six custom Serum 2 presets:
• Main Lead (LD – Ritual) + 2 String Loops: LD – Ritual carries the central hook, reinforced by two lush string loops for cinematic width.
• Pluck (PL – Glass) & Response Leads (LD – Signal & LD – Phantom): Add sparkling arpeggiated movement and dark call-and-response phrases.
• Dual Pads (PD – Dreamer & PD – Cloud) + 2 Atmospheres: Wrap the arrangement in warm harmonic sustain and deep stereo ambience.
4. Studio-Recorded Vocal Kit & Complete Transition FX
A real studio-recorded singer vocal kit from MAGNIFIED 2 gives the breakdown and drop an unmistakable human focal point.
• Seamless Transitions: We connect every 8- and 16-bar section using 2 sub impacts, a long uplifter, a tension riser, a heavy downlifter, and 2 punchy drum fills.
Get the sounds and complete project
Every sound, loop, vocal kit, and Serum 2 preset (BS – Pulse, BS – Hollow, BS – Grime, LD – Ritual, PL – Glass, LD – Signal, LD – Phantom, PD – Dreamer, PD – Cloud) comes from MAGNIFIED 2—including the full project file for Ableton Live, FL Studio, and Logic Pro.
Explore MAGNIFIED 2:
Explore MAGNIFIED 2 – Afro & Melodic House Sample Pack →Get MAGNIFIED 1 & 2 Complete Bundle (Save 40%) →
Inside MAGNIFIED 2
• 4 Full Project Files for Ableton Live, FL Studio & Logic Pro (including this exact HotLap track)
• 4 Construction Kits with Stems, MIDI & 36 Custom Serum 2 Presets
• Presets Used: BS – Pulse, BS – Hollow, BS – Grime, LD – Ritual, PL – Glass, LD – Signal, LD – Phantom, PD – Dreamer, PD – Cloud
• 4 Professionally Studio-Recorded Vocal Kits (Dry & Wet Stems)
• Complete Drum & Percussion Library, String Loops, Atmospheres, Impacts, Risers & Fills
Every full project in MAGNIFIED 2 uses only Serum 2 and stock plugins—open it in your DAW today, or grab all 11 Tuniwave packs in The Everything Bundle (€119).