How to Make Hardstyle: Kick Design, Screech Leads, and Reverse Bass
Hardstyle is one of the most intense and dedicated genres in electronic dance music. With its distorted kicks, screeching leads, and euphoric breakdowns, it commands a global following that treats the genre as a way of life. This guide covers the core production techniques behind hardstyle — from the legendary kick design that defines the genre to the screech leads and reverse bass that create its signature sound.
What Is Hardstyle?
Hardstyle is an electronic dance music genre characterized by:
- Hard, distorted kicks — The most important element; often taking weeks to perfect
- Screech leads — Distorted, modulated synth leads that cut through the mix
- Reverse bass — A bass sound that creates a "sucking" effect before the kick
- Euphoric melodies — Emotional breakdowns contrasted with aggressive drops
- Fast tempos — Typically 150 BPM, creating relentless energy
Subgenres
| Style | Characteristics |
|---|---|
| Euphoric Hardstyle | Melodic breakdowns, emotional vocals, anthemic leads |
| Rawstyle | Darker, more distorted, industrial influences |
| Dubstyle | Fusion with dubstep elements, slower tempos |
| Psystyle | Fusion with psytrance, faster, more psychedelic |
| Reverse Bass Hardstyle | Classic style focusing on reverse bass patterns |
Tempo and Structure
BPM
Hardstyle is almost exclusively 150 BPM. This tempo is non-negotiable — it's the heartbeat of the genre.
Arrangement
Hardstyle follows a specific structure:
| Section | Bars | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Intro | 16–32 | Building atmosphere, often with a vocal or melody hint |
| Build-up | 16–32 | Increasing tension, snare rolls, risers, vocal samples |
| Climax/Drop | 32–64 | Full kick, screech lead, maximum energy |
| Melodic Breakdown | 32–64 | Stripped back, emotional melody, vocals |
| Second Build-up | 16–32 | Building to the final climax |
| Second Climax | 32–64 | Often more intense than the first |
| Outro | 16–32 | Fade with melody or kick |
Kick Design: The Heart of Hardstyle
The kick is everything in hardstyle. Producers spend more time on the kick than any other element.
The Hardstyle Kick Structure
A hardstyle kick has three parts:
| Part | Frequency | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Attack/Click | 2–8 kHz | The initial transient, provides punch and definition |
| Body/Tail | 200–800 Hz | The tonal character, often distorted |
| Sub/Low | 50–100 Hz | The deep, physical impact |
Kick Creation Process
Step 1: The Foundation
- Start with a clean 909 or synthesized kick
- Tune it to the track's key (usually G or A)
- Ensure the sub is clean and punchy
Step 2: Distortion
- Apply distortion to the body (200–800 Hz range)
- Use waveshaping, tube distortion, or dedicated hardstyle distortion plugins
- The goal is a gritty, aggressive character without losing the sub
Step 3: EQ and Processing
- High-pass around 30 Hz to remove unnecessary sub
- Boost the click around 3–5 kHz for presence
- Compress heavily for consistency
- Layer multiple distortion stages for complexity
Step 4: Tail Processing
- The tail should be long and sustained
- Use reverb or delay to extend the tail
- Distort the tail separately from the attack
Common Techniques
- Pitching — Hardstyle kicks are often pitched to match the track's key
- Layering — Multiple kick layers (attack, body, sub) processed separately
- Distortion chains — Serial distortion for extreme character
- EQ notching — Remove frequencies that conflict with the lead
Screech Leads
Screech leads are the signature melodic element of hardstyle.
Sound Design
Synthesis approach:
- FM synthesis — Operator, FM8, Sytrus for metallic, aggressive tones
- Wavetable synthesis — Serum, Vital for morphing, evolving leads
- Subtractive synthesis — Saw waves with heavy filter modulation
Key techniques:
- Heavy distortion — Multiple stages of distortion for aggression
- Pitch modulation — LFO or envelope modulating pitch for the "screech"
- Filter modulation — Resonant low-pass or band-pass filter with high resonance
- Unison — 4–8 voices with wide detune for a massive sound
- Portamento — Glide between notes for a vocal-like quality
Processing
- EQ — Boost around 2–4 kHz for presence, cut lows below 200 Hz
- Compression — Heavy compression for consistency
- Distortion — Additional distortion for edge and aggression
- Stereo widening — Widen for a massive stereo image
- Reverb — Short to medium reverb for space without wash
Reverse Bass
Reverse bass is a classic hardstyle technique that creates a distinctive "sucking" sound.
How It Works
- Create a sustained bass note (usually a saw or square wave)
- Apply a reverse volume envelope — the sound starts quiet and gets louder
- The bass "sucks" inward before the kick hits
- Combine with the kick for the classic hardstyle groove
Modern Variations
- Filtered reverse bass — Low-pass filter opens as the reverse happens
- Distorted reverse bass — Add distortion for a grittier sound
- Multi-band reverse — Different reverse patterns for different frequency bands
Melodies and Breakdowns
Euphoric Melodies
Hardstyle breakdowns are often euphoric and emotional:
- Major keys — Uplifting, anthemic feel
- Simple, memorable melodies — Often just 4–8 notes
- Layered synths — Multiple layers for a massive sound
- Vocals — Emotional vocals, often pitched and processed
Breakdown Structure
- Strip back to just melody and atmosphere
- Build tension with filters, risers, and vocal samples
- The contrast between the breakdown and the climax is extreme
Mixing Hardstyle
Low End
- Kick dominance — The kick is the loudest element
- Sub management — Everything else is high-passed below 100 Hz
- Mono sub — Keep sub frequencies centered
Mids and Highs
- Lead presence — Screech leads need to cut through
- Clarity — Each element should have its own space
- Distortion management — Multiple distorted elements need careful EQ
Loudness
- Target: -6 to -4 LUFS — Extremely loud
- Limiting — 6–10 dB of gain reduction is common
- Clipping — Intentional clipping on the master for extra aggression
Essential Tools
| Category | Tools |
|---|---|
| Kick processing | Distortion plugins, waveshapers, dedicated hardstyle kick plugins |
| Synths | Serum, Vital, FM8, Operator, Sylenth1 |
| Effects | FabFilter Pro-Q 3, Soundtoys Decapitator, Ozone |
| Distortion | Devil-Loc, Saturn 2, Trash 2 |
Getting Started
- Set tempo to 150 BPM
- Design the kick — Spend time on this; it's the foundation
- Create a screech lead — FM synthesis, heavy distortion, filter modulation
- Program the reverse bass — Sustained bass with reverse envelope
- Write a euphoric melody — Major key, simple, memorable
- Arrange in hardstyle structure — Intro, build, climax, breakdown, climax
- Mix loud and aggressive — Kick dominates, everything else supports
Final Thoughts
Hardstyle is a genre of extremes — extreme kicks, extreme distortion, extreme emotion. It asks producers to push every element to its limit while maintaining clarity and power. The kick is everything, the melody is the soul, and the energy is relentless.
Frequently Asked Questions
What BPM is hardstyle typically produced at?
Hardstyle is produced at 150 BPM, though some tracks push to 155–160 BPM. The tempo is non-negotiable — it defines the energy and the kick structure. Early hardstyle (2002–2006) sometimes ran at 145 BPM, but the modern standard is firmly at 150.
Why is the hardstyle kick so different from other genres?
The hardstyle kick combines a punchy transient with a long, distorted tail — a sustained body that carries the pitch of the kick throughout the beat. This tail is produced via heavy saturation, layered sine waves, and careful pitch modulation. Producers like Headhunterz spent years perfecting their kick design as a signature sound.
What synthesis method is used for hardstyle screech leads?
Screech leads use FM synthesis — typically stacking multiple operators with extreme feedback and modulation ratios to produce the harsh, metallic harmonic distortion. After synthesis, the sound is passed through distortion plugins (Trash 2, Serum's distortion) and filtered with a resonant low-pass sweep for the characteristic "screech" movement.
How do hardstyle producers approach the reverse bass technique?
The reverse bass is a sustained bass note with its amplitude envelope reversed — the attack becomes a swell from silence, and the release is abrupt. This creates the "incoming" sensation between kick hits. Producers layer it under the kick's tail, typically tuned to the track's root note so it reinforces rather than clashes.
What labels define the hardstyle sound?
Scantraxx (founded 2006) and Dirty Workz are the two most influential labels. Scantraxx launched Headhunterz and Brennan Heart and defined the Dutch hardstyle template. Q-Dance is not a label but the event brand behind Defqon.1 and Qlimax — two festivals that shaped what hardstyle sounds like live.
How loud should a hardstyle mixdown be?
Hardstyle is one of the loudest genres — typical masters sit at −5 to −3 LUFS integrated. The kick dominates with a transient peak around −2 dBFS. Limiters like FabFilter Pro-L 2 on Aggressive mode and Clipper plugins before the limiter are standard practice to maintain transient punch while hitting commercial loudness.
What DAWs do hardstyle producers commonly use?
FL Studio is the dominant DAW in hardstyle, used by Headhunterz, Brennan Heart, and most top producers. Ableton Live is the second choice. The genre grew alongside FL Studio's rise in the 2000s and the two became inseparable. Serum is the dominant synth, replacing NI Massive as the screech lead tool of choice around 2016.
Sources & Further Reading
- Sound On Sound — Synthesis Techniques — In-depth FM synthesis guide applicable to hardstyle screech design
- MusicRadar — How to Make Hardstyle Kicks — Step-by-step kick production tutorial
- Red Bull Music Academy — Dutch Dance History — Dutch electronic music scene and hardstyle origins
- Beatportal — Hardstyle Charts — Current hardstyle releases and top producers
- Native Instruments Blog — Kick Design — Kick synthesis and layering tutorials
Related Articles
- FM Synthesis Explained: Complete Guide to Frequency Modulation — Hardstyle's iconic reverse bass and screech leads are built primarily through FM synthesis operator modulation.
- Layering Drums: Build Powerful, Professional-Sounding Drum Hits — The hardstyle kick is a meticulously layered sound — combining multiple kick samples is fundamental to the genre.
- Limiting and Clipping Techniques: Loud, Competitive Masters — Hardstyle masters are among the loudest in electronic music, requiring expert use of limiters and clippers.
- Transient Shaping: How to Control Punch and Attack in Drums — Kick transient control is critical in hardstyle — the attack must be punchy without clipping the limiter ceiling.
- Subtractive Synthesis Explained: Oscillators, Filters, and Envelopes — Screech leads are built by combining subtractive synthesis with heavy distortion and FM modulation.
