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Production guides, workflow tips, and stories from the FFUNK community.
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MIDI Packs vs Sample Packs: Which Should You Build Your Track On?
Loops are fast but everyone hears the same sound. MIDI is notes you own. A practical breakdown of when to use each, and why serious producers start from MIDI.
5 Best Splice Alternatives in 2026
Looking to switch from Splice? Discover the best alternatives that match your workflow, budget, and production style.
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Captain Chords Alternatives: Plugins vs Ready MIDI (2026)
The best Captain Chords alternatives compared: Scaler, DAW scale tools, learning theory, and composer-written MIDI packs.
Gospel Chord Progressions: 2-5-1s, Diminished Passing Chords
Learn gospel chord progressions with real spellings: extended 2-5-1s, passing diminished chords, the backdoor 2-5, and preacher chord walk-ups.
Best R&B and Neo-Soul MIDI Packs in 2026
The best R&B and neo-soul MIDI packs in 2026, ranked. How to spot real extended-chord writing, and where the gospel-grade voicings actually live.
Free EDM MIDI Files: Where to Download Drops and Leads
The real sources for free EDM MIDI files, how to spot generator junk before it wastes your session, and a curated free option with 5 downloads a month.
How to Make a Lofi Beat: Step by Step (2026)
Learn how to make a lofi beat step by step: 70 to 90 BPM, jazzy seventh chords, swung drums, soft bass, and the texture layer that sells the vibe.
Scaler 3 vs MIDI Packs: Which Do You Actually Need?
Scaler 3 vs MIDI packs, compared fairly: when a chord plugin wins, when composer-written MIDI wins, and why using both is valid.
Pop Chord Progressions: The Four-Chord Families Explained
Pop chord progressions with real notes: I-V-vi-IV and its rotations, why rotation changes the feel, prechorus tension tricks, and the borrowed iv.
Best EDM MIDI Packs in 2026: A Producer's Buying Guide
A no-hype guide to the best EDM MIDI packs in 2026: what melodic EDM writing actually needs, plus five options ranked from curated to free.
Free Piano MIDI Files for Emotional and Cinematic Tracks
Where to find free piano MIDI files that actually sound like performances, what pedal and velocity data to check, and a free curated option.
How to Use MIDI Files in GarageBand (Mac and iOS)
Yes, GarageBand opens MIDI files: drag them into the timeline. The full workflow, the missing import menu, the iOS catch, and when to move to Logic.
Are MIDI Packs Worth It? An Honest Cost-Benefit Answer
Are MIDI packs worth it? When they pay for themselves, when they are a waste of money, and how to tell which producer you are.
EDM Chord Progressions: Festival Lifts and Drop Harmony
EDM chord progressions with note spellings: festival lifts, the pop-punk loop, supersaw voicing rules, and how drop harmony differs from breakdowns.
Best House MIDI Packs 2026: 5 Sources Compared
The best house MIDI packs in 2026 compared: piano stabs, 9th chords, and groove-ready loops. How to judge a house MIDI pack before you buy.
Free Chord Progression MIDI: 5 Progressions to Steal Today
Five free chord progressions with exact note spellings you can program right now, plus where to download chord progression MIDI files free every month.
How to Make a Trap Beat: Step by Step (2026)
Learn how to make a trap beat step by step: tempo and key, dark chords, melody, hi-hat rolls, 808 bass, arrangement, and mix basics, with real numbers.
Unison MIDI Chord Pack Alternatives: 5 Options Compared
Looking for a Unison MIDI chord pack alternative? What Unison does well, where buyers feel limited, and 5 honest alternatives.
Emotional Piano Chord Progressions (With Voicings)
Emotional piano chord progressions with exact notes, inversions for stepwise bass lines, pedaling technique, and arpeggiation patterns that work.
Best Lo-Fi MIDI Packs in 2026 (And How to Judge Them)
Looking for the best lo-fi MIDI packs in 2026? Here is what separates real jazz-influenced lo-fi MIDI from generic chords, plus five ranked picks.
Free Lofi MIDI Files: The Best Sources (And What to Avoid)
Where to download free lofi MIDI files, why most free chord loops feel stiff, and how to get composer-written lofi MIDI free every month with 5 credits.
How to Use MIDI Files in Logic Pro (Import, Tempo, Smart Tempo)
Import MIDI files into Logic Pro the right way: drag vs File > Import, the tempo dialog, the Smart Tempo trap, and fixes for multi-track files.
The 7 Best Sites and Sources for MIDI Files (2026)
The best sites for MIDI files, compared honestly: curated subscriptions, marketplaces, free archives, chord plugins, and more.
Sad Chord Progressions: 7 Loops That Actually Hurt (2026)
Seven sad chord progressions with real note spellings: minor key loops, the vi trick, borrowed iv, and suspensions, usable in any genre.
Best Trap MIDI Packs in 2026: 5 Picks That Deliver
The best trap MIDI packs in 2026, ranked. What separates a usable dark trap MIDI pack from filler, plus free and paid options compared honestly.
Free Trap MIDI Files: Where to Find Ones Worth Using (2026)
The best places to download free trap MIDI files, what separates usable files from junk, and how to get composer-written trap MIDI free every month.
Are MIDI Packs Cheating? An Honest Answer From People Who Sell Them
Yes, we sell MIDI packs. Here is the honest case for and against using them, what counts as your work, and where the line actually is.
Producer's Block: 7 Ways to Start a Track When the Piano Roll Is Blank
The blank piano roll is the hardest screen in music production. Seven concrete ways to get notes down in the next ten minutes, from constraints to MIDI starting points.
The Best Key and BPM for Every Genre (Producer Cheat Sheet)
Trap at 140, house at 124, lo-fi at 80: a practical cheat sheet of tempo ranges and key habits for 9 genres, and why minor keys dominate almost all of them.
House Chord Progressions: From Deep House 9ths to Piano House Stabs
The harmony behind every house subgenre: minor 7th loops, deep house 9ths, classic piano stabs, and the one-chord groove, with note spellings.
Neo-Soul Chords: How to Get That Warm, Expensive Sound
Extensions, drop-2 voicings, passing chords, and gospel moves: the harmony behind neo-soul and R&B, explained with real note spellings.
Lo-Fi Chord Progressions: The Jazz Theory Behind the Chill
Lo-fi's warmth is jazz harmony slowed down: 7ths, 9ths, the ii-V-I, and borrowed chords explained with note spellings you can use tonight.
Dark Trap Chord Progressions: 7 Patterns That Actually Sound Dark
Why most 'dark' beats sound generic, and 7 minor-key progressions (with note spellings) that give trap real menace: b2 tension, tritones, and space for the 808.
How to Use MIDI Files in Ableton Live (Session and Arrangement)
Import MIDI into Ableton Live the right way: Session vs Arrangement, instrument racks, tempo and key tricks, and fixes for multi-track files.
How to Use MIDI Files in FL Studio (Complete 2026 Guide)
Drag, drop, assign a sound, fix the tempo: everything you need to use MIDI files in FL Studio, plus fixes for the classic problems that trip producers up.