DJing the WNBA, scoring E! documentaries, and designing fashion show soundscapes: A conversation Vicky Casis
Vicky Casis is a multi-talented artist who threads the worlds of DJing, production, and visual media with her signature sound. From spinning at major events like the WNBA Championship to crafting beats for documentaries and fashion shows, Vicky creates soundscapes for a variety of cultural moments and events.
We recently had the opportunity to chat with her about her multi-faceted career, her creative process, and her advice for aspiring producers.
You’re involved in a variety of projects, from DJing major events like the WNBA Championship to performing live Maschine+ beat sets and co-creating QSTV. How do you balance these different aspects of your career?
Time management is very important for me. I take a lot of mental notes, plan events on my iPhone notepad, and try my best to use my calendar more often. I’m still working on managing time better, but I do my best!
Does your experience DJing influence your production style, or vice-versa?
My production style and DJ style are actually a bit different because I like to blend all different types of genres and sounds together. My production style is more hip-hop based, but currently, I’m looking to get into more dance production, and what is inspiring me to do so is spinning anything that gets the people moving.
You’ve worked on hip-hop documentaries like “Contact High” and the “Black Pop” TV special. How does the process of creating music for visual media differ from composing for your own releases?
Creating music for visual media is a bit different from composing my own releases because there is a template from the team on how they want different scenes to sound. The music coordinator may have an idea of what sounds they want conveyed for a scene, and from there I build on that idea. When making original music, my mind is clear of what to create. I never really have an idea of what type of track to create; I usually build off of listening to Maschine sound libraries, sound packs, and/or samples.
“Casis World” features a variety of artists, much like your “Baby Gurl” EP. What do you enjoy most about collaborating with other musicians, and how do you select the artists you work with?
What I enjoy most about collaborating with other musicians is bringing out what’s special about these musicians on a record, as well as experimenting with new fresh ideas and sounds that may be new for them and myself. I like to select artists that I know are willing to get out of their comfort zone and can deliver what is needed for the track or project.
A lot of people I collaborate with are either good friends of mine or musicians that I’ve discovered from other friends or social media.
You’ve had success integrating music production into the fashion world with your work for Marissa Wilson NY. Can you talk about the connection between music and fashion, and how you approach creating music that complements a visual aesthetic like a fashion show or campaign?
Music and fashion go hand and hand for me, whether it’s music played in a clothing store or music played during a runway show. Creating the right soundtrack to complement a show or campaign can help elevate the story of what the designer is trying to convey.
The amazing thing about Marissa is that she always knows what she wants, and she always has references for me to build from. We’ll brainstorm and send ideas to each other until she’s satisfied with what I create. It’s always a joy to collaborate with Marissa and to create music for her runway shows/campaigns.
Can you share a couple of your favorite Maschine features that have helped you create your music?
One of my favorite features on Maschine is the Clips feature. With Clips, I’m able to edit and create on the fly without any interruptions. The amount of plugins and sound libraries in Maschine are out of this world. When I want to get experimental between different genres and/or instruments, I’m capable of finding whatever I need to execute a beat.
Being able to use external VSTs like Serato Sampler, Serato Hex FX, Splice, and more is awesome. I have no limits to finding the right sounds to create and mix.
And using my Maschine+ for beat sets is always great. I can load in beats on each pad/group and use different FX during a beat set on the Maschine+ like a SP404 to create an experience for a live beat set.
What advice would you give to aspiring producers, especially those interested in creating music for various types of projects like you have in your career?
Some advice I would like to give is to never limit yourself because music is needed in all different mediums. Learning the music business and learning from stories of those that had bumpy experiences in music is important. Finding your community or creating your own community is needed.
There’s a beat scene in many cities in the U.S. and internationally where producers curate live beat shows, beat battles, and more. Connect with like-minded individuals in music and different fields like technology, art, fashion, etc. You all can create art and events together that can inspire the world.
Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
There are new collaborative projects from myself and different artists that will be released this year and beyond! Also I would like to give a huge shout out to The QSTV squad, my family, and my daughter Valentina Rose Bryant who will be 2 years old in March! Much love.
Get inspired with limitless opportunities in music
Vicky Casis’s journey through the music industry is a testament to the power of versatility and collaboration. Her ability to adapt her skills to different mediums, from documentaries to fashion shows, showcases the numerous opportunities available to music creators today.
Vicky will be speaking at SXSW 2025 on the panel, “The Art of the Beat: Bridging Creativity and Technology alongside Native Instruments, Akai, and Zaytoven.
The post DJing the WNBA, scoring E! documentaries, and designing fashion show soundscapes: A conversation Vicky Casis first appeared on Native Instruments Blog.
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How the Young Urban Arts Foundation empowers artists with music tech and community in London
Kerry, could you share a bit about your background and what inspired you to found the Young Urban Arts Foundation?
I was born into chaos at Holloway Prison, to a mother serving time. My father was deeply involved in crime and my early years were marked by instability, poverty and survival. I grew up in an environment where options felt limited and I saw how easy it was to get caught in a cycle that seemed impossible to escape.
Music became more than just an escape, it was a lifeline. It connected me to mentors, to people who genuinely cared and to a world beyond what I knew. Without those key influences, without those people who saw something in me before I saw it in myself, my story could have been very different.
I was at a crossroads. One where the wrong step could have taken me down a very different path. Instead, I was given an opportunity. There wasn’t a single defining moment but a series of moments. People, music and experiences that guided me towards something greater. One of those was my time in New York, immersed in hip-hop culture, battling, learning and seeing that there was more out there for me. That trip shifted my perspective, it made me realise that my voice had power.
That’s why I founded the Young Urban Arts Foundation (YUAF) because I know that access to creativity, mentorship and opportunity can change lives. I wanted to create the kind of support system I never had growing up. A space where young people feel seen, heard and empowered. Through our Studio Bus, we bring creativity directly into communities, offering young people a way to express themselves, heal and build self-belief.
For me, music was never just about sound, it was about survival, transformation and rewriting my story. Now, through YUAF, I’m helping the next generation rewrite theirs.
From synths to sequencers: Meet the pioneers of electronic music
Daphne Oram (1925–2003) was a trailblazing electronic composer, inventor of the Oramics Machine, and a passionate advocate for electronic music as a legitimate art form. She co-founded the influential BBC Radiophonic Workshop and contributed significantly to the development of experimental sound techniques. Despite receiving an offer to study at The Royal College of Music in 1942, Oram chose to work as a Junior Studio Engineer at the BBC, where her career in electronic music began.
By the mid-1940s, Oram was composing music that combined acoustic orchestration with live electronics and turntables. She lobbied the BBC to provide electronic music facilities and began experimenting with musique concrète techniques, recording, manipulating, and looping tape sounds.
In the 1950s, her groundbreaking experiments with tape machines culminated in the creation of the BBC’s first wholly electronic score using sine wave oscillators, tape recorders, and filters. This growing demand for electronic sounds led to the establishment of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop in 1958, which Oram co-founded.
Disillusioned by the BBC’s focus on using the Workshop primarily for background music and sound effects rather than original compositions, Oram left the organization just one year after its founding. She set up her own studio, Oramics Studios for Electronic Composition, at Tower Folly. There, she explored her artistic vision more fully, composing works for radio, film, advertisements, exhibitions, and live performances. Her uncredited contributions even included sound effects for James Bond films such as Dr. No and Goldfinger.
Oram’s most notable invention, the Oramics Machine, was a revolutionary “drawn sound” synthesis and sequencing system. It allowed users to draw waveforms, pitches, and volume envelopes on film to generate sounds, embodying her innovative spirit and commitment to expanding the boundaries of electronic music. Today, she is remembered as a pioneer whose contributions helped shape the evolution of electronic music.
Score vs. soundtrack: understanding the difference
What is a soundtrack?
In its broadest sense, “soundtrack” can mean all of the sound in a film, including music, dialogue, and foley. Some people use the term soundtrack to refer to a film’s general soundworld – not just the music.
More often, though, “soundtrack” describes the songs or compositions used in a film – especially if these songs weren’t made specifically for the film. Many films use pre-existing music, such as beloved pop songs or famous classical pieces, to evoke a certain mood or era. When we talk about this music, we’re talking about a movie’s soundtrack.
Assembling a soundtrack is often the work of a Music Supervisor, who sources the perfect music and gets it licensed for use in the film.
To make things more complicated, “soundtrack” has an extra, overlapping meaning. When the music from a film is released commercially, this release is often referred to as the soundtrack, or OST (original soundtrack).
An OST typically features music from the original score, pre-existing songs used in the film, or a combination of the two. It might also include dialogue and foley, or even music that was never featured in the film – such as a song that the director found inspiring.
The best soundtracks (or OSTs) create a pleasurable listening experience that immerses the listener in the atmosphere of the film. Different OSTs approach this in different ways.
Breathe life into your samples: The Towerz method for authentic sound in dance music
Replicating acoustic instrumentation has to be done with grace. You need to make sure that the dynamics are there and feel played. You need to tastefully disguise the layers and fit them into the room using reverb and compression. You need to ensure smooth transitions between notes and have the proper wavelength.
Generally speaking, it’s good to use most sample-based instrumentation in an additive sense, but not as the main character. That does depend on the library as well. Not all sample-based libraries are created equal. Some are better at mimicking reality than others.
Start making sampler-based instruments sound real
We’d like to extend a massive thank you to Towerz for joining us and sharing his expertise on making sampler-based acoustic instruments sound lifelike as if played by a real musician. He really hit the nail on the head, emphasizing that a lot comes down to layering, attention to detail, and using the right Kontakt libraries.
These details might seem obvious once you know they’re there, but are often overlooked by newer producers. Knowing these intricacies is crucial in turning sampler-based instruments into lifelike sounds. Hopefully, by the end of this interview, Towerz has given you a fantastic starting point to replicate these techniques and achieve similar results in your own music.
And as always, none of this would be possible without powerful tools like Kontakt 8, so be sure to check it out through the link below.
5 music production tips from techno legend Kevin Saunderson
5. Balance hardware and software in your productions
While acknowledging the power of modern software, Saunderson still appreciates the tactile experience of working with hardware synthesizers and controllers. He combines the best of both worlds, using Ableton and Maschine alongside classic synths like the Matrix and Moog Sub 37. “I appreciate the new school, but I still like a combination of hardware and software.”
Kevin also brings his video home with key advice for new producers about mastering a few tools thoroughly rather than spreading yourself too thin:
“Learn your tools, don’t use too many synthesizers and keys, and plugins, especially in the beginning. Get a few things that you need and learn them well.”
Start learning your tools
We hope you’ve been inspired by Kevin Saunderson’s music production tips. Explore Maschine+ and start making your next song using hands-on programming with premium instruments and effects.
Flip Samples from Your Phone with Move’s Latest Update
Why contrast matters in sound design: longstoryshort’s approach with Kontakt
When layering samples in Kontakt, keeping things clear is key. What’s your approach for making sure all those layers stay distinct and hit right?
I like to put a ton down, and remove later.
A lot of the times when I’m working, I will speed-run numerous ideas, put down everything that sounds good to me at the moment – and delete or move it around the project. If it’s not adding anything, so be it. Speaking of layering, one of my favorite moves with Kontakt is to browse some of the libraries like Straylight and Pharlight – you can get impressive drone notes and atmosphere quickly.
Try picking one that works well with a higher note – something like C4-C5, and then something that works well down an octave from there or two. Play the drones at the root note of the scale and then play your chord progression only with a nice fat Reese bass underneath – EQ out the drone notes low end and anything that gets in the way and you’re already off to a great start for an atmospheric, moody songstarter.
Now fire up something like Una Corda and play the chord progression, and you’re off to the races.
5 tips for organizing your sound library
5. Back up your sounds
Many producers have stories where they’ve lost dozens if not hundreds of hours or work because of a hard drive failure. If your sounds are stored in a single location, all it takes is one accident, loss or hardware failure to wipe out your entire library.
Working without backups is an unnecessary risk, and if you value the time you’ve spent developing your sound library and project archive it makes sense to take precautions in this area.
External hard drives are relatively cheap – because you’re not working from these backups, you can use a cheap HDD rather than a fast SSD – so your first line of defense should be to back up your sounds on at least two external drives in addition to whatever drive you work from. This will ensure that even if there’s a problem with one of the backups, you’ll have at least one other backup to restore your data from. Dedicated backup software such as Carbon Copy Cloner for MacOS is available to make creating backups easier.
Ideally you’d want an “offsite” backup, in case that, say, your studio is struck by a meteorite while you’re out getting coffee. If that’s not practical for you or you’d just like a more convenient solution, consider making a backup of your sound library in an online storage space, for example a Google Drive or Dropbox.
It’s also possible to backup your whole computer with automated online backup services like Backblaze, and this alongside regular local backups will give you peace of mind that your sound library isn’t at risk.
Start organizing your sound library today
In this guide we’ve looked at five ways to make it easy to organize your sounds, improve your production workflow, and protect your work for future use.
If you’d like to learn more about music making with Native Instruments check out Kontakt 8, What is Kontakt?, Getting started with Kontakt to create music and The 100 best free Kontakt instruments in 2025.
What are pads in music production? A guide to creating lush soundscapes
What’s the difference between a synth and a pad?
Pads can be created with synths, but of course not all synth sounds are pads. Typically pads have long amplitude envelope attacks and release times, which means that they fade in and out smoothly, and often pads will feature some kind of filter modulation or modulation-based processing that keeps their sound gradually moving and evolving. Let’s create our own pad sound now to solidify our understanding of what pads are, and what makes a good pad sound.
How to make pads in music
1. Create a smooth amplitude envelope
Let’s start by adding Massive X onto a MIDI track in our project. Let’s check out the initial patch’s amplitude envelope in the bottom left-hand corner of the interface. Here we can see that the A (Attack) and R (Release) knobs are set quite low, giving us quick attack and release times, and a snappy sound.