Building Better Drums: A Conversation with Producer/Engineer Damon Flores

“I just want to provide for my family doing what I love.” – Damon Flores

For years, Dutch producer and freelance IT specialist Damon Flores has juggled a career in tech while honing his craft in beatmaking and drum programming. He’s partnered with globally recognized sample creators, shared tips with fellow producers from around the world, and steadily built a reputation for lush, hard-hitting drum patterns that make people sit up and take notice. In our wide-ranging chat, Damon broke down his process for creating and mixing drums—both on the MPC and in Ableton Live—while reflecting on how he balances family life, IT work, and a passion for music.

The Beats

From IT to MPC: A Quick Background

Growing up in the Netherlands, Damon bounced in and out of music throughout his life. Despite long spells away from production—prompted by family responsibilities or lack of inspiration—he always found himself gravitating back to beats. In 2019, right before the pandemic, he committed to going “all in,” investing in his setup and dedicating daily time to refine his sound.

Four years later, that effort has paid off. Damon’s beat videos have reached an international audience that often mistakes him for a New York-based producer, thanks to the New York-influenced grit of his drums and the high production value of his video content. He’s quick to emphasize that “If you want something to be great, you have to invest in yourself and your gear.”

Drums on the MPC: One-Shots and Breaks

Damon’s approach on the MPC can be split into two primary methods: using one-shots and chopping drum breaks.

Using One-Shots

Building the Drum Program

Damon starts by loading an empty drum program with carefully selected kicks, snares, hats, and occasional percussion. Sometimes these one-shots come straight from his library; other times, he routes them through the SP-404 first for some character.
A dedicated “ghost kick” pad is crucial to Damon’s workflow, sitting at a lower volume and rolled-off high end. “The ghost kick keeps the groove breathing,” he explains. He also sets his main kick as a sidechain input for the Mother Ducker plug-in. Staying in tune is important, and Damon often tunes his Kick drum to the sample or melody as needed

Sequencing & Groove

He typically finger-drums a 4-bar loop and, on the final bar, either strips out the main drum hits or adds a quick fill for variety. Subtle nudging of the snare and ghost kick helps achieve an off-grid swing. For hi-hats, he’ll use the MPC’s humanize function to randomize velocities and avoid sterile repetition.

Color & Cohesion

Plug-ins like Air Flavor Pro add warmth or vintage flair. If the drum track needs extra glue, he’ll apply gentle bus compression on the entire drum program.

Chopping Drum Breaks

Slice and Shuffle

Damon chops breaks into quarter-note slices (or smaller) to rearrange them freely. After slicing, he may boost or soften individual hits.

Layering & Pitch

If a break’s hi-hats feel under powered, he layers them with additional hats or percussive loops. Pitch adjustments (up or down) further personalize the break.

Favorite break sources include Bizkel, Beat Butcha, and Skyking—all known for distinctive textures.

The Ableton Live Workflow

Though the MPC remains a cornerstone of Damon’s style, Ableton Live has carved out a permanent space in his production process. He’s been using it since 2010 and loves Push and the new Ableton Move for hands-on control and faster sample manipulation.

Drum Rack Setup

In Live, Damon loads one-shots into an empty Drum Rack, keeps velocity fixed for kicks and snares, and allows dynamic variation for hi-hats. He maintains a pad specifically for ghost kicks—“It’s essential,” he says. EQ Eight is used to roll off lows on hats and snares, ensuring clarity in the lower frequency range.

Groove Pool Magic

Damon often experiments with the Groove Pool, selecting classic MPC 3000 or SP1200 swing presets to add an old-school feel.

Colorful Plug-ins

Among his favorites are RC-20, Soundtoys Decapitator, KNOCK, and Serato HEX. “HEX feels more modern. You can dial in grit on the fly,” he notes. For cohesive bus processing, he often turns to Ableton’s Glue Compressor, Goodhertz Vulf, or the SSL Bus+ for a final polish.

Using Breaks in Live

Damon’s process with breaks in Live echoes his MPC routine: slicing into a MIDI track, rearranging hits, and tweaking pitch or layering additional percussion for unique character. He might also push the break through the SP-404 or Analog Heat for extra saturation. “Sometimes if the drums are too clean, you need that analog gear to give it bite,” he explains.

External Gear and That “Secret Sauce”

While many producers rely purely on software, Damon prefers a hybrid setup. He frequently runs the master output from his MPC or standalone samplers through an Elektron Analog Heat and SSL Fusion, adding harmonic saturation and analog warmth before finalizing tracks in Ableton. The SP-404 also comes into play for vinyl simulation, compression, and that distinctive lo-fi texture.

“I like it when the sample pack maker leaves a bit of headroom—if it’s too loud from the start, I can’t add my own sauce.”

Less Is More

In a world over-saturated with plug-ins, sample libraries, and social media “hustle culture,” Damon takes a more restrained approach. “If it sounds good, it’s good. Don’t overthink it,” he says. He admits to owning a stack of unused plug-ins but notes that he returns to the same few tried-and-true tools over and over again.

He also stresses consistency over constant pressure: “I used to post two beat videos a day, every day, even while moving into a new house. Now I’ve got a more balanced system—work smarter, not harder.”

Final Thoughts

For Damon, the goal is simple: make great-sounding drums that knock, while keeping the creative spark alive. Whether he’s finger-drumming on the MPC, layering a break in Live, or running everything through outboard gear for extra grit, the key ingredient is always his ears—and a willingness to experiment.

“One day I might focus on a single break; the next, I’m layering 32 sample chops. If it fits the track and makes my head nod, I roll with it.”

To keep up with Damon’s drum experiments, follow him on Instagram or Spotify—and be on the lookout for more behind-the-scenes posts on drum production, gear talk, and everything in between.

Follow Damon Flores on Instagram

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Disclaimer: All brand and product names (MPC, SP-404, Ableton Live, etc.) are the property of their respective owners. No official affiliation or endorsement is implied.