My take on the Michael Jackson classic "The Way You Make Me Feel" released in November 1987 as the third single from Michael's seventh studio album "Bad".  I have always loved the upbeat vibe of this tune driven by the relentless 8th note triplets in 12/8 time.  It was an absolute joy to dive in an unlock this songs secrets as it brought me back in time and made me feel like I was 21 all over again!

Technical Notes:
I used a Yamaha DX-7 for the synth bass and a variety of soft synths for the drums including NI's 80's Drummer and Battery 4 as well as MOTU's BPM (for the synth toms).  The slow synth string pad was voiced using NI's FM-8 and the rhythmic off-beat synth pad was a combination of the Prophet 08 and the Nord Stage 2.  The synthesizer effects right before verse one were achieved with three MOTU MX-4's each voicing a different part of the overall effect.  The brass was NI's Session Horns Pro (my absolute favorite Horn simulation)and the synth lead was created using a combination of the virtual analog on my Nord Stage 2 along with Sonic Project's OP-X Pro II and NI's Massive.  The three guitar tracks were all played in using a keyboard and three instances of Music Labs' Real LPC each run though NI's Guitar Rig Pro 5.

The Way You Make Me Feel

Todd Dunst