Do you guys know what sound/drums artists like R.Kelly, Keith Sweat, SWV, Babyface, Teddy, etc. mainly used? Also is it possible to create a sound like that all in one DAW? I’m looking at using FL studios and I’m just an addict of 90s R&B/New Jack Swing who wants to bring that sound back so literally any advice is highly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Ask @ E-Irizarry and @ M2E and yes it's possible to do so in a DAW as long as you learn the ins and out of you DAW so find one to stick to and master it.

For tutorials peep Slime Green Beats

Hey everyone, thanks for the mention. Yeah the 90's were the time and when I really start getting into making music as I loved the sound and the Producers (Mainly Teddy) in that time. If I found out Teddy was using a unit I would try to get it cause that was the sound and I was trying to re-create that.

Anyway, since Teddy Riley ruled the 90's with New Jack Swing era (Of course he created it) I'll just stick with that sound mainly and keyboards/drums and what I could tell you off the top of my head without looking for it.

Teddy's drums in the early era of New Jack was just the Roland era. 808 drum machines and the 909. A lot of that early Keith Sweat was that sound even though that was more late 80's. Well with software, you can find a lot of that going around. The closest I've heard to the original 808 drum machine is by D16 "Nepheton". They did a really great job. There are probably more but I'm too lazy to look to see what I have or what's out there. Sorry, in the middle of a mix too. LOL
What I'll do is name the units and put the software I think are closest to it that will help you get that sound that I know of cause I own it.

Drums
808 Drum Machine: Nepheton by D16
909 Drum Machine: Revolution by Wave Alchemy
MPC sounds: MPC Software will get you most of all the other sounds. Mind you, Teddy would sample alot too so, maybe check out James Brown's/Funkadelic/George Clinton Kicks and Snares etc.

Keyboards

Bass
DX-100: I still own this and nothing really comes close but, software that has tried is: Synth Anthology 3, Arturia DX7
Moog: Arturia Mini V
Random 90's Bass: Novation Bass Station

Synths
Korg Collection
Arturia Collection
UVI Digital Synsations
UVI Synth Anthology 3
U-He Repro

That right there will get you most of all the sounds of the 90's.
I still own/have some of those synths ala
Roland JD800, JD990, JV880 and all the cards they had,
Studio Electronics SE-1X (Moog Sound)
Yamaha DX-100

I don't use them much anymore but Roland, Korg, Akai, Yamaha and Moog ruled the sound in the 80's, 90's and early 2k until soft synths started emerging.
Now I have 100's of soft synths (Though I don't need them) and it's fun when I come across a sound of the 90's.

That should get you more than started. I really hope this helps.

Thanks, Marc

When I think "New Jack Swing", I think of Janet Jackson and Paula Abdul. I really enjoyed those artists in the 80's.

I remember reading articles in Keyboard Magazine, about how they were done.

Teddy Riley said he Had an Emulator III and an Ensoniq Mirage side by side, but using them fo very different sounds. You can definitely hear that Mirage used on the bass for "Nasty Boys".

Babyface used a Roland R-8 and a U-20 on a lot of Paula Abdul's songs, and he must have had a low-fi sampler like a Mirage too, you can hear it in some of his breakdowns.

.

Your talking about Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and yes, I have that mag as well.
They used the Mirage and EMU stuff as that was pretty much a sampler or a sample of sounds which UVI modeled as well.

Marc

Yes! I got the names mixed up. Just "remembering" from 33 years ago.

I love the crunchy backwards sweeps combined with the clean sounds with a hard shuffle.