After completing the full Logic Pro rebuild of Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter, the next step was to adapt the project into a version that could be realistically implemented in a school-based digital audio environment. We selected Soundtrap as the platform due to its accessibility, collaborative capabilities, and suitability for use in classrooms where professional DAWs like Logic aren’t always available.
This wasn’t a direct one-to-one transfer. Instead, we approached the Soundtrap version as a new build—structured around the same production logic as the Logic session, but constrained to the tools and sounds available in-browser. The idea was to create a pedagogically grounded version of the track that could model genre conventions and digital production processes for students without relying on industry-level plugins or interfaces.
Laying the Groundwork: Rhythm and Tempo
The Soundtrap session was set to 105 BPM to reflect the original track’s laid-back but danceable feel. The groove was constructed using a combination of looped drum patterns—drawn from Soundtrap’s library—and edited for phrasing and tone. We were looking to recreate the syncopated, punchy drum character of the Logic version using the platform’s internal sounds.
Adding handclaps helped articulate the backbeat and inject the kind of percussive energy typical of both 80s disco and contemporary girlie pop. Every decision here was made with future learners in mind: each element needed to feel “teachable” without being reductive.
Programming the Bass
The bassline was based on the reconstructed Logic groove, which in turn was transcribed from Espresso. In Soundtrap, we used a combination of Synth Bass and Electric Bass patches to get as close as possible to the tight, rounded tone of the original.
The groove was sequenced manually, not looped from a library, to demonstrate how note placement, rhythm, and duration shape the track’s energy. The harmonic framework (D minor, E minor, A minor) was retained, providing a simple progression that students could use as a base for experimentation.
Layering Harmony and Texture
With rhythm and bass locked in, the focus shifted to harmony and texture. Soundtrap’s keyboard and pad sounds were used to emulate the retro shimmer of the Korg M1 and FM-style patches from the Logic session. These weren’t exact replicas but offered enough flexibility to recreate the mood and colour of the original track.
We added a basic countermelody in the upper register to hint at the original’s topline phrasing. It wasn’t a full melodic line—more of a stylised placeholder that students could later build on or modify.
Replacing Studio Guitars and Synth Stacks
Without access to VSTs or advanced layering tools, Soundtrap required some creative workarounds. The funk-style rhythm guitars were approximated using edited loop fragments, cut and placed to simulate the percussive playing found in the original track. Effects such as chorus and light reverb were applied to add authenticity and space.
Similarly, the 80s-inspired synth layers from the Roland SRX Dance collection were replaced with Soundtrap’s internal leads and textures. These synth parts served both musical and educational functions—providing vertical interest while demonstrating how to shape a mix with relatively minimal tools.
Educational Considerations
This Soundtrap version wasn’t just a simplified copy of the Logic file. It was built from the ground up with pedagogy in mind, informed by Kuhn and Hein’s Project Formula and framed by informal, collaborative learning principles (Green, 2002).
Each section of the build corresponds to a musical and technological concept that can be isolated, discussed, and adapted in class. The track functions both as a reference piece and a framework for guided composition, showing students how to construct genre-accurate pop productions using accessible tools.
By reverse-engineering the Espresso production into a school-friendly format, we’ve created a foundation for music technology learning that is both culturally relevant and technically meaningful.
Petar Jovanov 