136-140 BPM · electronic music sketch

Tech Trance

Tech trance sits at the darker, more hypnotic end of the trance spectrum, closer in feel to techno than to the bright euphoria of uplifting trance. Dark filtered pads, plucked JP-8000-style leads and rolling TB-303 acid riffs drive it, with shorter breakdowns than uplifting trance keeping the energy from ever really dropping.

136-140 BPM
Driving
Acid
Dark
Hypnotic
TR-909

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66 Genres

Purpose-built for Tech Trance at 136-140

DAW-Ready Stems

48 kHz WAV multitracks on paid plans for Ableton, FL, Logic, Bitwig

12-Stem Separation

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AI Mastering

Streaming and club target presets

Sonic character of Tech Trance

Driving
Acid
Dark
Hypnotic
TR-909
TB-303
Access Virus
JP-8000

Authentic BPM range: 136-140

How Tech Trance is built

Kick & groove
Punchy four-on-the-floor kick with a strong, tight low end at 136-140 BPM, plus TR-909-style offbeat open hats.
Bassline
Rolling 1/8-note saw bass, filtered with mild distortion, sidechained against the kick and pads.
Synths & texture
Dark, minor-key filtered pads with a slow attack, plus plucked leads with short decay and delay treatment.
Acid element
TB-303-style acid riffs with resonant filtering and squelchy rhythmic patterns woven through the groove.
Arrangement
Filtered groove builds via gradual low-pass opening, and breakdowns run noticeably shorter than in uplifting trance.

Want to build it yourself? Read the step-by-step Tech Trance production guide.

What producers use Tech Trance sketches for

  • Warehouse or dark-room DJ sets needing driving trance energy without festival euphoria
  • Sketching an acid-and-pluck loop and expanding it into a full tech trance arrangement
  • Practicing filtered groove-build automation before recreating it in your own DAW
  • Extracting MIDI from a generated 303 riff to develop it further on Pro

Tech Trance vs neighbouring styles

Tech Trance vs Uplifting Trance

Uplifting trance uses bright supersaw leads and long euphoric breakdowns; tech trance keeps things darker with filtered pads, acid riffs and much shorter breakdowns.

Explore Uplifting Trance

Tech Trance vs Peak Time Techno

Tech trance keeps a trance-style bass roll and pluck leads that peak time techno's stripped, motif-based bassline doesn't use, even though both share a dark, hypnotic tone.

Explore Peak Time Techno

Frequently asked questions

What makes tech trance different from uplifting trance?

Tech trance keeps a darker, more filtered tone with acid riffs and much shorter breakdowns, while uplifting trance goes for bright supersaw leads and a long euphoric build.

What tempo is tech trance?

136-140 BPM, close to uplifting trance but usually mixed with a darker, more driving low end.

Does tech trance use a TB-303?

Yes, resonant TB-303-style acid riffs are a defining element, usually woven through the groove rather than used as the sole lead.

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