Try some distortion. I found a small amount really rounded off a rather nasty low bitrate tech-trance kit Iwas fiddling with and gave it a smoothness and groove I wouldn't have thought possible. It's now very, very techno.

The unit I used was rather unhelpfully called 'distortion' but it's the Logic own-brand. The Reason distortion unit is pointless - bounce it out and apply some with another proggy if you're forced into using it. Or run the loop through the Malstrom (set up to be used as an effect/processor) to get at that lovely saturation effect. Or use Reason 2.5 and the Scream unit. I've heard good things about/from the Fruity Loops distortion units - especially the Blood Overdrive.

In Cubase, using the Tube Warmth plug-in will give a nice, crunchy rounded sound, and the overdrive and feedback units will *really* scream.

It's often a good idea to use subtle distortion on many parts in your track, to give character and feel. Either creating a definite sense of identity using just one unit over, or adding fullness by getting the characteristics of many different units into one track. Use only a little drive - a few percent - for this. Unless you're writing acid techno.

Tequila