Harmonizing Samples?

[DJ Hoppa]

How do you guys go about getting different samples to harmonize w/each other? I have a hard time when i start digging through mad records and I cant seem to pitch/time stretch the samples to the right tone....any suggestions?
-respect

[joblack00]

I got that same problem like hear something and be like damn if was like a few seconds slower I can do something with it.

I also have a problem when I hear something I like like a piano roll and some idiot in the back playing a trumpet just loud enough to hear it really aggravates me. Is there anyway to filter out portions of sounds. I ain't talking about voice either. I guess just talk this one to what DJ Hoppa was saying

[HaZwaiOh]

well, i guess this is the art of sampling.
actually this is what fascinates me. make the best out of what you got. as far as filtering goes, it will not really help. chop it into pieces and try to cut out the unwanted parts of it ...

[detox_one]

I havent really ran into any special technique for making the samples fit in in a harmonic pattern. Sometimes it just does, other times it just dosent blend. Try using sounds that are similar. As far as time strectching and pitch bending, it all depends on weather your samples are loops, or are they hits, ore maybe a 1 or 2 bar length sample. The shorter the sound, the easier it is to pitch bend. If your trying to pich bend a whole 2 or 4 bar loop, its going to be difficult to get the right sound that your ear wants to hear.

[DJ Hoppa]

word....well, take RJD2 for example....he uses many samples, and there are many progressions and transitions in his songs...are you saying those samples are all in the same key just by chance? there's no processing action taken? that's awesome....I've done it in many songs, having a few samples to harmonize, but i always thought maybe there was a way eto get them all in the same key...

[bigdmakintrax]

Hoppa I hear ya, I got ripped by a panel on harmony....and that was doing some remixes, Bosco and few others were there and that was the number one thing that surprised me....most of the producers (already established) were focused in on things being in tune and the right keys....so now you see why top producers ish do contain samples and transitions that follow the right keys etc....that is the musical part that people might not consider alot when starting out...

[light]

exactly.. find samples that are in the same key to start with. its not easy. pitch shifting and all that most of the time wont work. but then again some of the tightest beats ive made have been based around accidents, so keep chopin bendin and twisting, ya never know whatll come out

[bigdmakintrax]

oh yeah the thing in using bass or guitar samples is they are real..to they produce odd and even harmonics...so if you have too much decay on the sample in a transition you get that funky harmonics that might not be satisfying to the ear...LOL

[dacalion]

DJ Hoppa, here's a little trick that I've done several times. I use a KORG CA-30 chromatic tuner to adjust certain samples to harmonize. The first thing is to find the key or chord that I want the sample to be in, then while playing the original sample, I look at the CA-30 and adjust my pitch/time stretch to match that key or chord and re-sample it. When the CA-30 hears a tone, it will display the note. Its kinda tedious but sometimes it works depending on how complex the sample is. Hope that helps.

holla back--dac

[detox_one]

CA-30, I gots da check this one out...

[DJ Hoppa]

thanks guys, all your info is MUCH appreciated...im glad i came to this board!

[Knock Out]

Guys, I've found that most problems end up having the simplest solution... if you load your sample onto an Midi keyboard or whatever you use, you can simply just press a lower note on the keyboard to make the sample longer or shorter. (Or actually I should say, slower or faster.) This has never failed me. If you don't have a keyboard, you can do the same thing in Fruity Loops.

[themucka]

SERATO PITCH N TIME

[vitaminman]

Hey,

You need a pitch shifter, a popular one is Auto Tune by Antares. It will work with most sequencers/editor. Serato I believe only works in Pro Tools, I hear that it is very good.

Take care,

Nick

[joeburnem]

Man you just have to beat the shit out that sample and say "Who's your daddy. Get in that mix, Damn it!" No I'm just playing. I just count and adjust tempo. It works most of the time. Just take your time (if needed chop).

[milLion]

sometimes you can filter out an unwanted freq -- but for the most part -- it boils down to matching the pitches correctly -- other factors are tempo, sound quality from pitching, etc -- but the more you practice it, the more fluent you'll become