Sampling Method Tips

[BEATBRAWLER]

I’ve been trying to practice a few different sample chopping methods. Do you all know of any also? Any tips or advice would be awesome

 

[Tomblr]

First question...
with what sampler are you working with?


If it's with Mpc One, MPC X or Mpc Live:
Whenever i sample, i start off programming the drums first
after that i listen to different tracks i uploaded, and whenever i get the feeling it's could be something dope
i put in the sample edit and change the chops automatically to a threshold for like 32 barz

that way you can play around with the sample (pitch it up or down)
and see what works for you

it's a way different approach than cutting small chops up like most beatmakers do
Be creative, and very importantly....have fun man!

If you got any more question, just shoot them

Peace

 

[BEATBRAWLER]

Awesome advice champ! I have an Akai MPC X but I’m addicted to FL Studio now because it was so hard for me at first but now I’m finally starting to get the hang of it. I really like Slice X. I can make beats using anything as long as I can get a little practice. I like having a high BPM around 280-300. Then I’ll rearrange my chops from Slice X on to the Piano Roll. Sometimes I’ll start with the Drums or at times I’ll start with the sample chops or melody. Lately I’ve been playing around with adding snare rolls to my Boom
Bap beats.

 

[Tomblr]

Awesome advice champ! I have an Akai MPC X but I’m addicted to FL Studio now because it was so hard for me at first but now I’m finally starting to get the hang of it. I really like Slice X. I can make beats using anything as long as I can get a little practice. I like having a high BPM around 280-300. Then I’ll rearrange my chops from Slice X on to the Piano Roll. Sometimes I’ll start with the Drums or at times I’ll start with the sample chops or melody. Lately I’ve been playing around with adding snare rolls to my Boom
Bap beats.

Tbh i never tried making beats with a softwareprogram, but as long as it does the trick...then why the fuck not?

One handy tip also when your working with a standalone:
Whenever you get your first 8 bar loop, copy it to a new sequence and add some different things in between the chops

What you can also do...

Copy it to a new sequence and delete the first 4 barz from a 8 bar loop
That way it's easier to hear if the transitions are matching or not

 

[BEATBRAWLER]

Thank you for the tips

 

[2GooD Productions]

First question...
with what sampler are you working with?


If it's with Mpc One, MPC X or Mpc Live:
Whenever i sample, i start off programming the drums first
after that i listen to different tracks i uploaded, and whenever i get the feeling it's could be something dope
i put in the sample edit and change the chops automatically to a threshold for like 32 barz

that way you can play around with the sample (pitch it up or down)
and see what works for you

it's a way different approach than cutting small chops up like most beatmakers do
Be creative, and very importantly....have fun man!

If you got any more question, just shoot them

Peace

Personally I start with the sample and no drums because the sample dictates everything that follows, key, vibe, groove. Everything.
I often start composing around the sample with a bassline or something before ever adding drums. Because I program the drums, I do it to the groove of the sample.

 

[BEATBRAWLER]

Personally I start with the sample and no drums because the sample dictates everything that follows, key, vibe, groove. Everything.
I often start composing around the sample with a bassline or something before ever adding drums. Because I program the drums, I do it to the groove of the sample

 

[BEATBRAWLER]

Great advice champ.

 

[Tomblr]

Personally I start with the sample and no drums because the sample dictates everything that follows, key, vibe, groove. Everything.
I often start composing around the sample with a bassline or something before ever adding drums. Because I program the drums, I do it to the groove of the sample.

Never tried it like that before

But it's something i'm gonna try myself next time

Thanks for the advice (and again, also for the drumkit)

 

[Mike Chief]

Do not fear drums in the sample..

Micro chop more than not...feel the vibe.

Work with the flow, not against. If the sample is battling you, take an ear break and come back and work on somethin else. Revisit later to see if youve elevated.

 

[BEATBRAWLER]

Great advice champ

 

[BiggChev]

I probably have an overly convoluted sampling process, but none-the-less, here it is...

Sample Prep:

• Load my sample into either Maschine or Logic then chop main sections:
  • Intro, Verse, Chorus, Bridge
    • I like doing this even if I don't need the whole section
• Pitching
  • Pitch the sample up or down to taste
  • In Maschine, I like playing around with different sample engines to get that old-school aliased sound
• Determine Tempo
  • In Logic:
    • Bounce In Place - then use Tempo-Analyze
  • In Maschine - Tap Tempo (very rarely do I rely on the tempo detection)
  • Circling back to the first step; the reason I like using a whole section is because it's easier to get an accurate tempo. Particularly the case with older recordings that aren't quantized.
• Create Loop
  • Once I get an approximate tempo, I'll set loop points and flip on the metronome
    • Listen attentively to make sure it's as tight a loop as possible
    • Focus more on the transition from the end of the loop back to that first down beat.
• Flex Time (Logic Only)
  • Using the transient markers to adjust for any drift. Not entirely necessary and can be done before pitching the section of the sample.
• Re-Sample (Maschine Only)
  • Once I've pitched the sample around and figured out a fairly tight loop and determined a tempo, I'll usually re-sample to a new pad.
  • Switch from Sampler mode to Audio mode.
    • Pitching down samples usually results in irrational tempos (ex. 93.57). By flipping to an Audio Module you can have Maschine auto warp and set the tempo to a whole number like 94 BPM.
• Rinse & Repeats
  • Repeat process for all the sections I identified from my initial listen to the sample

Chopping:

• Hunt and Peck
  • Scrub through the 'prepped' sample section from above and start pulling out interesting bits. Usually one-shots or short phrases
• Loops
  • maybe I want to use a loop(s) or repeating section of the section
• Identify
  • Bass lines/notes
  • Textures
  • Melodic pieces/phrases
  • Ear candy

Arranging:
This fun part! I sometimes blend this 'phase' with the 'Chopping' phase, but essentially this is where I start piecing together the puzzle. I like to start by setting up a blank 4 bar pattern sometimes with a drum loop, sometimes without.

I like to pad-mash on Maschine or noodle around on my key-controller if using Logic's quick sampler. Often times, an interesting patter will emerge or at least a short sequence.

• Start laying down 'anchors' or 'rough passes'
  • Say one chop sounds great as the start of a phrase, I'll put it down in the step sequencer
  • Record a rough take and use it as a reference when going back to swap out a sample chop
  • Figure out what chops layer nicely on top (this may require copying of some samples and further pitching them up or down to blend harmonically)
  • Manipulate - almost sound design, but making some sonic changes to chops so they blend and mesh well together
    • add filters
      • LPF to emphasize bassline
      • HPF to emphasize brighter melodic content
    • adjust Amp Envelope (ADSR) to tighten up sounds or have them 'ring' out more naturally
    • Creative FX (delays, tremolo, chorus) again can help to blend chops together or add interest
• Ideation
  • After getting a pattern I like, I'll go through and make variations
  • Change the "head" of the pattern or the "tail"
  • Try to come up with a few different patterns with just minor changes
    • This allows the listener to latch on-to something while also having just enough variety to keep the beat interesting
  • I also like to come up with 2-3 more unique different patterns
    • used for different sections of the beats (Verse, Chorus, etc.)
    • I'm usually not thinking about transitions but having big 'chunks' of the beat fleshed out
• Song Structure
  • Once I have a few key patterns; I'll play around with what order to arrange them. Most times I have a fair idea of what pattern will be the verse or chorus, but sometimes they can change depending on how they flow

Once I have the above done, it's time to track into Logic for final mix and arrangement. A few things I like to do before tracking is getting levels and pan set. This is where I may go in and normalize some chops just to help get everything to a relatively even level. I also like to track by 'groups.' Say I have a few different chops that make up the bass line, I'll have them all at the same level and centered to track in mono as one track.

Hopefully this helps point you in the direction you want to go in. I'm not proclaiming that it's a perfect approach, and I promise it's not as tedious as it looks when typed out. Personally, I also like to layer in additional original instrumentation/composition on my sampled beats - but that isn't always necessary. I find it's a good touch especially if you want to emphasize a certain part of the sample that you maybe couldn't quite coax out with tradition tricks (filtering, EQ).

 

[BEATBRAWLER]

Thank you champ!!!!

 

[BEATBRAWLER]

Prepping is definitely helpful at first!!!!!

 

[Iron Keys]

I start off like @BiggChev does, but maybe do 5% of that get bored and run with whatever I've got

 

[BEATBRAWLER]

I keep losing these battle and I’m still Ranked number 7!!! lol!

 

[BiggChev]

I start off like @BiggChev does, but maybe do 5% of that get bored and run with whatever I've got

Oh, this is perfect world scenario. The majority of the time I get lazy or distracted and just raw dog a sample.

Also, all these steps can kinda be done concurrently. So maybe it’s not that convoluted.

 

[Iron Keys]

Also, all these steps can kinda be done concurrently. So maybe it’s not that convoluted.

You've told me about your mixing chains - it's def convoluted

 

[attila]

A method I sometimes use, when it’s not completely random, is this. I make a selection of tracks based on key and BPM. The keys were found by automatic software and are not accurate, which is a good thing, so that everything is not too rigid. Let’s say samples in a range of 85-90 BPM and 4A on the Camelot wheel. This means they could go well with 4B 5A, etc. and other samples a bit slower by one or a few semitones down or a bit faster by one or sa few semitones up. Or one that's slower than half of 6 semitones down, etc.; it's worth noting that just because I've selected samples based on certain keys and BPMs doesn't mean I'll use them with those exact specifications; it's merely a way to create a basket of possibly compatible samples that I will, of course, listen to in order to choose them. The fact that the keys are not always precise is better. Sometimes the simple overlap of two loops creates magic. However, this fortuitous part isn't the most fun.

Now (something I copied because before hearing famous producers do it, I wouldn't dare), I try to use samples without putting them in time, shifting the accents, and using them in such a way that they sound like ghost notes and in off-grid positions to make everything more interesting, preserving as much as possible the nature of the sample as a "snippet" from another context while making it sound different—what was on-beat becomes off-beat, spinning the loop not on its original measure. Sometimes we use saples trying to make them sound as instruments. Here It Is the opposite. With this approach, it’s often possible to achieve a beat that sounds clunky, awkward, angular, in a way that wouldn’t be the same without the samples.