Hey everyone,

So I'm looking for some pointers to step up my sampling game. So far I've been through a stack of vinyls and I've found some nice loops but I can't really move away from the standard 2 bar loop with some added drums.

I know each sample is unique but what are some general sampling techniques that I should practice to move beyond basic looping?

Thanks

Chop, chop, chop!

There is no manual for creativity. Just start creating and you will develop your own style.

Yeah mate straight loops are cool sometimes, but if you really want to dig into samples, then start looking at them as a colection of sounds that can be chopped up note for note or chord to chord etc, you can keep some bits and drop other bits/sounds, then try combining the result with other bits from other samples from different places, as long as it fits in harmony you can keep adding and adding. Also try making 2, 3 or 4 different sequences that go for 4 or 8bars with variations and chaining them together

definitely chop those samples. also, you could resample your 2 bar loop through some effects and drop the modified version of the sample in here and there for some variation.

if you can listen to your loops and your sample source at the same time, keep auditioning new sounds while your beat is playing. you might luck out and find the perfect sound to compliment your main sample.

This is the best way to find out if a new sample will fit or not, plus you can change the pitch on the turntable before sampling to get it in the right key

listen to the greats .. Pete Rock ,Premier,Madlib , Dilla , all the Tribe productions .. break apart the elements in your mind and how you think they did it .. i take what equipment they used into considerration and imagine how it was possible .. then apply the techniques i've assumed to my own stuff ..


for example Pete Rock CL Smooth .. most of the early work was done on the SP1200 .. loose drums straight laying down 1 layer at a time .. probly 1/2 bar sample chops

Gangstarr .. MPC60 .. limited sampling time so very short samples mainly fitted into a 2 bar pattern .. maybe explains the choppy approach Premo established signature

..

if you learn a bit of classic music theory .. it will help in your formulation of pattern structures concerning notes triggerred during a sequence (beat)

that is all

The next level of sampling is already here. Its just that only four or five people know about it and experimenting with it as we speak. Its been around for long time but never was focus in sampling.

Ok, enough amp up intro. Time to explain the next level in sampling.

The use of Auto-tune and Audio-to-MIDI. Combine those and you'll be on your way to wizardry in sampling.

Audio-to-MIDI can take a guitar riff and transform it into MIDI notes. Then take those notes and play your own instrument. Instantly the guitar sample is YOUR sample because you played it, all you did was sample the notes Its recreating samples you sampled. And no learning keys because the notes is already there, all you doing is tracing over the sample.

Then take Auto-Tune, and change the key of those notes if you like. Maybe a certain key aint hitting right or you prefer the 4th measure to end on a G# instead of D minor.

Its all out there, get your head open and explore.

Great info here already.
I think of times where a sample was not quite long enough and you take the last little slice and add it on to make the sample fit. Micro surgery. Turning found sounds into musical sounds. Finding a rhythm in slowed down paper crumpling and making a beat based on that.
There are also the Eno "Oblique Strategies" you could try- can be fun way to stretch yourself.
http://stoney.sb.org/eno/oblique.html
about:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oblique_Strategies

Hows it going ill green!
Was wondering what your working on these days? New album in the pipe line?
Love your shit man, gas mask tortures and swamp water plague are dope as fuck, i play that issue no 1 track a lot too that samples insane!

try chopping the loops up...

Waddap L.C.W!! And thanks for the comment

I wrote Issue No. 1 but Blavatsky produced it, he wanted a story type rhyme for that track. And yes, I'm still making this new album, its under wraps but its feels like Swamp Water Plague on acid. Also making a trailer for youtube before I drop it. Thats enough for now. I'll keep yall updated as tracks get more polished and rhymes edited (I like to replace the swear words with meaningful words)

Good looking out fam.

yeah man just chop stuff up. try and get stuff on either a kick drum or a snare... on beat like you don when you make a loop. once you get comfortable with chopping stuff youre ear will improve and you might want to make crazier chops that are off beat but get the start of a chord for example.

i know a lot people that just load up a full track to sample into ableton and auto chop it into like 150 pieces and hope that they will be able to piece together into something good.... i dont get this at all because chopping is so easy

the next level of sampling for me (as opposed to Ill Greens ) is to spend time lining up tracks next to each other that i think have elements that will work together. make chops and very slowly change them as i go along so that they all fit and basically make a beat out of 4/5 samples. its really satisfying and gets some crazy results

cheers

Can you expound on this a bit?
Thx
C

sure man!

well basically ill find a sample that i like the sound of... it might have some sweet chords or just some instruments that sound beaut (ive got a thing for 50s strings atm)

so then ill search around for a track that i think might fit the 1st sample. ive gotten really quite good at finding stuff that fits through practice but at first i was basically going on vibes. like if i picked a slow 70s soul track about love the chords from some horror theme tune arent gonna fit because of the totally different vibes right?

anyway so i might get 3 together that i think will work but when i find another thats really nice i might have to throw out the second one because the 4th one only feels like it will fit with the 1st and the third... you know what i mean?

anyway so once ive got them ill record them into ableton and pick out the nicer sounding bits and narrow all of the samples down to about 3/4 minutes of audio. this is so there isnt way too much to work with and i end up over looking the best bits

then i put that in maschine and start chopping! i have done this on the 404 before but its so much harder because you cant pitch properly or do a few other tricks to get stuff to fit... plus theres much less pads

so i take care to chop stuff and i might change a lot of the chops as i go on to account for the next sample. i might start by choping 8 pads of the first sample but get rid of 3 of them to make space for other ones of other samples that make sense later on

the end result is 16 pads of totally different samples that i can usually make a beat with. theyre usually all in different bpms which makes for interesting rhythms and stuff. im really loving doing this stuff right now

i wish i could show you an example but its all going towards this album that ive nearly done

did i expound too much? haha

cheers mate