6 months wih 404sx, no luck.

[iThinkTooMuch]

Ive been trying to make shit with 404sx for the past 6 months that i have owned it, i know all its functions but no matter how hard i try my beats sound weak. I also dont know how to find samples yet because all i use is youtube, and i have no vinyl player so i cant go crate digging yet. I know many of you use DAWs along with your SP's, and yes i do make a lot of stuff on a DAW, but i was just wondering how i can get started with this shit?

My problems:

1. no sample sources
2. using some jdilla/boombap addict/boombap kits i have downloaded from the net, sound weak even with isolator on them.
3. idk where to start, on fl studio i make beats so quickly and here idk what.

Not gonna lie ive never sampled in my life (of course i have put beats over loops other people made/for remix competitions, but i still havent sampled intricately, which is how i wish to do it ).

I wanna rework the sample so much that its not just a loop with a beat over, i feel like thats cheap cuz sometimes people take a sampled loop with drums already in it and then they add a kick and snare and (djfx looper) and say it is their beat...lol.

Id appreciate any help.

[nobdy]

nothing to it but to do it!

dont give up bro. 6 months is nothin. keep practicing and trying!

participate in the battles in the arena section. you'll see your skills improve in time

if you really are giving up on the sp, then stick to your guns and keep jamming on FL studio. no one is gonna judge you on what you use...just keep on making shit

[MattCoops]

Check out your favorite tracks on whosampled.com and see what they sampled. Then try to chop it up on your own.
Build an ear for hearing what you want to sample.
Keep listening to music, and when something strikes you, chop it up.
The more you work with it, the better you'll come to grips with it and make it yours.

[iThinkTooMuch]

thanks guys, i feel motivated now; and i know it doesnt matter what i use but i just cant wait to get my tracks sounding like some of the stuff i hear on here. imma try to do some battles. is there any way i know when they start? like every tuesday or somehting?

[strangev]

The others pretty much said it, but here's some tips for the samples. Think outside the box, search random shit on youtube. Search stuff like "70's vietnamese soul" or "african bossa nova".. Then if you find something good, check out the channels who posted it. There's a bunch of channels on youtube with loads of rare stuff. Here's a few:
https://www.youtube.com/user/LeIntrovabili4/videos
https://www.youtube.com/user/thismusicismydesire/videos
https://www.youtube.com/user/ardentepatience/videos

Also, I often sample 70's B-movies/exploitation movies. I get some of them from torrents, but there's a lot of films on youtube these days.

For the drums, think outside the box as well. Normally I use 9th wonder or chop funk/soul drumbreaks, but I also like to play around with house or trance drum kits. Try downloading vengeance club sounds. Also, try using sounds that aren't percussion as percussion (lighter flicks, shattering glass etc).

But as andy said, if you just don't dig the workflow on the sampler, go back to fruity loops. You have to find out what works best for you. I've tried learning Ableton and FL Studio because I wanted to make more structured and complete tracks, but I've faced that DAWs just aren't my thing.

Anyways, good luck with finding your path through music

[timmytoga]

you need to apply MFX 12 to your whole beat

[thesalesdept]

Make stuff in FL and then sample that into the box...mess around with it and throw it back into FL...repeat. I find that really helps me get out of creative slumps, because you can always whip something up on the computer, just sample that and chop it up.

[strangev]

you need to apply MFX 12 to your whole beat

[iThinkTooMuch]

cant tell if serious about mfx 12, lol. Also i listened to ur collab with loka, sounds so goood! all sp?

[timmytoga]

cant tell if serious about mfx 12, lol. Also i listened to ur collab with loka, sounds so goood! all sp?

Only half kidding...

Compressor does tend to make everything sound huge

[hseiken]

you need to apply MFX 12 to your whole beat

+1

[spwarlock]

+1 for lighter flicking drum sounds...get your Burial on son!

[strangev]

cant tell if serious about mfx 12, lol. Also i listened to ur collab with loka, sounds so goood! all sp?

I'm all sp, I don't know bout loka, but I think he is too

[Rabot]

you need to apply MFX 12 to your whole beat

+1

+1

No beat leave the SP without it lolz

[spwarlock]

I agree,I'm just now realizing this.Used to have to do some magic on the laptop before I finished a beat.Now its MFX 12 and done.

Edit:Should note I bounce to tape as well,highly recommended for a grimy sound.