I'm having a hard time choosing samples to work with, and lets not even get into using multiple samples for one song. What is your method to picking good samples to work with?

I waste my whole life at the moment doing this..

I think you just gotta not think too much about it.. But I haven't solved my problem yet

try playing songs at the same time and seeing how they layer together. if there's synergy between the two, you know you are on to something good. if not, its time to move on. always look for samples that compliment each other and fill voids that the other has.


ie a spartan drum part works well with a drumless section, etc

For me, when I'm combining records- I really gotta be in that mindstate where I feel things are happening for a reason-it's a spirtual thing for me in many ways. If you have faith in yourself and what you're doing-and have the right motivation-you'd be amazed by the things that happen on "accident". I've had several times where i just pull out a random record from a stack hoping to blend something with what I got going, and I'll find something right away that works. On a more technical level-just think in your head what sounds/instruments would mesh well with what you got, or just envision in your head what would make the song you're sampling doper,and try to find a record/records with those sounds. Also-try to always put notes/make mental notes on records that have empty vocals,instrument solos w no backing,etc..these obviously are the easiest things to blend with something else. And I have no idea how this seems to happen so much- but at least in my experience a lot of songs that have about the same tempo seem to have a simmilar if not the same pitch,idk, maybe that's just me.As far as just picking samples period-and I'm assuming you do hip hop,though I'm not sure....You know when you hear an intro to a song and you just know the beats gonna be a banger? Think like that when deciding on something to flip..if you get a feeling like that from something on a record, there's almost no way you could make something wack w it.Also when digging-always check those liner notes/jackets for the instruments used,and a lot of times, the people that played them.....11

I don't do a lot of layering of diff samples but I do like to pick samples that have diff parts and rearrange/layer them, meaning I never really just loop a part of sample. and I like to add synth lines in the back of the mixes too, whether you are using diff parts of the same sample, or diff samples, or adding your own sounds into the mix, I think layering and rearranging is the key to unlocking the creativity, otherwise you are just laying drums over pieces of music, it's hard to have a real vision that way imo. as far as picking samples, I think you should try to chop as much diff kind of music as possible, you gonna understand arrangements much better and you will learn to make all kinds of diff samples fit your sound/vision, rather than needing to find a certain type of sample to achieve it

I'm not the greatest myself so I rarely input with advice but here goes...

For me with sample selection laying drums first helped me out a bunch. I found myself playing with chops off multiple tunes for hours before id even dig for a break

if i can find and chop drums first and have a basic sequence playing i find it a lot easier to go about finding the other pieces to the puzzle.

seconded

not me, i can't do it by starting with drums. the more i work on the drums, the more i pay attention to how they are tuned, and then nothing seems to go with it but a single bass note or something. when i chop the sample first, i can kind of hear in my head how i could make my drum sounds match it. I love tweaking and chopping drums but i hate arranging them for some reason. I would rather chop and layer the hell out of samples and arrange those instead. i keep a movie on my vcr while i'm making beats in case i hear something that'll work with it.

anybody have those 'universal' samples.... samples that seemingly can be layered on anything... this zappa guitar solo goes perfectly over whatever i have going on depending how i tune it.

Same prob here kel.. I can't seem to pick naked drums, I needa have some of the other track put together first