peritus
The not fountain head
My contribution is long overdue.... So let's see if I can share something useful...
Keep in mind that this isn't the only way I compose, it is however my way of consistently making something presentable. Loop and sample based stuff may be the lazy way, but there are some GREAT songs that we'd never have without this method.
1. Find a great sample. My personal approach is to let inspiration strike. Cassette, DVD, CD, vinyl, whatever.. Just let it vibe.. Vinyl is the most involved and the coolest sounding, though... The samples I used to use (and the easiest way to go) were soloed instruments.. However, a good four bar loop with some good drums (aka not a lot of cymbal action) makes for cooler sounding stuff, in my opinion... Oh yeah.. If you don't know what "four bars" sounds like.. Find out before going on (see Music Theory)..
2. Get it into the computer... Pay attention to this step... Sampling from mp3 is A WHOLE LOT different than from the actual cd or wav file... Cassette actually has a very warm quality for sampling and sits extremely well in the mix without a lot coaxing.. Tape noise adds grime, so beware... Record more than just the loop.. Trimming is a lot more fun inside the box than out. Pay attention for clipping and hum (normally more of a problem with vinyl).. Don't record with extremely hot levels... Transients will suffer (do a search for this word, if ya wanna know what it means)... Which would you rather have? Detail or digital distortion? You be the judge..
3. Save your original sample in 44.1khz wav with a version suffix (Sample - Ohio Players - Fire x001.wav)... Each revision will increment the number by one (Sample - Ohio Players - Fire x002.wav)... Another note on quality.. Don't normalize the file.. It's a big waste of time and basically says that you didn't record it correctly... You are better off upping the volume at the mixing stage, if need-be, with a limiter or compressor...
4. Your focus should now be on perfecting the length and trimming of the loop... Use audacity or some other good wav editor.. Audition would be great for this... One MUST DO in the sampling realm is that you should be capable of manipulating the loop in terms of "ZERO CROSSINGS".. Minding your zero crossings is ESSENTIAL...
5. Okay so you've go a good loop now...
6. Choose a path... Will you be looping the sample or would you like to try your hand at beat/sample slicing/chopping?
7. If all you wanna do is loop, find out your loop's BPM... google "bpm calculator".. there's a good space-bar-tapping bpm calculating page around the web... Also, somewhere out there, mathematically sound principals exist to find the bpm by using sample duration vs. musical measures... I don't know 'em off the top of my head... Anyone care to contribute?
Since you've chosen looping, you may end up with a few different loops, pulled from the same source song... All you really need to do now is splice them together how you want them and overlay your chosen instruments over them (of which, it would be wise of you to take up bass guitar and piano for use with hip hop)...
8. If you wanna chop and slice... Use Propellerhead's Recycle and the latest version of Reason (because it's soooo much better than the 2.x versions)... And while they're the most qualified people to explain how to actually use the program(s), I will say that the biggest problem with amateur sampling is the temptation to use the sample too many times.. If we were all as good as J. Dilla at sampling, we'd know that each time we trigger a sample, the impressiveness of it is tarnished a little...
So in closing I will say, LEARN HOW TO FIND LOTS OF GOOD/GREAT SAMPLES .. NOT HOW TO TRIGGER THE SINGLE GREAT SAMPLE 18 MILLION TIMES.. Trust me I'm severly guilty of this.. lol.. just listen to my stuff..
Here's some other info from an old post of mine...
lata,
peritus
================
Drum Sampling Procedures
I've been dealing with this, recently.... Prepare for a rambling post....
I have a VERY large cache of 320 kbps MP3s, which I encoded ,personally, from original CDs, using CDex (It's an awesome prog!)..... We're talking 68.8 gigabytes, from almost every genre imaginable....
All files have the following naming convention:
Artist..Album..Artist - Album - Track Number - Song Title.mp3
Here's an example:
2Pac..All Eyez On Me..2Pac - All Eyez On Me - 21 - Picture Me Rollin'.mp3
Please note that this particular album is a double disc, and that I choose to treat the second disc as an extension of the first (No subfolders for multiple discs)....
Movie soundtracks are treated, as follows:
Movie Soundtrack..Movie Title..Movie Soundtrack - Movie Title - Track Number - Artist - Song Title.mp3
Example:
Movie Soundtrack..Ray..Movie Soundtrack - Ray - 01 - Ray Charles - Mess Around.mp3
------------------
You can use the main part of the following procedure, regardless of the medium from which you are sampling.
------------------
Part One:
Browse, usually at random, my collection of music, via WinAmp.... Listen for a good break, some have been as simple as the stick sounds from a count-off...
------------------
Part Two:
Right click on the file and open it in Audacity.
Trim the break, making sure to mind my zero-crossings.
Edit the resulting file, which is hardly ever a loop, so that there is a organization about the hits.
Example:
Snares > Kicks > High Hats > Open Hats > Sticks > Etc (More on this, later.)
Export the resulting WAV file, without normalizing, into a folder entitled, "Source Files".
Drum Hunt..Source Files..Artist - Album - Track Number - Song Title (Drums - Break Number).wav
Example:
Drum Hunt..Source Files..Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan - 02 - Girl From The North Country (Drums - 001).wav
This way, if I ever need to trace the sounds back to their original creator (sample-clearing, wink), I can do so instantly...
Close the Audacity session, without saving.
------------------
Part Three:
Open the WAV file, in Propellerhead's ReCycle.
Set the quanity of bars to 1.
Tweak the slicing points of each hit.
Depending on the goal, choose one of the following:
1. Forget normalizing. (If the break should stay "natural".)
2. Normalize the entire file. (If the break should stay "natural", but needs volume.)
3. Normalize each slice. (If each hit is rightfully usable, on its own.)
------------------
Part Four:
Here's where the re-sequencing of the hits comes into to play.
Set ReCycle's loop points ("L" and "R"), so that they surround a certain hit-flavor (i.e Snares, Kicks).
Go to the File menu and select Export.
Save the sequence of files as:
Drum Hunt..Hit-Flavor..Artist - Album - Track Number - Song Title (Hit-Flavor - Break Number).wav
Example:
Drum Hunt..Kicks..Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan - 02 - Girl From The North Country (Kicks - 001).wav
ReCycle will automatically number the hits:
Drum Hunt..Hit-Flavor..Artist - Album - Track Number - Song Title (Hit-Flavor - Break Number) Hit Number.wav
Example (of clicking export, one time):
Drum Hunt..Kicks..Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan - 02 - Girl From The North Country (Kicks - 001) 001.wav
Drum Hunt..Kicks..Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan - 02 - Girl From The North Country (Kicks - 001) 002.wav
Drum Hunt..Kicks..Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan - 02 - Girl From The North Country (Kicks - 001) 003.wav
Drum Hunt..Kicks..Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan - 02 - Girl From The North Country (Kicks - 001) 004.wav
Set the loop points for the next hit-flavor, and repeat until they've all been saved.
You can save the REX2 file, if you want. I don't, because I retain the original WAV.
=================
Keep in mind that this isn't the only way I compose, it is however my way of consistently making something presentable. Loop and sample based stuff may be the lazy way, but there are some GREAT songs that we'd never have without this method.
1. Find a great sample. My personal approach is to let inspiration strike. Cassette, DVD, CD, vinyl, whatever.. Just let it vibe.. Vinyl is the most involved and the coolest sounding, though... The samples I used to use (and the easiest way to go) were soloed instruments.. However, a good four bar loop with some good drums (aka not a lot of cymbal action) makes for cooler sounding stuff, in my opinion... Oh yeah.. If you don't know what "four bars" sounds like.. Find out before going on (see Music Theory)..
2. Get it into the computer... Pay attention to this step... Sampling from mp3 is A WHOLE LOT different than from the actual cd or wav file... Cassette actually has a very warm quality for sampling and sits extremely well in the mix without a lot coaxing.. Tape noise adds grime, so beware... Record more than just the loop.. Trimming is a lot more fun inside the box than out. Pay attention for clipping and hum (normally more of a problem with vinyl).. Don't record with extremely hot levels... Transients will suffer (do a search for this word, if ya wanna know what it means)... Which would you rather have? Detail or digital distortion? You be the judge..
3. Save your original sample in 44.1khz wav with a version suffix (Sample - Ohio Players - Fire x001.wav)... Each revision will increment the number by one (Sample - Ohio Players - Fire x002.wav)... Another note on quality.. Don't normalize the file.. It's a big waste of time and basically says that you didn't record it correctly... You are better off upping the volume at the mixing stage, if need-be, with a limiter or compressor...
4. Your focus should now be on perfecting the length and trimming of the loop... Use audacity or some other good wav editor.. Audition would be great for this... One MUST DO in the sampling realm is that you should be capable of manipulating the loop in terms of "ZERO CROSSINGS".. Minding your zero crossings is ESSENTIAL...
5. Okay so you've go a good loop now...
6. Choose a path... Will you be looping the sample or would you like to try your hand at beat/sample slicing/chopping?
7. If all you wanna do is loop, find out your loop's BPM... google "bpm calculator".. there's a good space-bar-tapping bpm calculating page around the web... Also, somewhere out there, mathematically sound principals exist to find the bpm by using sample duration vs. musical measures... I don't know 'em off the top of my head... Anyone care to contribute?
Since you've chosen looping, you may end up with a few different loops, pulled from the same source song... All you really need to do now is splice them together how you want them and overlay your chosen instruments over them (of which, it would be wise of you to take up bass guitar and piano for use with hip hop)...
8. If you wanna chop and slice... Use Propellerhead's Recycle and the latest version of Reason (because it's soooo much better than the 2.x versions)... And while they're the most qualified people to explain how to actually use the program(s), I will say that the biggest problem with amateur sampling is the temptation to use the sample too many times.. If we were all as good as J. Dilla at sampling, we'd know that each time we trigger a sample, the impressiveness of it is tarnished a little...
So in closing I will say, LEARN HOW TO FIND LOTS OF GOOD/GREAT SAMPLES .. NOT HOW TO TRIGGER THE SINGLE GREAT SAMPLE 18 MILLION TIMES.. Trust me I'm severly guilty of this.. lol.. just listen to my stuff..
Here's some other info from an old post of mine...
lata,
peritus
================
Drum Sampling Procedures
I've been dealing with this, recently.... Prepare for a rambling post....
I have a VERY large cache of 320 kbps MP3s, which I encoded ,personally, from original CDs, using CDex (It's an awesome prog!)..... We're talking 68.8 gigabytes, from almost every genre imaginable....
All files have the following naming convention:
Artist..Album..Artist - Album - Track Number - Song Title.mp3
Here's an example:
2Pac..All Eyez On Me..2Pac - All Eyez On Me - 21 - Picture Me Rollin'.mp3
Please note that this particular album is a double disc, and that I choose to treat the second disc as an extension of the first (No subfolders for multiple discs)....
Movie soundtracks are treated, as follows:
Movie Soundtrack..Movie Title..Movie Soundtrack - Movie Title - Track Number - Artist - Song Title.mp3
Example:
Movie Soundtrack..Ray..Movie Soundtrack - Ray - 01 - Ray Charles - Mess Around.mp3
------------------
You can use the main part of the following procedure, regardless of the medium from which you are sampling.
------------------
Part One:
Browse, usually at random, my collection of music, via WinAmp.... Listen for a good break, some have been as simple as the stick sounds from a count-off...
------------------
Part Two:
Right click on the file and open it in Audacity.
Trim the break, making sure to mind my zero-crossings.
Edit the resulting file, which is hardly ever a loop, so that there is a organization about the hits.
Example:
Snares > Kicks > High Hats > Open Hats > Sticks > Etc (More on this, later.)
Export the resulting WAV file, without normalizing, into a folder entitled, "Source Files".
Drum Hunt..Source Files..Artist - Album - Track Number - Song Title (Drums - Break Number).wav
Example:
Drum Hunt..Source Files..Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan - 02 - Girl From The North Country (Drums - 001).wav
This way, if I ever need to trace the sounds back to their original creator (sample-clearing, wink), I can do so instantly...
Close the Audacity session, without saving.
------------------
Part Three:
Open the WAV file, in Propellerhead's ReCycle.
Set the quanity of bars to 1.
Tweak the slicing points of each hit.
Depending on the goal, choose one of the following:
1. Forget normalizing. (If the break should stay "natural".)
2. Normalize the entire file. (If the break should stay "natural", but needs volume.)
3. Normalize each slice. (If each hit is rightfully usable, on its own.)
------------------
Part Four:
Here's where the re-sequencing of the hits comes into to play.
Set ReCycle's loop points ("L" and "R"), so that they surround a certain hit-flavor (i.e Snares, Kicks).
Go to the File menu and select Export.
Save the sequence of files as:
Drum Hunt..Hit-Flavor..Artist - Album - Track Number - Song Title (Hit-Flavor - Break Number).wav
Example:
Drum Hunt..Kicks..Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan - 02 - Girl From The North Country (Kicks - 001).wav
ReCycle will automatically number the hits:
Drum Hunt..Hit-Flavor..Artist - Album - Track Number - Song Title (Hit-Flavor - Break Number) Hit Number.wav
Example (of clicking export, one time):
Drum Hunt..Kicks..Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan - 02 - Girl From The North Country (Kicks - 001) 001.wav
Drum Hunt..Kicks..Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan - 02 - Girl From The North Country (Kicks - 001) 002.wav
Drum Hunt..Kicks..Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan - 02 - Girl From The North Country (Kicks - 001) 003.wav
Drum Hunt..Kicks..Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan - 02 - Girl From The North Country (Kicks - 001) 004.wav
Set the loop points for the next hit-flavor, and repeat until they've all been saved.
You can save the REX2 file, if you want. I don't, because I retain the original WAV.
=================