The Digging Advice Thread (great for beginner diggers)

Spend less time on the internet and more time listening to records and experimenting with different chops.
Rather than asking where to find a certain sound, go listening for it, and find a pluthera of other sounds that build your sample library and further craft your own unique style.
 
i like going to random record stores and finding cool records in the dollar section with funny looking cover art. sometimes find some rad stuff
 
Pls i need u guys to help. I wanna know how to sample. Wanna get samples from old records but dont knw how. 911
 
Pls i need u guys to help. I wanna know how to sample. Wanna get samples from old records but dont knw how. 911

You will need:

- A turntable. You can buy a dj turntable, a hifi turntable, an old turntable from 80's-90's will do the job too. If you want to mix and scratch, I recommend getting a direct drive dj-turntable. For listening and sampling belt driven one will do the job. Naturally, you will also need cartridge and needle for it (needle comes with the cartridge).

- A PHONO pre-amp for your turntable. Again, many ways to about it. You can go with a dj-mixer (especially if you want to mix and/or scratch), dj-mixers have a built in pre-amp. You can buy a small phono pre-amp for around $30-$50 bucks or get an old hifi pre-amp that has PHONO input, and of course some turntables have a built in pre-amp.

- A computer (or a sampler) to record your samples and cables to connect from your pre-amp's outputs to your audio interface's inputs. The cable type depends on your pre-amp and interface. Usually RCA in pre-amp's end and either 2 x 1/4" mono jacks or 1/8" stereo jack. Of course, there are also turntables with usb.

- Software for your computer for recording the samples. You can use your daw. Audacity will also do the job.

- Records to sample from. Go get your fingers dirty. Visit record stores, drift shops, fleas, check local classifieds in the internets and newspapers etc.
 
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Don't think electronic digging sucks, its just as good and interesting too. Sample everything lol
 
At my main record spot they have all the records open and they have 2 turntables set up with headphones.

I rarely hit up record shops anymore (my cheap ass keeps me at garage sales and Craigslist), but my record shop has the same set-up...tho you can't listen to the "4 for a buck" records on it...they only let you listen to the pricey ish :S
 
OK beand new on hear first answer was solid and I want to add my experience.

The most important bit of advice i think i can give is know and understand the records you own already.

For example. make sure you remember what label it is, this could lead you to try some other stuff on the same label (this works slightly better with smaller labels granted) Make sure you know who played on that album, its all well and good knowing its a particular band but if you love a bassline on an old 45 or album or whatever, find out who the bassist is, find out what else he played on or just remember his name when you're digging, one day you see his name on another record but with a different band... BOOM you just got turned onto something else completely.

Don't let genre dictate! ok so you like funk, but there's a ton of the funkiest music that has no relation to that genre, for example some prog rock has the funkiest drum breaks etc. Always remember genres are created as a generalisation to market something, your ears don't listen to how a tune is marketed, it listens to what it likes.

I could go on all day but I think the final thing is use your gut and instinct. When you start out this can be really hit and miss... infact it can always be hit and miss but don't ignore your head when you see an interesting cover art or read some interesting text on the back of a sleeve. Sometimes you come out with crap but a lot of the time you get turned onto a whole new thing just by luck and some judgement. To me these are the best finds and the finds that are the most exciting. I love finding those tracks that I've been looking for for months but I love the ones I never knew existed more! Plus with the instinct thing if you're digging in a dusty old place or charity shop bin where things are 50p or a pound you can afford that loss just for the fun of it.

Keep vinyl alive people we need it!
 
Wow its really liike that? I got 5 record stores on 6th ave alone 2 on 38th one down town and 4 I know of up north that I seldomly hit and 3 down south that I haven't hit in a few years lol. most of my digs happen at the same 3 or 4 stores.

You're lucky. I have a Half Priced Books, Goodwill, and a Movie Trading Company (Which is mainly expensive/new/classic vinyl) near me. There's at least 1 or 2 really nice shops but it's at least a 45 min drive from where I live...and I hate driving downtown with all the bullshit 1-way streets/ridiculous traffic/cocksuckers in Mercedes. I typically stay in Half Priced Books, since they have tons and tons of cheap vinyl, only thing that sucks is they won't let me go into their storage and really dig, they just wait until there's room and throw more shit on the shelves. Never actually look in Goodwill, might hit that up this weekend and see what they've got.
 
can someone suggest me on what gadgets will I use as for the beginner level.
 
I got a record store around the corner from my apartment, its like a 2 minute walk so im always up in there.. But they dont put new shit out that often so every few weeks I have to go to half price books&records which is like 2 blocks down... their shit is nice cause the staff doesn't really know what they have.. picked up a pink floyd record for a dollar.
 
Cool Thread ------My next door nieghbor is Russian and he was throwing out old russian music --i grabbed them right out the compacter room/ one mans trash is another mans treasure/ GOLD MIND
 
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