Finding the perfect sample (step by step)

R

Romani123

New member
Lot of people get lost when looking for samples. With the internet you have endless options.

Step 1: Go to "WhoSampled.com"
Step 2: Search your favorite artist
Step 3: Pick a track by the artist and find out what sample they used
Step 4: Find that track in youtube (or direct click the youtube link in whosampled to go to it's youtube embedded video)
Step 5: Youtube will show you similar videos on the right hand of your screen (using desktop). Search through the list finding songs that have DOPE samples.
Step 6: Find a website that converts youtube videos to MP3
Step 7: Download newly converted MP3
Step 8: Load track into your music editing software
Step 9: Make the ILL Beats

Romani | Romani | Free Listening on SoundCloud
-Sample Based Hip Hop. Found most samples using this method, use Garageband to produce all tracks.

How do YOU find the perfect sample? Share with us so we can beef up our production techniques !!!!!!!
 
Kickodun said:
Your original post before the edit (grumpy as it is, you should leave it up) was about why you would sample something that has been sampled before, and I think the simple answer is that different ears hear different things. Sampling is such an inexact science that two different artists can listen to the same sample and come up with two completely different sounding compositions. Likewise with something that you think has no sample value. Someone can create something completely beautiful from it. Its all in the eye of the beholder, I figure.
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Yeah I thought it would be best to remove my post because I honestly think everyone should find samples the way they want to. Who am I to tell anyone how to do it. Also, In my eyes there's nothing wrong with sampling something that has been sampled before, BUT going to whosampled. com to see what your favorite producer used and then using the same sample on purpose is just something I will never understand. But that's just me. I agree with your post though, it's all in the eye of the beholder. :) peace
 
1) Have a job that pays.
2) On payday - go to record shop - (if you're not sure what's on a record ask the shop owner to play some on his/her turntable while you continue to browse - they'll usually be happy to do so) - buy records
3) go home (or to studio) and place shiny new (or more likely - dusty old) record on your turntable.
4) Enjoy the music over a cold beverage and/or long cigarette and listen to your purchases until something grabs your attention. Make sure not to spill shit or drop ash on your equipment and/or computer.
5) record the sample that caught your attention.
6) Truncate sample to loop - stretch to desired tempo - chop
7) lay down a guide beat and flip In as many different ways as you can.
8) Go back to your drums - get them knocking.
9) arrange and mix
10) make 10 billion dollars.
 
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I'mNoGuru said:
1) Have a job that pays.
2) On payday - go to record shop - (if you're not sure what's on a record ask the shop owner to play some on his/her turntable while you continue to browse - they'll usually be happy to do so) - buy records
3) go home (or to studio) and place shiny new (or more likely - dusty old) record on your turntable.
4) Enjoy the music over a cold beverage and/or long cigarette and listen to your purchases until something grabs your attention. Make sure not to spill shit or drop ash on your equipment and/or computer.
5) record the sample that caught your attention.
6) Truncate sample to loop - stretch to desired tempo - chop
7) lay down a guide beat and flip In as many different ways as you can.
8) Go back to your drums - get them knocking.
9) arrange and mix
10) make 10 billion dollars.
Click to expand...

Hey, I like what you said about how to obtain samples and am particularly interested in step 8 - get your drums knocking. Do you have any quick tips on how I could do this or could you point me to something that helped you better understand how get your drums knocking? Thank you, gt90
 
gt90 said:
Hey, I like what you said about how to obtain samples and am particularly interested in step 8 - get your drums knocking. Do you have any quick tips on how I could do this or could you point me to something that helped you better understand how get your drums knocking? Thank you, gt90
Click to expand...

Layering: gentle compression, reverb and EQ applied to appropriate layers (I use Maschine so I tend to use 'link groups' on my kicks and snares which make it very easy to mix rather than resampling). My Kicks and snares are each made up of (generally) at least 3 separate sounds.
I like a kick to have a little click, a little boom and a lot of thud - so it's a case of careful sound selection before manipulation. But I'll definitely use comps/reverb and EQ in order to pull out (or more often cut back) what I need (or don't need) for a particular track.

As far as EQ goes - always better to make cuts than add boosts imo... If you need to boost more than a hair then imo you have the wrong sound - and the wonder of MIDI means you can easily swap that sound out.

Similar story with compression - most drum samples you'll find have been recorded and engineered by far more talented people than you or I and most likely have a good amount (of very expensive) compression added to them - I use compressors often but I try to use them sparingly.

Sample selection.

I think about reverb as a tool for locking down a vibe and making shit really fit. Not sure how to explain it really - it's the ability to stack a sound (physically) further back in the mix without having to sacrifice volume. Easy to get wrong but with practice you find particular setting that work well on particular things.

Bit of a incoherent ramble there. Sorry. I had a few beers tonight.
 
I'mNoGuru said:
Layering: gentle compression, reverb and EQ applied to appropriate layers (I use Maschine so I tend to use 'link groups' on my kicks and snares which make it very easy to mix rather than resampling). My Kicks and snares are each made up of (generally) at least 3 separate sounds.
I like a kick to have a little click, a little boom and a lot of thud - so it's a case of careful sound selection before manipulation. But I'll definitely use comps/reverb and EQ in order to pull out (or more often cut back) what I need (or don't need) for a particular track.

As far as EQ goes - always better to make cuts than add boosts imo... If you need to boost more than a hair then imo you have the wrong sound - and the wonder of MIDI means you can easily swap that sound out.

Similar story with compression - most drum samples you'll find have been recorded and engineered by far more talented people than you or I and most likely have a good amount (of very expensive) compression added to them - I use compressors often but I try to use them sparingly.

Sample selection.

I think about reverb as a tool for locking down a vibe and making shit really fit. Not sure how to explain it really - it's the ability to stack a sound (physically) further back in the mix without having to sacrifice volume. Easy to get wrong but with practice you find particular setting that work well on particular things.

Bit of a incoherent ramble there. Sorry. I had a few beers tonight.
Click to expand...

Thank you very much for the advice, I'll put it into practice. One last quick question, how do you make your beats knock with rhythm i.e. what are your swing/groove settings or how do you set up your swing/groove?
 
gt90 said:
Thank you very much for the advice, I'll put it into practice. One last quick question, how do you make your beats knock with rhythm i.e. what are your swing/groove settings or how do you set up your swing/groove?
Click to expand...

On maschine - I never really go past 35% swing or it just sounds weird and I'll avoid quantising hats if possible. I also try to make longer drum patterns than just a couple bars. 8-bars allows you to have a more interesting hat-pattern even if your kick/snare is just boom-bappin'.

I came into beatmaking from a very much live-band orientated past - I'd used drum machines but when I got serious I jumped straight to Maschine (the MKII had just dropped on software V.6 I think).
Growing up in bands made me think about the space each part of a track needs. I think that's been pretty useful. It's just me now but it's me the drummer, me the samplist, me bassplyer and keyboardist - I give myself the same kinda space I would give the members of a band and I know when I'm doing too much.
Also, I spent a fair bit of time in studios (as well as having 4-track tape and digital recorders of my own for demoing) as a youth; although I wasn't 'producing' or often even touching the desk - I think being subjected (strange choice of words) to that kind of recording process has also been useful to what I'm about now.

Little less rambly (maybe...) I'm out of beer
 
I'mNoGuru said:
On maschine - I never really go past 35% swing or it just sounds weird and I'll avoid quantising hats if possible. I also try to make longer drum patterns than just a couple bars. 8-bars allows you to have a more interesting hat-pattern even if your kick/snare is just boom-bappin'.

I came into beatmaking from a very much live-band orientated past - I'd used drum machines but when I got serious I jumped straight to Maschine (the MKII had just dropped on software V.6 I think).
Growing up in bands made me think about the space each part of a track needs. I think that's been pretty useful. It's just me now but it's me the drummer, me the samplist, me bassplyer and keyboardist - I give myself the same kinda space I would give the members of a band and I know when I'm doing too much.
Also, I spent a fair bit of time in studios (as well as having 4-track tape and digital recorders of my own for demoing) as a youth; although I wasn't 'producing' or often even touching the desk - I think being subjected (strange choice of words) to that kind of recording process has also been useful to what I'm about now.

Little less rambly (maybe...) I'm out of beer
Click to expand...

Thank you again for the explanation. Be sure to refill that beer.:cheers:

Thank you.
 
I'm not sure if anyone else mentioned it yet, but e digging is how to do it. Look up some vinyl blogs or vinyl channels on youtube. I feel like 90% of vinyl music is uploaded on to youtube. You just gotta find the right place to look. Some channels that I like to sample from are Peaceful Productions and Smell The Crates. If you just look up e digging as well you can find videos of people explaining how to do it.
 
I'mNoGuru said:
1) Have a job that pays.
2) On payday - go to record shop - (if you're not sure what's on a record ask the shop owner to play some on his/her turntable while you continue to browse - they'll usually be happy to do so) - buy records
3) go home (or to studio) and place shiny new (or more likely - dusty old) record on your turntable.
4) Enjoy the music over a cold beverage and/or long cigarette and listen to your purchases until something grabs your attention. Make sure not to spill shit or drop ash on your equipment and/or computer.
5) record the sample that caught your attention.
6) Truncate sample to loop - stretch to desired tempo - chop
7) lay down a guide beat and flip In as many different ways as you can.
8) Go back to your drums - get them knocking.
9) arrange and mix
10) make 10 billion dollars.
Click to expand...

Nix #10 as Hip Hop is not as commercially viable as it once was.
 
Ive been doing that for years thats one of the best ways to go or just youtube rare soul samples and dig in those different playlists
 
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