Sampling Obscure Vinyl for Beats

G

GoldenFox

New member
I got a huge collection of old Vinyl from my dad, it's like 60s-80s rock and pop stuff.

Not normally good for making rap beats, but I'm trying to go left field, but I'm having a hard time.

I have a Vinyl player USB running into Logic X. It has a BPM counter so that s use full but I'm really stuck.
 
I use a PT01 (touring) when I work in the living room (can't get in the studio when my kid is sleeping) but I only use the USB for charging the turntable (which has a built in battery).
Go into your interface - crank the preamps if nesscessary. If you truncate the sample into a tight loop your sampler (whatever one you use) should be able to read the bpm. Then you can stretch to desired tempo and get chopping.

You should find plenty of fire in 60s/70s rock...
 
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If you have anything with trippy breakdowns that's always good for sampling. Also, a lot of pop intros have super good stuff to use. If it's a really creative band I'd listen all the way through but if they do kinda generic 3 minute songs, I'd recommend just listening to the intro of each track and skipping through to make your way through the collection efficiently... (although Pete Rock would disapprove)
 
You don't always need super obscure samples. 60s - 80s Rock is always a good place to look for drums. You'd also be surprised at how many ill samples you can find on those records in general. One thing I'd suggest is developing a work flow that's conducive to at least getting things done. From there you'll be able to create with a certain level of consistency. Another thing, don't stop learning... one way that you can learn is by listening to different producers and analyzing what it is they do best. Nowadays, we have sites like " WhoSampled " and you can check out producers' discographies to get an idea of how they used samples. You may even want to search some of those records your dad gave you to see if they've been used before, and if they have... how they've been used.

In any event, I wish you all the best, my G. Don't be too hard on yourself... and stay at it!
 
Some great advice in this thread. You might not want to think in terms of "What can I loop for 2 bars?", or whatever, but rather-- what is weird, unique, and perhaps is exposed (a vocal break, a particular snare hit, horns, strings). Think about what pieces you might accumulate and use, rather than what you can loop as a basis for a track. I once made a pretty cool track from a MIDI file of a cover of Van Morrison's "Brown-Eyed Girl" (but you'd never know it). Don't be afraid to completely deconstruct.
 
Try to find some catchy vocal phrases. Sometimes rock bands tend to leave comments or skits between their songs. Look for them as they sometimes are treasure chests!
 
alot of the times, if you had a grandfather or a father who had a vinyl collection, those are some of the best.
My brother and I have a grandfather who had an extensive collection of records from around the globe...many, are freakin odd. I say the more strange, the better it's worth digging through.
You very well could have something that not a lot of people have access to in that collection. Scour it for good stuff.
Sometimes theres these 1 sec nuggets in there that your mind will perceive as useful where others have not.

I personally cut drum rolls, intro drums and any other instrumentation or vocals that strikes me. Drum rolls and other drum sounds that are played by themselves can later be used to create your own kits, as mentioned above. Keep an open mind and anything you think "might" be useful; probably, eventually will be.
 
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