What does it take to be a good sampler?

RAnthony

RAnthony

Registered Beat Maker
I've been making music for about 3 and a half years now. I mainly compose uptempo R&B (or lower tempo rap, whatever you want to classify it as) but for the longest time I've been intrigued by sampled Hip-hop. I've tried many times to sample, but as soon as I feel I made something good, I end up snapping back to reality and just deleting my work because frankly.. it sucks. I only have one sampled track on the web and you can hear it here:

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=9037446

I just need to know whether the important part of sampling is actually finding a good sample, or just knowing how to chop real well.. sorry for venting, I just need to know this haha. Peace.
 
I totally know where you're coming from... I have been making my own music form scratch for years now and could never get a hang on sampling (up until a few days ago haha). I didn't know if I was finding bad samples or If I just didn't know how to chop them up (turns out I was just using bad samples). why start a beat around a sample that is less than perfect?
 
RAnthony said:
I just need to know whether the important part of sampling is actually finding a good sample, or just knowing how to chop real well.. sorry for venting, I just need to know this haha. Peace.
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Find a dope sample and chop it well?
 
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IMO...u gotta know what to look for. are u lookin 4 something wit vocals...or just a str8 riff to loop? were u gonna take said loop, and just obliterate it into pieces, and make ya own sh!t out of it? are u able to play any accompanying riffs to go along with or over said sample?!?!? what BPM were u going 4? (real time voice or chipmunk voice if the sample has vocals) all of these things...and...knowledge of what to do with EQs and filters can be especially helpful as well!! plus u gotta throw in an ear for track placement...hella timing...and lots of patience. LOL! hope it helps...check my myspace for some examples! http://www.myspace.com/p10shift LMAO...
 
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Well, first things first: A good sampler requires high quality material to sample. Before you begin sampling at all, you should have assembled a library of your favorite tracks, all high quality material. Then go through that library and pick out a few tracks to sample from. I think one of the qualities of a great sampler is his ability to search out great material instead of just average.
 
To sample and be good at it takes a different kind of ear than playing keys. If you don't have that ear I wouldn't focus so hard on gaining it. Infact I think you being a keyboard dude may have an advantage over cats who sample in a lot of ways. One thing I will stress though about being good at sample based hip hop is to learn your history, learn your music and remember when you are sampling you are really just taking sounds and constructing them into your own vision of something else
 
High quality stuff, a record player for sampling vinyl, hard or software sampler that you know you way around (not just throwing together keymaps, really know), a good ear, and patience. Also i think you need to be able to make a beat from scratch, since you may need to add something following the sample.
 
good pratice for composers who wana get into the sampling game is too loop and chop up your own riffs and compositions!!!!!!!

if you cant loop your own self created riffs into 2 or 4 bar loops......then maybe a slicing tool just was never ment to be used by you.
 
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statixx said:
good pratice for composers who wana get into the sampling game is too loop and chop up your own riffs and compositions!!!!!!!

if you cant loop your own self created riffs into 2 or 4 bar loops......then maybe a slicing tool just was never ment to be used by you.
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I agree, but you also need to remember, that everything isn't easy the first time. Keep practicing even if you first try sounds horrible, mine did but i would say i'm decent at it now.
 
Xabiton said:
To sample and be good at it takes a different kind of ear than playing keys. If you don't have that ear I wouldn't focus so hard on gaining it. Infact I think you being a keyboard dude may have an advantage over cats who sample in a lot of ways. One thing I will stress though about being good at sample based hip hop is to learn your history, learn your music and remember when you are sampling you are really just taking sounds and constructing them into your own vision of something else
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^^^ that helped. Thanks to everyone else who helped too... I mean really gave me some pointers and useful info.

Statixx -- I do compose and chop my own stuff actually, I started doing that a while back and stopped because i was always disappointing myself haha. It's fun to do though. I've made scores for my friends projects and stuff and I've tried sampling them from time to time. I always try to get good at that. I feel like that would be a unique set of skills to have together.
 
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