Should you avoid sampling mp3?

L

lewistehafro

New member
Iv been producing for a few years now and have only recently got into sampling, I know it would be better to sample from vinyl or wav but should you completely avoid sampling from mp3?

Thanks!
 
It depends on the quality, really. There are some shit mp3's out there but there's a lot that are just as good as wav.
 
No, as long as it sounds good to your ears. And don't listen to the people telling you to convert it to WAV... that doesn't do anything but make the file larger.

There's no rules in producing dude
 
id like to add one more thing... even if it doesnt sound good... get it anyway if you like the song....
I've found sh_tty quality mp3's n made beats using them... just gotta be creative in how its done...
 
do you like how it sounds? is it interesting.

music is subjective and its about what you're doing. if you can do it and it works there's no reason not to. super lofi with digital artifacts and loads of aliasing could be amazing in the right hands.

In The Art of Noises Luigi Russolo states
We must replace the limited variety of timbres of orchestral instruments by the infinite variety of timbres of noises obtained through special mechanisms.
Click to expand...

So go for it if it works it works if it doesn't it doesn't. Just be mindful of the inherent limitations of the sound and work with them.
 
Nah man, don't avoid .mp3. I can take a 128kbps .mp3 sample and do some proper EQ, compose a bassline, add some nice drums, mix it down, and then render it out and have it sound nicer than the original file.
 
A lossless file is obviously the safest bet, but Tallen and others are right, you can make do with an mp3 and build a tune around it, with some proper carving and sculpting. Definitely common in bootleg remixes. My production partner and I have also had good results doing so.
 
Imo, the best song I´ve ever written used some drum samples I happened to find in a terrible sound quality behind the scenes youtube video. That version was without vocals so I found a place to snatch 2 diff kicks, a huuuge clap and a hi hat.
When I played it for a producer he said "I like the lo-fi sound you have made."

I nodded and kept my mouth shut.

Sample from whatever if you can use it. 2bit and up :cool:
 
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if you have access, money, and enjoy vinyl, get that. a lot of people lack at least one of these things, in which case there's no reason not to use high-quality mp3s. personally i far, far prefer vinyl, and if i'm doing digital i go with flac. but there's no rules to sampling IMO other than don't bite.
 
A lossless file is preferred, but you can't go wrong with a 192 or 320 kbps .mp3. I try to avoid 128's, because my mixing game isn't up there to make the sample sound more polished.
 
I generally have sampled from mp3s. As the other guys are saying, if it sounds good it should be fine. But if you're aiming to use the sample as a crystal clear part of a song with that clean vibe to it, the sample is going to have to be high quality.
 
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