When sampling, do you have to match the sample tempo to the drum tempo??

[LdN2]

Hi, I have been producing off and on for 5 years or so now but am completely self taught and have basically learned everything the wrong way. I am mainly sample based when it comes to production but have always felt my beats were missing something.

One thing I never learned was time stretching samples to a specific tempo. I always just made my drums and then chopped up pieces of samples and placed them in the arrangement window until they sounded good to me. I still to this day do not have a sample based beat that I feel is complete.

I was wondering would I find it much easier and get better results if I match the tempo of the drums to the sample or vice versa? If so, what is the best way to do it?

Sorry if this is super basic but, like I said, I have just worked all my production software manual/tutorial free.

Appreciate any help.

PS. I am using Cubase SX & Fruity Loops

[Cyko]

Hi, I have been producing off and on for 5 years or so now but am completely self taught and have basically learned everything the wrong way. I am mainly sample based when it comes to production but have always felt my beats were missing something.

One thing I never learned was time stretching samples to a specific tempo. I always just made my drums and then chopped up pieces of samples and placed them in the arrangement window until they sounded good to me. I still to this day do not have a sample based beat that I feel is complete.

I was wondering would I find it much easier and get better results if I match the tempo of the drums to the sample or vice versa? If so, what is the best way to do it?

Sorry if this is super basic but, like I said, I have just worked all my production software manual/tutorial free.

Appreciate any help.

PS. I am using Cubase SX & Fruity Loops

I really don't know if it would be easier/better to match tempos of drums and samples or playing drums manually over the sample... that's going to depend on you

Some people find it easier to play drums manually some find it better and or easier time stretching so it's hard to say what's going to work best for you.

[LdN2]

This question is mainly aimed at beats where the drums are at a faster tempo to the sample. Obviously if I am happy using the original tempo of the sample I can just play over it or create drums at the same tempo. I just dont know how to change the tempo of a sample....and how do you avoid harming the quality of the sample or getting that chipmunk sample sound?

[DJ Idol]

There's basically 2 options, play your drums at the same tempo of the original, or slow down/speed up the sample, which will then pitch up or pitch down the sample. There's ways to slow down the speed without changing the pitch but then the sound is ****ed.

[hollandturbine]

Time stretching is fine for small adjustments, like to knock swing around or to change a bar from 94 BPM to 95 BPM because the difference is only 0.026 seconds, but from 94 BPM to 120 BPM your going to notice 0.553 seconds of stretch, that's roughly equivalent to 1/4 of that 120 BPM bar. In some instances the sound of stretching is undesirable but it can also be considered a great way to effect a sample.

You should always endeavor to learn to do things differently though, because if you open your sampling toolbox and the only tool you have is a hammer then you are just going to bash everything like it's a nail and give up on things where it was the wrong tool for the job.

[gray36]

Do you not have any that match automatically to your project tempo? In Sonar, there is a choice to audition at tempo. Fairly new, but can't you also bounce to clips, or tracks after stretching, if needed to render out the artifacts? Like I said, I could be barking up the wrong tree, and am sorry to confuse further! Good luck!

[LdN2]

99% of the time the sample I use is chopped up into tiny pieces so I wouldnt be pitch shifting the WHOLE song and hopping it sits over a drum melody perfectly. Each second/snippet of sample is carely placed and then moved around until I am happy with it. However, I just notice sometimes that words or nots are getting cut off early and it kinda ruins the flow of the song. Unfortunately if I timestretch one piece of the sample to fit then maybe I will have to timestretch every piece so it matches?

Is any of this even making sense??

[gray36]

Sorta, just spoiled, I guess, With Sonar, just double-click, puts it loop construction view, edit, and then, like I said may have to bounce(or render), to get sound quality right. Must be different with other DAWS, I've only useed Sonar, so sorry no help from me! Still wish ya luck!

[dev vision]

There's basically 2 options, play your drums at the same tempo of the original, or slow down/speed up the sample, which will then pitch up or pitch down the sample. There's ways to slow down the speed without changing the pitch but then the sound is ****ed.

you can also chop on the beat and play the sample at a faster tempo than the original without speeding it up

[LdN2]

See this is where my lack of learning from the book/tutorials comes in. When I am making a beat I just open up the main arrangement window in cubase. Drag and drop in the sample and any drums sounds/patterns and then move them around like a jigsaw until I start to have a basis for a piece of music. I never set the tempo or work with snap on. Everything is free to move around etc.

However, this means that I cant make changes as simply as people do when producing. I really wish I could shadow a producer and see how trained people make music. I watch tutorials but they are so different from how I make music that its like its in another language.

---------- Post added at 09:23 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:21 AM ----------

Sorta, just spoiled, I guess, With Sonar, just double-click, puts it loop construction view, edit, and then, like I said may have to bounce(or render), to get sound quality right. Must be different with other DAWS, I've only useed Sonar, so sorry no help from me! Still wish ya luck!

I doulble clicked on the sample audio and the wave editor style window opens but it seems to be set at a random tempo. When I change the tempo it changes every part of the sample not just the selected piece. Also, are tempo and BPM different things?