Will someone please explain to me...

[AfroThunder]

how Kev Brown is choppin this shit up? Is it just each individual note? Im kinda confused...

kev brown chopping samples - YouTube

[rhythmgj]

He doesn't hold the pads down very long so it's hard to tell how much is on each pad. It seems like he sampled one bass note per pad, but he may have overlapped a bunch of short phrases so that each first note on each pad is different (but still more than one per pad, you know what I mean?)...He also pitched it (it sounded like he said "up"(?), but the final version sounds lower than the original key. Plus, what's cool is the original groove is in 12/8 (triplet feel or 6), but he changed it into 4/4 of course. The fact that the original feel is in triplets gives the parts a little more swing when utilized in a straight backbeat, imho...

GJ

[AfroThunder]

let me see if i get this right... so he finds a phrase...doesnt matter how many bars or if it loops<--- is that right or should it be able to loop... then he puts each note on each pad... im assuming he has it set up someway that each pad cuts each other off? and then just rearranges the phrase how he wants it to be and thats basically it..?

[rhythmgj]

Basically, yeah. I mean (full disclosure), I don't work on an MPC, but it's got to be like other samplers, right? You can control whether each pad is a one-shot or a loop, adjust the sample length, loop length on loops, the sample start and end points, and other parameters (fade-in/out, FX, etc.). So he samples different sections of the opening bass part, assigns to pads, makes them triggers, cuts the samples down to the right length, makes a drum track, plays in his bass notes, voila! What else could there be? Is there something that I'm missing?

GJ

[AfroThunder]

i mean it seems that easy on paper but idk shit seems a whole lot more complicated when i get on the mpc and actually try that shit...idk maybe its just me

[rhythmgj]

What kinds of things have you been working on, on the MPC? Mostly loops?
It does take some time to do the trimming/editing, but it can be done and is pretty fun. If you have an MPC of any kind, I know you can do it; it just might take some time and practice at the chopping aspect. I've got some pretty cheesy samplers, and you can do a lot more with what you've got.

GJ

[AfroThunder]

ive got the loops down its chopping up samples and rearranging them into something new that i cant get... im using an mpc, the ren actually and its really extremely easy to chop with i just dont know where i should be chopping... everything i try to put together just dont sound right and most time sounds corny and robotic type shit... it just dont flow like say that kev brown beat up above../its something with the way i should be chopping it that im getting wrong... i realize that i just gotta find out what it is im missing from the equation.... i realize its not eazy to make good beats otherwise everyone and there momma would be makin them, theres something im missing that i need to make this shit sound right

[rhythmgj]

Hard to say what the isuue is without hearing a beat posted or being there when you're making one. How much music have you been involved with prior to getting the Ren? Do you think it's a musical issue (not sure of what you're doing), or a technical issue (not sure how to use your MPC most effectively)?

GJ

[AfroThunder]

im basically just starting out sampling with the Ren... its basically my first MPC. ive sampled with FL studio before but still have some of the same issues, and its more of a musical issue than a technical one...

[rhythmgj]

OK, then at least for the time being, I think the doctor would prescribe a lot more listening (all kinds of music from all kinds of sources), and continuing to watch video tutorials and things like that, because you will pick-up some tricks and things, even if it isn't immediately.

As for an idea to try that would emulate what he did (I'm pretty sure that you could do this on the Ren, because I can get pretty close on my little Yamaha SU-10 from the 80'z!)-- I really think he is sampling and chopping individual phrases from that section of the tune, but you could also try getting one good, clean note, and assign it to all pads and pitch them up as a scale. Try it, I'm pretty sure you can do that on such an advanced machine. Pitched-up samples will not sound exactly the same as individually played notes, but it gives you another option to try. Then you can fool with creating any kind of line that you want to.

GJ