Keeping it Real: Sampling CDs

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harsh.jha

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I just thought I might start a little discussion, I think it would really interesting to see everybody's point of view on this topic.

The year is 2006, and many purists talk about sampling strictly from Vinyl? Do you think we should change a long with the times? I won't lie, I sample from CDs all the time. I make a trip once every 2-3 months to a used/vintage CD store downtown Toronto, and buy 50-60 CDs for $300.

I understand that vinyl has a certain sound to it, and it's a very 'dirty' 'grimey' hip hop sound. It's the original hip hop sound, and it keeps it sounding like 'real' hip hop. However, sampling has been going on since the 1980's when the only medium to sample from WAS vinyl, and possibly tape. During the 1990's, it became standard to sample only from vinyl because it sounded old school and were what producers and DJs were sampling from for years. It's like breaking a tradition. In the new millenium, plenty of mediums started getting old. Tape was standard during the 1980's, and CDs during the mid-90's. Nowadays, it's more so MP3s.

I personally do not feel bad sampling from CDs, because at the end of the day, it's the music that counts. I'm sure plenty of producers pretend that they're keeping it real, by sampling from vinyl, but are most likely sampling from tape or CD and just adding that vinyl sound using a special effect. I won't lie, I have done that before and told people I sampled from vinyl (...haha..yes, yes, my secret is revealed). Plenty of producers HAVE sampled from CD at least once and admitted it (Kanye West, being the most popular, No ID, Jay Dee, 9th Wonder) and all of these producers are legends.

Will the beat really be all that different if sampled from CD other than vinyl? It's hard to say. For example:

Illmatic was all vinyl, and had a certain sound to it. However, tracks like "NY State Of Mind", "The World Is Yours" and "Memory Lane" would sound a lot cleaner, and in my opinion, a lot worse if sampled from CD. However, songs like "Half Time", "It Ain't Hard To Tell" and "Represent" would sound the same if sampled from CD. It's just a very subtle sound but it makes it sound so much different. The CD sound is a lot more soulful and cleaner. The vinyl sound is a lot more street and rougher. Could you imagine if "NY State Of Mind" did not have a dirty piano sample? Would it still be the flawless beat that it is?

In the 1980's, people were sampling from 1970's vinyl. Technically, 10 years after the vinyl release date. So, is there an issue if I sample from a CD that was released in 1996? I personally do not see any issue in it. You have to move on with the times right? What if every emcee still used only one syllable rhymes? Can you imagine how awful that would be? If emcees can progress and adapt to change over time, why cannot we as producers?

I love sampling CDs and will never stop doing it. There is so much music out there it is literally amazing. I've gained so much knowledge through sampling. I recently bought a Fantom X6, was wishing for one since 2004. I finally bought it, so I can strictly compose like DJ Quik and Dr. Dre. After fooling around for a month, I realized how much I missed sampling. It only made me sample even harder, and find better samples.

Sampling CDs is the new era. I don't think MP3's will take over for another 20-30 years, because CDs are still available. Once CDs are no longer available, I give it 10 years after that, people will start using MP3's as a standard.

I like the clean sound I can sample from CDs. I can make it as dirty or as clean as I want. I can make it sound like dirty vinyl, or I can make it sound as if it's a live band and not even sampled.

I do not know enough where I can say "Sampling CDs will take over" because who knows? It may not. Vinyl is STILL in production, and even with Final Scratch, CD Turntables, and Scratch Live, people still buy Vinyl. Vinyl will not die. But there's so much more music available on CD now. I think that producers should move on, and even if you still cannot leave sampling vinyl, just give sampling CDs a shot.
I personally know some producers who found a sample on CD, but did not want to sample it because they couldn't find it on vinyl. That sample could've been the sample that got them a major deal, however, they were being too much of a purist to bother.

What's your take on this?
 
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ok ok first of all wtf you talkin about sayin viynl started in the 70's?


i got my grandmas records from ww2 1940 man they been around along time!

and wtf with this producers suppose 2 feel guilty about sampling cds and its a big secret like if u masterbate or not and you know everyone does it


i sample everying

i sample tapes,viynl,cds,and i dl mp3s

i mostly just dl mp3s instead of cds cuz i can just dl it for free but ill pick viynl over anythin

if viynl dint have that old sound i wouldent sample it

i dont see the point anyways cuz alot of producers sample that 70s - 80s **** so you can barley hear the crackle cuz its so up to date and better material and **** with the viynl so it dont crackle

but for me i sample alot of classical and old salsa

"THAT HAS CRACKLE"


thats my idea on it i think this thread sorta stupid cuz you like confessing that you sample cds like your a christian and commited a sin :confused:
 
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Well... I sample CDs (mp3 files) since I don't have a turntable, but I do agree it has a sound to it (vinyl). But it doesn't matter where it comes from, as long as the end product sounds good.
 
XxTheRocxX said:
Well... I sample CDs (mp3 files) since I don't have a turntable, but I do agree it has a sound to it (vinyl). But it doesn't matter where it comes from, as long as the end product sounds good.
:cheers:
 
i'll sample mp3s and cds but trust me, the lo-fi plugins do not = the vinyl sound. it's not the same. personally i sample vinyl too because you get that crackly sound that's great and the plugins aren't the same plus theres some records that aren't on cds or they remastered it so you can't take advantage of the lazy engineering back then :D theres always something fun about going to your local record store and just picking a few records with cool looking covers and finding gems when you put it on you're turntable. And after you find the gems you feel this sense of accomplishment that idk but it's not the same as sampling from cds or mp3s tho i have no problem w/ either of those.
 
I like sampling from CD's because I can pitch them up to 45rpm to hear how music sounds at different speeds.

I like sampling from CD's because used CD's are only $1 a piece.

I like sampling from CD's because you find the oldest, hardest to find music that way.

Too bad none of this is true.:(
 
You gotta do what you gotta do.

If you find something hot on vinyl, cd, 8 track or whatever....use it to your best ability.

So I don't understand why some people would turn down a hot sample just bc....it's not vinyl
 
guys, i sample alot of ****. but, i love how much easier it is, to pull out a vinyl and place the needle anywhere i want, you know its hard for me to explain, i think im just lazy.

for the record (no pun intended)

my local used music store, sells used cd's between 8 and 10 bucks, while the 33's goes for a buck max, turntables can cost half the price of a some cdj's.

it's just cheaper in general, you know, eventually, 10 years from now, the new school producers are gonna have nothing to sample from xcept cd's and maybe some new taboo digital format,(cuz we have all the good vinyl stashed in our kitchen cupboards and bathroom) nonetheless,

time comes with changes, and changes come with time,

some people will forget bout 33s tomorow, some in ten years, gradually some dudes gonna move to using more cd's that other medium and blah blah history writes itself.
 
rhyming prophecies said:
ok ok first of all wtf you talkin about sayin viynl started in the 70's?

I didn't say that it started in the 70's, pardon if i did and quote me on it, I just said that producers in the 80's were sampling vinyl from the 70's (and also 60's, 50's, 40's, etc. but the 'newest' music they were sampling from was from the 70')

rhyming prophecies said:
and wtf with this producers suppose 2 feel guilty about sampling cds and its a big secret like if u masterbate or not and you know everyone does it

i can't lie, i'm wondering the same thing, i don't think that there's anything wrong with it.. however, there's a lot of producers who're purists and won't sample from anything else other than vinyl... it's like the same reason why a lot of dj's hate on scratch live and cd turntables, because it's not 'real'

rhyming prophecies said:
thats my idea on it i think this thread sorta stupid cuz you like confessing that you sample cds like your a christian and commited a sin :confused:

then there was no need for you to post in it and you should've saved your time, but thanks for your input anyways ;) no hate


harsh
 
rhyming prophecies said:
ok ok first of all wtf you talkin about sayin viynl started in the 70's?


i got my grandmas records from ww2 1940 man they been around along time!

and wtf with this producers suppose 2 feel guilty about sampling cds and its a big secret like if u masterbate or not and you know everyone does it


i sample everying

i sample tapes,viynl,cds,and i dl mp3s

i mostly just dl mp3s instead of cds cuz i can just dl it for free but ill pick viynl over anythin

if viynl dint have that old sound i wouldent sample it

i dont see the point anyways cuz alot of producers sample that 70s - 80s **** so you can barley hear the crackle cuz its so up to date and better material and **** with the viynl so it dont crackle

but for me i sample alot of classical and old salsa

"THAT HAS CRACKLE"


thats my idea on it i think this thread sorta stupid cuz you like confessing that you sample cds like your a christian and commited a sin :confused:

i doubt he was sayin vinyl started in the 70's, i think he meant when they made beats, the majority didint sample **** that came out less then 10 years prior
 
what you sample is not importent its the outcome of the beat..we live in 2006 offcourse i sample mp3,cd,dvd,lp whatever..
 
nothing wrong sampling CD's, it's 2006. so much hardware and software it can be sounded like it was from vinyl.

but from the hip hop music stand point, mostly VINYL
 
i'm a sample-based hip-hop beatmaker, so naturally, i sample what i can use and have access too (mainly mp3s & CDs). But just today i decided to invest in a turntable, one because NOTHING sounds like vinyl, and two i can use my parents/friends parents' old records to sample. that just means more at my disposal to sample. its not a must, just do what you feel & like.
 
I cannot believe u said 9th wonder and legend in the same sentence that should offend real legends. anyway I dont care Ill sample anything from anywhere I sampled Bobby Brown before and I am working on another of his tracks too. I sampled So Sick by Neyo when it was new. I dont care Ill sample anything.
 
i sample from whatever possible, a producer will never limit himself, that keeping it real crap, is crap. Vynell is sooo overated, but tru it is my favorit becouse of the sound. Besides that i will sample of a freakin infomertial if it sounded tight. Ya feeeeeeeeeel me!
 
Even though vinyl is synonomous with the traditional hip hop feel, that's not the sound today. There aren't a whole lot of those traditional sounding songs topping the charts. What You Know was interpolated, Why U Wanna was a very clean sample, Push It is another clean sample that I'm sure came from CD/mp3... So of course I and anyone else who's not trying to redo 1995 am going to sample CD's and mp3's. However, I prefer vinyl because it's so cheap, there's a lot of material that was never put on CD or mp3 but was pressed to vinyl, and it's a very fun medium to work with because of how hands on it is... If I load an mp3 or CD into sound forge, there's a pitch slider I can use, but I like the feeling of actually grabbing the slider on the turntable a lot more. But why I like the feel of using vinyl more, I sample from CD's and MP3's if it's hot.
 
I sample whatever I can get my hands on. As long as it sounds good, in the end, that's all that matters. however, i still love the sound of vinyl, for the good ol' reasons. None of the artists (all local acts) that i work with...are into stuff the music i love (underground), so i just tend to make more underground, gritty music just for myself (or, even better, i happen to run into the next Talib Kweli. one can only hope!). So, i sampling from CD's, MP3's, vinyl...whatever gets you the sound you're looking/listening for, go for it.
 
It's Whatever, sometimes it depends on the song. If has a old school feel to it. I'll cut the Highs between 10kHz and 18Khz. Most LP's (Long Playing Records, Vinyl) lack fildelity in that range. After that I make tha smple warmer by boosting the the mids.
 
back in th early 90's,the INDUSTRY tried to eradicate vinyl,so there was more solidarity towards vinyl.
A lot of cats(including me),were seeing cd's as the enemy.But today who cares really,but vinyl is the foundation and it should be kept like that but not at all costs.I've found some great samples on old vhs porn...haha
There's nothing more satisfying than finding a dollar bin record that turns out to be a gem for sampling.
 
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