Discuss the various methods you use in music production, from compressor settings to equipment type.
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By Silverstar Sun Apr 19, 2009 2:48 pm
Hi y'all


It's been a while i'm listening and studying the techniques of beat wizards Madlib & J Dilla.

I'm analysing what i hear and it seams like a lot of times the beat plays and out of nowhere you hear samples coming in but quickly switching off.

Example 1: in Beat Konducta Vol 5-6 the beat "So Much", at 0:40 you can hear what i'm saying. And also at 1:00 it does it again.

Example 2: in Beat Konducta Vol 1-2 the beat "Two Timer", at 0:30 you can even hear a "tick" from when you turn on a switch when the sample chops.....

Example 3: in J Dilla's Donuts album the beat "Don't Cry", at 0:59 a voice sample suddenly comes in for half a second then goes out....

At this point your asking yourself what the hell this guy is trying to tell us....

My question is, do they really chop those beats only using samplers (MPCs, SP12...)??

Because the way i hear those examples i've cited above it sounds like they hit a switch on & off or a mute switch....a bit like when a DJ does the "transformer" technique. Using his mixer switch.

I've been trying to decode the method they use because i find it so crazy original.

I've come to another theory. Maybe they record the beat on a 8 track recorder.
Let's say the main beat on track 1-2 and then the original song on track 3-4.

The beat plays then they hit the switch to track 3-4 for a sec then switch back to track 1-2. Also they could have the same beat playing on track 5-6 and 7-8 but couple sequences later so when they switch to those tracks for a few secs it gives the impression as if they chopped it on the MPC but really is another technique.


Am i the only one thinking those chops are not only made with samplers?

Please share your opinion and really what you think. Sometimes we think too much beats are made only with samplers but maybe other secret techniques exist.

The last example where i think you really can understand what i mean is the track "Airworks" on Donuts. The all song is filled with crazy unexpected chops...especialy at the end you can hear at 1:42 switch from Airworks to Lightworks.
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By DJ Plan A Sun Apr 19, 2009 11:07 pm
I'm pretty sure there is a way to assign the slider to control where your sample starts from, so that combined with a "note-off" setting would allow the kind of random-ish slices to be triggered directly...

but I also track my beats on a computer after making them on the MP, and often add some extra details at that stage.
By j-no Mon Apr 20, 2009 1:10 am
JaeOne3345 wrote:Know your sampler more. .


and i remember pete rock saying that there's more then one way to making a beat... also knowing the sample and how to make it funky...
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By buddy maxwell Mon Apr 20, 2009 3:43 am
Silverstar wrote:Hey my man maxwell!

Nice to see you.

Internet is such a small world :)

Thanks for the info for the Avatar.


haha - no sweat man.
see you later - either here or there... :lol:
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By sensei Mon Apr 20, 2009 7:36 am
Don't think, just do.

This isn't meant to be patronising either. It is from personal experience.

I used to labour over getting everything perfect, or what would be the perfect sample to put over something, or what is the best way to achieve something.

It sounds to me like you already know how to achieve what you are looking at. Now just put your head down and work on it.

Sometimes we labour over the preconceived ideas and it slows us down. Experiment with the techiniques you and others have described and see what happens. If it doesn't sound good then move on.

Mistakes resulting from experimentation often bring out the truly original.
Last edited by sensei on Mon Apr 20, 2009 7:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
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By The Grublet Wed Apr 22, 2009 8:15 am
An old technique.... Please. 2 track killin it son.