The MPC sound

I get the drum breaks from sample discs or from records, and import them into the MPC. Before chopping, I may do a slight EQ and volume adjustment over the whole sample so all of the drums are relatively equal in fidelity. Drums are cut up and chopped using the sample edit, but I do them one by one so I can trim them right to the attack and choose exactly where the decay is. The trick with these breaks is to make each drum sample the proper length so that when played fast it all sounds continuous with no space in between drums.

Basically I do any and all editing to the sounds before cutting to keep everything consistent. If I don't have the MPC with me and want to edit drums, I will do some of the chopping on a .wav editor and then import it into the 5K later, but all of my youtube vids are done 100% in the box.

I doubt any of this is breakthrough thinking for the MPC, but there are certain elements that need to be in check to maintain that authentic oldschool jungle sound. I have learned so much on this forum, lots of great info!

Spinscott wrote:Good thread, glad everyone is thinking outside the box! On the following video, the beats are done using single one shots. I cut up various breakbeats into individual drums, and fine tuned them to match up well in any order. Hitting bass and atmos on other pads at the same time to layer the sound and fill it out. Plus, there are not many videos on Youtube with manual Jungle/Drum & Bass beats, so I think it's a bit unique. Hope you like!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E82v8V9nUrs

p.s. I am using the MPC5K in the video, but just picked up a new 1K and do the exact same thing on that one too, hence posting in the 1K area

Dude this video is awesome!

What sounds/kits are you using? Are they all stock sounds from the MPC?

What sounds/plugins/VSTs w/e would you recommend for drum n bass and dubstep?

Bandwidth, thanks for your comments! Here are some answers for ya:

"What sounds/kits are you using? Are they all stock sounds from the MPC?"

In the MPC Jungle DnB videos, I am actually not using any stock sounds. Since the style I play is from the mid-late 90's, I am using samples from that era to keep it authentic. Most of the breaks are from old funk and soul recordings, although I use versions that are from licensed sample libraries I purchased to stay legit and avoid copyright issues.

"What sounds/plugins/VSTs w/e would you recommend for drum n bass and dubstep?"

Great question! I am no expert, but I say first identify what sound you are going for, and try out a bunch of different tools. Most producers like talking about their music and process, so I'd say ask the producers of your favorite tunes what they use, just as you asked here.

Other than an old tracker program called Madtracker, I don't currently use software, plugins, or VSTs when making full tracks. The reason for this is that I am going for a vintage sound, and feel that a good way to approach it is to use the same tools that oldschool jungle producers used. (obviously the MPC 5K is not from the 90s, but the hardware principals are still the same). I am sure there is fantastic software that can emulate the same style, but it's just a personal preference. Most legit software and plugin programs offer a trial to test out the features, so testing hopefully shouldn't cost too much. (FYI, I do use some other software for post production, mainly .wav editors)

Finally, I haven't really worked with Dubstep, but for Drum & Bass I recommend checking out some of the commercial sample libraries for the genre. Some are older or very overdistributed, but there are great sounds and most are good quality. You can always use fx or layer them with other sounds to make them unique. Cutting the breaks into individual drums to make your own rhythms can help differentiate your sound too.

Biggest lesson I have learned over the years is to use the best quality sounds possible. You'll thank yourself when you get to the mixing/mastering stage!