The "Tips and Tricks" thread

Peace wrote:best thread ever. i'll be making even better beats by the end of this year than what i have now.


thanks to this community.

love your avatar, and your quote in your sig!

Fast low end theory process:

For rack samplers:
copy all the keygroups with the samples of the melody ur using. Assign the copyed keygroups to another output, filter it and ur done. Blend it with the mid-high end of ur sample with ur mixer.

MPC:
Copy program and copy the track of the sequenced loop. Assign the copyed program to the copyed track. Filter both programs (piece of cake when ur running JJOS).

Also, ears do get tired. Taking a break away from ur studio/lab/bedroom can really revive the process.

down pitch-shifting!

explore the art of tune. take an otherwise average melody/instrument solo/loop and change the tune settings of the chops to something like -8 or -6. this works wonders sometimes when you think you found a good sample but become frustrated by not being able to come up with anything. i've made beats this way and have only ended up using like 3 pads of the original sample.

you take the original sample, make it completely unrecognizable, and transform it into something unique and unexpected.

here's a video of me actually doing this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dA066ffClPI

MalaKai wrote:down pitch-shifting!

you take the original sample, make it completely unrecognizable, and transform it into something unique and unexpected.
here's a video of me actually doing this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dA066ffClPI

that's hot, bee

Something Ive done a few times which gives a nice effect is sample yourself! I mean take a beat that youve already made in the past & sample it just as you would if you were sampling it from a record, etc & then cut it up, it gives a nice "chopy" sound on something that was yours anyway!
It works especially well if you can either play an instrument & cut up something youve made or even if you use reason, FL studio, etc come up with a nice strings loop or synth or summat and then sample it to give it that "sampled" feel. :0)

Another good tip which ive found is if you want to make a beat from scratch (with no samples) first make a beat WITH samples & then build the bass, piano, melody, etc around the sample, dont copy the orginal tune in the sample, just find summat that fits with it, then when youve got enough "original" parts to work with, take the sample out!
I know that probably sounds a bit mental to everybody but I always find it 10 times easier to come up with a melody that fits with something already down rather than come up with something TOTALLY original.. Especially when you got that beat making block, lol
:0)

Menco wrote:Also, ears do get tired. Taking a break away from ur studio/lab/bedroom can really revive the process.

VERY TRUE! I say that all the time, Its amazing how bad something can sound in the morning when you were up til 4 in the morning thinking it was the S**T! lol

Always listen to it again with fresh ears.
Also, if like me you have neighbours & so every night your reduced to making a beat in your headphones ALWAYS make sure you give it a listen and re-EQ the track thru loud speakers or monitors, even with the best headphones it NEVER sounds the same thru speakers.

Here's a mixing tip

Use the metronome as a reference point for your mix. Try to mix under it. All your sounds should be lower than it, enough to let it sneak thru your mix. I've never really mixed a beat on an mpc but for those of you that do im sure this will work.

Using the metronome as a reference point, gives you a consistant volume for all your tracks. also if the volume of the metronome itself is set to about 75%, you'll never have to worry about the extra headroom needed for mastering.

Here's my trick: http://mpcmaid.sourceforge.net/
Probably many of You know it, but to those who dont know it - ITS ESSENTIAL! I mean this automatic program assembly out of chosen folder filled with samples is just insane timesaver - not to mention the slicing stuff...

Tip number 2 - have you ever tried poliurethane condoms? Thats what I call a breakthru in science Not really MPC tip, but happy musician is a productive musician right?

Cheers
M

I'm sure some people won't agree with this one but hey what the heck!

Do not always try to use ''dope'' samples. Challenge yourself. Try to take that crappy guitar or bass roll, chop it up, tune it, filter it, reverse it, lfo it, do whatever you can. Don't let the sample make the beat. Let your thoughts and vibe make the beat!

bees80 wrote:I'm sure some people won't agree with this one but hey what the heck!

Do not always try to use ''dope'' samples. Challenge yourself. Try to take that crappy guitar or bass roll, chop it up, tune it, filter it, reverse it, lfo it, do whatever you can. Don't let the sample make the beat. Let your thoughts and vibe make the beat!

You're right. I found a crappy-ass sample, and even stretched it incorrectly. When I put it with the rest of my samples, it sounded fine. To be honest with you, some of the beats I have made are by mistake, but I just went with them.

Exactly!

Though i know a lot of people who depend on their sample or drums (at least, they think it depends on that), that's why i said that i think some people won't agree.

Thinking outside the box wil let you make those crazy extraordinary beats and offcourse, your own style

When chopping samples and placing them into pads use the same sounds twice or more to get variety and mood changes. Pitch it, filter it, have fun with adsr, whatever, but don't just chop 4 bars loop, play them in different order put a bass under it. It doesn't sound cool and it's the most overdone thing ever. Actually, I think the reason why people do it is because they just want to make beats, but in my opinion that is not enough. I make thousand time better beats myself when I really decide to make a super dope beat instead of just turning the mpc on and try something.

bees80 wrote:I'm sure some people won't agree with this one but hey what the heck!

Do not always try to use ''dope'' samples. Challenge yourself. Try to take that crappy guitar or bass roll, chop it up, tune it, filter it, reverse it, lfo it, do whatever you can. Don't let the sample make the beat. Let your thoughts and vibe make the beat!

going along with this, i feel if you take only the dope samples; and try to finish a beat out of them it doesnt work, because theirs no room for each other. I'm sure some of you are master mixer/masterers, but i'm sure most of us are not, and we need some simple shit to fill in the voids behind the main squeeze, feel?

starting ready this at 4pm (UK Time)... it is now 6:19pm (UK Time) and im finished.

WOW wat a great fcuking thread.. some real good tips in here.

i had my note pad and pen with me wen reading this so i gots all the important stuff jotted down and ready to use.

thanx ya'll...

hope this thread stays alive and peeps keep posting.