Discuss the various methods you use in music production, from compressor settings to equipment type.
By cleansocks Thu May 20, 2021 12:07 am
Idk if I just really suck at this, but I cannot figure out how to make a good song from a rock or Country heavy record. There's a lot of vocals and you can't really hear the drums in a lot of country or rock its overpowered by the guitar or the twangy country voice. That's just me though. I wanna see if you guys run into a similar problem? where maybe the record is just unsuitable for beat making? I am not talking about scratches and clicks or warps or actual damage on the record itself i mean the contents and the song of the record being unsample-able. Anyone else feel this way with some records???
By cleansocks Thu May 20, 2021 12:10 am
people say what sounds good sounds good. use your ears... but to my ears a lot of my records don't sound good (content wise not quality wise). Do I just need to hunt for more records? maybe in a specific genre , or rather AVOIDING a specific genre?
By goodwillhunter Thu May 20, 2021 2:34 am
I'd say to just avoid sampling from sources that you don't like.

Sometimes, I'll find a brief moment (or open hit/stab) that I like in a song or on an album that I don't really care for. But usually, if I'm not feeling an album, I just lift that needle, grab another record, and move on.
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By peterpiper Thu May 20, 2021 3:15 am
What kind of rock are we talking about here? I guess you just got the wrong records. For example, some of the dopest drumbreaks are from rock songs (When the levee breaks, Big Beat, Take the money and run, I see no reason etc and I haven't even talked about single drumhits). Depending on what sounds you're after and what kind of beats you wanna make it's good to know instrumentation of the rock group (often printed on the cover)
For example:
Doors = Epiano, Organ, Drums
Deep Purple = Organ, Guitar, Drums
King Crimson = Mellotron, Drums

Yes, these are all 60s,70s bands cause I never really dug into 80s and later rock when I search for samples. Although I'll have to say that I think nearly every song can be sampled and serve as sound source. Some are easier to handle, others need much processing. If you want fast results then yes, 'shit in = shit out' as many people say. But if you want to experiment with sounds and maybe create something new then IMO it is possible to 'polish a turd'.

peace
By Scrawny Thu May 20, 2021 10:17 am
Finally a topic I can shed some light on lol.
Lately I am mostly listening and sampling rock, there are great artists to look for. I guess if you are buying Beatles and random dollar bin country records you won't find so much to sample but there is a looooot of shit out there, you can look for Rare Earth (I consider them rock too), Iron Butterfly, Jimi, the Stones for a lot of drum hits, and the usual crazy covers or artists/players you have had success with in the past. Also obviously just listen to more rock too, try to find what you enjoy listening to and you will naturally hear some things you can sample.
Also regarding the mixing/mastering or all the sounds overlapping: from my experience the very late 60s and 70s give you a lot to work with in terms of panning different instruments to different channels, I have lifted whole ass drum breaks from the middle of the song with vocals and heavy guitar playing at the same time on the opposite channel.
Also more general tips, not just about rock: listen to the records at the store too if you can, pay attention to different frequencies, maybe you can lift a bassline even if there is other sounds on it, pay attention to the panning, maybe you can isolate something, pay attention to which players you like, and even if you don't find something usable on that record you can look for more playing by them, Mitch Michell, one of my favourite rock drummers has a lot of breaks under that name.
Lastly don't just look for or buy the most well known names. The obscure rock out there has a lot of sounds too. And don't write off all 80s rock. It's not the same as soul or funk... there is a lot of garbage still but also many great artists (not just regarding sampling) that only got started (or just with their solo career) around that time.
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By NearTao Thu May 20, 2021 11:01 am
Also consider micro sampling... look for the single note or short progression that stands out to you. It can feel tedious, but you will find isolated hits, or chunks of chord/melody that you can use for what you want to do. It does take practice and patience to find these little gem snippets. Then stringing them together into something workable is a whole other talent. I still believe that it is worth your time, and you absolutely can develop an ear for this.

As a tip if you want to try micro sampling... slow down the speed of the song when sampling, it'll give you more to listen to, and it doesn't really change the quality of the content when you speed it back up.
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By Ill-Green Thu May 20, 2021 11:06 am
I think RUN DMC are a good example of Rap mixed into 80's Rock. Use them for a reference.

There are two headbangers on youtube that actually review old Hip Hop like Nas, Rakim, 50 Cent etc, but from a headbanger's perspective. Some good insight. They reveal though the music is different, but both genres share the same content and attitude. Both are rebels to society, both love their drums up in front and banging, both write about problems of the world, etc. you get the point.

My advice, is "Be Hip Hop when producing Rock or Be Rock when producing Hip Hop" either way will give different results but you will find your sound.