This is dope

I've always used the reverse function on single hits or melodies. But I've never thought of using it to make a loop fit the tempo of a drum track (It seems like Black Milk does this at about 4:09)... Correct me if I'm wrong. This is a pretty useful technique.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFiHKcYA4jY

When it comes to making samples fit drum tracks, I've always used the time stretch, tuning, and chopping function to make it work. I completely overlooked the reverse function. This is pretty basic considering... but it's not so much what it does but how you use it.

If you find yourself constantly having the problem of making samples fit drum loops, take a look at how Ski Beatz uses Ableton Live. I'm not the type to promote software programs, but I definitely felt enlightened after seeing this video. I'm sure I'm not the only one that has ever been frustrated on making loops work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXZWYyDNZ4k

It looks like he tunes down the sample and maybe even time stretches it a little bit. Nothing new there. But then he taps a tempo and creates "warp markers" where the snare and the first beat should hit, and then time stretches it a little bit more (4:47). It's definitely more precise.

Feel free to correct or elaborate on any of my predictions. It's the only way we can learn and use these techniques correctly. More importantly, once we use it correctly and understand it fully, we can think outside the box and create our own unique techniques for using different functions... It's not what it does, but how you use it. It's not the MPC, but the man behind it. Also feel free to enlighten us with your own tricks on different functions, I could use some lessons.

the technique could come in handy, yeah.

reverse section! other than track mute its my signature move

I'm not sure about this cause I'm not musically trained, but if you reverse a melody (not just a single note hit). Do you change the Key from Major to a Minor or vice versa? I not 100% about it, so I would appreciate some input.

Rodrigo wrote:I'm not sure about this cause I'm not musically trained, but if you reverse a melody (not just a single note hit). Do you change the Key from Major to a Minor or vice versa? I not 100% about it, so I would appreciate some input.

im musically trained and i have to say thats a really interesting question. i think it all depends on the sample you are reversing. reverse keeps the same pitch and time in the sample, but i think theres a chance where a chord progression OR melody can be major one way and minor in reverse or vice versa.

my reverse technique is mostly for ambience, string/synth pad to fill int he gaps as a rhythm guitar would do. i usually cut up my sample in SLICE then reverse from there. so i have pieces and pieces of the sample. some are reversed and some arent... gives me waaay more control than a 10 second sample.

With more control comes more creativity. I respect that... For ambience I find drones to be very helpful. A drone is when you set a loop within a short sample. I usually have problems with pops and clicks, but I time stretch the sample to lock up with the tempo of the song. So it pops or clicks on the beat. You can actually learn how to create a drone through the tutorial on this website. It's pretty simple, just set the start point and end point in a section of the sample where the amplitude is constant. Usually right before the decay of the sample. I'm trying to experiment more with drones now, can't say I've mastered them yet. But they add a lot of character to the ambience of your song.

Rodrigo wrote:With more control comes more creativity. I respect that... For ambience I find drones to be very helpful. A drone is when you set a loop within a short sample. I usually have problems with pops and clicks, but I time stretch the sample to lock up with the tempo of the song. So it pops or clicks on the beat. You can actually learn how to create a drone through the tutorial on this website. It's pretty simple, just set the start point and end point in a section of the sample where the amplitude is constant. Usually right before the decay of the sample. I'm trying to experiment more with drones now, can't say I've mastered them yet. But they add a lot of character to the ambience of your song.

Never heard of the term "drone" for that technique. Back in the 90s this was called looping a sample. I find it curious sometimes how term are used in different ways. the term "loop" is a classic example.
Loop in HipHop often mean something like a drumloop or a whole bar of a sample while it means a cycle of an audio region (no matter the leghth) when you talk with someone who was into music in the 80s/90s.
I know the term "drone" but I know it as a name of a specific type of sound which is often used in techno and its subgenres.

peace

could someone elaborate on what black milk is doing?

i could see that after the first bar/sequence, the second sequence has his string sample playing straight for beat 1 and 2, but what is he doing with the sample for beat 3 and 4?

I'm not sure about this cause I'm not musically trained, but if you reverse a melody (not just a single note hit). Do you change the Key from Major to a Minor or vice versa? I not 100% about it, so I would appreciate some input.

i am not musically trained. But NO.

you play a melody forward on the keyboard or whatever. then you play the same notes in the other direction. a b c d e f g / g f e d c b a.... thats it. The major minor thing do not change... same notes. no variation going on. as long as you dont change the pitch, everything is the same - only reversed.

peterpiper wrote:

Rodrigo wrote:With more control comes more creativity. I respect that... For ambience I find drones to be very helpful. A drone is when you set a loop within a short sample. I usually have problems with pops and clicks, but I time stretch the sample to lock up with the tempo of the song. So it pops or clicks on the beat. You can actually learn how to create a drone through the tutorial on this website. It's pretty simple, just set the start point and end point in a section of the sample where the amplitude is constant. Usually right before the decay of the sample. I'm trying to experiment more with drones now, can't say I've mastered them yet. But they add a lot of character to the ambience of your song.

Never heard of the term "drone" for that technique. Back in the 90s this was called looping a sample. I find it curious sometimes how term are used in different ways. the term "loop" is a classic example.
Loop in HipHop often mean something like a drumloop or a whole bar of a sample while it means a cycle of an audio region (no matter the leghth) when you talk with someone who was into music in the 80s/90s.
I know the term "drone" but I know it as a name of a specific type of sound which is often used in techno and its subgenres.

peace

A drone produces a single continuous tone. It's different from the typical loop which cycles within a longer sample (bars and what not). To create a drone, you just grab a short sample like a hit or stab. You copy this sample and set a loop where the amplitude is constant. So it sounds different from the original copy because it skips the attack and decay and loops where the amplitude is constant. Here is a link to Divinci using a drone. The original sample was a snare... shits crazy. In hip hop, people usually use drones to beef up the low end. Just create a drone and tune it down by -120.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j42SdmiU0kg

tunnelno5 wrote:could someone elaborate on what black milk is doing?

i could see that after the first bar/sequence, the second sequence has his string sample playing straight for beat 1 and 2, but what is he doing with the sample for beat 3 and 4?

To me it seems like he just reversed the string sample to complete his loop.

Floating Fluids wrote:

I'm not sure about this cause I'm not musically trained, but if you reverse a melody (not just a single note hit). Do you change the Key from Major to a Minor or vice versa? I not 100% about it, so I would appreciate some input.

i am not musically trained. But NO.

you play a melody forward on the keyboard or whatever. then you play the same notes in the other direction. a b c d e f g / g f e d c b a.... thats it. The major minor thing do not change... same notes. no variation going on. as long as you dont change the pitch, everything is the same - only reversed.

How do you explain Cmajor and Aminor? I now people usually characterize the difference as something sounding happy vs. sad... But I want to know their techniquel differences. I'm sure it has to do with the order in which the notes are being played. Which brings me back to my original question, by reversing the order do you change the key from major to minor? How long does the melody have to be in order for this to happen?

Again to the sample question.
You can´t change minor or major characterisitcs from a sample, only by playing it reversed.

How do you explain Cmajor and Aminor?

Google it. As I said, i am not musically trained. I have an hint of an idea, but i am not confident enough to try to explain some music theory.

In the end - does it matter? Play what ever feels good.
But I understand - its always good to gain new and more and whatever knowledge.

Rodrigo wrote:

Floating Fluids wrote:

I'm not sure about this cause I'm not musically trained, but if you reverse a melody (not just a single note hit). Do you change the Key from Major to a Minor or vice versa? I not 100% about it, so I would appreciate some input.

i am not musically trained. But NO.

you play a melody forward on the keyboard or whatever. then you play the same notes in the other direction. a b c d e f g / g f e d c b a.... thats it. The major minor thing do not change... same notes. no variation going on. as long as you dont change the pitch, everything is the same - only reversed.

How do you explain Cmajor and Aminor? I now people usually characterize the difference as something sounding happy vs. sad... But I want to know their techniquel differences. I'm sure it has to do with the order in which the notes are being played. Which brings me back to my original question, by reversing the order do you change the key from major to minor? How long does the melody have to be in order for this to happen?

@floating - same notes, but in a different sequence could end up differently. all depends on the sample and those notes in the sample. this is nothing to really pin point or anaylize... unless you really think its significant.

@rodrigo - the fact that we call them CMAJOR and A minor are really based on principals of music theory. look into the circle of fifths. A is the relative minor of C major meaning you use all the same notes in each of those scales, but start on either A or C.
C major - no sharps no flats. if you play this on a keyboard starting with C you will get a diatonic C major scale.
a minor - no sharps no flats. if you play this on a keybaord starting with a you will get a diatonic a minor scale.

i can go on and on, but i have no clue if all this sounds like gibberish to you. anyway, check out the circle of fifths...and if you dont know how to read music, then just read about it... the internet is a sea of information!

Floating Fluids wrote:

I'm not sure about this cause I'm not musically trained, but if you reverse a melody (not just a single note hit). Do you change the Key from Major to a Minor or vice versa? I not 100% about it, so I would appreciate some input.

i am not musically trained. But NO.

you play a melody forward on the keyboard or whatever. then you play the same notes in the other direction. a b c d e f g / g f e d c b a.... thats it. The major minor thing do not change... same notes. no variation going on. as long as you dont change the pitch, everything is the same - only reversed.

yes same notes just like it is

C-dur (major) c d e f g a h c

A-moll(minor) a h c d e f g a

peace