Sampling Do's and Dont's

What does everyone consider do's and dont's of sampling?

Really 60% of the material on this forum are the answers to your question. It's just too vague, but I do sense where you're coming from.

Just a few here, if you can sample vinyl, do it. It sounds the best period. If you can't it's not the end of the world. Just always make sure to try to record at 16bit/44.1 regardless of the source you're sampling. Sometimes a high bit rate mP3 will work but still always aim for 16/44. It's not vinyl but a lot of stuff is actually on CD, rip the tracks at 16/44 in iTunes and chop the CD quality WAV/AIFF file you export.

But again you really could learn all you ever need to know about sampling just by using this forum's archives. When you have more specific technical questions people here will more than happy to help.

Sounds great. Thanks a lot.

Do's:

Kinda like Metatron already said:

Find a good quality sample first.
Learn how to record samples properly.

Dont's:

Using low quality samples unless that's ur purpose like making a 8bit beat.


Eq-ing or not, applying fx or other type of processing really depends on one's workflow.

Do...
vinyl.
sample at 24bit / 44.1khz if you can(16bit is okay, but...).


Don't...
sample in the first place unless it is your own sound creation(like wooden spoon on a rubber band).
reuse someone elses sample, knowingly. Find your own. (so many people have taken the same James Brown drums and horns, at least add reverb or manipulate it with an effect...jeez)(I'm a hypocrite b/c I reuse the Amen break all the time.. lol)
Sample from youtube. (unless it is movie dialogue)
sample from a mp3 file.
sample a whole effing song. (that's cheating)
listen to anyone, like me, if it sounds good to you...then you're good.

cheers,
Ian

do what you want
don't think there are any rules

Ian Canefire wrote:Do...
vinyl.
sample at 24bit / 44.1khz if you can(16bit is okay, but...).

I think that really depends on what kind of sound ur looking for. I sample a lot of stuff into my s950 (12bit) before I dump those samples into Ableton.

tapedeck wrote:do what you want
don't think there are any rules

THIS

Hey Menco, I know that many people love the sound of 12bit drums. Much of that is because the older songs they liked used machines that sampled at that bit rate. So obviously we know that works.
Have you ever listened to samples at 24 bit 44.1 and then the same sample at 16bit 44.1? Or for that matter 24bit and 96khz? At the higher rate you're getting the same sound you hear as that old recording being sampled.
six of one and half dozen of the other.
For the longest time I only did everything in 16bit 44.1khz, then I heard the difference...especially with vocals, horns, guitars, and strings.
IF it sounds good to you then that is what matters. I was half joking when I typed my initial statement. Though there is truth in jest!

Cheers,
Ian

PS @ thevalley "you can also run your drums through a "Lo-fi" effect for that 11 or 12 bit sound. Most good effects boxes have this setting.

PPS @Menco...hiphop definitely doesn't need 24 bit / 44.1khz as many hit records have proved.

DO: sample!, sample and......oh yes, sample!
DON'T : Let them lawyers catch you if you sell your beats


peace

I'd say the only rule is to do whatever sounds good.

tapedeck wrote:do what you want
don't think there are any rules

im gonna second that...

**** rules, some of my best beats have been made with 128 mp3s.... get real folks, it dont matter as long as it sounds dope..

u just gotta learn how to mix, and make it sound dope.. if it does, it does.. if it doesn't it doesn't.. no matter what u sample or where its from


my personal DON'Ts do include the fact that i havnt sampled anything made in the 90s or sooner... 89 and earlier for me. i also like using stuff by artists who i dont recognize, or are relatively unknown.. both are kinda silly and are not RULES, its just how i roll

dont sample too hot unless ur inputs sound good with a lil distortion

sample whatever records, mp3 youtube, vhs, tape, live microphone, keyoboards, synths

if u you use a sample thats been used b4 try and flip it different but still make it sounds dope and be creative.

dont chop for the sake of chopping by all means beat crative experiment but dont think that if u chop a 10 second loop into 64 chops that ur better then the dude with 4 chops u might just be a technical geek but that dont automatically make u a better producer.

manji wrote:

I'd say the only rule is to do whatever sounds good.

dope!

Dont: ask someone else how they do it

Do: try it out for yourself





That is all