What is air (in reference to samples)?

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What is air (in reference to samples)?

By milesg Thu Sep 20, 2012 1:01 pm
When I chop drums, I try to get the chop as close to the start and end of the wave as possible ([Open Window] on some Start and End).

After checking these forums for the past couple weeks I see some people talk about air. My understanding is that air refers to the "sound of nothing" coming immediately after, say, a kick and before the next snare hit.

Is this correct? Why do people care about it?
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Re: What is air (in reference to samples)?

By Lampdog Thu Sep 20, 2012 1:34 pm
Your right. air can be in front or in back of the sample.

Inaccurate sampling techniques can lead to unique super slight variations in timing and can created grooves. It used to happen alot back in the day on older non graphic waveform machines. Chopping by ear is not as precise and it creates grooves that "seem" to pay no attention to tight 96ppqn grid, again, because of inaccurate sampling. Those sampling inaccuracies are wonderfully legendary.

You can still do it, just sample by ear and don't worry about chopping perfectly and/or even chop/sample sloppy on purpose and see what you come up with there are no rules.
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Re: What is air (in reference to samples)?

By Coz Thu Sep 20, 2012 1:42 pm
People also sometimes use the "air" to fill in the gaps in a break that's been chopped up to help glue it back together.

In reality air is just reverb/noise that's part of the recording.
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