How to eq/process samples????

what should one use to eq/process samples? does it make a real difference or is it just preference?

I go from vinyl on the turntable to the DJ mixer to the MPC....if there is anything that can help this please let me know...I've tried to run samples through my Focusrite pre-amp before but i can't really tell a difference in samples(except the vinyl "shsskshkshkshks" is more apparent)....please suggest some things that may help or if just staying with my setup is REALLY all i need....by the way, I do Hip Hop/R&B and sample off vinyl strictly....thanks and 1

All the processing I do of my samples usually occurs after i've sampled my stuff. All that mic pre and compression shit for sampling is for the birds mane. Most cats i know dont even be using them shits right mane. When i'm sampling I always try sample again with the mids and highs down so I can make a nice basslline for my dope beats mane. I also like to resample my drums to 12 bits or less on my pc's Windows sound recorder and layer drums like that then put it back to mpc and get gully with it. As for that focusrite mane, you just hearing what those record really sound like-no sound coloration or nothing just pure sound from the vinyl.

when you sample vinyl, the greatest part about it is that you are getting samples that have already been run through a lot of processing on gear that sometimes may not even be available anymore. you get a professional sound right out the gate. but, there are certainly times when you want to add your own processing, i personally like to reprocess everything so you cant tell where the sample came from, but there are definitely times when the original processing needs to be left alone, especially on things like a great guitar sound, or some old keys or strings, but even then you can process those and get completely different sounds. like if you take a string sample, pitch it up and eq a little, you can get this sitar sounding instrument that resembles nothing of the original sample. but some other things i will do is to run a lot of compression on my drums and bass lines, may eq the bass if it needs it, eq my hi end samples, maybe put them through some type of distortion or modulation, i mean there are endless possibilities out there. that is why there are so many types of processing equipment out there. if you dont already have some way of compressing, get something, and maybe look for some type of effects unit that has some reverb and delay options, along with other processing capabilities. alesis and lexicon have decent stuff for not too much money. if you already have a preamp i would use it, but not for everything. use your ear to guide you. be experimental. try it 10 different ways and hopeully you'll get 1 that you like. the better you get at it, the sooner you will know what to do the next time. nah mean? word

I gotta agree with mesh and cheese, I sometimes leave thingz alone cause they sound good the way they are depending on what I want my end result to be.

When I take a sample(s) to my computer I use wave editor Sonic Foundry Sound Forge.