keyboard beats easier than sampling

Madlib wants people to know that he has the ability to rock more hip-hop styles than you've already heard from him with his 805 crew of the Lootpack. "I can do all that like Southern style, Timbaland, Mannie Fresh - all that stuff. That's easier than sampling to me," he says.

I most definatley agree, ive tried both anyone care to discuss?

I agree it is easier making a keyboard beat then chopping up a sample finding the right tempo and then finally intergrating the sample into the track. But I wouldnt trade it sampling is what hip hop came from. It will never die. To me both are still just as creative. Unless of course you just rip a whole track throw some drums in and call it a day....no creativity in that.

I agree 100%. I tell people the same thing. It is much harder to find samples from all different types of sources and combine them to make them blend and mesh perfectly. It's takes a lot more skill. And I'm sure all of us can probably bang out a keyboard beat in less than a half hour where as with sampling you gotta find each sample, chop it, add effects etc. A much longer and creative process in my opinion.

"easy" and "hard" are relative terms...



...it's harder to make a "good" keyboard beat than looping some shit, and throwing drums over the top of it...that's the easiest shit there is...


...if you got a banging ass sample, the beat makes itself...there are only 3 elements


...sample, drums, bass (maybe 4 if you add some more stuff, but you ain't gonna add too much to a good sample)


...I do 'em both

I do both, cause i notice after I've been writting to much on just the keyboard the beats start sounding to similar to the next but throwin in a nice sample can get me writing in a completely different direction than I wouldve with straight keys...

if you just add drums to a sample that aint ish really. when you chop though and make it sound totally different than what you sampled, there a lot of hard work involved, in my opinion way more than making a beat with a synth. i can make a synth beat in 30 minutes or less, 1 hour and i got a banger. with samples u got a longer beat process unless all you do is loop.

what did yall think of yesterday's new quintet?

i wasnt that impressed myself - i mean - my fave track up there is number 8 - since im weak for anything remotely "brazilianesque" - but alot of the tracks seemed to be lacking....i dunno

time spent chopping a sample, I don't consider in making the beat...


...'cause lots of times I'll sample some stuff, and chop it up the way I think I'd use it, save it, and move to other samples...

...time spent on a track doesn't really have correlating effect to how "good" it is though...


...I make 5 minute beats sometimes, just throwing shit that sounds good together...sometimes you get heat, sometimes you get mish mash


...I've spent a long time before choppin and trying to fit a sample in only to find that I hated the final product...

...I guess there's just different ways to the same end

I think that making a keyboard beat can be hard sometimes because you have to consider using the right notes, keys and chords. Some people just hit anything throw a drum track on it and call it a day. But for a true musician its different because intros, mains, breakdowns, hooks, bridges and outros need to be considered oposed to taking a sample choppin it and just playing those same patterens over and over I mean thats Hiphop but that to me is like a dj that takes a record and chops it, he has found a new way to mix it. But dont misunderstand me sampling is what made Hiphop so if you do sample dont do the diddy with it and work your samples so they are not obvious.......Many people make beats without this key element in mind.

Phatz

I do both, but I think when cats say "keyboard" beats, they're saying it with some kind of negative connotation. A keyboard beat is a beat made totally from scratch. To make a GOOD beat straight from scratch, from total silence is a damn skill, it's a gift. Sampling is dope, but it's backwards to me to hear cats discrediting someone who can make a phat beat from scratch. That's crazy. That's like saying Quincy Jones ain't sh#t cause he don't sample.
I think both styles, "keyboard", and sampling both take a lotta skill.
For those of you straight sh#tting on so called "keyboard" beats, put up the vinyl tommorow, turn off the turn table, and turn on the "keyboard". See what you come up with. You probably gonna hear crickets for a minute. It's easy to just bang on the keys, but try and make a GOOD beat. It's a little harder than you think. I also think that the dudes sh#tting on keyboard beats, ain't using the right keyboards. You gotta dig just like when you sample, meaning, you just can't take the 1st bull sh#t a$$ triton guitar, mix it with a 5080 horn and think you doing something. You gotta dig for the quality sounds, then filter, eq, and effect until them joints is sounding right.
Sorry for being so long winded, but I felt like somebody smacked my mama and kicked my sister. I work hard making my "keyboard" beats.

jpeg wrote:Madlib wants people to know that he has the ability to rock more hip-hop styles than you've already heard from him with his 805 crew of the Lootpack. "I can do all that like Southern style, Timbaland, Mannie Fresh - all that stuff. That's easier than sampling to me," he says.

I most definatley agree, ive tried both anyone care to discuss?

Definately, with a keyboard or module the sounds have already been sampled for you, where as when you sample from vinyl, CD, cassette and etc; the person sampling has to take the creative edge and develop unique parts for themselves.

average wrote:I do both, but I think when cats say "keyboard" beats, they're saying it with some kind of negative connotation. A keyboard beat is a beat made totally from scratch. To make a GOOD beat straight from scratch, from total silence is a damn skill, it's a gift. Sampling is dope, but it's backwards to me to hear cats discrediting someone who can make a phat beat from scratch. That's crazy. That's like saying Quincy Jones ain't sh#t cause he don't sample.
I think both styles, "keyboard", and sampling both take a lotta skill.
For those of you straight sh#tting on so called "keyboard" beats, put up the vinyl tommorow, turn off the turn table, and turn on the "keyboard". See what you come up with. You probably gonna hear crickets for a minute. It's easy to just bang on the keys, but try and make a GOOD beat. It's a little harder than you think. I also think that the dudes sh#tting on keyboard beats, ain't using the right keyboards. You gotta dig just like when you sample, meaning, you just can't take the 1st bull sh#t a$$ triton guitar, mix it with a 5080 horn and think you doing something. You gotta dig for the quality sounds, then filter, eq, and effect until them joints is sounding right.
Sorry for being so long winded, but I felt like somebody smacked my mama and kicked my sister. I work hard making my "keyboard" beats.

i agree 200% ppl think keyboard beatz is easy.......i take pride in my joints too......i do it all.......i can start from scratch on the keyboard or i can start from scratch on the mpc!! .......honestly either way is "hard"....it is simple for me though cuz i call myself something called a "real beatmaker"

I agree with Madlib on this one. Big ups Madlib representin 805 Oxnard CA to the fullest!!

beets wrote:I agree with Madlib on this one. Big ups Madlib representin 805 Oxnard CA to the fullest!!

why cuz he's madlib and he's from where you from???....some ppl don't have talent behind the keyz.........the sky is the limit if you know what you are doing!!!

Prah_860_ wrote:why cuz he's madlib and he's from where you from???....some ppl don't have talent behind the keyz.........the sky is the limit if you know what you are doing!!!

Nah, it aint like that! Dont take it the wrong way Prah. He could be "Madlib and be from Alamaba" and it still wouldnt matter to me. Some peeps could rock a 1987 Casio Keyboard and still drop a dope ass beat. I just through that up because I do agree with him and it is nice to know that someone from my city is repping and has actually made it. I mean Professional Boxer Fernando Vargas is also from my city, but I aint all boastin and braggin about him. If this was a boxing forum, then maybe that'd be a different story...peace