Are producers only as good as his records/sound sources: trials of a crate digger

[JPeg]

Ima make a few statements see if u feel this

A producer is only as good as his records/sound sources? One of the most important skills a producer can have is sound selection and composition.

If I give a producer some shit records with some cheesy cheap sounds even if he loads em up into the mpc they still gonna sound cheap, he might filter sounds and chop to come up with a good pattern but ultimately the source sounds will shine through and if they are of poor quality than the beat will sound wack.

Why am I thinking about this? cos ive been making beats for around 3 years now and have a vision of how I want my music to sound. I work with samples I have listened to many records in shops and on the net and its been very hit and miss. Some records and artists that I have identified as having the type of sounds i wanna sample i cant find here in London.

So how do i implement my vision? if i can find the right kind of sounds if i cant find the records im looking for that’s gonna impact the amount of inspiration i get when listening to the records and that in turn will effect the style and quality of my output.

Anyone feel what im saying or should i just being too rigid i mean im still finding alternatives here and there but r crate diggers defind the size of there collection and the records in there collection. When I 1st started diggin I neva wanted to be a dude who collects everything I just wanted a small stash of records that r interesting to listen to and have good sounds to sample, now its looking likely I may have to get a bigger collection of records with each record having only I or two sample worthy tracks or getting a synth.

I mean there alot of expensive records in london and sure u can find decent sounds on most records but i dont want just one usable sound on each record i buy. I want to be able to listen to a whole record enjoy it and be inspired and hear different things each time I listen, but it seems like i either asking to much or need to dig way harder.

I know this is a lot of shit to read so if anyone does read this nice one don’t diss to much peace.

 

[J Cro]

i feel the same way. which is why i have been practicin music alot more lately. my next step is to learn how to play guitar, then buy some tables and go at it on the wheels of steel. i've become very good with drums bass and piano. i dont think ill sample much. not unless i hear that jus insane loop and i gots to have it.

it takes me much longer but composin most of my shit has made my visions come to life much better

 

[mercurywaters]

if you depend solely on records for your sounds then you will definitely have to have the biggest collection possible. more records = more sounds. i would explore other ways to get the sound you're looking for. synths, live instruments, sample cd's, etc.... if you find that its only available on wax, then that has to be your burdento carry.

 

[JPeg]

Yeah i aint tryna have a huge stack of records so i def need to get a lil synth so i can make the sounds i want to hear but cant find on a record.

 

[WingsOfAnAngel]

http://forums.undergroundhiphop.com/readpost.asp?Forum=Producer&Whichpage=1&QuestionID=401424

same topic

 

[Loose Cannon]

I think you can argue both points though. I do agree with you a little bit, but if you give Jermaine Dupri hot sounds, and you give Just Blaze some wack sounds, whos beat is gonna be hotter?

Just Blaze's.

 

[Cheo]

Damn the hate on Jermaine Dupri lol. I think J.D. is a dope r&b songwriter and producer. Sometimes his beats are ok on the hiphop side but he's a businessman more than an artist so that explains that. Anthony Hamilton has a cd out on So So Def thats str8 fire!! But yea I agree its about the person manipulating the sound more than the sounds itself. A creative mind can flip anything.

 

[bigdmakintrax]

Well look at it like this......you can still make hot shidd with wack vinyl....you just might not be able to use the sample in a way like Blaze or Kanye where you have to play more than about 2 or 3 seconds or the sample....and know how to edit the sample enuff....one thing to use are rhodes, guitar and bass bridges....you can use those all day....I do not buy into the fact that either wack synth sounds or vinyl stop you from making hot beats....the part underneath (drum pattern or loop) is what makes the beat hot too and also how you make use of SPace in a track.....I wouldn't get hung up on that...now the Earcatcher of a hot track usually is NOT what the producer really did....but an old song that was probably a hit catching your ear....remember that.....I know there will be disagreement as usual but go listen to any REAL sample heavy song thats hot right now I bet you the part that catches you the song and melody in the Sample....and then 2nd comes the Flip of the sample in the rest of the track.....