Blind digging

[ansiaaa]

or... "how much are you afraid to blow your cash?"

when you go out digging, do you always use your knowledge (this producer, that artist, that label, ...) to find new records, or do you also relay on your instincts?
I mean, without having the ability to listen to record before buying it... do you take your chances and go for it anyway, if you feel it could be the one?
and how much would you spend for a record when you are blind digging?

 

[Kontents]

Its fine taking risks. You may end up finding a gem. But anything over a couple of dollars is kinda shaky. I would suggest sticking with what you know if you're going to spend more then $5 bucks on a record.

 

[Shonsteez]

Good advice Kontents.....

Id also add, there are no rules.
You do get into your patterns where you start to know what to look for sometimes if its a particular style or instrument you want, but making your pockets the ultimate determining factor in what gets added to your bag is much easier and a lot more fun.

I also never try to spend more then a couple bucks a piece. The bargain bin is your friend, or at least it should be. I say buy whatever you feel....take a gamble sometimes. Thats 1/2 of what makes digging fun. Sometimes you never know what your gonna get and that can be a good thing.

 

[ansiaaa]

take a gamble sometimes. Thats 1/2 of what makes digging fun. Sometimes you never know what your gonna get and that can be a good thing.

that's what I think exactly. sure I love it when I find something that has been on my "to buy" list for for ages, but I'm used to spending some money to get random vinyls from the bargain bin just because I have a good feeling about them.
even if they turn out to be crap, they could still be source for nice/weird samples nonetheless!

 

[Quality]

The BEST thread for diggin tips is right here:

https://www.illmuzik.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17023

I always visit shops that have a turntable available to use. My style of diggin is to always flip through the R&B, Jazz, and dollar bin sections (Funk too if they have one), and pick out anything that catches my eye. I look at the instruments used, and the year, and if it looks promising, I'll add it to my stack. Then after I've picked out about 20 records, I'll skim through each record, and separate the ones I wanna keep vs. putting back. The more you dig, the more you know what to look for. You get to learn about the different artists styles over time that you like to sample, then steadily collect their discography. Dope covers usually mean dope sounds too fyi

 

[Pug]

I've accumulated a lot of shitty records from digging blindly, but some gems... but a lotttt of shit. So I'm very picky about what I dig for now... so I look for familiar names and things these days. I don't sample anymore, so I dig for listening.

 

[StressWon]

I don't sample anymore,

**faints***

 

[thedreampolice]

I buy records in bulk off ebay. I get like 100 for $50 then I dig when I get them.

 

[Pug]

**faints***

Haha, only because I haven't made a beat in like 4 years.. but sampling will never die in me, that's for sure.

 

[Shonsteez]

Git on that shit Pug! lol

 

[slik da relic]

i always blindly dig... i could care less whats on the record now... im gonna chop it and manipulate the sounds anyway... ever since i began this method of making the beat, it aint matter what record got purchased.

da relic

 

[GRAFIK]

Here are some joints I copped on the street today. Blind dig

 

[DJ Excellence]

I used to do that all the time but I didn't spend more than 5$ per record. Now I dig online mostly, I also have a fairly decent record collection at home so I don't necessarily need to go out and spend $$$, just browse what I already have.