Whats your Sample Philosiphy?

[dacalion]

One of my main problems (at home) is a lack of gear, if any of you checked out my post on the Christmas Wish List thread you will notice that I've been focusing on buying new gear and getting the tools I need to do what Im trying to accomplish. As of today, I haven't taken the MV-8800 out the box yet and I ordered a Trigger Finger that Fed Ex hasn't delivered yet. I know that both of these will help my production tremendously.

Anyway, I'm curious to know if you guys have a rule of thumb when chopping your samples for a beat. IM NOT LOOKING FOR INSTRUCTIONS ON SAMPLING! I know how to sample and chop but my personal philosiphy needs improvement in my opinion. So how do you all go about breaking down a sample and flipping it in general?

MOF

 

[Relic]

NO he di-int just say takened!! lol

My personal philiosphy is anti Nike "Just Dont"..
If I do I get really small ass sounds I wont have to pay for, altho yall have got me more into sampling longer things lately.

 

[LDB]

My number one philosophy as a producer is to produce 3 or 4 tracks composed to every one track that you use samples. There are some producers right here @ ILL that "from what I've heard" are strictly sample based. They've mastered sampling and haven't posted a song that wasn't built around a sample. Though hip hop was founded on this premise, you have to know that in this day and age very seldom can you make a dent in the game relying on that. Most labels won't even attempt to get a sample cleared. They're telling the producer to clear it, which unless you got millions is financially not feasible.

If I sample I dig as deep as humanly possible. I go at least 35 or more years back. I listen to the entire song a few times before I start chopping it up. I chop way more than I'll probably use. The more the merrier. And last but not least. When I do start putting it all together, I never lay it out in a way the mimics the original melody. I always create my own distinct melody. The one thing that I've noticed about a good melody chop is that it can always be rearranged to hint of the original but be diff't at the same time. If I can't do that I trash it immediately!

Something I've been doing lately is sample my own shit! Make a nice melody and chop it up and use it like a dug up diamond. Some times just have that "sample" feel to your track is all you really need.

p.s. buy some melody driven sample cd's and chop those joints up and rearrange them. U don't have to clear or pay a thing if you do that! There some real nice ones out there.

 

[Blunt604]

i have never in my life once been told by a label to clear my sample. i dono whut "Labels" you have worked with. but any profesional one will clear the samples. and most hip hop is samples still. chopping depends on the sample. btu really if u wana make it the msot on beat chop 4 bars into 16 peices on where the kicks and snares spose 2 hit

 

[Relic]

^ a truly great sampler.. Thanks for the input Blunt!

 

[H&R]

Though hip hop was founded on this premise, you have to know that in this day and age very seldom can you make a dent in the game relying on that. Most labels won't even attempt to get a sample cleared.

Sampling is still going strong buddy lol ... It's never been in doubt
& labels are still clearning them ... Nothing changed, maybe your
listening to radio where you don't hear samples as much but other
than that ... The majority of tracks I ever listen to are sampled.

 

[slik da relic]

fuk sample clearin... sample, chop, twist, manipulate.

any questions???


da relic

 

[Quality]

fuk sample clearin... sample, chop, twist, manipulate.

any questions???


da relic

Agreed, I go with whatever works. I am sample based, and proud of it. Nothing like digging for samples and piecing them together like a puzzle.

 

[Relic]

fuk sample clearin... sample, chop, twist, manipulate.

any questions???


da relic

Can I get mine scrambled ...with cheese?

 

[Kontents]

Can I get mine scrambled ...with cheese?

I thought you liked your samples flipped over easy.

 

[wizard]

my philosophy is simple!!! there is no philosophy!!!!f**k a philosophy!!!! be u and get created!!!
dont just loop chop it up and create ya loop!! dont focus on a philosophy create your own philosophy
theses days every one is getting caught up on philosophy and theory and ect.!!
but the most key element that is being neglected the most whether u sample or compose
me i do both is your feelings
create a beat on how u feal instead of oh it should be like this or like that
i have some who ask on how approach a track well if im not wit an artist then im all good cuz i just sit down and create what the mode is for that moment it could be more than one i might do 5 beats but they all have a different feeling to them!
but if im wit the artist i build the track around the artist topic that he or she wants so i can get a good feel on what needs to be produce!!
1 luv illmuzik
i havent been on here much but im back on da grime the site looks ill!!!
big ups to ill muzik!!! i luv dis site!!!
myspace.com wawbeatz
holla!

oh yeah ill take them over easy wit a side of hash browns!!hahaha

 

[LDB]

lol....all you str8 sample heads ease up off me. I never said sampling is dead...read more than a line before you bring out the stainless. My perspective was from a "new" producer trying to break into the game. If you have major credits out there and have produced hits you can get away with most anything. Labels won't press you because you have a proven track record. As a newbie unknown in late '07 it can be done if the song is wanted by a well established artist but trying it with an unknown artist with an album full of samples will be berry berry hard. When I was a member of PMP Worldwide I can't count how many times when a track dump was opened the first line when describing the type of tracks they were looking for read "PLEASE NO SAMPLES". These were artist signed to major labels. Other members or former members of PMP can verify that fact. It all depends on who you're dealing with I guess, BUT PUT YA AK'S, TASERS AND WHAT NOTS AWAY.....LOL....I mean u no harm!

 

[skidflow]

Most Of The Time I Try To Sample A Small Peice Of A Record Just To Get A Lead Melody Going, Then I Might Add Some Composed Melodys Of My Own Behind The Sample. Sometimes I Just Compose. Overall The Goal In Sampling Is To Take A Peice Of Music From Someone And Make It Your Own So As No One Can Notice Where The Sample Cam From. And Sample The Obscure, Various Types Of World Music Such As Middle Eastern Music, Oriental, Etc.

 

[7thangel]

my philosophy is simple!!! there is no philosophy!!!!f**k a philosophy!!!! be u and get created!!!
dont just loop chop it up and create ya loop!! dont focus on a philosophy create your own philosophy
theses days every one is getting caught up on philosophy and theory and ect.!!
but the most key element that is being neglected the most whether u sample or compose
me i do both is your feelings

i was goin' to co-sign on the 'fuck a philosophy' but then you followed it up with a form of philosophy, 'don't just loop'.

do you and whatever sounds good to you and/or a client depending on what your aim is.

 

[DJ Xsinna]

I love to do both sampling and orchestrating and I use both techniques in my tracks. That's being true to me.

 

[DJ Xsinna]

My only sample philosophy is this: Sampling is an art form. Anybody can sample and make a loop. The trick is to make all the elements make musical sence. The end result shouldn't sound sampled (unless that's what you are going for) but fluid like a real band. This is where listening to ALL types of differnt genres is key. You can sample different sounds from different records no matter where they came from and make a new record. The Bomb Squad were masters at that. Don't decide you don't want to use loops because someone else says that's wack or played out...do it because that's what YOU DO and that you great at it. The bottom line here is: Does it sound HOT?

 

[wizard]

yup cuz in the end that all that matters!!! not to many artist will be like wow ho did u do that!! most would say that beat is hot or wack or they arent feeling it!
so in the end after all the philosophy and theory bull s**t
the question in the end is
is it hot or not!!!???

 

[mercurywaters]

i sample in any way possible but my favorite approach is to find a piece of the song with as few instruments as possible. preferrably no drums or bass. the i chop it up into 2 or 3 note segments or maybe even one note if the note is interesting enough. then i compose a new melody with it. use some delay or reverb to smooth everything out. then add some drums and bass or whatever elements i see fit. i think that was what you were asking for dac. its funny how its so hard to stay on topic.

 

[Ash Holmz]

no limits or philosophies over here ... i just sample what i like .. the process varies track to track .. sometimes i might take a scarce loop and heavily compose over it .. or sometimes i might chop alot or loop it or speed it up slow it down whatver works... to me the key is to make the end result sound like a production, and most importantly be hot... i sample old stuff, new stuff, whatver. i prefer to sample rarer stuff, but rare doesnt nessecarily mean old. im pretty picky about my samples too. i pass on a lot of samples that other people might flip.. and vice versa.

i dont think any producer worth his weight does the same thing or goes through the same process on every song. maybe when u start out, but not once you have really developed your talent. The best producers are constantly switching up there sample choices, production methods, instruments, techniques...etc... imo having a certain criteria or guideline for anything u sample will probably do more harm than good. just trust yur ear and sample what appeals to you

 

[StressWon]

know what? I do both now. I been treadin the "Composer" waters for a minute, but I love samples. Kind of like what Merc said,,,I rather use something wit no bass or drums, this way you have more freedom. Composing gives you all the freedom, but i think every beat maker should do both. just my opinion.