Naturally we're big fans of working with samples here, so this week we're going to take a deeper look into the process of how you'd actually go about it. You've been digging in the crates and found a great loop that would really work as the basis for a track. But now what? How do you turn that into a full track? Join us as we sketch out some of the essentials when working with a sample, loop, or clip.We'll assume that you've found your sample and you're set on it; it's not for us to say what type of sample you should be using - but for the moment, imagine that it's something substantial, like a one bar loop. The first step, therefore, is to figure out what tempo the sample is. Once you've done this, think what tempo your track will be - but it's often good to let the sample dictate the tempo of the track somewhat. Obviously you can timestretch a sample, but in general going more than 5 - 10BPM away from the original can result in some pretty unpleasant audio artifacts - even though timestretching algorithms are getting better all the time. So consider using the sample somewhere near its original speed - this has the added bonus that if you're a little out of your tempo comfort zone, it can give you new ideas and perspectives that you wouldn't ordinarily see.
On the subject of timestretching, many people like to use something like Recycle or Flextime to quantise the audio. This can be useful if the timing is very sloppy, but in general it's good to leave a bit of a human feel in there - it sounds more natural, and half the point of using a sample is to get something that you can't achieve by programming alone!
The next thing is to work out what key the sample is in (if appropriate). If you're not sure how to do this (a brief introduction to music theory would be an article in itself) then see if you can't just replicate the melody or chords in the sample, by lining up a soft synth and copying them (by trial and error if necessary). This will then show you which are the main notes used, and give you a rough basis to write around later on.
You'll then have a lot of audio processing to get on with, to make it sit nicely with the other elements in the track. EQ is your main tool here; for instance did you take the sample from an old vinyl? If so, it may be a little lacking in top end, and a lift at around 8KHz might help bring some of that back. If, however, that boost just emphasises the noise and hiss on the recording, then you may find it more effective to very subtly layer in some toppy hi-hats (like those on an 808) to give the top end clarity without increasing hiss.
Similarly, you'll need to treat the low end - most commonly by getting rid of it! A high-pass filter set to around 150Hz will help you remove any rumble from a turntable, will give you room to add your own sub-bass in, and should stop any kick drums from clashing too badly, whilst still retaining the character of the kicks from your sample. Going even higher - say to 300Hz - will give you even more space (an excess of frequencies in the 150-300Hz range is one of the most common causes of muddy mixdowns) although this can sometimes be at the expense of character in the sample. If you really don't want to lose the low end, you can even try automating a filter (or using a side-chain input) so that it only high-passes the signal when there's something else playing in the track that you want to come through.So, that's the top and bottom treated. It's not over though - you need to listen carefully to make sure that there's nothing else that can cause a problem. Some of the most common problems are resonant bongos down around the 300Hz range (very common on old funk loops) or ringing crash and ride cymbals further up the spectrum (common when the drummer is giving it some!). These can be filtered out with a notch EQ, but it's important to be careful, as overly heavy cuts will give an unnatural sound.
We touched on the idea of using your own sounds to discreetly boost certain elements of the sample, and it's something you can use to flesh out the mix, too. For instance, if you want to emphasise a brass section, then you can load up a preset brass instrument or two in a sampler, and spend a little while copying exactly the pattern in your loop. Now turn your sampler right down, and the overall effect should be that the brass sounds just a touch louder, without people being able to tell you've used a preset in there!
As your track progresses, you'll want some way of developing the sample. The most obvious is to layer new elements onto it - more percussion, perhaps, or using a synth to provide harmonies to the ones in the sample. You may even feel it appropriate to add an entire lead line onto the track, or have a bassline that moves around under a static sample. You could also filter the sample down for that classic French House sound, or consider cutting it down in time; for instance if you start the track by looping up just the first half of your sample, then later, when you let the whole sample play out, it can really give the track a lift.
Don't forget also to watch out for any stereo issues - on old recordings it was quite common to use some fairly extreme stereo, which can mean you have the bass on one speaker and a guitar on the other. If this is the case, try using a stereo imaging plugin to narrow the stereo field and give a slightly more coherent vibe to things.
It may now become apparent that when you're using a sample as the basis of your track, it's not going to be the sole element. Rather, it will be a cornerstone, with supporting sounds helping to reinforce the good parts, and clever processing to eliminate any unwanted effects. It's a tough area to master, but if you need any inspiration just take a look at the likes of Daft Punk and The Prodigy - two masters of the art of taking someone else's recording, and making something completely new from it. Then get sampling, and make a hit of your own!
