In this article, we'll talk about one of the most critical instruments in hip-hop, the sampler. We'll talk about what the sampler actually does and how it can be incorporated into your studio setup.
Samplers are devices that let you play back pieces of audio via your keyboard or drum pads (if you are using a drum machine that samples). Imagine that there was a lovely percussion sound that you got when you hit a certain pot or pan in your kitchen and you wanted to put that in one of your beats. With a sampler, this is possible. You can add that sound to your sampler, and play it like any other sound in your keyboard setup. Furthermore, you can play back that sound at many different pitches. This is achieved via pitch shifting. Essentially, the sampler will speed up or slow down the speed of the sample, and the pitch will rise or fall accordingly. For those of you old enough to remember cassette tapes, you could slow those down or speed them up by messing with the fast forward and rewind buttons. This is how you got that "chipmunk" sound. Samples can be sourced from a variety of sources such as:
Sound Design Companies: Nowadays, there are tons of companies, such as Big Fish Audio, that sell sample cds in many different genres for their users. The samples can be anywhere from drum kits and multi-sampled instruments to loop cds. There are also many companies that specialize in selling drum samples and drum kits aimed at the hip-hop market such as Modern Beats.
Sampling Other Records: This is the method that gave birth to hip-hop. In this method, the producer takes various chunks of audio from existing records. The range of audio can be a complete loop of a song section. It can also be a short "hit" such as a horn stab. Finally, it can involve sampling individual drum sounds from a drum break. Be very cautious that there are legal implications when sampling other works, so please be responsible when you sample and give artists their proper credit.
Self-Recorded Samples: Grab your microphone and do anything from beat boxing to recording yourself knocking on various surfaces. One of the benefits of this method is that you get unique sounds that are completely yours.
The sampler is a wonderful instrument that truly defines the sounds of hip-hop. In our next article, we'll cover some important terms that you may hear when talking about samplers.
Samplers are devices that let you play back pieces of audio via your keyboard or drum pads (if you are using a drum machine that samples). Imagine that there was a lovely percussion sound that you got when you hit a certain pot or pan in your kitchen and you wanted to put that in one of your beats. With a sampler, this is possible. You can add that sound to your sampler, and play it like any other sound in your keyboard setup. Furthermore, you can play back that sound at many different pitches. This is achieved via pitch shifting. Essentially, the sampler will speed up or slow down the speed of the sample, and the pitch will rise or fall accordingly. For those of you old enough to remember cassette tapes, you could slow those down or speed them up by messing with the fast forward and rewind buttons. This is how you got that "chipmunk" sound. Samples can be sourced from a variety of sources such as:
Sound Design Companies: Nowadays, there are tons of companies, such as Big Fish Audio, that sell sample cds in many different genres for their users. The samples can be anywhere from drum kits and multi-sampled instruments to loop cds. There are also many companies that specialize in selling drum samples and drum kits aimed at the hip-hop market such as Modern Beats.
Sampling Other Records: This is the method that gave birth to hip-hop. In this method, the producer takes various chunks of audio from existing records. The range of audio can be a complete loop of a song section. It can also be a short "hit" such as a horn stab. Finally, it can involve sampling individual drum sounds from a drum break. Be very cautious that there are legal implications when sampling other works, so please be responsible when you sample and give artists their proper credit.
Self-Recorded Samples: Grab your microphone and do anything from beat boxing to recording yourself knocking on various surfaces. One of the benefits of this method is that you get unique sounds that are completely yours.
The sampler is a wonderful instrument that truly defines the sounds of hip-hop. In our next article, we'll cover some important terms that you may hear when talking about samplers.
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