dont over think it. what have the greats done? dilla, premier, rza, alchemist, madlib, etc.?
they are sampling breaks and chopping them. They probably are eq'ing, compressing, layering, and/or doing nothing. But they are not always doing it all at the same time. see what im saying? it all depends on the sample and the track.
every one seems to always say "its about sample choice, picking the right sounds"....ive heard alot of folks say this...and i think its true. but I think that statement is deeper then most realize. there is more to it that doesnt exactly get conveyed.
what does picking the right sounds mean?
1.quality. picking the right sounds means picking quality sounds. they hit hard from the get go, they have clarity, definition, and all the things that technically define a good mix/sound.
2. character. picking sounds that have character. the sounds are interesting, make you feel good, and sound good to your ears, fit your style(you like them), and make you smile.
3.there is no such thing as a perfect sound. 1 kick might sound fantastic on your best beat, but taken out of context of that beat, it might not fair so well. Doesnt mean its a bad sound, doesnt mean that your other beat sucks..it just means that particular sound isnt the right fit. its not the right choice.
4.vision. the sounds you pick need to fit the vision that you hear or have in your head for your music. everyone's ears are differant. part of creating our little masterpieces is making desicions on what we want the beat to sound like. this is the hard part, where the greats are genius'. they hear things we dont. but just like them, you hear things that others dont, "your ears" are yours. learn to trust them. dont just pick a sound because you have it, and it sounds good on its own. or because so and so used it and made a dope beat. it needs to fit the vision of your track to truely accomplish what you want the track to acccomplish. Just cause 808's bang hard, and you got a slew of 808's doesnt make an 808 appropriate for a particular track. actually, that weak acoustic kick might be the perfect match....but how do you know unless you try, and trust your ears?
5. matching & complementing. there has been moments where magic happens for me. where i combine the right 2 sounds and it just sounds great. I did nothing to the sounds, no processing, nothing, but for some reason they just complement eachother, work well together, bang, and sound so good. its like PB & J. a magic combination, a no brainer, no thought, just trying it out and it works. aim for this. if this doesnt happen with a sound, its not the right sound. if a sound is 98% there, then you're ok. but anything less. try something idfferant. its one of those things youll know when you hear it.
6.this is no formula. trust your ears is the formula. dont fit into a mold. dont box yourself in. don't say "im making hiphop" say "im making dope music" and what comes out will be hiphop (or whatever genre)
anyways, just some of my thoughts on the situation. i am no expert, but just trying to drop some inspiration.
peace.
they are sampling breaks and chopping them. They probably are eq'ing, compressing, layering, and/or doing nothing. But they are not always doing it all at the same time. see what im saying? it all depends on the sample and the track.
every one seems to always say "its about sample choice, picking the right sounds"....ive heard alot of folks say this...and i think its true. but I think that statement is deeper then most realize. there is more to it that doesnt exactly get conveyed.
what does picking the right sounds mean?
1.quality. picking the right sounds means picking quality sounds. they hit hard from the get go, they have clarity, definition, and all the things that technically define a good mix/sound.
2. character. picking sounds that have character. the sounds are interesting, make you feel good, and sound good to your ears, fit your style(you like them), and make you smile.
3.there is no such thing as a perfect sound. 1 kick might sound fantastic on your best beat, but taken out of context of that beat, it might not fair so well. Doesnt mean its a bad sound, doesnt mean that your other beat sucks..it just means that particular sound isnt the right fit. its not the right choice.
4.vision. the sounds you pick need to fit the vision that you hear or have in your head for your music. everyone's ears are differant. part of creating our little masterpieces is making desicions on what we want the beat to sound like. this is the hard part, where the greats are genius'. they hear things we dont. but just like them, you hear things that others dont, "your ears" are yours. learn to trust them. dont just pick a sound because you have it, and it sounds good on its own. or because so and so used it and made a dope beat. it needs to fit the vision of your track to truely accomplish what you want the track to acccomplish. Just cause 808's bang hard, and you got a slew of 808's doesnt make an 808 appropriate for a particular track. actually, that weak acoustic kick might be the perfect match....but how do you know unless you try, and trust your ears?
5. matching & complementing. there has been moments where magic happens for me. where i combine the right 2 sounds and it just sounds great. I did nothing to the sounds, no processing, nothing, but for some reason they just complement eachother, work well together, bang, and sound so good. its like PB & J. a magic combination, a no brainer, no thought, just trying it out and it works. aim for this. if this doesnt happen with a sound, its not the right sound. if a sound is 98% there, then you're ok. but anything less. try something idfferant. its one of those things youll know when you hear it.
6.this is no formula. trust your ears is the formula. dont fit into a mold. dont box yourself in. don't say "im making hiphop" say "im making dope music" and what comes out will be hiphop (or whatever genre)
anyways, just some of my thoughts on the situation. i am no expert, but just trying to drop some inspiration.
peace.
