Anyone got any good tips for getting music samples from different sources to work well together? I’m finding it difficult to get samples to match well. Mostly the problem seems to be the samples tunings. I have a very limited understanding of music theory so I don’t know how to find out what key a song is in, or how to use keys to match samples harmoniously.
I’m assuming that’s what I need to be doing to match samples effectively right? Match the keys that the samples are in and they will blend together better?
I’ve been listening to Bonobo’s old stuff on his Animal Magic album again lately and studying his sample sources on Whosampledwho.com to better understand how he constructed his tracks. He seems to be able to make multiple samples from different sources match each other really well. Is he just matching the keys of the samples, along with some pitch shifting, time-stretching, etc?
Guess I’m a little lost on the whole subject. Any pointers, orlinks to tutorials or helpful info would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers
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Also I suppose I should just say that if anyone has any issues with the use of sampled music please keep the morality/legality/originality arguments to yourself. I only make music as a hobby in my spare time, I don’t make money off any of the stuff I make, I just do it because I enjoy it and get inspired to make my own stuff when I hear other peoples music.
I found the Beattips Manual a good primer on sampling and sample manipulation. Even if you’re not into hip hop, it’s got great information and instruction.
Anyone got any good tips for getting music samples from different sources to work well together? I’m finding it difficult to get samples to match well. Mostly the problem seems to be the samples tunings. I have a very limited understanding of music theory so I don’t know how to find out what key a song is in, or how to use keys to match samples harmoniously.
Hi Redman.
the core of music theory is simpel, The biggest brake are the technical terms
I’ll give it a try (care my english is bad)
Take a tuner and measure your favorite sample (example. C = Drone.wave)
Next, a scale
search or tune a sample in A and a another sample in E
now you got a triad or simple chord (this scheme is popular in reagge or electronic dub)
basically not the notations are relevant, but the relation of pitch to each other (we hear frequencies) thats the harmony
here we got relation 1 3 5 (whole tones or white keys)
extend the whole as a scale (more samples)
or as a new “instrument” start again with (new samples) 1 3 5 one octave (12 notes) up or down (similar to bass and a guitar)
If the samples are longer sequences and not single shot like sounds, and you wish to keep them in timing as they are without chopping them, you might sometimes have to pitch shift / time stretch a sample to make it fit harmonically with other samples. It will degrade the audio (mainly transients), depending on the software you use for it and the amount of shifting/stretching applied. Always try to rather stretch/shift the sounds that are more background or have no strong transients. With renoise and slicing you can also retempo/repitch without degrading the sound quality, but at the price of having to cut out stuff or fill gaps with ping pong loops.
One method to find matching sounds without music theory is (after you have some kind of vision about the sounds together) to loop the first sound infinitely, and play in the second at varying pitches, to see (or rather hear) if you hit some spots where they complement each other well, in timing as well as in pitch. Then when you find good pitch ratio between the sounds, you can try to match the time/rhythm components with whichever method you like. Sometimes you don’t have to shift/stretch the sounds, if one sound isn’t depending on having its original timing preserved. Sometimes by not stretching, you can get interesting new timings from the sounds by not timestretching but rearranging the out-of-syncness in creative ways.
Another secret weapon in renoise is slicing sounds and then rearranging the bits like a collage. I do things like…slicing a double bass solo loop into individual notes and slap noises and stuff, and rearranging the notes and slaps and stop noises to a new sequence that includes repitching and looping, a custom groove, etc. Tracker interface is made for such insane micro edit madness! It is a lot of time consuming work though, not deadline compatible.
