Make My Own Samples!

[stoil69]

Hello there,

I want to get into making my own samples for use in my productions but have no knowlege of this whatsoever and would love some advice on how to get started etc.

What i need to know is

What do i need to creat my own samples,
Where do i get it from,
How do i do it
and how much do i need to spend.

If anyone has any advice on this i would love to hear it

Cheers

[massplanck]

hmmm.

First up i suggest finding the weirdest cds you have lying around the house, ripping some tracks to audio using freerip (http://www.mgshareware.com/frmmain.shtml) , and then using an audio editor like audacity (free also) (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/) to cut loops and hits out of them. I'm not advocating thieving peoples samples but its probably the best place for you to start off.

Couple of things to watch out for. When you have found a sample you like and cut it out you have to make sure the start and end of the sample hits zero as if its off youll get some crappy clicking and clipping noises when you try to loop it or play it. Select the first few ms of othe file and in your audio editor their should be a fade in option. Fade the ****er in. Then select the last few millisecond of your sample and do a fade out. You may also want to normalise the whole sample, which will bring the volume of the sample up to its highest level without clipping the signal. The normalise function is standard in all audio editors so have a look around for it. Remove the DC-offset too and this reduces headroom (usually only applicable to sounds which been recorded with you line in\mic etc, but you may as well do this consistently on all you samples).

[judas_beast]

What do you mean by ''sample''? Its just a bit of audio.

[p_brane]

get yourself a mic and a mini disc or a digital field recorder.

you can get some trick sounds from hitting/scraping/dropping things.

get them on ya pc.

slap loads of efx on them

hey presto!

**** loads of wicked original drum samples.

[dirty_bass]

????
Odd question.
Techno isn`t music made exclusively with samples you know.
I would suggest if you want to MAKE your own samples?????
Then you could buy yourself a mini disc recorder (with mic in) for a decent price.
And then get one of these http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-ECM-DS70P-Microphone-Stereo-Plugin/dp/B00005QBV2/ref=sr_1_2/202-1486188-8799800?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1183589572&sr=1-2
a stunning little mic I use a lot myself.
The release on DB007 with the train noises was recorded (the train noises that is) with one of these mics and a minidisc recorder.
I reckon you could get a decent minidisc for about 50-60 quid. and that mic is 50 quid
So 100 quid and the world is your oyster.
Then you can go out and record sounds to your hearts content.

Also to make samples you can use a lod of interesting vst`s and combine them to make some great sounds.
But then, why sample them, just use them as they are?

I`m assuming you don`t know much about production, so I`d suggest rooting through all the back posts in this forum to get yourself versed up on the wonderful world of music production.

[stoil69]

Thnaks for your replies,

However i think you got the wrong end of what i was asking.

I do know about music production ive been doing it for a good while but i want to take it to a new level and create my own samples for using within my tracks to make it completely my own. Obviously there is kit out there to creat samples to allow people to compile sample cd's etc.

I just wanted to creat some of my own original sounds.

Anyway thanks for your help

Some of my tracks are on my myspace if you would like a listen and leave feedback.

Cheers

www.myspace.com/stoil

All the best

[dirty_bass]

Thnaks for your replies,

However i think you got the wrong end of what i was asking.

I do know about music production ive been doing it for a good while but i want to take it to a new level and create my own samples for using within my tracks to make it completely my own. Obviously there is kit out there to creat samples to allow people to compile sample cd's etc.

I just wanted to creat some of my own original sounds.

Anyway thanks for your help

Some of my tracks are on my myspace if you would like a listen and leave feedback.

Cheers

www.myspace.com/stoil

All the best

Kit out there to create samples?
hmmmm
well, as we`ve said above, get out and record your own sounds.
OR
learn how to use midi instruments and vst instruments.
Then you won`t need many samples as you can make music with them.

Generally the sample loops you have used on your tunes have been made with what sounds like analogue synths and vst synths.

So I`d start somewhere like Native Instruments Pro 53
Drumazon

these are good places to start for analogue synth and percussion.

[fatcollective]

i'd say just layer noises, synths, percs etc...manipulate them, make them sound diffrent from the norm, just keep ****ing around with stuff until you find unique sounds!!

[Jay Pace]

Buy a vocal mic (SM58) and record lots of noises.
Chop them up, eq them and put a load of effects on - hey presto - original sounds.

Learn synthesis and make your own drum and synth sounds - drumazon, reaktor if you're feeling brave....

If you want to make your own stuff be prepared to spend a lot of time learning how to make your own stuff. Much more rewarding, but takes time to get to grips with synth design and audio recording.

[judas_beast]

Thnaks for your replies,

However i think you got the wrong end of what i was asking.

I do know about music production ive been doing it for a good while but i want to take it to a new level and create my own samples for using within my tracks to make it completely my own. Obviously there is kit out there to creat samples to allow people to compile sample cd's etc.

I just wanted to creat some of my own original sounds.

Anyway thanks for your help

Some of my tracks are on my myspace if you would like a listen and leave feedback.

Cheers

www.myspace.com/stoil

All the best

Dude, a ''sample'' is basically a bit of auido, chopped up, usually into a small section that can be looped. So ANY bit of audio pretty much. You don't ''make'' them with some SampleMactic machine or something. If you wanted, you could make a drum loop using VST's and the record it to audio, et viola it is a sample. As the guys have said - a minidisc recorder and a half decent mike will allow you to record ''real world'' sounds that you can stick in yer computer and bugger about with.

[p_brane]

As the guys have said - a minidisc recorder and a half decent mike will allow you to record ''real world'' sounds that you can stick in yer computer and bugger about with.

either that or get yourself a drum synth, theres plenty'o'bout.

[stoil69]

Hi thanks again for your comments,

I know that a sample is a bit of audio i just call it a sample.

Like you said i am after making my own synth single hit samples or bass single hit samples so that i can use them in the sequencer and make my own tunes out of my own unique sounds.

Like how do people create arpegios and bases and synth hits etc - they must use something -

Perhaps im just being nieve and a bit ambitious but i want to take my productions to a new level and make them more mine.

Anyway thanks again for your help guys you been great.

Cheers

[Jay Pace]

OK, I'm not sure you are referring to samples.

You sound like you just want your own sounds.
And the best way to do this is learn how synths work.

Pick a nice synth like albino. IT can make lush warm pad sounds, sharp stabby bass hits, growling basslines, piercing leads - the works.

You need to learn about ADSR envelopes which govern the basic properties of the sound, then about synthesis in general - what waves sounds like what, the use of filters to shape sound, then how arpeggiators can be used to overlay effects, change pitch, LFOs - all sorts.

You could do a lot worse than buy this book.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Quick-Guide-Analogue-Synthesis-Guides/dp/1870775708/ref=cm_lmf_tit_11_rsrsrs0/026-3832842-7278830

Sure you can find it cheaper somewhere

If you want your tracks to be your own you need to design your own sounds.
Samples just refer to recorded audio. I think you are looking for sound design, not samples.

[massplanck]

Stoil. You just wanna start creating your own patches with softsynths i think.

What ones are you using?

edit: just saw Js answer there.

[dirty_bass]

Hi thanks again for your comments,

I know that a sample is a bit of audio i just call it a sample.

Like you said i am after making my own synth single hit samples or bass single hit samples so that i can use them in the sequencer and make my own tunes out of my own unique sounds.

Like how do people create arpegios and bases and synth hits etc - they must use something -

Perhaps im just being nieve and a bit ambitious but i want to take my productions to a new level and make them more mine.

Anyway thanks again for your help guys you been great.

Cheers

"Like how do people create arpegios and bases and synth hits etc - they must use something -"

They use synths.

Yep, ok understand what you are asking for now.
Well as I said and a few have said, you don`t need to make sampled bass sound hits or synth hits, to then sample and then sequence.
You can just use Vsti`s
It sounds like you are just about to truly begin your journey into proper production, but basically to make and use synth sounds, you are better off using synths.

There`s a forum called KVR/Vst which is a great resource for production advice, tutorials AND free vst synths and effects (which you can use in your sequencer)
Also the free vsti thread sticky at the top of this part of the forum is a fantastic resource for vst synths.

First you need to find out how to use and indeed what a vst instrument is.

Go here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_Studio_Technology

There`s many explanations AND a nice big bunch of follow up links at the bottom.

Also here is a nice link explaining basic sound control
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADSR

When beginning playing with synths and making your own sounds, you want to really start with a 1 or 2 oscillator synth. And then go from there.

Good luck, and also have a good dig in this section of the forum as there is tons and tons of good advice, tips, info and banter.

[stoil69]

Well thanks very much guys that really helped.

Now i know what im after - i got the terminology worng im just used to saying samples for all sounds! silly me.

Sorry to confuse you by the way.

Well its sound design im after and sound control - i really want to get into knowing the ins and outs of production.

I use Reason 3 so i dont think VST's work with this -

I need to get myself some synths and get cracking i think.

Thanks again guys your help has been great.

All the best

[Jay Pace]

If you are using reason get to grips with the subtractor synth. Reason is one of the best tools to get to grips with all the fundamentals in one logical intuitive package. Everything is there, and it has an interface that is very similar to real outboard gear.

Subtractor is one of the simplest and easiest synths to use, and is capable of making most basic synth sounds.

Route your subtractor synth patch through the screamer distortion unit, whack a reverb on it and you'll have pro-sounding noises in no time.

Good luck mate.

[stoil69]

Great stuff,

Il do that

Cheers mate

All the best