Recognising loops in sample cd's

[James Stichbury]

I have been recognizing many loops from my sample cd's to those of released tracks from well known artists. Not just kicks, or even percussion loops, but full ready to go beats that seem to be a significant part of that tracks sound!

Do the sample cd composers rip beats from artists to show their cds are keeping up with current sounds, or are some artists just slapping in whole ready made beats from the cds?

(This may be obvious, but i'm just wondering how much you can take from those cd's and still call it your own! I have been using the individual hits only and constructing my own beats - and prefer it that way!)

[sven hauck]

Yeah, I've been hearing some of that as well. Guess it really depends on the track. Some loops will fit right in where others can be made to fit with a little Recycle.

Depends on you as well, if you want to be original. At the same time, I may have dropped in a Hi Hat or Shaker loop into a track, because they fit and gave it energy.

Personally, I would tend to stay away from dropping in a full loop, as you might hear that component in other tracks, as you have witnessed. But in the end it all depends on you.

[klooptheloop]

yeah, i got sent a track today off a certain label and the song in question has a loop from BT's "breaks from the new skool" sample cd as the main drum lp throughout the track... suppose its ok to rob a kik, hat or snare, that you'd get away with but, i don't know, maybe it's just me who thinks it's a lazy way out... personally i prefer to write or my own drums.. building a nice template now...

ohh, and the track was a tad disapointing...

[Medway]

James,

Nowadays I'd say it's mostly a case of the artists 'stealing' from the sample cds. Way back when a lot of the sample cds coming out were taking loops of vinyl but that has shifted to more original samples, so now its the artists that maybe are less original ;-)

That being said 'house' has always been about sampling. But I think Kloop brings up a good point with the BT cd where in that case it seems to me more of a case of lazyness. I had a listen to that CD when it came out and was suprised at how busy some of the loops were, some with all the stutter stuff programmed. Seemed like an easy way for producers to sound like BT without really getting the skills themselves.

All in all though this is a tough conversation as the lines between creative sampling and stealing/lack of skill based sampling are hard to define.

When I first got started I sampled of many albums although a lot of it was stuff like Eric B and Rakim or some old disco/soul track. I've only sampled rarely from current house stuff in the past. Today I might take a kick or two but that's it.

I do use some loop cds but I'll edit them or truncate fairly heavy.

In the end though I say it really pays to know how to program drums yourself. If you get in the position of needing a loop here and there then it's not such a big deal. If you can't program drums to save your life and only use loops you'll never really progress. And generally I find programmed stuff easier to mix and make sound 'big'.

[James Stichbury]

Thanks guys