| When layering drum samples together to make new | | | | snare to give an example. But you can sure feel it, and |
| sounds, one must consider all the technical aspects | | | | this is what has made it such a cultural phenomenon |
| and also pay attention to the artful aspect that | | | | since the 80s. |
| underlines all musical decisions in a beat making project. | | | | The end of a drum sample is not as 'important' to |
| The evolution of drum samples, from sampled styles in | | | | most music producers as the other two phases. It's |
| the 70's and 80's to synthesized sounds from the 80s | | | | true that if fading out slowly or quickly, not much |
| until now plays a huge role, and the more familiar you | | | | though needs to be given to the end, but there are a |
| are with your history the better and more valid your | | | | lot of samples out there right now (mostly free ones |
| decisions can be. These days, hybrid sounds dominate | | | | and some paid ones, too) that clip at the end. You |
| the sample scene, but each side has its strong points. | | | | really must not have this happen! Take the last few |
| When layering sampled and synthesized drum | | | | milliseconds, drag to the end and fade out three to four |
| samples, closely monitoring the distortion is advised. | | | | times if you want. Even just once will ensure that |
| Synthesized samples can be pretty loudly generated | | | | clipping is made non-existent. |
| without losing much data, but combining these with | | | | Layering is not as hard as it is said to be. Much of the |
| drums played by a professional band drummer in a | | | | time, you can't just combine two samples after lining |
| studio can lead to metering issues in most cases. | | | | them up. What you should concentrate on is combining |
| The start of a sample is dubbed by many as the | | | | the phases of different samples. So if one particular |
| 'attack', the starting point that lets you know the sound | | | | kick drum has a great middle but lacks a punchy |
| has arrived. This part of the sound is what cuts | | | | entrance, take the entrance from another sample and |
| through other, more release-laden instruments like | | | | mix-paste the wave forms to form a hybrid that |
| strings and synths. | | | | please the ear both through its announcement and |
| The middle of a sample is what sustains it. A drum | | | | guest talk, so to speak. When it comes time to 'leave |
| sample with a boomy middle, like the 808 kick, for | | | | the party', the drum sample can simply be faded out or |
| instance, may have a slow (soft) attack, so its | | | | have a reverb tail it out. The possibilities are endless. |
| announcement is not as pronounced as a snappy | | | | |