Sampling Technique and Ethics

Continuities in the music you listened to for today?

Sampling Ethics (Schloss, 2004) No biting: be original. If you sample the same thing as someone else, FLIP it differently! You have to sample from vinyl: tradition, sound quality and other aesthetics You gotta dig! Don't sample rap records Don't sample for respect: can't flip it or song is too good then leave it alone No sampling comps (Ultimate Breaks and Beats) or reissues (you gotta dig!) Sample sounds from different records (take drums, and bass, and licks from different songs)...

Terms and Techniques Sampling: recording sounds to a sampler Programming: assigning samples to pads and playing them as notes and recording notes to a sequencer to make music Swing: programming sounds slightly off beat to make it more “human” rather than cold and perfect Bars and Beats: 4/4 time sig., snare on 2 and 4 Chopping: cutting a sample, rearranging “chops” into new patterns Panning the stereo image: isolating sound from L or R channel (sometimes a sound is only in the left channel so sample just that channel) Bassline filtering: applying a LPF to create bassline Layering kicks, hats, and drum sounds to create new texture

“Paul C.” McKasty Bass player and engineer at 1212 Studios in Queens Uncredited early productions include Ultramagnetic MC's, Eric B. & Rakim, Organized Konfusion, Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud, etc. Mentor to Large Pro and showed him the E- mu SP-1200/SP-12 Introduced chopping and panning Influential on raw, booming sound of samples Changed the sound of hip hop!!!

“Give the Drummer Some” (1988) Ultramagnetic MCs (Kool Keith, Ced-Gee, TR Love) Beat by Paul C (he engineeredCritical Beatdown and produced many tracks) Here Paul pans and pulls the drums from Dee Felice Trio “There Was a Time” (1969)

E-mu SP-12 and SP-1200 Used in most hip hop music made from 1988- 1994 along with Akai MPC (later in the 90s) 26.04 kHz sampling rate (half CD fidelity...more samples/second the more accurate the sound) 12 bit sampling resolution (how many bits/sample) Produced a gritty/lo-fi sound that you hear in most music from the “golden era”

“Ego Trippin'” (1985) Produced by Ced-Gee on Sp-12; Ced also known for what he did on the Sp-12/1200 and crafting a unique sound for Ultramagnetic Notable for introducing the Melvin Bliss “Synthetic Substitution” (1973) break played by Bernard Purdie

Large Professor Mentored by Paul C on the Sp-12/1200 Paul was murdered while making Let the Rhythm Hit Em and Large Pro was able to finish it using Paul's techniques MC and producer of Main Source Notable for advancing production technique and carrying on the legacy of Paul C Beat digger extraordinaire

“Looking at the Front Door” (1991) Main Source...lyrics and beat by Large Professor Classic hip hop song about a bad relationship “We fight every night, now that's not kosher/ I reminisce with bliss of when we was closer”

“The flushing, know from programming the percussion/ Basslines are set now check me out and I'll bet ya/ The one that claims that he's the best can't catch a/ Beat like I catch it cause it's downright wretched/ Put it through the S-950 then stretch it” Large Pro “Mad Scientist”

Pete Rock Started as a DJ on Marley Marl's radio show Mastered the SP-1200, and later his signature was sampling drums to Akai S950 and trigger from SP Known for remixes and creative use of sample source materials and chopping Profound beat digger Mecca & The Soul Brother (1992) Master of the “chop”

“T.R.O.Y” (1992) The Reminisce Over You...a beyond CLASSIC track Inspired by the death of “Trouble” T.Roy CL raps and reminisces over his childhood Main sample is Tom Scott's “Today” (1967, see about the 1:30 mark) The song's intro is "When She Made Me Promise" by Beginning of the End (1971) PR would often put short samples to show off his diggin skills

“Straighten it Out” (1992) Song about sampling, and bootlegs and bullshit Uses “Our Generation” (1972) by Ernie Hines

Nas “It Ain't Hard to Tell” Large Professor Many samples, but MJ's “Human Nature” Nas boasting about his skills using complex lyrics and flow Artistic authenticity “The World is Yours” Pete Rock Uplifting, more positive lyrics Complex flow Considered one of the greatest songs of all-time

I sip the Dom P, watching Gandhi till I'm charged/ Then writing in my book of rhymes/ All the words past the margin/ Behold the mic I'm throbbin', mechanical movement/ Understandable smooth shit that murderers move with/ The thief's theme – play me at night, they won't act right/ The fiend of hip-hop has got me stuck like a crack pipe/ Nas “The World is Yours”

The buddha monk's in your trunk, turn the bass up/ Nas, stories by Aesop, place your loot up, parties I shoot up/ Nas, I analyze, drop a Jewel/ Inhale from the L, school a fool well, you feel it like braille/ It ain't hard to tell, I kick the skill like Shaquille holds a pill/ Vocabulary spills I'm Ill/ Plus Matic, I freak beats slam it like Iron Shiek/ Jam like a tech with correct techniques/ So analyze me, surprise me, but can't magnetize me/ Scanning while you're planning ways to sabotage me/ I leave em froze like her-on in your nose/ Nas'll rock well, it ain't hard to tell Nas “It Ain't Hard to Tell”