| Drum samples come in a lot of flavors in this golden | | | | widespread a phenomenon as it is in the rap |
| age of music production. The trouble of choosing | | | | production scene. Soul and RnB music have a more |
| genre-pleasing sounds is as much of a blessing as it is | | | | focused tendency towards coherence, and you will |
| a curse. This mix and match policy employed by | | | | rarely find mixes with drum samples that just don't |
| program library editors serves to inspire new beat | | | | go together. Sometimes this rhythmic dissonance is |
| makers but also confuses them. When looking for | | | | welcomed in rap and hip hop, though. |
| complementary sounds to use with the currently | | | | For Dance music: Dance music has a predictable drum |
| selected sounds, what's a guy to do? Look through | | | | samples choice pattern. Besides the switch-ups which |
| potentially thousands poorly and inaptly-named files to | | | | normally involve main low-pass filtered sounds at |
| locate the next one? There must be a better way. | | | | increased speeds, dance music focuses on the kick. |
| So with this said, let's take at a few modifications | | | | This is one essential part of the music production |
| you can have a go at immediately. | | | | curve here. Add some tone to your kick drum |
| For Rap and Hip Hop: The range of urban music is | | | | sample instead of just depth and you will see some |
| now so diverse that most well-used sounds could | | | | great results. |
| pass in a hip hop song. But how do you spice up | | | | Using these tips to make and alter sounds is just part |
| samples that were clearly not made for this genre? | | | | of the process, of course. What makes the rhythmic |
| One way is to add some vinyl 'air' sounds to the | | | | elements of these genres unique is the timing, |
| sound wave. This will give this particular sound a | | | | signatures and syncopation, among other |
| sampled feel, like it came straight off a hot 70s | | | | distinguishing characteristics. |
| record or something similar. Great for those types of | | | | A final word on altering drum samples: make sure |
| rap tracks. If you're making something and trying to | | | | you're organizing the altered versions so you can |
| be as new school as possible, consider simply mixing | | | | easily relocate them for later use. If you're already |
| one drum with another. If your chosen drum sample | | | | tired of having three thousand samples to look |
| is low on bass, get some lower frequencies in there. | | | | through for samples that you like, you'll be much |
| For RnB and Soul: Sounds for this genre can also be | | | | better off! |
| somewhat varied, but the bass component is not as | | | | |