How to make samples sound better in your musicSampling services like Splice and Tracklib have made music producers more familiar with sampling than ever before. Many artists are still digging through crates for gems; Jamie xx, The Avalanches, TOKiMONSTA, The Alchemist and more are beloved for their creative flips, but the legal minefield of clearing samples is tough to contend for most beatmakers.

READ MORE: How to transform one instrument’s sound into another with AI–powered plugins

So, Tracklib and Splice are most people’s go-tos — but that doesn’t mean that you’ll reach the top of the Beatport charts by just dropping a few Splice loops into Ableton Live and adding some reverb. We may be past the days of clunky hardware samplers with cryptic operating systems but there’s still an art to sampling, to getting unconnected snippets from different songs to sit well together harmonically and sonically.
Here’s an example of a song with samples borrowed from two different, unrelated songs with some additional instrumentation and production, including filtering, EQ and an LFO tool affecting volume.

One crucial caveat: sampling can be a legal landmine, with all sorts of copyright dangers just waiting to blow up in your face. The long and the short of it is: clear your samples before releasing your track.
Choose high-quality samples
There’s a phrase in computer science that goes, “garbage in, garbage out.” If your starting data is bad, your end product will be too. This works for samples as well. Always start out with the highest quality samples that you can. You can reduce the audio quality later artificially but if a dodgy YouTube rip is your starting point, it’ll be a dodgy end result too.
One way to make sure your samples are high quality is with a site like Tracklib. Essentially an online record shop for sampling, it gives subscribers access to full, high-quality songs to use in their own tracks. And, depending on your subscription tier, they’ll even clear the sample rights for you.To find a sample that gets you inspired, search by genre, year or BPM. You can then loop sections of the song and even audition it with a beat layered on top. This cut, Disco Blue by The Phantoms, has a funky beat and plenty of melodic content to play with.

Arrange the samples
When working with samples, don’t be afraid to use multiple sections from the same source song. Find two parts with some contrast and arrange them on your DAW timeline to create verse and chorus-like sections.
In this example, Disco Blue has been split into two parts with distinctly different energy quotients. The first works well for verse-type sections and builds while the second, with its more intense, horn-led energy, can function as a drop. Try chopping up and repeating certain phrases to create original melodies and fills to act as turnarounds to lead into song changes.

Transpose layered samples
One of the joys of making a sample-based track is finding unrelated samples that work well together. This can require some trial and error, but once you find two that gel, it’s like a strange kind of alchemy at work.
Although there’s something to be said for ignoring music theory and throwing caution to the wind, you’ll probably find that transposing samples to the same key helps them sit better together. It’ll also give you more freedom to add your own melodies and basslines later.
This rap acapella from the 1980s has a lot of attitude and works to some extent when layered on top of the disco loop. However, it’s in D flat minor while the main groove is G minor. To get them in line, you need to transpose the vocal from D up to G. Do this by counting the semitones between the notes (a semitone is every key, white or black). There are six notes between D flat and G, so raise the overall sample by six semitones. The two now work extremely well together, with a palpable increase in energy.

Achieve a cohesive groove
Another way to ensure that samples from different songs gel together is by imprinting them all with the same groove and swing.
Most DAWs can do this. In Ableton, for example, open the loop whose groove you want to capture so that you can see the waveform. Right-click on it and choose Extract Groove(s). The captured groove should now appear in your Groove Pool. Next, go ahead and drag the groove onto the target samples. Now the loops should all swing together. Feel free to adjust the timing for a looser feel.

Stay in key
Now that you have your samples arranged and sitting well together, it’s time to add some original music to the track. This can include basslines, melodies, pads and strings, or whatever your track needs to feel full and complete.
In this example, everything is based on the original disco samples, which are in the key of G minor. Accordingly, any new musical phrases should stay within these harmonic confines, so G, A, B flat, C, D, E flat and F notes are available for use. Although the original sample has a slap bass it could use something with a little more weight, so a synth bassline feels appropriate. An additional melody played on iZotope Iris 2 stands out due to having a very different sonic signature than the largely acoustic sounds of the original sample.

The post How to make samples sound better in your music appeared first on MusicTech.

Strymon’s El Capistan & DIG pedals go virtual The latest addition to Strymon's software line-up places two of their popular delay pedals into the hands of DAW users.

How to write a musician bio: 9 powerful tips
Learn how to write a musician bio that will help you present yourself in the best light possible and attract more exposure, fans, and opportunities.

Converting mining sites to AI data centers isn't seamless: Sabre56 CEOAccording to CEO Phil Harvey, Bitcoin miners will average roughly $1.50 in revenue per terahash every month during the current market cycle.

Torso Electronics' S-4 Sculpting Sampler Provides New Sound Design PossibilitiesTorso Electronics' S-4 Sculpting Sampler continues to achieve ongoing success since its initial launch in November 2023. The S-4, which provides a host of new sound shaping possibilities for artists working across many different genres, has earned the praise of musicians, DJs, producers, and sound designers around the world. While the instrument's third production run is already sold out in most places, hundreds of units from that batch will be shipping in September, with a fourth manufacturing run coming in early 2025. Torso Electronics will continue to provide updates on their website and through its customer newsletters.

Expanding Creative Possibilities with the T-1 Algorithmic Sequencer​While the S-4 Sculpting Sampler continues to redefine sound design, Torso Electronics also offers another powerful tool in its lineup — the T-1 Algorithmic Sequencer. The T-1 exemplifies the company’s dedication to pushing the boundaries of music creation, introducing a generative approach to sequencing that inspires artists to explore new creative horizons. Whether in the studio or on stage, the T-1's intuitive interface and versatile connectivity make it an essential instrument for modern musicians. Explore the T-1 here.The post Torso Electronics' S-4 Sculpting Sampler Provides New Sound Design Possibilities first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Paylocity is acquiring corporate spend startup Airbase for $325MHR and payroll software company Paylocity has agreed to acquire corporate spend startup Airbase for $325 million, the companies announced Wednesday. The deal is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close in the first or second quarter of Paylocity’s fiscal year, which would be sometime in the next 30 to 60 days. It […]
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Oasis distance themselves from Ticketmaster’s ‘Dynamic’ pricing… while adding two more Wembley Stadium datesBand now announce two further Wembley Stadium shows on September 27th and 28th.
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The Worsening Raspberry Pi RP2350 E9 Erratum SituationIan from Dangerous Prototypes demonstrating the RP2350-E9 issue in a Bus Pirate prototype without pull-ups.
There’s currently a significant amount of confusion around the full extent of the GPIO hardware issue in the Raspberry Pi RP2350 microcontroller, with [Ian] over at [Dangerous Prototypes] of Bus Pirate fame mentioning that deliveries of the RP2350-based Bus Pirate 5XL and 6 have been put on hold while the issue is further being investigated. Recorded in the RP2350 datasheet as erratum RP2350-E9, it was originally reported as only being related to the use of internal pull-downs, but [Ian] has since demonstrated in the primary issue ticket on GitHub that the same soft latching behavior on GPIO pins occurs also without pull-downs enabled.
When we first reported on this hardware bug in the RP2350’s A2 (and likely preceding) stepping there was still a lot of confusion about what this issue meant, but so far we have seen the Bus Pirate delay and projects like [Agustín Gimenez Bernad]’s LogicAnalyzer have opted for taking the RP2350 port out back. There are also indications that the ADC and PIO peripherals are affected by this issue, with workarounds only partially able to circumvent the hardware issue.
In the case of the Bus Pirate a potential workaround is the addition of 4.7 kOhm external pull-downs, but at the cost of 0.7 mA continuous load on the GPIO when pulled high and part of that when pulled low. Although a final solution for Bus Pirate is still being investigated, this kind of ugly hardware hack might at least save existing boards. It also shows the lengths that hardware developers who seek to use this MCU have to go to to make it work.
Meanwhile there are lively discussions about the issue on the Raspberry Pi forums, both on the E9 erratum as well as the question of when there will be a new stepping. The official statement by Raspberry Pi is still that ‘they are investigating’. Presumably there will be a Bx stepping at some point, but for now it is clear that the RP2350’s A2 stepping is probably best avoided.

FLOSS Weekly Episode 799: Still Open Source at PerconaThis week Jonathan Bennett chats with Lori Lorusso and Steve Hoffman, the Head of Community and SVP of engineering at Percona, the open source database experts.

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Did you know you can watch the live recording of the show Right on our YouTube Channel? Have someone you’d like us to interview? Let us know, or contact the guest and have them contact us! Take a look at the schedule here.

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Expressive E update Osmose firmware Expressive E have announced that the first free major update for their flagship MPE-capable synthesizer is now available.

A Fan Page fills the need for constant social media content creationIn the age of Superfans, keeping them interested and engaged can be an overwhelming task. Fan Pages can provide a free and relatively simple answer to the need for constant social media content creation.
The post A Fan Page fills the need for constant social media content creation appeared first on Hypebot.

Martijn Tel appointed Chief Financial Officer of BMI'Martijn’s wealth of experience, particularly working with companies with ambitious growth plans, makes him a perfect fit for BMI now,' said BMI President & CEO Mike O’Neill
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Venus Theory’s free plugin lets you play sounds from the Arturia PolyBrute 12Music producer and content creator Venus Theory recently got his hands on the Arturia PolyBrute 12, and has found a way to put its sounds in your hands, too.
His free new plugin, auras:polyscape, is the first in his new ‘auras’ series of plugins, and gives you “dark, organic” sounds from the PolyBrute.

READ MORE: Arturia’s KeyLab MK3 is a seriously impressive MIDI keyboard controller

The plugin, which is accessed via the free Decent Sampler wrapper, comprises 11 presets, all focused on cinematic and atmospheric sounds. auras’ design is pretty sleek — not only does it look the part, but you get ample control over the tone of each sound with a filter, built-in effects, and envelope parameters. There’s also a Layer slider, which lets you effortlessly blend between layers A and B of the PolyBrute 12 patch. Even more impressive are the dynamics and expression controls (bound to CC1 and CC11, respectively) and a “re-designed velocity response mode tonal”, allowing you to play with more realism.
In his video demo of the PolyBrute 12, Venus Theory — real name Cameron — says he was inspired to create the plugin series by Spitfire Audio. Well…sort of.
Cameron was pretty bummed about Spitfire Audio’s decision to transform LABS into a subscription service, LABS+. Previously, LABS was an outlet of freebies that Spitfire created with unused material from its major releases. Cameron was also a collaborator of Spitfire Audio, until 2023 when ex-CEO Christian Henson came under fire for transphobia accusations.
“I think that fucking sucks, really bad,” says Cameron of Spitfire’s decision to turn LABS into a subscription service. “For me personally, had I not had access to free music-making software — things like Audacity, or all the free plugins I’ve used and so hugely benefited from over the years… I don’t think I would be making music today.
“This is a huge loss for the aspiring musician and composer community. So instead of just sitting here bitching about it on the internet, I figured: Why not just do something about it? Why not take this opportunity to just create my own series of free instruments that run in a free plugin that are free for everyone, forever, with no strings attached?’”
Thankfully, Cameron did exactly that. You can download the plugin from Venus Theory’s Gumroad page for $0.00 — unless you wish to pay something more, in which case you’re welcome to but not obliged.

On the Arturia PolyBrute 12, MusicTech said that it’s “ Possibly the most powerful analogue synthesizer of the modern age.” Cameron said: “Damn — this is one of those pieces of gear that is truly extraordinary and oozes inspiration.”
We praised it for its immense and capable feature set, adding: “It offers an almost endless array of options for adding expression and modulation to your playing. Traditional pitch and mod wheels? It’s got those. A 3D touchpad? Sure, why not? A ribbon controller? Haven’t seen one of those in a while; let’s do it. Expression pedal jacks? How about two? A customisable modulation matrix with 12 sources and 32 destinations? Heck yeah. Oh, and of course, four different implementations of polyphonic aftertouch with MPE compatibility. With all the above on offer, almost every other synth is going to look simplistic in comparison.”
Want to know more? Read the full review.
The post Venus Theory’s free plugin lets you play sounds from the Arturia PolyBrute 12 appeared first on MusicTech.

Venus Theory releases FREE auras:polyscape for Decent Sampler
Venus Theory has released auras:polyscape, a deep cinematic sound library for the FREE Decent Sampler plugin. I’m sure most of you are familiar with Cameron, also known as Venus Theory, a musician, composer, and sound designer who shares his work and valuable insights on his successful YouTube channel. If you haven’t checked out the Venus [...]
View post: Venus Theory releases FREE auras:polyscape for Decent Sampler

Rewarding Full Plays Of Songs: A Fair Deal for Artists [Bobby Owsinski]Artists get penalized if their songs are not played all the way through, so shouldn’t they also get rewarded for full plays of songs? Streaming services don’t agree. Should Musicians. Continue reading
The post Rewarding Full Plays Of Songs: A Fair Deal for Artists [Bobby Owsinski] appeared first on Hypebot.