How To Make Samples (And Take Them To The Next Level)

It’s very easy to stagnate as a music producer. And in the field of making samples from scratch, that plateau can be even worse. In this post, I’ll be going over 3 things that have helped me make good samples and break through plateaus.

Double Track Your Instruments

As my Grammy award winning friend Elkan once told me, double track everything. There’s something special about double tracked live instruments. Having 2 takes of the sample pattern, playing at the same time, exposes their slight differences that add a lot of authenticity. Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” vocals are double tracked and hard panned in a lot of the song. They’re a great example of this technique. This is most commonly used for guitars and vocals, but you can use it on anything that sounds good, once applied.

Layer Accent Melodies

Make the most important moment more important. This can make certain melodies within your sample stand out, feel grand and build anticipation for whenever that moment is expected to occur again. Right before the hook on Billie Jean, at around 2:30 into the record, they made good use of this type of layering. This makes the hook feel much bigger as all the layers drop out suddenly. This track is a really good example of all 3 techniques in this post. Layering sustained instruments with each other and shorter sounds with each other is a good way of implementing this technique. The only rule is that it has to sound good, everything else is just semantics.

Don’t Discount Percussion

Rhythm through percussion is important for any record or sample, but it doesn’t only stop there. A percussion hit can also mark the beginning or end of something and can signal the listener to be ready for something to happen. It can also be the finality and closure of a sample. Using percussion in an intentional way to set the mood, ambience or atmosphere, as well as signal cues and mark transitions to the listener is pivotal! The best way to do this is with a combination of tension and release. Start with a percussion that rises, like a tambourine being shaken in a crescendo. End with a short impact with a crash cymbal.

In conclusion, the 3 techniques you can use to improve your samples are as follows: double tracking, layering accent melodies and percussion that compliments the samples arrangement structure. A common mistake is to acquire new techniques, and use them just to use. Be sure to use these techniques in good taste and only when they improve the sound of your sample.