| Drum Samples: Developing Your Own |
| Written by John Gellei |
| Tuesday, 01 December 2009 08:39 |
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Anybody with a PC or Macintosh computer can indeed make their own drum samples quite easily. Sometimes to start with, the learning curve can be a bit daunting, but once you get the hang of it, it is quite easy to edit and crop different sounds to make your own unique samples that you will then be able to use for all of your production efforts.
Anybody with a PC or Macintosh computer can indeed make their own drum samples quite easily. Sometimes to start with, the learning curve can be a bit daunting, but once you get the hang of it, it is quite easy to edit and crop different sounds to make your own unique samples that you will then be able to use for all of your production efforts. Tools for the task can be found online, but if you are into audio then you may already have some of the programs installed. If you have some drum samples to start with, that is the best way to go at the beginning instead of synthesizing your own sounds. You can grab free audio editors like Audacity, which is a free software program that can be downloaded (just Google it, it will be the first result!) and installed within seconds (it only works on PCs, though). If you are on a Mac, there are some free programs as well. The operations that need to be performed can be as varied as you want them to be, from cropping to equalization and more. If you are more comfortable in programs like Reason, FL Studio and Sonar, you can do what you want to the audio and then simply export the wav sound. So if you've applied some good effects and want the drum sample as it stands right now, simply export that channel by itself. Chances are, you will probably have some silence at the end of the sample unless your program is smart enough to cut it out. In any case, you will be able to crop this in an audio editor easily. Sampling is another popular method that has helped DJs, music producers and beat makers find quality drum samples for the last 20 years and even earlier than that. Extracting drum samples from records from the 60s, 70s, 50s and earlier also is good for locating uncompressed drum samples, as these decades did not have the loudness war that is evident in every chart-entering song of the modern. If you can look beyond sampling and using pre-chosen drum samples, you can make your own via synthesis. You can synthesize drum samples in many audio solutions in this modern age, or go back a bit further and check out the drum machines and synths of yesteryear. Some people will go as far back as the 70s to look for synthesized drums. On these machines, a lot of parameters are modifiable, so as you tweak and twist, you will be met with very different sounds. You can get a cheap drum synth on eBay, though the older ones can be expensive. Now that you know how to source the different drum samples, you need to be able to manipulate and alter to your liking. There are plenty of effects to change the sound of a sample, including equalization and compression techniques, so you'll need to experiment. You will come across some methods that go well with your workflow, so just keep an open mind and try any and all recommendations until you can make your own judgment. About the Author: If you've ever proclaimed, "I want to make my own beats," then you should get started as soon as possible. For information on how to make your own beats, look at forums and other online communities. |