07 Sep 10 Sound Design Techniques That Will Change How You Sample
Understanding sound design techniques can greatly influence our approach towards sampling music. This article will explore “10 Sound Design Techniques That Will Change How Your Sample”. This guide will take you through methods such as Reversing Samples, Using an LFO, Applying Reverb and Delay etc. Continue reading the article and dive into the world of sampling, a place where your imagination is the only limit.
What is Sampling?
Sampling is defined as the use of a sound in a new light and is used in genres ranging from hip-hop to techno. Whether it is a quick one-shot or an entire musical phrase, samples are tremendously important in music, and it is essential for a music producer in today’s date to understand the process. While sample selection plays a huge role in this process, it is as important, if not more, to understand the techniques that can be applied to a sound.
Here are 10 sound design techniques that will give you a fresh perspective on how you can sample:
1. Reversing your sample
Reversing a sound is a great way to completely change the context of a sample without losing its musical essence. If you’ve heard ‘24K Magic’ by Bruno Mars and ‘Loyalty’ by Kenrick Lamar and never related them, you would be surprised to know that Lamar’s song samples 24K Magic’s intro in a quite simple yet interesting way. The intro of the Bruno Mars track is reversed and chopped to form a melodic loop which is the basis of the entire track. Keeping this example in mind, the next time you sample a melodic phrase, consider hearing it backwards.
2. Adding distortion
While an original sound can have a lot of character, drastically changing it opens up various possibilities. Distortion, essentially, alters a waveform and adds ‘grit’ to a sound. This process can be used to add a lot of character to a sample. However, apart from the well-known way, extreme distortion can be used to add significant amounts of upper harmonics. For example, a note played on a piano can be processed through extreme saturation and give a ‘screeching’ sound, which can be used for a smooth transition in a techno track, texturally in a dubstep track, etc.
2. Using an LFO
An LFO or a ‘low-frequency oscillator’ can be mapped to any parameter and provide it with movement, hence, it can be used on samples that feel static. One simple yet effective way to use an LFO on a sample is by mapping it to any filter on an equalizer. Irrespective of the type of filter, the LFO’s settings, shape, rate, and depth, can be experimented with to produce sounds with much more movement than the original sample. This sort of movement is common within synthesizers in EDM (Electronic Dance Music).
4. Applying Reverb and Delay
Whether the reverb and delay are provided by a VST plugin or the DAW itself, they can completely transform a sample. From giving the sound a sense of space to using a long decay reverb in order to create a full soundworld, trying out different settings and tweaking presets can lead to some sonorous outputs. If you want to try out more advanced reverbs and delays than the ones built in your DAW, ‘Valhalla Supermassive’ is a free reverb-delay plugin with numerous presets. ‘Tears’ by Skrillex is an excellent example of how reverb and delay can be applied to samples.
5. Boost Resonances
A resonance is a natural peak in the harmonics of a sound. Using an equalizer, you can simply boost dominant frequencies in a sample to create powerful resonances. This technique provides the sample with tones and changes its original nature. A way to use this new sound is to apply the technique mentioned before and add a long decay reverb to create a sonorous soundworld. This method allows for a cinematic atmosphere, such as the ones prominently used in Travis Scott’s ‘Utopia.’
6. Use Sidechaining
The process of a sound being triggered by another sound, known as sidechaining, is immensely useful in not just mixing, but sampling as well. A basic method is to sidechain a sample to something repetitive such as a kick drum, so that the sample’s volume goes down for the instant the kick plays, which is commonly applied on techno tracks. Despite the traditional method, sidechaining can be used in many creative ways too. Sidechaining two sounds to each other and experimenting with its attack and release settings, can generate distinct tones and patterns.
7. Time-Stretch your Sample
Time stretching a sound simply means slowing down a waveform without changing its pitch. The technique’s applications are endless. It can enable the sample to fit with the flow, feel or rhythm of a track. You can change the length of a one-shot, such as a kick or a snare so that it is audible for a longer period of time without dealing with reverb.
8. Experimenting with a Vocoder
A vocoder can essentially give a sound the tone of a different sound. Traditionally, it is applied on vocals mapped to a synthesizer, to give them a robotic sound. Nevertheless, you can vocode any sample to any sound. This way of experimenting will lead to interesting and new sounds that you might not have heard before. For example, a percussive and short sound can be vocoded to a synth to give it a musical tone and different texture.
9. Re-pitching, Chopping and Layering
Re-pitching, a feature built-in DAWs, can be utilized in several contexts. You can use a sample with tones, and transform it into a melody by first, re-pitching it. For instance, ‘No More Drama’ by Charlie Puth used a pitched-up sample of a door creak. Secondly, you can chop the re-pitched sample to create interesting melodies. For example, ‘Hummingbird’ by Metro Boomin re-pitches and chops the beginning of ‘Tonight You Belong To Me’ by Patience and Prudence, using the sample in the intro and throughout the song. Finally, you can layer a sample with itself pitched an octave up or down, or with variations of itself. This method enables the sample to sound more ‘full’ in nature and is an effective alternative to increasing gain. For instance, ‘Mountains’ from the ‘Interstellar’ score by Hans Zimmer samples numerous distinct clock ticks layered on top of one another to create a large tense ticking sound.
10. Re-applying chains
Finally, after applying a combination of a range of techniques, add your chain of processing to an audio track. After the original sample is processed, you can apply the output sound on the same chain to give a newly processed sound. Repeating this process for each sample you get as an output provides you with a distinct set of new samples that can now be chopped and experimented with.
With these 10 sound design techniques, you can now redefine how you approach sampling. These will allow you to embrace your creativity by going on sonic adventures and expressing your artistry. Unleash your imagination and begin to craft a soundscape that makes your music stand out.
At Global Music Institute, we also provide courses for those passionate about music, including performance and production. You can learn more about our 2-Year Artist Diploma in Contemporary Music Performance and 2-Year Artist Diploma in Music Production & Audio Engineering programs on our website.
Written by Ihtesham
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