3 Very Different Ways to Flip a Sample | Sampling Techniques for Going Beyond Lofi/Boombap Beats

Sampling opens up a whole world of creativity, but it’s easy to get caught in the lofi and boom bap genres, especially when working dawless. Today we’re going to make a sample, then flip it in several different genres using three different sampling techniques to see just how flexible a single sound can be. While the lofi and boom bap genres often dominate the sampling landscape, these techniques will take us far beyond those boundaries.

The Power of Sampling:

Sampling is not limited to specific genres. More importantly, it isnt just ripping sounds from vinyl and making a beat. One of the biggest strengths of sampling is in taking your own sounds/tracks and sampling or even resampling them to create something new. For these 3 sampling techniques, the focus is on breaking away from the familiar lofi and boom bap styles and using your own ideas as the sampling start point. The techniques demonstrated can be applied to any genre, adding versatility and excitement to your music production toolkit no matter what style of music you make. I’m using an SP404MKII sampler for this, but the methods discussed can be adapted to other samplers and digital audio workstations (DAWs).

One Shot sampling technique on the SP404MKII — Turning a sample into an instrument with Method 2

Making the sample we’ll be flipping today:

I was recently sent some warped Juno 60 one shots and used them to make a chill lofi house track. We’ll be using this track as our sample for today, flipping it with 3 different methods, to create a Drum and Bass track, House track and Ambient soundscape. The goal is to take this sample through a journey of transformation, to see how flexible a single sample can be across diverse musical styles. You can watch how I made this track here

Method 1 - Chop, Rearrange, and RePitch:

The first method revolves around chopping the sample into smaller sections and rearranging them to create a fresh composition. When trying to change the vibe of a sample, repitch is a producer’s best friend. Manipulating the pitch can take the sample from a fast-paced House track to a downtempo Ambient atmosphere… or anywhere in between. This method provides a platform for adding new instruments and drums on top of the sample to fit different musical directions.

First sampling technique - Chop & Rearrange — Chopping samples on Koala Sampler

A word of warning when chopping songs with drums - make sure you account for the drums in each chop when you begin rearranging. For example, if a chop has a kick in it, try to use that chop where you would place the kick in your new track.

If you love the sample but don’t want the drums within it, there’s a few workarounds:

EQ and filter the sample to remove as much of the drum sound as possible
Chop around the drums
Use Stem Separation to remove the drums completely from the sample - it sounds like magic, but it works perfectly, check out this post for getting started with it: https://www.sunwarper.com/post/stem-separation-and-music-making

Method 2 - Crafting New Instruments From Samples with One Shots:

Man creating sample one shots on an M2 Macbook Pro — Creating one shots from a sample in a DAW is a great way to add effects, trim the sample and manipulate the sound

The second method involves using One Shots, a short, self-contained audio sample, usually consisting of a single sound or musical element, from a sample to create new instruments. By isolating and converting small snippets of the sample, you can then transpose them chromatically to produce different pitches and notes. This approach turns the original sample into an entirely new instrument, enabling exploration across various musical contexts.

If you’re looking for some one shots to get started, check out my Sounds by Sunwarper sample packs

Method 3 - Exploring Ambient Soundscapes:

The third method takes a sample into the realm of sound design and ambient music by utilizing heavy reverb, delay, and time stretch algorithms like Paulstretch. Paulstretch is a time stretch algorithm that turns a song or any sound into those 10 hour sleepy time Youtube drone videos. You can throw a song featuring drums, guitar and singing into Paulstretch and slow it down so much it becomes an ambient drone. From that drone, you can chop segments and use them as one shots like the 2nd method, or turn it into a background sound to improvise or expand on top of.

an iPad with the app Paulstretch open — PaulXstretch is a free iOS app version of Paulstretch and perfect for this Sampling Technique

Conclusion:

There’s three methods to expand your horizons of creative sampling. While these methods can certainly work with lofi, boom bap, and trap genres, they are also perfect for working outside your usual comfort zones and trying something new with unique sounds. Incorporating these techniques into your own music production can help to break free from creative constraints, allowing you to find a distinct sonic identity. Whether you're a seasoned producer looking to innovate or a newcomer eager to explore, these diverse sampling methods offer exciting avenues for musical expression.

Links to the gear I use:

Novation Circuit Tracks: https://amzn.to/41kgtmD

Roland SP404 MKII: https://amzn.to/3SrqlqC

Behringer MS-1: https://amzn.to/3KsYjsS

Korg Minilogue: https://amzn.to/3Zf9adV

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