How to Chop Samples for Bigger, Better Beats [Downloadable Session]

In this video you’ll learn how to chop samples. I’ll be applying these techniques onto a track I’ve been working on in Ableton Live, but you can apply these techniques in any DAW.

Download it and follow along.

00:00 Intro
02:08 Find A Sample
03:20 Drop the Sample Into Simpler
05:08 Chop the Sample
07:39 Use The Sample in Your Music
11:52 Chopping Audio In the Timeline
21:06 Outro

Here are the samples I used in this video:

First, I’ll briefly cover what chopped samples are, and what types of samples you can work with in your DAW.

To start off, I’ll be using Simpler to create an instrument out of a harp loop I found on LANDR. To do this, I’ll be importing the harp sample into Ableton, and opening it with Simpler. This way, I’ll be able to play it with my MIDI keyboard. I’ll slice it so that specific spots of the sample can be played with different MIDI notes. I’ll improvise with the slices, and create something that will fit with my track.

Next, I’m going to use the timeline and sample view to manipulate a string quartet sample. I’ll be using the loop function and loop points to scan my sample and find parts I want to work with further. After I’ve found a selection, I’ll begin to manipulate it using the warp markers. I’ll also use the transposition function on the clip so it fits in the key of my song.

To finish off I’ll layer some effects on it to blend it in with the rest of my session There’s no limit to what you can do with samples, and there are several ways to sample music. Keep experimenting!

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#choppingsamples
#abletonlive
#musicproduction
#producer
#trap
#hiphop
#beats
#landr

[LANDRmusic]

Leave a comment if this kind of stuff helps and you'd like more like it :)

[Sam-nquk]

This was very helpful with the follow a long part, thanks!

[drtyslzy]

Holding control (command) + shift allows you to drag the sample around. If you want to finely scrub through the entire sample, you can also press alt after.

[morin]

COol production, my friend! Keep it up!

[steveherbert]

Love this. thanks for the very informative video. I'm new to Ableton and this is exactly what I needed to begin understanding how to chop up beats the smart way - new sub :-)

[LuisTorres-qzkr]

Thanks for sharing! Very instructive. I just started w/Ableton, thus, this certainly helped. Just curious... what midi-Keyboard are you using? What View do you prefer using while performing these tasks?

[bruceisdabatman]

i have a question : how can you chop samples while you were in classic mode

[OneStepToday]

Plz make videos explaining when we cross the line of using samples fairly to copyright infringement. There was a lawsuit on "Truth hurts addictive instrumental" sampling the whole song of Lata Mangeshkar Kaliyo ka chaman.

What if I buy a royalty free track and sell it for more or let it remain basically same and sell it for more.when does copyright issue happen? What's the rule?