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When people like pangaea are sampling vocals, or any other sample, how do they know what note the sample is, or what key the vocal or sample is?

I know it's a noob question. I never really wanted to sample much in the way of melodies/vocals but now I want to make some funky happier stuff.

Try this: http://www.zplane.de/index.php?page=description-tonart You just load the sample into it a boom it tells you the key. Its pretty accurate, Ive tested it with things that I already know the key of.

But is that what people use? or is it just done by ear?

(Pada) wrote:But is that what people use? or is it just done by ear?

mainly some eq work then post processing so no threat of lawsuits.
repitching etc

deadly habit wrote:

(Pada) wrote:But is that what people use? or is it just done by ear?

mainly some eq work then post processing so no threat of lawsuits.
repitching etc

No I understand about that - it's just making sure the samples fit with the key of my song..

Technically I'd say I have a good knowledge of what's what, I can make decent sounds through synthesis and use FX etc. I been producing for a few years, however I slacked on my music theory and only got to grade 3 on an instrument when I was younger - which was stupid of me - but I'm at music college now and learning piano and theory

I don't know if you're starting from a sample to trying to fit a sample to a song but it's simple isn't it? If you can produce music in the first place you must have an ear of some sort. Write your song around the vocal loop, or cut it up and re-pitch where necessary if otherwise. Surely you can jam along to the loop on a guitar or keyboard (or whatever, fucking harmonica if you want) and hear the good notes?

Yes using your ears and tuning to taste.
I wouldn't trust software much, trust your ears.

I wouldn't trust software much, trust your ears.

This.

If you think otherwise, ask software to guess a damn BPM.

i have always used my ear to do things like that

but if you use a proper daw, it will have a tuner in it that will tell you the notes of any sample you play or infact anything that goes through it

Yeah I know I can do it by ear, I was just wondering if that was how everyone did it.

(Pada) wrote:Yeah I know I can do it by ear, I was just wondering if that was how everyone did it.

Pretty sure it's how most people do it. these days with daws it's easier to use vocals on audio tracks and use pitch and time-stretch to get it to fit rather than playing it back via a sampler with midi (IMO anyway).

just load it up in a sampler and play your keys till it fits the tune. Pangaea, Burial and all that lot they fuck with the pitch,etc as wel. go for it

Never tried this, but in Logic if you insert the pitch correction to an audio track - it should display the notes that are being produced on the correction scale? In theory, anyway.

(Pada) wrote:

deadly habit wrote:

(Pada) wrote:But is that what people use? or is it just done by ear?

mainly some eq work then post processing so no threat of lawsuits.
repitching etc

No I understand about that - it's just making sure the samples fit with the key of my song..

Technically I'd say I have a good knowledge of what's what, I can make decent sounds through synthesis and use FX etc. I been producing for a few years, however I slacked on my music theory and only got to grade 3 on an instrument when I was younger - which was stupid of me - but I'm at music college now and learning piano and theory

Grade 3 theory is enough for dubstep, its not about theory really but more about using your ears. Whack the vocal sample on top of your tune then pitch it up/down with a pitch shifter until it fits.

If you mess with the pitch you can get some weird harmonies where its at a 3rd or 5th or whatever to the original pitch of the tune is. Can be a bit more interesting than your standard all exactly the same note dubstep.

Also changing the pitch of the tune to fit the vocal can work better than you expect sometimes.

-dubson- wrote:If you mess with the pitch you can get some weird harmonies where its at a 3rd or 5th or whatever to the original pitch of the tune is. Can be a bit more interesting than your standard all exactly the same note dubstep.

Also changing the pitch of the tune to fit the vocal can work better than you expect sometimes.

yeah, your right. just mess around try different things, also changing the melody of your tune itself to fit the sample. As long as you are feeling it yourself it's good

I do it mostly by ear. But if all else fails.....just search for a guitar tab of the song and you'll find all the chords/keys there :p

deadly habit wrote:

(Pada) wrote:But is that what people use? or is it just done by ear?

mainly some eq work then post processing so no threat of lawsuits.
repitching etc

i've always wondered why burial hasn't been sued for almost every song he has produced.

Everyone knows you can't sue Burial, you wouldn't get away with it, God would personally come and break your legs.

therapist wrote:Everyone knows you can't sue Burial, you wouldn't get away with it, God would personally come and break your legs.

Also with vocals as mashed up as his it probably wouldnt be that easy to prove the vocal's source. Major labels wont care that much about getting a law suit against Burial for a few of Kode 9's pennies too cos its just not worth the hassle.