Hi y'all
It's been a while i'm listening and studying the techniques of beat wizards Madlib & J Dilla.
I'm analysing what i hear and it seams like a lot of times the beat plays and out of nowhere you hear samples coming in but quickly switching off.
Example 1: in Beat Konducta Vol 5-6 the beat "So Much", at 0:40 you can hear what i'm saying. And also at 1:00 it does it again.
Example 2: in Beat Konducta Vol 1-2 the beat "Two Timer", at 0:30 you can even hear a "tick" from when you turn on a switch when the sample chops.....
Example 3: in J Dilla's Donuts album the beat "Don't Cry", at 0:59 a voice sample suddenly comes in for half a second then goes out....
At this point your asking yourself what the hell this guy is trying to tell us....
My question is, do they really chop those beats only using samplers (MPCs, SP12...)??
Because the way i hear those examples i've cited above it sounds like they hit a switch on & off or a mute switch....a bit like when a DJ does the "transformer" technique. Using his mixer switch.
I've been trying to decode the method they use because i find it so crazy original.
I've come to another theory. Maybe they record the beat on a 8 track recorder.
Let's say the main beat on track 1-2 and then the original song on track 3-4.
The beat plays then they hit the switch to track 3-4 for a sec then switch back to track 1-2. Also they could have the same beat playing on track 5-6 and 7-8 but couple sequences later so when they switch to those tracks for a few secs it gives the impression as if they chopped it on the MPC but really is another technique.
Am i the only one thinking those chops are not only made with samplers?
Please share your opinion and really what you think. Sometimes we think too much beats are made only with samplers but maybe other secret techniques exist.
The last example where i think you really can understand what i mean is the track "Airworks" on Donuts. The all song is filled with crazy unexpected chops...especialy at the end you can hear at 1:42 switch from Airworks to Lightworks.
-
new cat
Joined: Jan '09
Posts: 19Posted 17 years ago # -
The Architect
Joined: Feb '05
Posts: 3,618Posted 17 years ago #i think the style comes directly from the use of samplers, could be mpc or doesnt madlib use an sp1200 too?
thing with madlib though is he is an amazing producer but seems to lack quality control. he puts out so much damn stuff, it would be nicer maybe just to have one really polished album than two that feel a little ... hasty? sometimes those kind of choppy sample cuts sound nice and work well in a composition like airworks, which is just amazing. on that 'so much' track though some of them are a bit jarring, almost like a lazy way to cut from one beat to another is just bash in a few random samples.
not to diss madlib, i'm a fan but, dunno, anyone else got a view on it? -
new cat
Joined: Jan '09
Posts: 19Posted 17 years ago #Yeah that's what i actually like about his sound.
It sounds raw and weird. It gives it a cachet. -
new cat
Joined: Apr '07
Posts: 20Posted 17 years ago #On the MPC 2000XL you can sample a voice and set it's pad to "note off" (the sample plays for as long as you hold the pad down, therefore you can cut it off whenever you want. They probably do it either while recording the beat, or after the beat is recorded they record the voice samples on a separate track. -
12
Joined: Nov '09
Posts: 50Posted 16 years ago #As much as I love Donuts (here comes the blasphemy, get ready for it) I think it really ruined hip-hop production for the DJ. Its like, Dilla still had all his drums hittin right, everything was sounding good, but he picked up that lazy Madlib style of unquantized (close to broken beat) production after the Jaylib project. Donuts was still very mixable from a DJs perspective, but I find it hard to do more than an 8 bar blend of any of this new school Oh No/Flying Lotus/Madlib/Sa-Ra/Wajeed stuff because the drums aren't on any kind of metronome. I like my hiphop to sound as live as the next dude, but I'm not willing to get up at a show and just do drops because dudes feel the new "live sounding" stuff... and I like it too, don't get me wrong, but those records stay at home in the library, they never make it to the show crates. -
new cat
Joined: Nov '09
Posts: 1Posted 16 years ago #YoYoPo said: i think the style comes directly from the use of samplers, could be mpc or doesnt madlib use an sp1200 too?
thing with madlib though is he is an amazing producer but seems to lack quality control. he puts out so much damn stuff, it would be nicer maybe just to have one really polished album than two that feel a little ... hasty? sometimes those kind of choppy sample cuts sound nice and work well in a composition like airworks, which is just amazing. on that 'so much' track though some of them are a bit jarring, almost like a lazy way to cut from one beat to another is just bash in a few random samples.
not to diss madlib, i'm a fan but, dunno, anyone else got a view on it?
Agreed.
I am also the only one who wishes that Madlib would refrain from MCing? -
LP
Joined: Jun '05
Posts: 428Posted 16 years ago #^^He's still better than the majority. I liken him to Kanye in a certain way, great producer, genius producer, except rhymes are meh at best. Thing is, neither one really has a nice flow, but Kanye has one liners for days,
Agreed.
'The Red' off jaylib is such an ill beat... they knew it so lib gets away with saying basically nothing. That said there's memorable stuff on there. 'Mostly sh!tty women'
It's like bad lyrics that are good cuz they're bad if that makes sense (!?) -
P fan #1
Joined: Feb '07
Posts: 594Posted 16 years ago #i got to agree with most of you on madlib's style. beats for days but where's the songs? madlib's rootdown set against cut chemist outlines it pretty well for me... cut's got all these full songs (the jayou remix is ill!!!) and while madlib's beats are tasty as usual, it's presented and strung together like a mushy shepherds pie
i hope no one from the stones throw boards are reading this... i heard they're brutal
and also, 'the red' is dope dope dope "y'all outta your head if your system aint up to the red" -
P fan #1
Joined: Apr '09
Posts: 1,137Posted 16 years ago #williamhmacy said: i got to agree with most of you on madlib's style. beats for days but where's the songs? madlib's rootdown set against cut chemist outlines it pretty well for me... cut's got all these full songs (the jayou remix is ill!!!) and while madlib's beats are tasty as usual, it's presented and strung together like a mushy shepherds pie
i hope no one from the stones throw boards are reading this... i heard they're brutal
and also, 'the red' is dope dope dope "y'all outta your head if your system aint up to the red"
Oh man dude, talkin' to one right here. Don't worry though, I'm on the same wavelength. I actually saw this yesterday and I have to agree, Oh No suffered the same problem.
Btw, the STMB is pretty brutal for a newcomer, just gotta post a lot, post some good sh!t and you will get respect. I highly recommend everyone here who is at least a small fan of Stone Throw to join. -
P fan #1
Joined: Oct '08
Posts: 3,255Posted 16 years ago #trenchmc said: i hope no one from the stones throw boards are reading this... i heard they're brutal
I know this isn't really up to topic, and I'm sorry for all that, but:
Of all the message boards I've been on (and that's a lot), in almost every case, you have some idiot hiding behind his computer, fronting like a little b*tch, and no one stops him... then it escalates into a gang of people sh*tting on newcomers, opinions they don't like, and even the artist they're supposed to be talking about. I'm not trying to say that we're all supposed to be ass-kissers, and I'm sure the artist would appreciate some critique, but it's just crazy to trash a new album because the artist didn't go somwhere people were happy with. Many times, I've had to up and leave, and in a rare case, it's almost even soured me on the artist (because their fan base was so messed up).
BIG BIG ups to the 'Po for keeping this board respectful. This is the best board I've been on because no one here thinks their opinion is fact, and we're all just having fun. Newcomers don't appear to be jumped in either. (To the guests who are thinking about joining:) C'mon in, y'all, we need you. PUTS Army for life.
In fact, the worst thing on these boards is that stupid "Sactown" fool who always posts essays. Alright, rant done. -
P fan #1
Joined: Apr '09
Posts: 1,137Posted 16 years ago #SactownConnection said:
In fact, the worst thing on these boards is that stupid "Sactown" fool who always posts essays. Alright, rant done.
Lol, I love how you say this after one of your trademark essays, no worries though, all love. -
The Architect
Joined: Feb '05
Posts: 3,618Posted 16 years ago #word Sactown, although the only thing I'd like is if we could have some broader disucssions on here. When there's no hype for the P it all tends to die a little bit... maybe it's something we could get going. I guess people don't want to come on a hip hop forum to chat about politics but whatever!... -
P fan #1
Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 1,874Posted 16 years ago #Yo Sac (can i call you sac?
) just out of curiousity, what was the artist who you were put of because of the fans? they must've been f*ckin rabid!
And YoYoPo, you seem like a smart guy, surely you know the first rule of discussing politics? NEVER TALK TO AMERICANS!!! (just kidding)
Reply »
You must log in to post.