Noise Is Good

Learning how to Chop Samples with ReCycle and Make Beats Using Reason can be difficult if you are just starting out as a music producer. Hip-Hop music producers and beat makers have different ways of chopping samples and manipulating sample slices in order to get the right fit and feel for the music style they want to create when they make beats. Using Propellerhead Recycle, Reason music making software and my Akai MPD32, I chop samples and make sample flip beats and Moody instruMental Music, and I have learned how to chop samples with ReCycle while making beats in Reason.

Here is a message from one of my subscribers asking for pointers on the subject of chopping samples in Recycle and using Reason to make beats:

I'm a big fan of your beats man and I've been watching all your videos here on youtube and I use them as motivation. I've just started making beats and I use pretty much the same gear and software you do. I have a question for you though and I hope you can help. When I chop samples with recycle I always get this noise at the end of every chop almost like an echo noise so I was just wondering if you know a way to remove that noise because I noticed your samples don't have that noise?!? Also for the bass which one of the Reason applications do you use? I hope u can help! Thanks in Advance.

I make beats and make Moody instruMental Music using samples from time to time because it is fun. Ocne, I was inspired to make one of my Moody instruMental Music creations, "Grace To You", after listening to the theme music to the "Grace To You" radio program by John MacAruthur. "Grace To You" is one of my sample flip beats in which I rearrange samples from existing music into something new and unique to me.

I created several video series to show a how I take samples from existing music and then "flip" (rearrange) the samples into different patterns before "wrapping" the sample flip patterns with various instrumentation I perform. In the two videos below, I explain my way of chopping samples and my process for how I flip samples while making beats.

How To Make Beats Using Reason + MPD32 + Yamaha DJX - Grace To You (Part 2 of 4)

For My Soul (1/5) - Make Beats In Reason - Slice Sample In Recycle Flip Sample In NN-XT

Here is my response to my subscriber:

For the "echo noise" you are hearing at the end of your sample chops in Recycle: Do you have the transient shaper and the envelope effects on? These two effects can help "mask" sample chops that are not made cleanly. What do I mean by "clean" sample chops? It is when you make your sample chop at the desired length where the wave form is cut right at the zero line. The results of the transient shaper and envelope effects vary when tweaked, but when these two effects are on "dirty" sample chops, you may hear what sounds like a reverb, fade, delay and/or reverse at the end of the sample chop when played back. You can use this to your advantage because sometimes the "artifacts" of dirty sample chops produce some interesting sounds within the whole song.

More on the ReCycle Transient Shaper and Envelope Effects

The way that I just described the ReCycle transient shaper and envelope effects is not even close to being detailed enough to tell you what these effects actually do to a wave form. I suggest you read the manual to learn what these two effects really do. My description is a very basic response to your question about how to remove the echo noise you mentioned. I know from experience that turning these effects off gets rid of the echo noise I hear on my sample chops in ReCycle sometimes. Again, if you want to actually know what these two effects do, read the manual. These effects have deeper technical explanations than I want to get into. Here is a video that gives you an idea of what I mean about the technical explanation of the transient shaper. It is a very good explanation, but it may be more than you need for your issue.

When Making Beats, Noise can be Good on Sample Chops

This is totally subjective. In other words, the answer you get will depend on who you talk to. What I calling "artifacts" (or echo noise), other people might call "unwanted" sounds from poor sample chopping. Some people will say that you don't know what you are doing and that you don't know how to chop samples, if you end up with noise on the end. But the fact is that you can always choose to deal positively with something that doesn't seem to be what you want at first.

Keeping this in mind allows me to look for opportunities, even in situations that initially seemed negative. The reason I mention this is because this website is focused on "Moody instruMental Music" - and there is a reason the "M" in instrumental is capitalized. Your mental approach to music will impact how you create or receive music.

What if you didn't automatically perceive this sound at the end of the sample chop as "noise" - as something unwanted? What if you perceived it as an "additional" sound that you may or may not be able to use? All I'm trying to point out is that if you automatically view it as unwanted noise, you will try to get rid of it, because your mind is already set on getting rid of something that you perceive as negative, something that is not supposed to be there. However, if you view it as simply an additional sound, you can explore different ways to use it to your advantage.

I tend to think differently because of my outlook on life, my worldview, my experience as a follower of Christ. I use what I have learned in all aspects of my life, through this faith walk, to bring out the music that is within me. So, I don't think too much about whether a sample is chopped up "clean" or "dirty" - I'm just focused on "how" I can use it. The questions I ask when I chop samples with noise on the end provide an example of what I mean. The first question I ask is, "How can I use this sample chop?" Put another way, I ask, "How can I flip this sample with the noise in it?" Starting with this mentality, I have created some pretty amazing Moody instruMental Music, that continues to amaze me each time I listen to it.

Bass Sounds I use in Reason

Propellerhead Reason music creation software has plenty of options available for bass sounds. Refills along with devices that allow seemingly endless customization and teaking, grant you more bass sounds than you can probably ever use. I use the Combinator device for the bass in Reason. My favorite sound is actually the Upright Bass in the Orkester Soundbank. I also use the "Hyperbottom" bass found in the NN-19 sampler device.

Here are the final results of the above video series:

How To Make Beats Using Reason + MPD32 + Yamaha DJX - Grace To You (Part 4 of 4)

Grace To You (final beat)

For My Soul (5/5) - Make Beats In Reason - Finished Hip-Hop Sample Flip Instrumental

For My Soul (final beat)

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