A sample-centric workflow question: timestretch, then slice

phillipadsmith

Long story short: I'm curious about the best workflow for building sample-centric tracks (think "sample flipping" on the MPC, Maschine, Ableton, etc.).

Typically, I would 1) drop a sample into the sampler 2) ensure I've got a good start/end point for a loop, and 3) timestretch it to the song's tempo.

From that point, I would typically slice it onto pads or keys, either manually, by transient, or by even divisions or what-have-you, so that I can "play" parts into the track when/where needed.

I'm having a challenge finding the right workflow on the Deluge.

If I sample into a Kit row, it doesn't seem to want to timestretch properly to the song's tempo.

I can use sample speed, but it's a coarse adjustment (is there a "fine" speed adjustment?) and often doesn't land quite right.

If I slice, the slices seem quite arbitrary (guessing equal divisions?) and it leaves me with a lot of work adjusting start and end points.

When recording directly into a kit row, there's always silence first (before I hit play on the sample source) and there doesn't seem to be a way to truncate the sample.

All of the above to ask: What's your sampling workflow? I've watched all of the obvious (Ron) videos and still don't believe that I've seen what I'm looking for.

Too_Mere

Personally, when I’m using sampled material that includes its own rhythm. I play with the sample’s transposition and the Deluge tempo to find the groove.

If I’m slicing, I pick a slice number that gets me at least close to the slice size I want and I usually adjust start and end points in waveform view.
Waveform view can also be used to truncate beginning silence from sampling directly to the kit row.

Too_Mere

@phillipadsmith said:
Ah, so you change the Deluge song tempo, which has a finer resolution, until you match that to the sample? From there, when you change the temp of the song back to where you want it, does the sample's tempo always follow accurately?

No, I just consider sample original (or altered by pitch) speed as a factor when determining the song’s tempo.

Yes, but the challenge for me here is this: The first slice is always empty due to this silence at the start of the sample, and all of the rest of the slices then need to be moved back also.

Have you come across a way to truncate the sample recording before slicing it?

If you’re trying to slice to rhythmic values you should first have the sample trimmed to the correct length, resample, then slice.

Otherwise I’d just delete that first slice or move the points manually.

hexagon5un

@Too_Mere said:
If you’re trying to slice to rhythmic values you should first have the sample trimmed to the correct length, resample, then slice.

That's really the tip. And to elaborate just a tiny bit:

If you sample it first as an audio clip, you can stretch/endpoint/pitch the clip so that its beats line up with your song, at the desired tempo and all that. Then resample the audio clip, then slice the resample into a kit.

phillipadsmith

@Too_Mere said:
Personally, when I’m using sampled material that includes its own rhythm. I play with the sample’s transposition and the Deluge tempo to find the groove.

Ah, so you change the Deluge song tempo, which has a finer resolution, until you match that to the sample? From there, when you change the temp of the song back to where you want it, does the sample's tempo always follow accurately?

If I’m slicing, I pick a slice number that gets me at least close to the slice size I want and I usually adjust start and end points in waveform view.

Yes, I've been doing that too.

Waveform view can also be used to truncate beginning silence from sampling directly to the kit row.

Yes, but the challenge for me here is this: The first slice is always empty due to this silence at the start of the sample, and all of the rest of the slices then need to be moved back also.

Have you come across a way to truncate the sample recording before slicing it?

phillipadsmith

@Too_Mere said:

If you’re trying to slice to rhythmic values you should first have the sample trimmed to the correct length, resample, then slice.

Ah-ha! That's a great tip! 🙏

Too_Mere

Happy to help! 👍🏼

phillipadsmith

@hexagon5un said:

@Too_Mere said:
If you’re trying to slice to rhythmic values you should first have the sample trimmed to the correct length, resample, then slice.

That's really the tip. And to elaborate just a tiny bit:

If you sample it first as an audio clip, you can stretch/endpoint/pitch the clip so that its beats line up with your song, at the desired tempo and all that. Then resample the audio clip, then slice the resample into a kit.

Super helpful! Going to give that a try.