Using mp3 samples in your track.

koen1978 · Post by **koen1978** » Sat Nov 20, 2010 3:37 pm

Hi,

Sometimes i sample a sound of mp3 file and use it for 1 shot or something like that. But i was wondering: If your sampling and using the beat-part of a mp3 file ( 320kbps), will this cause any sound-problems after mastering the track?

Gr Koen

PS:A link to a earlier forum about this subject is also oke.

patrick bateman · Post by **patrick bateman** » Sat Nov 20, 2010 3:40 pm

I guess you can say, that nothing get's better than your weakest part

But with that said, if your oneshot, half second, used only one time in the track, sample is 320, then probably no one will be able to tell.

tone-def · Post by **tone-def** » Sat Nov 20, 2010 4:10 pm

if it sounds good it is good.
nothing wrong with a lo-fi sample.

Phune · Post by **Phune** » Sat Nov 20, 2010 4:12 pm

tone-def wrote:if it sounds good it is good.
nothing wrong with a lo-fi sample.

TRUE!

koen1978 · Post by **koen1978** » Sun Nov 21, 2010 11:15 pm

Thanks for the reply guys.

So if i understand you right: If your sampling a mp3 file (320 kbps) it has a low bitrate and this will cause a low quality sound?

What if you convert this mp3 file into a wav file (1411 Kbps), does this make any difference? Are you creating a higher bitrate by doing this? Or does it still sound crap after your track is being mastered?

How do you guys sample stuff?

I work with ableton Live and finished my first track a month ago and learned so much during the mastering traject of all things i did wrong. So for future projects i want to be a step ahead. I can't find good topics about this subject so it would be nice to read some info about it

blizt · Post by **blizt** » Mon Nov 22, 2010 12:59 am

I think there was an interview on resident advisor to heavy analog user guy who sampled audio from youtube videos and then he played them on his lives. I assume audio from youtube is lower than 320 so i think u are fine.

I also wanted to make a track using the audio from an interview between two very interesting voices i found on youtube, but i always been pushed back by the low quality of the recording

tone-def · Post by **tone-def** » Mon Nov 22, 2010 2:29 am

if your sampling an mp3 you will need to convert it to wav first because most samplers don't load mp3. this will not make the audio quality any better but the file size will become bigger. the sample will sound as good as it does on the mp3.

i've never sampled an mp3 before so let us know how it goes. how does it sound when you pitch it up and down? samples off a CD can sound too clean... so maybe mp3 is better for sampling?

widdly · Post by **widdly** » Mon Nov 22, 2010 5:16 am

I love sampling from youtube. I end up filtering and processing stuff so if it's a little lofi then it doesn't matter. It really depends on the context of the sample in your tune.