I want to make extensive sample packs from my hardware for DT2, so will prepare everything via Ableton Live.
Does anyone have any tips - I’m thinking about what level they should be at, and what processing to use, particularly for drum machines. I’d like to make sure I get it right as it’ll take quite some time.
Use will be predominantly for performance, though I do run through a subtle distortion unit and compression (Cosmotronic Aphelion & Messor) for performance. May also record it back to Ableton at some point too.
Don’t worry about recording levels - as long as it’s not whisper-quiet you can normalise to get a decent level without a noise floor. And I do highly recommend normalising everything. Use the sampler to attenuate the volumes in your track.
I like to use light EQ (EQ Eight or Fabfilter Pro-Q) to gently sculpt the super low end and emphasise the root note of a kick. Remove low end from hi-hats. Emphasise the sizzle of a snare. That kind of thing.
I try to get kicks to conform to a root note - ideally C, E or G but anything goes. Atonal works as well. Doesn’t really matter if you’re not fussed.
You can use compressors, can work nice to create a really punchy kick. If I’m capturing the sound of a drum machine, I won’t do this much if at all, but I will if I’m making genre-specific drums like techno or whatever. Glue Compressor or the basic Compressor are fab for this, no need to spend anything extra.
Limiters can be great for pushing sounds to the next level but make sure to leave some dynamic as a track full of fat sausage waveforms is fatiguing.
Definitely fun to run sounds through character distortions like Trash 2 or Coldfire, or of course hardware such as our beloved Analog Heat.
Record samples that make up for short commings on your device.
For example record samples with reverb, for the simple reason that you only have one send effect on the DT. This way you get reverb on sounds that sould otherwise share it with other instruments.
I recorded tons of chord stabs from ym Virus Ti so could have its sound in the OT.
Things like that!
And as mentioned, do some minor clean up, but leave enough untouched to have more to scultp with later when making grooves.
