VOCAL SAMPL ING
THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO
From sourcing samples to extracting acapellas, rearranging your audio to creative effect processing, let’s take a deep dive into the art of the vocal ‘flip’
The role that sampling has played in democratising music making can’t be understated. Since the technology became widely available in the late-’80s and early-’90s it has offered a workaround for independent and cash-strapped musicians to achieve things that would previously have required access to high-end studios and expensive session musicians. Need a string section? Sample it from an old disco record. Looking for drums? Why not slice that convenient drum break. As technology has progressed, things have only gotten more convenient, to the point that it’s conceivable to create a Hollywood-quality orchestral score entirely from your laptop with access to the right sampled instruments.
One area where this democratising has been particularly pronounced has been vocals. Traditionally the cornerstone of rock and pop, and a key element of dance genres like house, a vocal line is particularly hard to capture without access to the right talent, tech and know-how. But by sampling a pre-existing recording, or accessing a commercially available sample pack, solo producers can get their hands on the raw materials without ever having to plug in a mic.