Tips On Making Your 808 Samples Euphoric And Clear
808 sample packs are the core of producing music tracks in Hip hop, Trap, and even Pop, among other genres. However, 808 sample packs are not a piece of cake to work with. When mixing and incorporating the best 808 sample packs in your tracks, knowing how and where to add them and what techniques to use becomes necessary. For that exact purpose, we are here to guide you. So, sit back, take a deep breath, and let’s get right to it!
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Get your Samples Right:
Keep it simple. When choosing the best 808 sample pack for your track, these three words should be your maxim. Try to pick a sample pack that sounds good on its own and matches the theme and genre of your piece. If you choose something that’s both complex and improper, it is likely to make things challenging for you when incorporating and blending everything. Make sure your selected sample fits the concept you are working on, and it is simple enough to add things without making someone’s ears bleed.
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Tune your Tunes:
Tuning is crucial in getting your composition to sound cohesive and harmonious. Most often, 808 sample packs could be better with your tunes and end up sounding off-key as the mixing involves combining two separate elements. It is essential to tune your music to the best 808 sample packs to create harmony, eventually making your production sound melodious and coordinated.
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Add Layers:
Layering refers to grouping multiple sounds to make the composition sound fuller, fatter, and more substantial. This could also involve combining an 808 sample with a kick and layering overtones with an 808 sample pack to ensure they cut through the mix without losing their balance. Layering allows for a random 808 sample to evolve into a more dynamic and lively composition as it becomes multifaceted with its multiple elements
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Add Envelopes:
Incorporating ADSR (Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release) envelopes into your 808 sample pack helps give you the opportunity to a staggering variety of modulations, giving you complete freedom over the sound’s shape and progression over time. Even little adjustments using ADSR help enhance the general clarity of your tracks and compositions.
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Add Distortion:
Distortion helps provide an oomph factor to your productions by adding depth and dimension to the 808 sample pack. Since most 808 sample packs are composed of low-end frequencies, the subpar speakers on our phones and laptops cannot capture the true essence of those sounds. Adding distortion helps bring the depth needed to bring the symphonies and harmonics into the spotlight and fools the human ear by making the tunes resound louder than they are, even on tiny speakers.
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EQ your 808:
Another essential step to achieve clarity in 808 sample packs is EQing (equalizing) various frequencies in your mix. EQing allows you to get rid of any imperfections in your music. If you have used layering with your 808 samples, there could be clashes between frequencies. To fix that, you must EQ to boost or cut specific clashing frequencies to perfect your compositions. EQing will help give you a smooth and even-sounding composition.
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Keep it Mono:
Keeping 808 sample packs in Mono makes your composition robust and intense, as most 808s have a low frequency. When you are in a closed room, even the tiniest of speakers can capture the beautiful sounds of your composition to make them sound heavy, dynamic, and vehement.
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Sidechaining your 808:
When the kick plays, sidechain compression produces separation by swiftly decreasing the volume of the 808 sample pack. This technique allows the kick drum to stand out in the audio. Using a compressor to suppress the intensity of a sound is termed sidechaining. If you enjoy that intense booming sound or want to adjust more overtones from the 808 sample pack while still allowing the kicks to shine through, this is an ideal method.
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Keep it Short and Sweet:
It is essential to keep the 808 sample pack short and sweet. The length of the 808 samples is an important aspect that makes a huge difference. Short 808 samples, for instance, might create a hollow or uninspiring void in a track. Long 808 samples, on the other hand, might contain overlapping sounds or overtones that clutter up the balance by blocking other notes. Unnecessary low-end noise could drain the impact and intensity of the composition. It’s essential to create and maintain a perfect harmony of tunes that does not overpower or underwhelm any aspect of the composition.
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Final Tip:
Do what sounds good to you. Sometimes, you could do all these things, and your 808 sample packs could still sound unclear or unexciting. The key to creating a clear and inspiring track is to ensure balance and coherence in how sounds are placed, and techniques are utilized. Each 808 sample pack is different and personal; everyone’s compositions and preferences could be different, which leaves the decision to you as to how you want your music to be and what customizable elements you want to make your 808 samples sound good.
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