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The Creation of a Producer Sample Pack;
and composition of a musical body using only the sample pack contents
Darren Sheehan
MA in Music & Technology
A thesis submitted to Cork School of Music in partial fulfilment of the requirements for
the Masters of Music & Technology
August 2014
I hereby certify that the contents of this project are my own work, except where otherwise
stated and/or acknowledged.
Darren Sheehan
Date
1
Abstract
This thesis aims to create a producer sample pack using original recordings as source material.
The format and standard of the sample pack should be comparable with a commercial sample
pack. The recording techniques and processes involved in the creation of the sample pack are
documented.
The required musical composition for this MA is then created exclusively from the contents of
this sample pack.
i
Acknowledgements
I would like to acknowledge my supervisor Hugh McCarthy for the invaluable guidance and
assistance provided throughout the duration of this thesis. I would like to express my gratitude to
Bonnie Shaljean and Pauline McSweeney for affording me the time and opportunity to record
their incredible musical instruments, and to Chris Terroni who was an invaluable help on the
subject of piano technicality and ensured that the Steinway piano was in optimum condition prior
to recording. Thanks to David Slevin for his assistance, technical advice and second opinion.
Lastly, I would like to thank my family and friends for enduring my incessant talk of sampling,
scripting, loops and recording techniques.
ii
Contents
1
Introduction
1.1
Scope of Thesis
1.2
Thesis Structure
1
3
4
2
Analysis of Commercial Producer Sample Pack
2.1
Sample Pack Contents
2.2
Recording Standards
2.3
Sampling Techniques
5
5
7
8
3
Sample Recording
3.1
Creating the Sample Pack
3.2
Recording the source sounds and the techniques used
3.2.1 Piano
3.2.2 Harpsichord
3.2.3 Harp
3.2.4 Hammond Organ
3.2.5 Accordion
3.2.6 Percussion
3.2.7 Textures
11
11
11
11
18
21
22
25
26
28
4
Sample Processing
4.1
Initial processing of the sounds
4.1.1 Slicing Samples
4.1.2 Equalize
4.1.3 Normalize
4.1.4 Further Processing
4.1.5 Exporting and Naming Samples
29
29
30
33
34
35
38
4.2
40
40
42
47
56
4.3
Creating playable Kontakt multi-sampled instruments
4.2.1 Why Kontakt?
4.2.2 Loading the Samples
4.2.3 The Finishing Touches
Additional processing of the sounds
iii
4.4
Creating Loops
4.4.1 The Importance of ‘Groove’ in Loops
4.4.2 Groove Extraction Technique
4.4.3 Exporting WAV Files
4.4.4 Rex Files
4.4.5 Acidized WAV Files
4.4.6 Apple Loops
56
57
58
62
63
64
66
5
Composition Process:
5.1
Composition 1: Tranquillity
5.2
Composition 1: Tellurian
5.3
Composition 1: Flaws
5.4
Composition 4: Meraki
69
70
72
73
74
6
Conclusions and Future Plans
6.1
Improvements
6.2
Future Plans
6.3
Conclusion
76
76
77
78
7
Appendices
80
8
Bibliography & References
85
iv
List of Figures
Figure
Title
Page
Fig. 1
Zoom H4N as an appropriate field recorder
10
Fig. 2
Chris Terroni ensuring the piano tuning and voicing was correct
12
Fig. 3
Different microphone positions recording simultaneously
13
Fig. 4
A closer view of two microphone arrays
14
Fig. 5
Piano Microphone arrays
15
Fig. 6
Weights used to apply equal pressure to keys
17
Fig. 7
Harpsichord prior to recording
19
Fig. 8
Microphone setup for harpsichord sampling
20
Fig. 9
Harp prior to sampling
21
Fig. 10
Rocker switches for selecting the harmonic percussion mode
23
Fig. 11
Zoom H4N positioned to record Hammond Organ
24
Fig. 12
Hohner ‘Erica’ accordion
25
Fig. 13
Zoom H4N equipped with windscreen
26
Fig. 14
A wide range of sound sources were recorded
27
Fig. 15
Long audio files with all notes recorded consecutively
30
Fig. 16
‘Split’ tool being used to slice audio file into smaller samples
31
Fig. 17
Audio sample editor window showing sample hitpoints
32
Fig. 18
Audio files separated into individual note samples
33
Fig. 19
Percussion samples being normalized to -6dB
34
Fig. 20
Slate Digital’s Virtual Console Plugin
36
Fig. 21
Slate Digital’s FG-Grey buss compressor
37
Fig. 22
Matthew Lane’s DrMS Spatial processor
37
Fig. 23
Master Channel Processing Chain
38
Fig. 24
Spitfire Audio specifying type of ‘Kontakt’ license
41
Fig. 25
Creating a new Kontakt instrument
42
Fig. 26
Dragging the first sample into the mapping editor
43
Fig. 27
Modifying the effective velocity range of the sample
44
v
Fig. 28
Adding the seconds velocity level sample
45
Fig. 29
Playable 3 velocity multi-sampled instrument
46
Fig. 30
Midi note triggering with a low velocity
47
Fig. 31
The Kontakt modulation tab
48
Fig. 32
Standard Kontakt instrument
49
Fig. 33
Kontakt instrument with 'performance view' and customised image
49
Fig. 34
The Kontakt script editor
50
Fig. 35
Adding an image to the Kontakt performance view
52
Fig. 36
Kontakt insert effects controllable from performance view
53
Fig. 37
A selection of completed Kontakt multi-sampled instruments
54
Fig. 38
A selection of completed Kontakt multi-sampled instruments
55
Fig. 39
The trimmed audio containing one 4/4 bar
58
Fig. 40
The 'resize event using timestretch' function
59
Fig. 41
Detecting the transients of the audio file
60
Fig. 42
New quantize setting available in the quantize panel
60
Fig. 43
New quantize setting can now be saved and then renamed
61
Fig. 44
Locators set to the start and end of loop region
62
Fig. 45
Creating a Rex file in Recycle
63
Fig. 46
Accessing 'Clip Properties' in Sony Acid Pro
64
Fig. 47
The 'Stretch' tab of the 'Clip Properties' panel
65
Fig. 48
Loading standard WAV loop into the 'Apple Loop Utility' software
66
Fig. 49
The 'Transients' tab which allows the user to edit loop hitpoints
67
Fig. 50
The 'Tags' tab which allows the user to select loop attributes
67
Fig. 51
The 'Edit AIFF' option saves WAV loops as an AIFF format Apple Loop 68
Fig. 52
Sample being looped to created a synthesiser-like tone
70
Fig. 53
The pitch of this tone is manipulated to rise upwards
71
vi
Chapter 1: Introduction
In recent years with the advent of Digital Audio Workstations, the ability for any person
with a personal computer to create their own musical compositions has improved
dramatically. Unfortunately, most aspiring music producers do not have access to a large
collection of boutique analogue hardware drum-machines, synthesizers, or a veritable
plethora of rare and lavish musical instruments. In this situation, the most financially
viable option for many music producers is to obtain sample packs.
A ‘sample pack’ or ‘sample library’ is a collection of digital recordings known as
samples which can give a music producer the ability to infuse their productions with a
large variety of sonic palettes that may not otherwise be readily available to them.
Sample packs have become a staple of a contemporary producer’s arsenal, and it is clear
to see why. It provides the ability to introduce the authentic sound of a Rhodes piano, a
rare vintage 1972 Minimoog Model D or a Balinese Gamelan to a musical productions
for a fraction of the cost of the real instrument and without leaving your seat. With
'Drum Replacement' becoming a commonplace procedure in Rock and Pop productions,
and 'Producer Sample Packs' forming the backbone of contemporary electronic dance
music, sample packs have become ubiquitous.
1
Similarly, film composers/producers are often requested to create a realistic orchestral
score on a budget. When weighing the options between hiring an orchestra and studio or
utilizing multi-sampled instruments, the simple convenience and far lower cost of sample
instruments prove invaluable.
The concept of this thesis is to create a producer sample pack of entirely original content
and recordings.
This sample pack would encompass percussive one-shot samples,
percussive loops, field recording textures and playable multi-sampled
instruments
including several created from recordings of instruments in CIT Cork School of Music.
This project also provides an opportunity to capture a sonic snapshot of a selection of the
instruments within Cork School of Music. One advantage of this would be that it allows
for a more portable version of the instruments, for example the harpsichord or Steinway
grand piano, that could be played using simply a laptop and a midi keyboard. This also
ensures that the sounds of these incredible instruments can be preserved in a playable
fashion for future generations.
2
Scope of Thesis
There is a wide range of possible areas of interest that could be focused on for the scope
of this thesis. For example, months of work and research could be dedicated specifically
to the best methods of recording a grand piano and the creation of an enormous library of
sounds including an expansive array of articulations and sonic possibilities. Upon
researching this topic I uncovered commercially available piano sample libraries that
were sampled to such depth that one even includes variable details such as ‘lid sounds’
and ‘human fingers’, is an enormous 56 Gigabytes in size and must be purchased on a
dedicated external computer hard-drive.1
However, with practicality and time constraints in mind, the scope of this thesis will be
limited to recording and preparing as much content as would be deemed sufficient for a
producer sample pack. The sample pack will include a variety of samples, loops and
playable instruments which will provide an interesting and diverse range of sounds, and
be a viable source of additional inspiration to a music producer.
3
Thesis Structure
This thesis will begin with the analysis of commercial sample packs and the typical
contents, recording standards and sampling techniques. The second chapter will focus on
the sample recording process and document how the source material for the sample pack
was captured. This chapter will detail the recording techniques and all relevant aspects
involved in procuring sample recordings to a high standard.
Following this, the sample processing stage will be documented. This third chapter will
include how each individual sample is separated from the main recordings and any
corrective or applicable audio processing that is required. The process involved in the
creation of playable Kontakt multi-sampled instruments will be described here in detail.
This chapter will also discuss the artistic processing that can be used to transform the
original samples into entirely different sounds. Also highlighted here is the importance of
groove quantization, whilst showing a method of groove extraction within Cubase. The
chapter concludes by detailing the creation of loops in a number of common formats.
The next chapter specifies the composition process involved in the formation of the
musical content. The total musical substance for this thesis takes the form of a suite of
pieces comprising of 4 separate compositions.
Elements of each piece such as the
structure, musical influences, technical aspects and the sound palette used are discussed.
The final chapter in the thesis outlines the conclusions and future plans.
4
Chapter 2: Analysis of Commercial
Sample Packs
Prior to commencing the creation of the sample pack, research and analysis into current
commercial sample packs was necessary to gain an understanding of the contents,
expected standards and recording techniques used.
2.1 Sample Pack Contents
The typical contents of a commercially available producer sample pack can vary
enormously, with each different sound design company following their own particular
template. For the purpose of discussing sample packs with a more varied content, the
Loopmaster’s2 Artist Series of sample packs were examined. Many of their sample packs
have similar basic content, usually containing a combination of the following:
5
-Bass loops
-Various drum and percussion loops
-Music loops
-Vocal loops
-Individual drum and percussion hits
-Sound FX loops/ hits
-Individual bass & synth hits
-Bass & synth multi-sampled instruments
-Rex loops
-Software sampler patches
An analysis of this content highlights the fact that sample pack content can generally be
split into three distinct forms. The first of these forms are ‘one-shot hits’, which are nontempo based individual audio recordings. A standard example of one-shot hits found in
sample packs would be individual percussion hits, synth hits or sound effects. There are
popular commercial sample packs available that consist solely of recorded and processed
one-shot hits from uncommon and expensive hardware analogue drum machines such as
the ‘Tape808’ sample pack from Goldbaby 3 which samples the ever-desirable Roland
TR-8084.
The second form of content can be categorized as ‘loops’, which are tempo-based
rhythmic or melodic phrases. It is quite customary in sample packs that the loops are
created using the one-shot hits supplied. These can either give inspiration to the producer
by highlighting what can be created using the one-shot hits, although it is also
commonplace for producers to simply use the whole loop as-is within their composition.
Loops can be provided in several different formats, the most common being acidized
WAV files, Rex files and Apple loop files.
6
The final form of typical sample pack content is known as a multi-sampled instrument or
sampler patch.
The most basic of multi-sampled instrument can be as simple as
recording a single musical note and using the sampler to change the note’s pitch. A more
advanced alternative can include recording as many possible musical notes, variables and
articulations as is feasible to recreate a virtual instrument that sounds as close to the real
instrument as possible.
High quality multi-sampled instruments are often sold
individually, and multi-samples instruments are available for an expansive range of
instruments capturing everything from large string ensembles 5 and orchestral brass
sections6 to antique synthesizers7, mbiras8 and Bazantars9.
2.2 Recordings Standards
The first decision to be made when recording samples is the sample rate and bit depth
required 10. Upon examining commercial sample packs the standard quality expected is a
sample rate of 44.1kHz and a bit depth of 24bit. There are exceptions to this, of course,
with companies such as Goldbaby11 producing sample packs of a higher standard with
sample rates of 96kHz and 24 bit quality. However, on a practical scale to keep computer
hard drive space to the minimum required, 44.1kHz and 24bit recording is adequate.
7
2.3 Sampling Techniques
Commercial sample packs use a large assortment of methods to record or sample source
material. For hardware drum machines and synthesizers, the standard approach is to
simply connect these hardware instruments (via good-quality audio cables) into an audio
interface. Then, ensure that the recording level coming into the Digital Audio
Workstation or 'DAW' (such as Pro Tools or Cubase for example) is of a sufficiently high
level. Caution should be used to ensure that the incoming recording level is not too high
as clipping would ruin the samples. The recording process can now begin, allowing a
clean recording with minimum additional noise. A DI box may be required between the
source and soundcard to eliminate a ground loop if this problem arises.
Alternatively, techniques for sampling acoustic musical instruments can vary widely.
One of the simplest but most effective methods that can be used to record an acoustic
instrument is to position an X-Y stereo pair of pencil condenser microphones, as
appropriate, to capture the sound of the musical instrument and record each musical note
once. It is not unusual for manufacturers of high quality multi-sampled instruments to
use the most elite and exclusive of recording equipment for the purpose of sampling.
Spitfire Audio, for example, use the finest valve and ribbon microphones, Neve
Montserrat pre-amps and a Neve 88R console to record acoustic instruments.12 These
high quality multi-sample instruments often sample the instrument from more than one
microphone location, so one set of samples may record the instrument from a close-mic
perspective, while another may be recorded from the back of the recording hall to capture
much more of the room ambience. 13
8
This gives the producer an additional level of flexibility and realism in their productions.
Another technique used in high-quality multi-sampled instruments that is an effective
method of ensuring a more authentic sound is a playback technique known as ‘round
robin’.14
Typically, when an acoustic musical instrument is played each note sounds
slightly different.
The round robin playback technique aims to mimic this natural
variation of notes by sampling each individual musical note a number of times, and every
time that this note is triggered a different variation of the note will play which sounds
much more genuine and realistic.
'Field recording' is the expression used for the recording of audio outside of the confines
of a studio, and field recording techniques on the other hand can be far more varied.
SonicCouture 15 have released ‘Geosonics’, a field recording library that was recorded by
the renowned Chris Watson with the highest specification of recording equipment such as
DPA 4060 omnidirectional microphones and DPA 8011 omnidirectional underwater
hydrophones. Another well regarded sample pack that makes particular use of field
recording is Loopmaster’s ‘Glimpse presents Found Sounds and Field Recordings’16 in
which electronic music producer Glimpse recorded sounds over a three year period on a
standard mid-level portable sound recorder.
9
Both of these sample libraries were recorded in 24 bit 48kHz and 24bit 44.1kHz
respectively. We can gather from both of these examples that, although some sample
packs use high quality field recording equipment, mid-level sound recorders such as a
Zoom H4N 17 would be perfectly adequate to attain stereo field recordings of sufficient
quality.
Fig.1
Zoom H4N as an appropriate field recorder
10
Chapter 3: Sample Recording
3.1 Creating the Sample Pack
This chapter will document how a wide range of audio samples was recorded to a high
standard. The variety of recording techniques, the microphones used and the reasoning
behind these choices will be discussed.
3.2 Recording the source sounds and the techniques used
3.2.1 Piano
From the outset of researching possible musical instruments that could be suitable as
playable sample-based Kontakt libraries, a grand piano was of highest importance. This
is partly due to the prevalence of Steinway grand pianos within the CIT Cork School of
Music and, as mentioned in the introduction, because one of the objectives of this thesis
is also to capture a sonic snapshot of a variety of instruments in the college. Due to these
factors a Steinway grand piano would be an obligatory inclusion. Fortunately, one of the
Steinway Model B ‘music room’ grand pianos resides in the recording studio and was
available to record.
11
Prior to beginning the recording process, CIT Cork School of Music’s in-house piano
technician, Chris Terroni, was generous enough to offer his assistance and he
endeavoured to ensure that the tuning and voicing of the piano was to the highest possible
standard. The tuning of a piano requires adjustments to the tension of each string to the
correct pitch or frequency, whereas voicing alters the tone of the piano. Voicing can
vastly change the sonic characteristic of a piano from sweet and bright, which may be
more suited for a pop recording, to a darker rich tone, which may be more suitable for a
classical performance. Methods of voicing a piano can include softening or hardening
the felt of the hammers, action regulation and reshaping worn hammers with sandpaper.18
Fig. 2
Chris Terroni ensuring the piano tuning and voicing was correct.
12
The piano is known as one of the most difficult instruments to record as it has such a
wide array of sounds and harmonics that disperse from the body of the piano in a variety
of directions. 19 With this in mind, creating a playable sample instrument that accurately
represents the sound of a Steinway piano is an incredibly daunting task, and of all the
sample instruments that were recorded for this project the piano was the most difficult
instrument to capture effectively. For this reason, in order to fully capture the variety of
tones the piano is capable of producing, a number of different microphone positions were
recorded simultaneously.
Fig. 3
Different microphone positions recording simultaneously
13
Fig. 4
A closer view of two microphone arrays.
14
Fig. 5
Piano Microphone arrays
As Fig. 5 above illustrates, position A was a close mic array. This microphone technique
utilized a pair of Neumann U87 condenser microphones as these microphones are well
renowned for their ability to accurately record the full frequency spectrum without
colouring or influencing the sound.
15
This arrangement was chosen as one microphone was positioned above the bass strings
and the other was positioned above the higher register strings, which led to a wellbalanced recording.
Position B used a pair of AKG C414 condenser microphones spaced a meter apart and at
a height of 2.5 meters high to capture a ‘player perspective’. This position captures more
of the room ambience than the close mic perspective and better represents the piano tones
heard from the player’s position.
Two Neumann KM184 pencil condenser microphones were positioned even further from
the piano as shown in arrangement C, and this ‘listener perspective’ option captured even
more of the room ambience, similar to how an audience member would perceive a piano
performance.
The final position labelled D was captured from the side of the piano body. This position
also used a pair of Neumann KM184 pencil condenser microphones in an ORFT stereo
array to achieve a wide stereo image. 20
Once the microphones were positioned and tested, to ensure that they were of an
adequate level, the process of recording each note began. It was decided that in order to
provide a natural-sounding variance of dynamics when playing the sample instrument, at
least 3 velocity layers should be recorded. This would require one layer of notes played
softly at a ‘piano’ (
(
) dynamic, one layer of notes played in a medium or ‘mezzo-piano’
) / ‘mezzo-forte’ (
stronger ‘forte’ (
) dynamic, and a third layer of notes played in a much
) dynamic level. This level of dynamic control would allow for a
more realistic and natural sound upon playback.
16
In order to ensure some degree of uniformity when striking the piano keys, it was decided
that for the soft ‘piano’ velocity a variety of weights could be used to ensure that the
same gentle pressure was applied to each key. The three weights pictured in Fig. 6 were
sufficient for the light velocity level required for each key.
Fig. 6
Weights used to apply equal pressure to keys.
The key was pressed by hand with as much force as was possible to dictate the loudest
‘forte’ dynamic, and the medium ‘mezzo-forte’ dynamic was judged by ear to be a
moderate level somewhat equidistant of both extreme dynamics. It was felt that for the
purposes of this project and with the time constraints in place, sampling three different
velocity layers of the piano with the sustain pedal held would be sufficient as it could
take weeks to record every nuance and articulation available.
17
Upon being pressed, each key remained held until the note could no longer be heard. The
release time of several notes, the lower notes in particular, took over a minute before
becoming indistinguishable. It was crucial that absolute silence was kept for the duration
of recording each sample and while each note decayed until inaudible. It is imperative to
allow sufficient studio time for the recording process, including setup and take down of
all equipment. The recording process alone took approximately 6 hours including time
for tuning and voicing. It is also important to note that for this project the most logical
way of recording each instrument was to begin with the very lowest note of its range and
ascend chromatically to the highest note. As three varying velocities were recorded, it
made the most sense to record the softest velocity, then the middle velocity and finally
the loudest velocity. This ensured that the final recorded files contain each note of the
instrument in a logical fashion, with three recordings of each note and consecutive notes
rising chromatically which allows the processing period afterwards to be much more
efficient and far less painstaking.
3.2.2 Harpsichord
CIT Cork School of Music is also fortunate to own several harpsichords, and it was felt
that sampling one of the harpsichords would be a great addition to the project.
Harpsichord lecturer, Pauline MacSweeney, was generous enough to allow the sampling
of one of the instruments, and ensured that the harpsichord was perfectly in tune prior to
the recording process. Pauline was very knowledgeable on every aspect of the
harpsichord and endeavoured to emphasize that the sound of the harpsichord could also
be instantly transformed when the strings were padded by moving a switch on the front of
the instrument.
18
She also highlighted that upon using another switch both upper and lower keyboards
could be played simultaneously by simply pressing the keys of the lower keyboard. It
was decided that in order to sample a full range of sounds that the harpsichord was
capable of producing, it would be necessary to record each note of the lower keyboard,
each note of the upper keyboard, each note of upper and lower keyboards together, and
each note when the strings were padded. It was also noted that the harpsichord only
performs at a single velocity level, so it was deemed unnecessary to sample each note
more than once.
Fig. 7
Harpsichord prior to recording
19
To record the harpsichord to a high standard a pair of Neumann KM184 pencil condenser
microphones was used in an ORTF array to capture a wide stereo image. Similarly, a
pair of AKG C414 condenser microphones was also arranged in an X-Y stereo array.
Both sets of microphones were positioned approximately halfway down the curve of the
harpsichord housing where they would capture equal amounts of the high and low strings
giving a well balanced recording.
Fig. 8
Microphone setup for harpsichord sampling
In a comparable fashion to the recording of the grand piano, each key was pressed and
held until the note faded and became inaudible.
20
Afterwards, the recordings from both the pair of Neumann 184s and AKG C414s were
compared. It was decided that the recordings captured from the Neumann microphones
were much more favourable, and as the AKG recordings would not add any extra
dimension or value they were not used in the multi-sampled instrument.
3.2.3 Harp
Another musical instrument that was felt would be both suitable to sample and a
beneficial addition to the sample pack was a harp. There are also several harps in CIT
Cork School of Music, and lecturer Bonnie Shaljean courteously offered to assist with the
sampling of one of her favourite harps.
Fig. 9
Harp prior to sampling
21
Bonnie began by tuning the harp to confirm that it would be sampled at its best. A pair of
AKG C414 condenser microphone in an X-Y stereo array was used to capture the sound
of the harp. It was decided that in order to allow for a sufficient amount of articulation,
each string should be sampled at two different velocities. The first velocity required
would be a gentle pluck of each string forming a light and quiet velocity level. For the
second velocity level each string would be a plucked at a moderately loud level. Bonnie
plucked each string as mentioned, allowing the length of each note to decay until
inaudible before continuing to the next string.
3.2.4 Hammond Organ
The Electronic Music Centre in the CIT Cork School of Music is the location in which a
rarely used, but fully functional, Hammond M3 spinet organ is stored. From a personal
note, this organ was another very appealing addition to the sample library due to its wide
range of potential frequencies and tones from the low rumble of the bass pedals to the
bright upper frequencies of the keyboards. The tone of the Hammond organ can be
varied quite a lot by using a multitude of available options. Moving the positions of the
drawbars is one option for modifying the tone, another being the ability to select different
options such as vibrato, chorus or harmonic percussion by activating rocker switches.
22
Fig. 10
Rocker switches for selecting the harmonic percussion mode
The harmonic percussion option available on the organ is not a sound one might typically
associate with organs, and was in fact created to emulate the sounds of a xylophone or
marimba. 21 This vast array of options gives such a wide range of possible tones that with
the time constraints of this project it would not be feasible to sample every tone variation.
Therefore, the number of tones sampled was limited to each individual note of the bass
pedals, each individual note in harmonic percussion mode (with drawbars deactivated),
and each individual note of the upper and lower keyboards with and without vibrato
activated.
23
Fig. 11
Zoom H4N positioned to record Hammond Organ
To record the samples, it was decided that the Zoom H4N portable recorder would
provide the high quality required. As this model of Hammond organ was not fitted with a
Leslie speaker cabinet, as is often the case, the Zoom recorder was placed directly in
front of the built in stock speaker and at a distance of approximately a half a meter, as
shown in Fig. 11. Each key was pressed and held for approximately 30 seconds to ensure
that an adequate sample length was recorded.
24
3.2.5 Accordion
In addition to the variety of CIT Cork School of Music musical instruments that were
sampled, other musical instruments were also recorded including a Hohner ‘Erica’
accordion. The accordion was sampled in order to give further sonic diversity to the
sample pack.
Fig. 12
Hohner ‘Erica’ accordion
It was once again felt that the quality and standard of the Zoom H4N recorder was
acceptable to record the accordion.
The Zoom recorder was placed approximately
500mm in front of the grille where the sound, emitted from the reeds within, would be
best captured.
25
The recording process then began, with each individual note of the accordion being
played for the longest duration that was possible by squeezing the bellows. Caution was
taken to ensure that the environment in which the recording took place was as quiet as
possible to provide good quality, clean samples.
3.2.6 Percussion
Percussion samples were also acquired for the sample pack from a large selection of
sources. In order to sample a wide range of diverse sounds, the Zoom H4N recorder was
equipped with a windscreen for outdoors to minimize wind noise, thus ensuring its
suitability for field recording in a wider range of conditions.
Fig. 13
Zoom H4N equipped with windscreen
26
Over the course of one month a collection of one-shot percussive sounds were recorded
from a large assortment of sources. These sources included the striking of kitchen
utensils, wine glasses, pots and pans, power tools, aluminium ladders, and wheelie bins
amongst others. An assortment of body percussions such as claps, grunts, whistling,
finger snaps and other sounds that could prove useful in a musical context were also
recorded.
Fig. 14
A wide range of sound sources were recorded.
The process for recording the percussion samples was straightforward. Once a desirable
sound source was chosen, the Zoom H4N was placed in close proximity to the origin of
the sound and several recordings were captured.
27
3.2.7 Textures
As an addition to sampling musical instruments and percussion sounds, it was decided
that an additional folder entitled ‘textures’ should be included as these textures could
provide additional ambience and sonic environments for musical compositions. This
folder would contain field recordings such as those of storms and woodlands. Also
included are slightly more experimental recordings, such as the sound of rain falling on a
tin can recorded from within the tin can. For each of these recordings, the Zoom H4N
field recorder, with accompanying windscreen, was employed. The windscreen ensured
that minimal wind noise was present in the recordings, and also acted as a protective
barrier safeguarding the microphones from rain damage.
The filenames for each
recording in this folder provide a description of the audio captured.
28
Chapter 4: Sample Processing
This chapter will provide information pertaining to the processing of the samples once
they have been recorded. This includes the initial processing stage, the creation of
Kontakt multi-sampled instruments, additional processing of samples, and the creation of
loops. An additional section highlights the importance of groove in loops, and showcases
a useful technique for humanizing and adding groove to a loop.
4.1 Initial processing of the sounds
The very first step involved with the initial processing of the samples is to import the
recorded files into a Digital Audio Workstation. For this project, Steinberg’s Cubase 7.5
was chosen primarily due to familiarity but also due to several features of the programme
that facilitate a faster workflow. For the purposes of showcasing the processing steps
involved, the recordings of the Steinway grand piano shall be used. The reason for
choosing this instrument is due to the fact that it involved the most samples and was the
most complex. Once all of the recorded files have been imported into Cubase 7.5 they
should be arranged in an intuitive manner. In the case of the grand piano recordings
where there are multiple files, they must all be perfectly aligned. As was mentioned
previously, the recordings begin at the lowest note on the instrument and each
consecutive note rises chromatically. Fig. 15 shows the recorded audio files aligned in
Cubase 7.5 and ready for the next stage of processing.
29
Fig. 15
Long audio files with all notes recorded consecutively
4.1.1 Slicing Samples
The next step is to separate the long audio files that contain all of the notes into
individual samples containing one note each. If there are multiple recordings, such as in
the case of the Steinway recordings, a useful tip is to use the ‘group events’ function
available in Cubase. 22
This function allows the user to edit multiple audio files
simultaneously, which is an incredible useful time-saving tool when creating samples.
There are two mains ways in which Cubase allows the user to separate the long audio
recordings into individual notes, the first of which involves using the ‘split’ tool, as
shown in Fig. 16, to manually slice the audio file at the start and end of each musical note
thus separating the long recording into individual samples.23
30
Fig. 16
‘Split’ tool being used to slice audio file into smaller samples
There is another option available to complete this procedure in Cubase and it is much less
time consuming. Firstly, one of the long audio files must be double clicked, which will
the open the audio file sample editor window, as shown in Fig. 17. On the left panel of
this window under the ‘hitpoint’ section there is a threshold slider, which should be
moved until it detects a hitpoint at the beginning of each musical note. These hitpoints
can of course be modified and moved if required.
31
Fig. 17
Audio sample editor window showing sample hitpoints
Once it has been confirmed that there is a hitpoint at the beginning of each musical note,
select the ‘create events’ button located in the hitpoint panel on the left. This will
separate the long audio file into individual samples containing each individual musical
note, as shown in Fig. 18. In the case of either option, it is important that these samples
are then reviewed and that any additional silence or unnecessary audio is removed, and
that a short fade is applied to the beginning and end of each sample to prevent unwanted
pops and clicks.
32
Fig. 18
Audio files separated into individual note samples
4.1.2 Equalize
There are several processing steps that are basic requirements once separating the
individual samples is complete.
In the interest of making this sample pack as
instantaneously useable for a producer as possible, one of the most useful and most
rudimentary processes is to employ an equalizer. This is much more relevant for the
sampled percussion sounds however, as many of these percussive samples will generally
not contain any bass content below 100Hz.
Often the producer will remove these
frequencies to reduce low-end mud in the mix, so removing the unnecessary low
frequencies from percussion samples would be an added benefit of the sample pack.
33
From observations during the research phase of this project, many commercial sample
packs such as the Loopmaster’s ‘Matteo DiMarr-Signature House Sounds’24 do this as
standard. This is not as necessary for the musical instrument samples such as the
Steinway piano, as they have a far wider frequency spectrum and it if often best to leave
these samples as natural-sounding as possible.
4.1.3 Normalize
It is good practice that an even level of volume is kept across the sample pack. Percussion
sample packs generally normalize each individual sample to a level of -6dB, as illustrated
in Fig. 19 (although Wave Alchemy25 normalize to -0.1dB) so that the samples are ready
for use in any production with the minimum amount of modifications. This also allows
for samples to be easily swapped with another in the pack without the need to modify
channel volume.
Fig. 19
Percussion samples being normalized to -6dB.
34
Multi-sampled instruments are generally not normalized, however, as acoustic
instruments such as the Steinway grand piano or Hammond organ have a natural dynamic
curve whereby some notes are naturally louder in volume than others. Normalizing
samples for these multi-sampled instruments tend to result in an unnatural sounding
instrument, so instead the volume of the samples are modified so that the loudest of all
the notes recorded peaks at -6dB. This enables a good overall volume level but maintains
the dynamic curve of the instrument.
4.1.4 Further Processing
As highlighted in the research of this project, some multi-sampled instruments were
recorded to the highest standards using rare and costly equipment that impart a distinctive
sonic flavour such as Neve pre-amps and consoles. For this reason, it was decided that
some additional processing would add greater depth and value to the sample pack. Slate
Digital LLC manufacture a software audio plugin called ‘Virtual Console Collection’26
(Fig. 20) which meticulously models and emulates 5 of the world's top and most
desirable analog mixing desks including a Neve 8048, a Trident 80B, an API, an SSL ‘E’
Series with a ‘G’ upgrade and a 1950’s RCA tube broadcast console. It is also possible to
use the drive knob on the plugin to increase the level of the console’s harmonic saturation
and to taste without altering the channels output level. It was decided that the Neve
setting of this plugin would be used to impart the distinctive sonic imprint of a Neve
analog console on the samples.
35
Fig. 20
Slate Digital’s Virtual Console Plugin
Slate Digital LLC also produce ‘Virtual Buss Compressors’27(Fig. 21), a collection of
software audio plugins that model some of the most sought-after hardware mix buss
compressors such as an SSL G-Series buss compressor (FG-Grey), a Focusrite Red 3
compressor (FG-Red), and a combination of both Fairchild 670 and Manley Vari-Mu
compressors (FG-Mu). One of the features of the FG-Grey compressor is the ability to
insert the plugin in an inactive state, whereby it does not compress or affect the audio but
does still infuse the audio with the aural aura of the SSL G-Series compressor. For this
reason, it was decided that an instance of the FG-Grey plugin in an inactive state would
also be used to process the samples.
36
Fig. 21
Slate Digital’s FG-Grey buss compressor
The final additional processing that was deemed to be suitable for use on the samples was
an instance of Matthew Lane’s DrMS spatial processor. (Fig. 22) It was felt that a gentle
use of this plugin to add some further stereo width to the samples would be of value, as
this would allow the samples to be instantly more professional sounding and useable
within a producer’s project with a minimal amount of tweaking.
Fig. 22
Matthew Lane’s DrMS Spatial processor
In summation, the additional processing that is applied to the master chain prior to
exporting each individual sample consist of Slate Digital’s Virtual Console emulation of
a Neve 8048 mixing desk, an instance of Slate Digital’s mix buss compressor emulation
of an SSL G-Series compressor (in an inactive state so as to not affect the audio but
impart the ‘vibe’ of the hardware compressor), and an instance of Matthew Lane’s DrMS
spatial processor to add some extra stereo widening to the samples. (Fig. 23)
37
Fig. 23
Master Channel Processing Chain
4.1.5 Exporting and Naming Samples
The final step in this section is to export each sample. This is an easy task in Cubase 7.5
as all that is required is to set the loop locators to the start and end of the desired sample
and once the locators are set, simply export the sample as a new stereo file. This process
must be repeated for each individual sample, although this procedure can be performed
relatively quickly by using the Cubase ‘Locators to Selection’ shortcut28 which can set
the locators to either side of a selected audio file at a single keystroke.
38
It is crucial that the samples are named in a logical fashion, otherwise attempting to
create a multi-sampled instrument with incoherently named samples will become a much
more difficult undertaking.
For simplicity in this project, the lowest note on each
instrument was named 01 and each subsequent chromatic note was given the next whole
number. In the case of the Steinway grand piano for instance, the lowest note on the
piano was 01 and the highest was 88. In situations where more than one velocity was
sampled, a letter was also added after the number to dictate the velocity level. It was
decided that the simplest method of naming this was the letter ‘a’ for the softest velocity,
‘b’ for the middle velocity and ‘c’ for the loudest velocity. As the Steinway piano was
recorded from 4 different microphone perspectives, this was also taken into consideration
and the microphone's position is included in the filename.
For example, the sample of middle C on the keyboard that was played in the softest
velocity and recorded from the close microphone perspective was named Close-40A.wav, whereas the G just above it on the keyboard which was played at the loudest
velocity and recorded from the audience perspective was named Side-47-C.wav. This
logical naming procedure ensured that the creation of the multi-sampled instruments was
straightforward and uncomplicated.
39
4.2 Creating playable Kontakt Multi-sampled Instruments
Once the recordings of the musical instruments have been separated into individual
samples, the next step is to combine these samples to create a playable multi-sampled
instrument.
4.2.1 Why Kontakt?
For the purposes of this project, Native Instruments ‘Kontakt’29 software sampler was
chosen not only due to its quality and wide range of diverse features, but primarily
because Native Instruments also manufacture ‘Kontakt Player’30 which is a free version
of Kontakt with limited functionality that allows the multi-sampled instruments created
for this project to be played without requiring any software purchases.
Kontakt player is available for use either as a VST within any contemporary DAW or as a
standalone instrument for both Mac and Windows operating systems. As Kontakt player
is a limited functionality version of the main Kontakt sampler, it is only able to play
multi-sampled instruments. A full version of Kontakt is required to create Kontakt multisampled instruments and patches. Similarly, a Kontakt player user is limited to 15
minutes sessions without the ability to save settings unless the manufacturer of a Kontakt
multi-sampled instrument has purchased a specific commercial license from Native
Instruments.
40
This commercial license allows the end user to use the multi-samples instrument with no
time limit, and this is usually differentiated with manufacturers such as Spitfire Audio
stating the difference clearly by highlighting an instrument as being either ‘Kontakt
Required’ or ‘Kontakt Player Included’.31 (Fig. 24) For the purposes of this project a
commercial license was deemed to be too expensive and not necessary as the completed
instruments can be played using the free Kontakt player for 15 minute sessions.
Fig. 24 Spitfire Audio specifying which instruments have a ‘Kontakt Player’ license
41
4.2.2 Loading the Samples
To create a three-stage velocity sensitive sample patch using the close microphone
samples of the Steinway grand piano, the first step is to create a new Kontakt instrument.
The quickest way to do this is to double-click on the black central area of the Kontakt
interface and a new instrument will appear. (Fig. 25)
Fig. 25
Creating a new Kontakt instrument
42
Clicking on the spanner icon opens the instrument edit mode, and the 'Mapping Editor'
tab becomes visible. The 'files' tab on the left allows the ability to search for the location
of your samples stored on the computer. Once this location has been found, the process of
loading the samples into the sampler can begin. Beginning with the first sample, simply
drag the file from the browser on the left to its associated keyboard pitch in the mapping
editor as illustrated in Fig. 26.
Fig. 26
Dragging the first sample into the mapping editor
43
The velocity value can be dragged upwards or downwards to the desired level, as shown
in Fig. 27, entailing that when the note is struck the sample will trigger only between the
set velocity range.
Fig. 27
Modifying the effective velocity range of the sample
44
Subsequently, the middle velocity sample for that same note is dragged from the file
browser into the mapping editor. Its effective velocity range is modified so that it
triggers only on medium velocities and the sample is placed above the previous sample,
as illustrated in Fig. 28. This process is repeated for the third sample which was recorded
at the loudest velocity level.
Fig. 28
Adding the seconds velocity level sample
45
This progression is then continued for all other samples, the end result of which is a
playable Steinway grand piano sample patch that is velocity sensitive with 3 different
velocity levels, as shown in Fig. 29. E.g. If Kontakt receives midi signals from a midi
keyboard, when a key is struck hard the loudest sample will play, and if the key is struck
softly the lowest sample will play.
Fig. 29
Playable 3 velocity multi-sampled instrument
46
Upon playing the instrument with a midi keyboard it may become clear that the velocity
ranges may need some adjustment, but this requires a simple procedure of selecting all
the samples of a velocity layer and dragging them upwards or downwards as required.
4.2.3 The Finishing Touches
With the multi-sampled instrument sounding and performing correctly, there are some
further embellishments that can add further value to the Kontakt patches. A simple but
effective addition is to modulate the volume by inserting a velocity modulator. The
reason this would be used is, for example, if a midi note is triggered very softly, such as
in Fig. 30, it will still trigger the lowest velocity to play at its full volume regardless of
how softly the note is triggered. With a velocity modulator in place, the volume that the
sample plays back is representative of how hard the note is pressed. This enables the
instrument to sound more natural.
Fig. 30
Midi note triggering with a low velocity
47
To insert a modulator, simply navigate to the 'modulation' tab below the mapping editor
in the central Kontakt window, as highlighted in Fig. 31, and click on the 'add modulator'
button in the bottom of this section. This will reveal several options, and to create a
velocity modulator simply choose 'velocity'.
Fig. 31
The Kontakt modulation tab
48
It is also important that the presentation of the multi-sampled instrument is as close to a
commercial standard as possible. One way to ensure that the instrument looks more
professional is to create a 'performance view' with a customised image that will transform
the bland front end, shown in Fig. 32, to the more appealing interface, shown in Fig. 33.
Fig. 32
Fig. 33
Standard Kontakt instrument
Kontakt instrument with 'performance view' and customised image
49
In order to create a performance view in Kontakt, enter the instrument edit mode by once
again clicking on the spanner icon. Clicking on the 'script editor' tab to the right will
open the script editor and the 'edit' button, highlighted in Fig. 34, will open the text pad.
Fig. 34
The Kontakt script editor
50
Having a background in scripting is not a necessity for this task, as simply pasting the
following code into the text pad followed by clicking the 'apply' button will enable the
performance view.
on init
set_ui_height_px(260)
declare $jeibq
make_perfview
end on
This segment of code simply enables the performance view interface with a height of 260
pixels, although this can be modified to a desired pixel height in the code above. The
standard width of the performance view is 633 pixels. Once an image is chosen and sized
to 633 pixels wide by the desired height, adding it to the Kontakt instrument is quite
effortless. Simply click on the 'Instrument Options' tab, as illustrated in Fig. 35, and use
the 'browse' function underneath the 'instrument wallpaper' title to select the image. The
end result of this process is a multi-sampled instrument with a much more professional
appearance.
51
Fig. 35
Adding an image to the Kontakt performance view
There are also a variety of additional insert effects available to use within Kontakt such
as reverbs, delays, distortions, flangers and a large ensemble of further effects. However,
the controls for these effects are only accessible from within the instrument edit mode
and it requires a higher level of scripting ability to add controls for these effects to the
performance view.
52
Fortunately, a very useful and free script was released by coder Benjamin Stelzer 32 which
mirrors the controls of any insert effect on the performance view. As gaining coding
expertise was not a proposed outcome for this project, Mr. Stelzer's practical code was
utilized. A text file containing this code is included as part of this submission. With this
code entered into the text pad in Kontakt, each of the corresponding controls for any
insert effects now appear on the Kontakt performance view, as shown in Fig. 36. With
these additional finishing touches made, the multi-sampled instruments both look and
sound impressive and on-par with some of the commercially released Kontakt
instruments. Fig. 37 and Fig. 38 on the next two pages show a selection of the completed
Kontakt multi-sampled instruments.
Fig. 36
Kontakt insert effects controllable from performance view
53
Fig. 37
A selection of completed Kontakt multi-sampled instruments
54
Fig. 38
A selection of completed Kontakt multi-sampled instruments
55
4.3 Additional Processing of Sounds
Some commercial sample pack manufacturers such as Wave Alchemy include additional
special processed versions of samples along with the original dry samples. An example
of this is the ‘Drum Machines 02’ 33 sample pack, which features the original samples
processed through a range of outboard equipment for added processing. This includes
Reel-to-Reel ¼ inch tape, Empirical Labs Fatso & Distressor compressors, Thermionic
Culture Vulture, Cranesong HEDD, SSL E Series EQs and Compressors and more.
The decision was made that alongside the percussion samples included in the sample
pack, additional processed versions of some of the percussion samples should also be
included. These processed samples would showcase how dry percussion samples could
be utterly transformed using a variety of processing and audio manipulation techniques.
A range of processing techniques including the addition of reverb, saturation, pitch
shifting, reversing samples and processing samples with granular synthesis are utilized.
4.4 Creating Loops
Loops are a pivotal element within many modern sample packs. Their purpose is to
showcase how the included individual one-shot percussion samples can be melded
together to form useful rhythmic or melodic loops that may be utilized in musical
compositions. Although these loops are often intended as a way of inspiring the producer
and presenting some of the countless possibilities capable with the included content,
often producers simply use these loops as-is within their productions.
56
With the percussion samples recorded as detailed in chapter 3.2.6, the following section
reveals the methods involved in using the one-shot samples to create loops in a variety of
common formats. There are various different ways to program percussion loops, but for
the purposes of this project the individual audio samples are sequenced on audio tracks in
Cubase 7.5.
4.4.1 The Importance of 'Groove' in Loops
When programming drum sounds in any contemporary DAW the quantization function
plays a major part. Quantizing is designed to correct player error and is often used to
ensure that drum samples shift to align with the nearest marker of a specified time-grid at
the click of a button, affirming that the samples play seamlessly in time with the project.
Most DAWs typically give a range of inbuilt quantize options ranging from 1/1 (every 1
musical bar) to 1/128 (every 128th of a musical bar) with either straight, dotted or triplet
swung variations.
The problem with depending on quantization is that it can often make drum patterns
sound robotic and unnatural, and without the rhythmic 'groove' or 'swing' that a real
drummer would impart on a performance.
In short, the lack of humanization in
programmed loops can be combated in a number of ways. One option would be to
physically perform the drum loop by using a midi drum controller such as Native
Instruments 'Maschine'34 which has pads that can be used to manually trigger the drum
samples which could be loaded into the Maschine software. Similarly, a real drummer
could create midi tracks by playing an electronic drum kit with midi capabilities, and
these drum tracks could be used to trigger drum samples loaded into a software sampler.
Unfortunately the problem of player error still exists in both of these alternatives.
57
4.4.2 Groove Extraction Technique
One method of using quantization but still maintaining a natural swing is to use a
technique known as 'groove extraction', whereby the rhythmic groove of a recorded audio
file is examined and saved as a quantize setting. This new quantization setting can then
be applied to the overall project, or used to create new rhythmic loops using the groove of
the audio file but entirely different sounds. This feature is available in several of the
modern DAWs, and the following method explains how this technique is performed in
Cubase 7.5.
The audio example chosen for this example is the 1973 funk record
'Impeach the President' 35 performed by The Honey Drippers as it features a rhythmic
drum pattern with a strong groove at the very start of the recording which is suitable for
this purpose. Firstly, the audio file was imported into Cubase. From the desired section
of the audio, one 4/4 bar comprising of the drum beat was selected. Any audio before or
after this section was removed, as shown in Fig. 39, by using the previously discussed
'split' function.
Fig. 39
The trimmed audio containing one 4/4 bar
58
It is evident that this one bar segment is not in time with the project tempo, so the 'resize
event using timestretch36' function in Cubase allows the length of the audio to be dragged
to one bar of the project tempo, as shown in Fig. 40. This one bar of the audio file is now
perfectly in time with the project tempo.
Fig. 40
The 'resize event using timestretch' function
By double clicking on the audio file, the audio sample editor opens. The transient
hitpoints are then detected by using the threshold slide as discussed previously in Chapter
4.1.1. Once all the hitpoints have been detected, the 'Create Groove' button underneath
the threshold slider was selected. (Fig. 41) The quantize panel which can be accessed
from the Edit menu now shows a new quantize setting with the name of the audio file, as
shown in Fig. 42.
59
Fig. 41
Fig. 42
Detecting the transients of the audio file
New quantize setting available in the quantize panel
60
It is imperative that the 'Save Preset' button is selected next (Fig. 43), and once the
setting is saved it is also possible to rename this quantize setting in a logical fashion.
This new quantize setting can now be applied to midi notes or audio events giving drum
loops a much more natural swing.
Audio examples of this are provided as part of the accompanying media containing the
original audio and a loop created from sounds contained in the sample pack using the
groove extracted from the original audio.
Fig. 43
New quantize setting can now be saved and then renamed
61
4.4.3 Exporting WAV Files
With this knowledge, drum loops can be sequenced with a natural swing feeling. Once
the audio one-shots are sequenced to a desired rhythmic pattern, they can be exported as
standard WAV files. For this project, loops were created with groups of similar elements
such that one loop may contain just the kick drum pattern, another loop may contain just
the snare pattern, and further loops may contain several different percussive elements etc.
Each loop is labelled intuitively however, stating the loop name, beats per minute and
type of percussive element it contains within the filename.
e.g. Composition4_Loop_105BPM_Hats
In order to export a WAV file in Cubase simply set the left and right locators to the start
and end of the desired loop region which is show in Fig. 44 as 2 musical bars. Simply
solo the required channel and export the audio using the Cubase 'export audio mixdown'
function. Once a standard WAV file of the loop is created this can be converted to other
formats as shown in the following sections.
Fig. 44
Locators set to the start and end of loop region
62
4.4.4 Rex Files
In order to create REX format files a copy of Propellorhead's ‘ReCycle’ 37 software
application is required. In fact, the REX filename derives from the words ‘Recycle
EXport’. Upon launching ReCycle, a standard .WAV file loop can be loaded and the
transient sensitivity slider can be used to detect the appropriate amount of transients
visible in the loop. The bar amount should be set if known, thus detecting the BPM of the
loop. All that remains is to save the REX file and it can be imported seamlessly into most
DAWs.
Fig. 45
Creating a Rex file in Recycle
63
4.4.5 Acidized WAV Files
The industry standard within sample packs is to use ‘acidized’ WAV files rather than
standard WAV files. The difference is that an acidized WAV file also includes additional
information contained in the file’s header, such as tempo, loop length, hitpoints, time
signature and base key information that can ensure more accurate pitch and time
manipulation. To create an acidized WAV file, a copy of Sony's 'Acid Pro' 38 software is
required.
Begin by simply loading the standard WAV loop previously rendered in
Cubase into an audio channel in Acid Pro. By right clicking on the audio clip the 'Clip
Properties' panel can be accessed, as shown in Fig. 46.
Fig. 46
Accessing 'Clip Properties' in Sony Acid Pro
64
The 'general' tab within the clip properties panel enables standard tempo and pitch
information to be selected, while the 'stretch' tab allows hitpoints to be created and
modified in a similar fashion to the creation of Rex loops. All of this information is then
stored with the WAV file once the save button is selected, as highlighted in Fig. 47.
Fig. 47
The 'Stretch' tab of the 'Clip Properties' panel
65
4.4.6 Apple Loops
Creating an Apple Loop from a standard WAV file is quite straightforward, and Apple
supply the 'Apple Loop Utility' software free of charge for this purpose. Upon launching
the software, the initial step is to load the WAV loop, as shown in Fig. 48.
Fig. 48
Loading standard WAV loop into the 'Apple Loop Utility' software
The software automatically detects the audio transients of the loop and applies
hitpoints.
These hitpoints can then be modified within the 'Transients' tab, as
illustrated in Fig. 49, by using the transient division drop down menu, sensitivity
slider and by manually moving the hitpoints if the need arises. It is also advisable to
enter the loop's beats per minute information in the applicable 'BPM' window at the
bottom of the window.
66
Fig. 49
The 'Transients' tab which allows the user to edit loop hitpoints
The other available tab in the loop utility is the 'Tags' tab, as shown in Fig. 50, which
allows additional information and attributes pertaining to the loop to be selected.
Fig. 50
The 'Tags' tab which allows the user to select loop attributes
67
These attributes enable the user to find an appropriate loop swiftly with the minimal
amount of fuss. Finally, Apple loops are normally saved in Apple's own AIFF format,
and the option to convert the WAV loop to an AIFF and save with all the additional
information is available upon selecting the 'save' button and applying the 'Edit AIFF'
option, as shown in Fig. 51.
Fig. 51 The 'Edit AIFF' option saves the WAV loop as an AIFF format Apple Loop
68
Chapter 5: The Composition Process
The suite of pieces composed for this thesis aims to substantiate that the sample pack
created for this project could indeed be integrated into a music producer's compositional
arsenal.
It is hoped that the included sonic palette of sounds and multi-sampled
instruments may perhaps provide some additional inspiration, and these compositions
aim to confirm the overall usefulness of the sample pack. This chapter plans to discuss
various aspects of each individual composition, such as the sound selection, musical
influences and production techniques where applicable.
Musically, the style and structure of these compositions were influenced by the
downtempo albums ‘The North Borders’ and ‘Black Sands’ composed by British
producer Bonobo. 39 Other downtempo productions from artists including Deadmau5 40,
The Cinematic Orchestra 41 and Taylor McFerrin 42 also influenced the compositions to
some degree.
Each of the following musical compositions was produced using only source material
contained within the accompanying producer sample pack.
69
5.1 Composition 1: Tranquillity
This first composition is a downtempo piece envisioned to encourage a sense of
relaxation. It showcases the Steinway piano multi-sampled instrument prominently as the
main element of the piece. The piano features from the beginning, accompanied purely
by the sound of falling rain which is included in the 'Textures' folder. It is shortly
accompanied by some atmospheric chordal accordion and organ bass tones from the
Kontakt instruments.
The percussion enters for the first time at 2.23, the swung rhythmic pattern providing a
laidback feel to the piece. The 'kick' sound that can be heard is in fact a recording of a
watering can that had simply been processed with some equalization, a low-pass filter
and SPL's 'Transient Designer'43 plugin. At 2.57 some arpeggiated harp gently enters
reminiscent of the raindrops heard at the outset of the piece. The focal piano motif reenters at 3.28 to the pulsing of a kick drum 'heartbeat' and light rain once again setting the
tone.
The previous instruments gently begin to swell to the pinnacle point of the
composition. It is worth noting that the rising sound heard in the section is in fact a
sample entitled 'Body_06' in the sample pack, which has been looped to create a
synthesizer-like tone, as shown in Fig. 52.
Fig. 52
Sample being looped to created a synthesizer-like tone
70
The pitch of this tone is then manipulated to rise upwards, as shown in Fig. 53. This
technique was made popular in electronic music in recent years by the Swedish House
Mafia with their composition 'One' 44, which features a main melody from the beginning
of the piece played using a tone created by looping a kick drum sample.
Fig. 53
The pitch of this tone is manipulated to rise upwards
The composition ends with a rallentando of the piano motif whilst once again
accompanied with just the sound of rainfall.
71
5.2 Composition 2: Tellurian
'Tellurian' is a word used to portray human or earthly qualities, and the intention of this
second composition is to accentuate some of the more organic tones available within the
sample pack. The piece opens with a rhythmic pattern played on the Hammond organ
multi-sampled instrument in percussive mode.
This is followed directly with the
introduction of the composition's main melody, featuring the 'whistling' multi-sampled
instrument which uses a single whistling sample loaded into Kontakt allowing the sample
to be played at different pitches. An incoming vibrato organ line can be heard entering,
swiftly followed by the introduction of a bass line of organ pedals and percussion. All of
the percussion in this composition is from the 'Body Percussion' sample folder, in which
each sound was created using the human body. Examples of these include finger snaps,
claps, vocal grunts etc. This also ties in with the main concept of emphasizing natural
sounds within the piece. The 'kick' sound used was the 'Body_02-B' sample processed
with an equalizer, a low-pass filter, an instance of the SPL 'Transient Designer' plugin
and the Waves Audio 'Kramer Master Tape' 45 saturation plugin.
At 2.05, the composition transitions to an entirely new motif played on a solo
harpsichord. The swelling sound heard prior to the entrance of the harpsichord is a
technique known as reverse reverb, in which the reverb tail of a sound is heard before the
original sound. This technique is typically used on vocals and has been utilized in many
well known compositions, one such example being the main vocal at the very beginning
of Depeche Mode's 'Personal Jesus'. 46
72
The harpsichord bass line uses midi pitch-bend to create an unnatural sliding between
notes in juxtaposition with the overall theme of the piece. At this point the harpsichord is
also accompanied by the vibrato organ and main whistling melody. The harpsichord
section ends, signalling the return of the previous instrumentation which build to the
climax of the composition.
A tape-stop technique is utilized at 3.21. This technique was made extremely popular
within electronic music in recent times by its exaggerated use in the composition 'Levels'
47
from Avicii. The musical elements gradually begin to dissipate, leaving only the
percussive organ and whistle melody at the conclusion of the composition.
5.3 Composition 3: Flaws
The concept of this piece is to introduce some intriguing sounds that may sometimes be
considered flaws, such as a malfunctioning key on an organ or undesirable AC hum in an
audio cable, and use these elements in a musical context within a composition.
This arrangement commences with a recording of rain taken from within a tin can, which
is included in the ‘Textures’ folder. This opening sequence once again introduces a duet
of the Steinway grand piano and Hammond Organ in percussive mode. There was one
malfunctioning note captured when recording the Hammond organ, and this note is
featured as part of the main melody to correspond with the concept of the piece.
Granular synthesis is used to manipulate a recording of the piano part, and this can be
heard enter at 0.55 allowing a smooth transition into a new section.
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This following section is initiated with some vibrato organ chords, and some AC hum can
be slowly be detected. A recording of a drill is manipulated to create a rising effect to
build tension just prior to the apex of this section whereby percussive elements are also
introduced. The pitch of the aforementioned AC hum is manipulated at this point to form
the bass line of the composition, once again cementing the concept of the piece by
implementing often undesirable sounds in a pleasant musical fashion. This bass line is
ducked heavily with every instance of the kick drum using sidechain compression,
assuring that no accumulation of unnecessary low end frequencies occurs in the
composition.
At 2.32, solely percussive elements occupy the composition, whereby samples of a
wheelie-bin being struck are pitch-manipulated to form a new bass line. Following this,
the melodic instruments re-enter with the piano and organ taking the focus once more.
All of the elements culminate for the climax of the composition at 4.04. Subsequently,
many of the sounds begin to soften in volume until, finally, only the piano and rain
recording remain audible.
5.4 Composition 4: Meraki
This last composition is a fitting finale for the suite of pieces. The Greek word 'Meraki'
is used to describe accomplishing something with soul, creativity, or love.
something of yourself' into the work.
To 'put
This is indeed a suitable title for both this
concluding composition and the collection of pieces as a whole.
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This arrangement centres primarily around some of the possible capabilities of the
harpsichord and glass percussion Kontakt instruments.
The opening section contain
solely harpsichord in three different layers encompassing a chordal layer, a bass line and
an upper sequenced layer. These layers dissipate and the bass line re-enters underneath
the main melody of the composition which is played by the glass percussion instrument.
At this point, the Fabfilter distortion and saturation plugin 'Saturn'48 begins to effect the
harpsichord bass line, which becomes more comparable to an electric guitar than a
harpsichord. Percussive elements and rising 'fx' sounds are incorporated at this point to
build energy to the apex of the section. The 'fx' sounds here are created by manipulating
the pitch of a cordless drill samples, and by utilizing the same loop manipulation
technique previously mentioned in section 5.1. (Fig. 52 and Fig 53).
At 2.08, more rhythmic percussive loops, kick drum and a lower bass line using the organ
bass pedals are also introduced at this climactic part of the section.
Many of these
elements once again fade at 2.44, transitioning to a quieter section primarily featuring
percussion and a chordal sequence played with a non-vibrato multi-sampled organ . The
main melody is reintroduced at 3.03 to this sparser arrangement before the percussion
also diminishes.
Once again, the harpsichord bass line is re-established, and the energy levels of the
composition are raised once more using percussive elements and rising 'fx' samples,
before the final climax of the piece at 3.57. From this point, elements begin to extenuate
until finally only the harpsichord remains, absorbed in a sea of reverberation.
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Chapter 6: Conclusions and Future Plans
Upon reflection of this completed thesis, some aspects of the project have opened
avenues for possible improvement and future research.
6.1 Improvements
Although this project was created with intentions of creating a sample pack with the
pinnacle of quality in mind, there is some room for improvement should there be further
additions to the project. Due to inflexible time constraints and the unavailability of the
recording studio, the samples that were captured of the harp were recorded in the practice
room in CIT Cork School of Music in which the harp is stored. Unfortunately, this room
is not as acoustically silent as the recording studio and some background noise was
inevitably captured. Two velocity layers of the harp were in fact recorded, but the soft
velocity layer was deemed to be unacceptable for inclusion as the ambient noise from the
air conditioning unit in the room was undeniably evident in the recordings.
The
recording process for the harp could indeed be revised and improved upon, and the
sampling methodology in general could be enhanced by ensuring that an adequate time
allowance is made for the process alongside acquiring suitable recording facilities for the
duration of the recording.
76
Similarly, due to the time constraints of this project it was only feasible to sample the
sustained notes of the Steinway grand piano. There are many other articulations that the
piano is capable of, and the inclusion of samples with both the una corda/soft pedal
engaged and with no pedal engaged would add a much greater depth to the instrument.
Given sufficient access to the recording studio and allowing adequate time for the
processing stage, these additional samples would be a large improvement to the multisampled instrument.
6.2 Future Plans
There is also large scope for further research and several possible advancements that
could be followed up after the completion of this project.
One of these possible
advancements would be the sampling and creation of a Steinway Model D Concert Grand
piano multi-sampled instrument.
The Model D Concert Grand is the flagship of
Steinway’s product line, and CIT Cork School of Music is fortunate enough to possess 3
of the Model D pianos. Regrettably, they were required for a variety of performances so
it was not possible to gain sufficient access to one of these pianos during the window of
time available for the recording process.
Another possible advancement to consider for the future stemmed from discussions held
with Chris Terroni during research stages prior to the recording of the Steinway piano.
Although there are many multi-sampled piano libraries on the commercial market, it was
noted that very few of them have captured the detail and intricacies of piano harmonics
accurately.
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When each note is sampled individually such as they were in this project, the recording
captures the harmonics that note produces. However, when a combination of notes is
actually played on piano, the harmonics are not simply a summation of these individual
note harmonics. Sampling individual notes does not take into account the phenomenon
of ‘sympathetic vibration’ for example whereby certain combinations can create ‘ghost’
harmonics of notes that aren’t played.
In fact, Steinway introduced a system of aliquot scaling specifically to provide
sympathetic vibration to enrich the upper register of the piano.49 Although the details and
minutiae of piano harmonics are not critical, this facet of a pianos aural sonics could
make the difference between a good multi-sampled instrument and one that sounds as
good as the genuine instrument. Research could be carried out on the possibility of
creating a multi-sampled instrument that could generate an accurate set of overtones and
harmonics dependant on the notes pressed and their velocity.
78
6.3 Conclusion
The objectives decided upon at the beginning of this thesis were concise and clear. The
primary aim was the creation of a producer sample pack to a standard comparable with a
commercial sample pack, containing one-shot samples, loops and playable multi-sampled
instruments. The proposed outcome of this objective was that the sample pack may be an
inspiration or of a beneficial value to a music producer. The secondary objective was to
compose a suite of musical pieces, using solely this producer sample pack as source
material. This would substantiate the usefulness of the sample pack, and showcase some
of the musical possibilities capable using merely the included content.
In this respect, it is hoped that the accompanying collection of compositions sufficiently
establish that the sample pack is indeed of benefit to a producer, and that the wide range
of sounds and playable multi-sampled instruments may provide additional sonic palettes
and inspiration.
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Chapter 7: Appendices
Appendix 1:
USB stick submitted with thesis, the contents of which are as follows:
01- Producer sample pack
02- Suite of compositions (.wav format)
03- Kontakt code (text file)
04-Groove extraction audio files (.wav format)
05- Cubase session files
06- PDF copy of thesis
80
Appendix 2:
The following is a breakdown of the contents of the producer sample pack as it appears
on the submitted media.
Producer Sample Pack
01-Kontakt Instruments
00-Kontakt Installation Instructions (PDF)
01-Steinway Model B
contains:
Steinway Model B (Close)
Steinway Model B (Player)
Steinway Model B (Side)
Steinway Model B (XY)
Instrument samples
02-Harpsichord
contains:
Harpsichord (Both Keyboards) +Vel
Harpsichord (Lower Keyboard) +Vel
Harpsichord (Padded Keyboard) +Vel
Harpsichord (Upper Keyboard) +Vel
Instrument samples
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03-Hammond Organ
contains:
Bass Pedals
Hammond Organ (Percussion Mode)
Low Keyboard (Non Vibrato)
Low Keyboard (Vibrato)
Low Keyboard (Vibrato-Wider)
Upper Keyboard (Non Vibrato)
Upper Keyboard (Vibrato)
Upper Keyboard (Vibrato-Wider)
Instrument samples
04-Harp
contains:
Harp
Instrument samples
05-Hohner Accordion
contains:
Accordion
Instrument samples
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06-Percussion
contains:
Glass Percussion
Metal Bar
Whistling
Instrument samples
02-Samples
01-Shed Percussion
contains:
One Shots
Processed
02-Random Percussion
contains:
One Shots
Processed
03-Kitchen Percussion
contains:
One Shots
Processed
83
04-Body Percussion
contains:
One Shots
Processed
05-Percussion Loops
contains:
01-Acidized Wav Files
02-Rex Files
03-Apple Loops
06-Pads
07-Textures
84
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89