Although commercial and royalty free hip-hop beats libraries are now available for any style, authentic and truly original tracks will require original sounds, which you will have to make yourself.
Tools for creating your own samples
Hardware samplers (for example: Akai MPC One, Roland SP 404 MKII,ElektronOctatrackMKII). They are convenient because you can connect a line or microphone source to them, record the material and process it right inside the device. Everything is done in one device without any additional equipment.
DAW (Ableton,Bitwig, Studio One, Cubase, FL Studio).
The sound recording and processing capabilities of the software are limited only by the input channels of your audio card. The same card (for example: Universal Audio VOLT 2, Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen) will obviously be needed to record audio from an instrument or vinyl player. Virtual samplers built into the DAW can also be used to cut samples from finished tracks.
Recorders. Most devices (e.g. Zoom H5, Zoom H1n) are equipped with a built-in microphone for field recording and recording of acoustic instruments, as well as line and microphone inputs for recording external audio sources. To process the recordings, you will need to use a DAW or audio editor like Adobe Audition (we wrote about how to do it earlier).
Sources of samples
Vinyl records. Sampling from vinyl is a classic method of old hip-hop. Even in the 2020s, vinyl ripping hasn't lost its relevance - because vinyl records are rare and the sound has a special character.
To sample from vinyl you need a turntable, records, and a sound card or recorder. Many modern turntables (e.g: NumarkPT-01 Scratch) have a built-in phono stage and line-level outputs, allowing you to connect them directly to the card.
Digitized tracks from your collection. The easiest option in technical terms. All you need is a DAW, headphones, and a collection of downloaded tracks. You will cut samples with your internal tools.
Recording an instrument and voice. Here you need an external sound card or recorder with instrument and guitar inputs. For recording acoustic instruments or voice, you need a microphone (for example: Audio-Technica AT2020, MXL 770) and XLR input on the card. You can record in DAW or any audio editor. The format is WAV.
Youtube****. To record and sample audio from Youtube, you need software. The easiest way is to install the Sample extension for Chrome browser. It allows you to record the audio played back in the browser in 16-bit 96 kHz WAV format.
If you want a more flexible and functional tool, we recommend Audio Hijack for Mac OS or Voicemeeter Banana for Windows. These utilities allow you to deploy multiple virtual channels, perform complex routing and record the signal in different formats.
Field recording, field recording. You need a recorder, a windbreaker, and the time to go to an interesting location and record interesting material. You can record anything from engine noise to birdsong, as long as it fits your track. If you don't have the budget for a recorder, you can start recording on your smartphone.
Radio broadcasts/streaming. For those situations where you need to save an interesting other person's mixtape right on the air. The easiest way to do this is with an app on your phone - like Cue Radio, or the same Voicemeeter Banana and audio editor.
And some modern hardware samplers have a built-in FM tuner that can be used to sample material in real time - if you find something interesting on the FM waves.
Posted using Proof of Brain