When it comes to beatmakers and Hip-Hop producers it’s fair to say that YouTube is awash. But not many are in their fifties, use a UFO to navigate their DAW and look like that questionable uncle nobody mentions. Enter Barry Beats AKA Si Spex. In this article, we take a look at one of Barry’s most recent offerings. In this video tutorial, he showcases a particularly interesting Sampling Technique.

The video title offers a bold claim – How to make any Sample usable. On first glance you would be excused for thinking that this is some class A clickbaiting. Watching the first 30 seconds however, confirms that Barry really has transformed a pretty dodgy sample into a Hip-Hop winner! The sample choice is almost as random as some of Barry’s early 80s-inspired wardrobe. He plucks out some jovial German Umpahh-inspired music. But what is the secret sauce that helps Barry Beats turn this musical Turkey into a proper head nodder?

Barry’s Secret Sampling Technique?

The technique Barry Beats employs is a combination of skilful chopping and more importantly Musical scale transformation. We are invited to buckle into Barry’s sampling spaceship as he proceeds to feed the Umpahh sample into Melodyne by Celemony. Because Melodyne splits and isolates every individual note contained in the sample these notes can then be shifted about with ease. You can therefore manipulate the audio to replay the sample in a totally different musical scale. And that’s exactly what Barry does to the Umpah sample, employing an Arabic scale. This transforms the sample from a happy-sounding affair to a slightly moodier beast.

Once the sample’s scale is transformed it’s then chopped into pieces and re-programmed to some Banging Boom Bap Drums. The result is an undeniable neck snapper. But don’t just take our word for it. Check out the video for yourself and see how this Sampling technique has the potential to completely transform the sound and mood of a musical sample.

And if you liked what Barry did in this vid why not check out some of his original samples here on RouteNote Create. You can also check out some of his music here or follow him on these socials… https://www.facebook.com/Si.Spex/
https://www.instagram.com/sispex/

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