“Breaks” or to give them their full title “Break Beats” are a foundational feature of music genres such as Hip-Hop, Trip-Hop, Jungle and more. But what is a “Fake Break”? In this post, we’ll demystify the concept of fake breaks and show you where you can acquire some highly convincing fakes for yourself.

Definition of a Breakbeat

Breakbeats were first conceived in the South Bronx as party rocking tools during the early days of Hip-Hop in the 1970s. Fundimentally a breakbeat is a short, rhythm-heavy section of a song where most instruments drop out, leaving only the drums. Breakbeats are known for their heavy syncopation and funky drum patterns. Originally sourced from obscure old vinyl records the concept of a breakbeat has gone on to become well-established in the music production world. Originally looped manually by DJs on two turntables the breakbeat later went on to become fully adopted during the sampling revolution of the late 80s. Breaks are now looped, chopped and reprogrammed using isolated one-shots.

All 25 volumes of the iconic Ultimate Breaks and Beats series from Street Beat records

Top 10 Iconic Break Beats

Barrys Ultimate Fakes & Beats Vol 1 by New Bap Sounds

The term fake break can be attributed to the Cornish Hip-Hop producer Si Spex who is a pioneer in this field. It refers to the recreation of vintage-sounding drums and breaks “in the box” i.e on a computer using a DAW. Drums are recreated using multi-sampled drum-modeling VSTs and plenty of processing. Vintage-modelled drum kits are fine-tuned and tweaked to replicate the sound of vintage vinyl recordings. Fake breaks can either be inspired by a classic drum break of the past or entirely original.

While live recorded breakbeat inspired drum samples far outstrip the fake alternatives on Routenote Create we have some great Fake Break offerings. Check out Volumes 1-3 of Barry’s Ultimate Fakes & Beats series as well as Crate Break Remakes for some top examples.

Why not check them out and see if you can tell the difference between a real drummer and a DAW-based rhythm ace?

Crate Break Remakes by Daytoner

Remember – RouteNote Create subscriptions start from as little as $2.99. You also get 10 FREE credits to spend on samples along with access to our FREE sample pack bundle when you sign-up!

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