Lesson 4 of 12Music ProductionBeginner

Using the quick sampler

10:47

Aamir Yaqub introduces Logic's Quick Sampler, how to load a sound, slice it on its transients and map the slices across your keyboard to play.

Part of the courseLogic Pro: Sampling, Finishing & Mixing a Track12 lessons (0h 56m)

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Aamir YaqubYour guruAamir Yaqub

What's in the course

12 lessons (0h 56m) · 1 free
    • 01. Welcome to sampling

      Free lesson

      0:54

    • 02. Intro to sampling

      3:34

    • 03. A brief outline of copyright law

      4:37

    • 04. Using the quick sampler

      You are here

      10:47

    • 05. Intro to the Sampler

      3:47

Lesson transcript

Music Lesson: Working with Logic Sampler

Selecting Sounds

  • Let's start by working with some drums.
  • I'm going to drag a sound here, but I won't drop it onto the audio track like usual.
  • Instead, I'm going to drag it to Quick Sampler Original.

Opening the Sampler

  • This action opens the sampler interface.
  • Here, I can choose different modes within the sampler:
    • Classic Mode: Retriggers the sample.
    • One Shot Mode
    • Slice Mode: This is what we'll focus on now.
    • Recording Mode: To record directly into the sampler.

Slice Mode

  • Let's examine Slice Mode.
  • My audio sample has been sliced into segments based on transients (sharp peaks in the sound).
  • You can adjust sensitivity using the slider for different chop results.

Keyboard Mapping

  • The slices are mapped across my keyboard.
  • When I use musical typing, I can trigger different slices based on the transients.

Beat Divisions

  • Beat Divisions divides samples into beats according to the tempo.
  • For instance, I could have slices for one beat each, which is useful for already defined tempos.
  • This allows for pattern re-triggering within my arrangement page.

Additional Options

  • In the sampler, I have options to:
    • Add LFOs
    • Adjust pitch (coarse/semitones and fine/sense)
    • Use filters
    • Modify amplitude and polyphony.

Working with Slices

  • I can trigger individual slices or consolidate them.
  • Instead of using a drum machine, I can creatively manipulate drum samples.
  • For instance, let's experiment with a lower tempo of 100 BPM.

Quantization

  • If I play something imprecisely, I can use quantization to align notes to the nearest 16th note.
  • This tracks as MIDI data triggered by my sampler.

Adding Instruments

  • Next, I'll find a consistent hi-hat sound.
  • I can manipulate slices in the sampler to create new sounds.

Adjusting Velocity

  • Using the velocity tool, I can adjust the dynamics of the hits for better sound quality.

Introducing Vocals

  • Now, let's work with a vocal sample.
  • I'll drag it to Quick Sampler Optimized.
  • The system will optimize based on the sound dropped into it.

Filtering and Pitch Adjustment

  • I will set the polyphony to mono, apply a filter, and pitch it down by an octave for creativity.

Notes on Pitch and Tempo

  • When adjusting pitch:
    • Playing a higher note speeds up the tempo.
    • A lower note slows it down.
  • This is essential to keep in mind while working with sampler instruments.

Final Thoughts

  • Starting with an unrecognizable sound can lead to unique sonic creations.
  • Always remember to apply effects, such as reverb, adjusting the wet amount to stylize your audio.

This concludes our exploration of using the Logic Sampler for creative music production!

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Meet your guru

Aamir Yaqub

Aamir Yaqub

Aamir Yaqub is a music producer and engineer based in London. He has worked with some of the biggest names in music, including Alicia Keys, David Guetta, Rihanna, Sia and will.i.am, as well as developing independent artists.

Across his courses he teaches his complete Logic Pro workflow - from the interface and recording through beat-making, synthesis and MIDI effects to mixing and finishing a track.

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