What To Look For In A Good Drum Sample File

If you are locked in the studio hours upon hours working on that next hit

, the creative process can be hectic. Luckily, technology has made it easier to record and put music together in a flash. However you need to still have a great sense of putting good sounds together. Below are some key things to look for when looking for good drum samples.

How Does it Sound:

Probably the most important factor when choosing a sound is does it sound right for the song? Does the drum sample sit right with the other instruments, or lead vocal? You want drums that from the start go well with the track before any additional mixing or editing is required. For example, a hard kick drum might go well with a rock track, but probably not so well for an easy listening lounge track.

Is it in Key:

This is another important factor whenever you choose your drum sample. The drums should almost always be in the right key with the song. For example, if you have a kick drum and bass-line that are off key tremendously, it can make the song sound horrible or give it a different feel. Using proper software and various tools, you can adjust the pitch or transpose the drum sound to fit with the song. Some sounds just go naturally with most tracks, so you should pay attention to any drums that are affecting the track.

Does it Need to be Edited:

Sometimes, you may come across the perfect sound for your track, but it may need a few edits or may not be in the right format. Most samplers, keyboards, and digital audio workstations accept files in the universal format "44.1 Khz, 16 bit wave file". It's wise to convert all your drums into this format beforehand so your creative process is uninterrupted. Sometimes when you record a drummer or hear a sound, it has noise at the end or has sound blending with other instruments. You can cut the file down to a smaller size, eq the frequency to reduce the noise, or run a gate to reduce some hiss you might hear. You want to mix your drums to work with your song. For example, if you have a kick drum in the low end frequency, and you want to add a Tr-808 kick, you probably have to eq each drum properly so they don't clash and affect and phase within your mix.

These tips should really help you on what to look for in good drum samples. Make sure at the end of the day, your ears make the final decision with whatever samples you choose.

by: Mike Sinton

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