Record Pools for Samplers and Loopers
Build a Sample Library with the Latest Tunes
If you depend on samples for live performance and remixing, you would probably agree that searching for music is time consuming. In addition to the search itself, you then have to take into consideration the sound quality and the portion of the song that you wish to sample. Do you only need the a cappella without the beat? Perhaps it’s the other way around, and you need the beat without the singing. Or, maybe your set calls for a loop from the original composition. Whatever the scenario, you should consider using a digital record pool to build your sample library.
Webinar: Creating Beats & Loops for Live Performance. 2013/7/9 at 3:00pm PST
What is a Record Pool?
“A music pool or DJ pool is a regionalized and centralized method of music distribution that allows DJs to receive promotional music to play in nightclubs. The music industry sends its newest releases to the pool of DJs; in exchange, the pool provides feedback on each release as well as exposure in their clubs.” – Wikipedia.org
As described above, record pools are reserved for those who play music to a wide audience. As long as you meet their membership requirements, you have access to high quality digital MP3s of the latest music.
A record pool to samplers and loopers is what Axial is to Roland synthesizers. Where as Axial provides a sound library (patches) for synths, a record pool provides a sound library for samplers and loopers in the form of full songs, instrumentals and a cappellas.
Don’t Settle for Less…
There are many record pools out there. Some cater more to specific genres than others. ZipDJ, however, has an extensive catalog of underground and mainstream music. It has a huge selection of house, trance, drum & bass, dubstep, breaks and other EDM sub-genres alongside top-40 music. They even have a section for Latin music, which is non-existing or very limited in some record pools. Country, rock and alternative also have a presence here. In other words, selection is not an issue. There are more than 1,000 record labels from around the globe that submit music to this record pool.
With such an expansive library one would assume that finding music would be less time consuming, but it isn’t. This actually presents the problem of too much selection. ZipDJ has solved this issue by creating an easy-to-use website with lots of sorting and searching options. You can search by genre, artist, release, mix, music charts and even DJ playlists, giving users 24-7 access to the latest music trends.
Samples in Use…
With the SP-404SX and SP-555, you can import audio files from your computer and assign them to the pads. In addition to the endless supply of loops you can pack into these samplers, you can also create your own tracks in real time with the pattern sequencer. Add to that an a capella of your choosing, and you have the potential for endless remixing possibilities. Create a trap remix from a rock tune or a house remix from a hip-hop song. Check out this video by wantmohr of Aretha Franklin and Jay-Z remixed on the SP-404SX. Perhaps the easiest way to understand what we’re trying to describe is to watch the following video of Mike Acosta on the SP-555 sampler. In this video, Mike creates a mashup composition using a cappellas, instrumentals, movie samples and loops.
Published by Michael Trance
Michael is a DJ and producer who has played all across the U.S. and overseas. His production and remix credits include artists such as Coldplay, Rihanna, Black Eyed Peas, Ke$ha, Enrique Iglesias, Cobra Starship, Calvin Harris and Ne-Yo to name a few. His eclectic mixes are also available to download for free on SoundCloud.
Are you a member of a record pool that we should know about? Drop us a comment with a link to your pool of choice.
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August 12, 2013 @ 9:32 am
Thanks for the post.
I wanted to ask, are there are any previous blog posts about properly adding audio files to your memory card (for a SP-404), naming conventions and formatting, so that they can be used in my sampler?
I’ve had some difficulty in the past try to take an audio file from my computer, adding it to the memory card, and then getting that audio file to work in one of the banks of my 404.
Is it a formatting issue? is it related to naming conventions or file types? Any help would be much appreciated, as I’m interested in online sample and loops libraries.
Sincerely and forever sampling records on my 404,
Johnny
August 12, 2013 @ 10:27 am
Hi Johnny, this is the first post mentioning the SP-404. Sounds like a good topic to cover in a future post. In the meantime, I forwarded this comment to our product support team for some pointers. Please stand by for a response.
August 12, 2013 @ 11:03 am
many thanks!
August 13, 2013 @ 11:52 am
Hi Johnny,
This could be a formatting or naming issue. The SP-404 is able to read and import .wav or aiff files and they must be 16-bit and have a sampling rate of 44.1kHz. If you are downloading samples, many of the currently available offerings are using different bit levels or sampling rates.
Also, the SP-404 expects to see the names with the .wav or .aif extension (some Macs may not add this to the name automatically).
If you have a file or two in the future that you are having problems with, you can send them to us and we can try them on our end also.
Best Regards,
Product Support
Roland Corp. U.S.