What Does It Mean to Resample in Music Production?
Digital audio music files have changed the music production industry. Instead of recording music onto magnetic tape and recording over a track to add depth or special effects, digital studios can drop special effects onto an editable layer and merge sound files without distorting a note. Resampling is one of the techniques used while producing music digitally.
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Linear Editing
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Digital linear editing is a technique music producers use to work with either one track or just a clip of a track. Because the files are digital, they can be manipulated without the performer replaying an instrument or repeating a verse. Files are laid down as distinct pieces of a total musical performance and later merged to form a completed song or output. Linear digital editing saves studio and production time and is a cornerstone of the resampling process.
Samples and Loops
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If a song has a consistent element, such as a drum beat or background bass guitar riff, the musician can play the entire element while the producer records what's called a sample. For example, if a bass riff lasts 16 measures and then repeats, the musician only needs to record the 16 measures. In a digital editing suite, the producer can loop the 16-measure riff and repeat it throughout the song. The musician is then free to write an intro and conclusion to the piece. Using this process, the possibility of making a mistake in the middle of the song is eliminated.
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Resampling
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The rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd played with three lead guitarists who were so perfectly in sync, they could lay down a track and then record over the track while playing the same music. The process gave their music depth and a resonant quality other 1980s rock groups couldn't match. Resampling describes the same process, performed digitally. A sample of a recorded track is laid into a separate, editable file. The sample is manipulated and then laid back over the original to give the finished production a unique depth.
Production Output
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Resampling results in an audio file containing many perfectly matched layers. A single track of the song can be played though normally, then resampled with both heavy bass and treble versions. When the three tracks are combined, the final product becomes something the original was not. Vocals can be resampled in addition to instruments. For example, producers can add reverb, eliminate unwanted tones or add a techno-sound to the vocal track. As a result, the singer's voice can become unique and establishing her own brand and identity.
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