Welcome to Sampling Week

The concept of sampling is one that we’re all familiar with, but it means different things to different people.

For some, it’s about taking a loop from a well- or little-known song and using it as the basis for a new track. Others prefer to process their samples until they’re completely unrecognisable, seeing them as a starting point for experimental sound design. And then there’s multisampling, the art of recording an instrument at a wide range of velocities and pitches so that it can be replayed across a keyboard.

We could go on, but the upshot of all this is that most of us, sometimes without even thinking about it, use sampling in one way or another. In celebration of this fact - and with the aim of expanding your creative horizons - MusicRadar is bringing you Sampling Week, a five-day blowout of tutorials, tips, features and - of course - samples.

We’ll update this page with new content as it’s published, so keep checking back throughout the week.

Sampling Week

10 ways to get creative with your sample packs

20 hardware samplers that changed music production forever

9 ways to improve your multisampling skills

How creating custom sample collections can speed up your workflow

The top 10 most unlikely sample sources

How to create a multisampled patch from a monosynth

10 old-school sampling tricks that still sound great today

10 classic sample libraries that changed music

How to perform MPC-style sampling tricks using Ableton Push 2

SampleRadar: 1,338 free female vocal samples

What are the best hardware samplers in the world?

10 songs that have been sampled to death

SampleRadar: 475 free crate digger's samples

8 ways to get more out of your samples

11 golden rules if you want to replay a sample

Vocal acapella masterclass

The 16 best software samplers in the world today

SampleRadar: 252 free bendy bassline samples

MusicRadar

MusicRadar is the number one website for music-makers of all kinds, be they guitarists, drummers, keyboard players, DJs or producers...

  • GEAR: We help musicians find the best gear with top-ranking gear round-ups and high-quality, authoritative reviews by a wide team of highly experienced experts.
  • TIPS: We also provide tuition, from bite-sized tips to advanced work-outs and guidance from recognised musicians and stars.
  • STARS: We talk to musicians and stars about their creative processes, and the nuts and bolts of their gear and technique. We give fans an insight into the craft of music-making that no other music website can.