Where do you get your samples from? Can you suggest a good digital recorder?

Cyc

Bluelighter
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Sep 11, 2000
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So I'm in the market for a new field recorder. Possibly a Zoom H4n or an Olympus LS-11 if I can find someone to ship to Canada. Basically, I want to know how people get samples for their work. I dabble in ambient, organic, glitchy, whoosy, sci-fi, surreal type of stuff. One of the biggest challenges I'm finding is getting original sample material to add to my tracks.

Of course, there are multiple ways to create samples. You can cut a piece out of a song or a movie, modify an existing sample, or record your surroundings (my personal favourite). You can download thousands of free themed samples online, or buy them. But I always have this very specific idea of what I want my noise to sound like. Recreating that noise accurately is difficult and frustrating, and I don't want to scroll through thousands of pre-recorded samples while my idea slowly dies.

It would be good to know how some professional producers come up with their samples, and when they get an idea, how they are able to remain true to it with the tools they have available. I always imagined they snatched bits and pieces from their favourite songs' waveforms, and incorporated them into their own work.

All suggestions welcome.
 
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I have a Boss BR 800, needs batteries for field recording, but I'm pretty sure it'd work pretty nicely. Has built in stereo mics and you could always toss in a SM57 for recording something specific.

Maybe find a good contact mic?

Also maybe fool around in the "studio" taking found objects and natural reverb can produce interesting results.
 
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