Music Production

Mass Appeal has brought back acclaimed hip-hop producer DJ Dahi for a special, new episode of Rhythm Roulette. The series challenges producers to make a beat by sampling three random records, chosen from a record store while blindfolded.

Dahi, whose credits include Drake‘s “Worst Behavior,” Kendrick Lamar’s “Money Trees,” and Big Sean‘s “I Don’t F#ck With You,” produced a track using Serato’s new plugin, Sample. The software enables producers to find and manipulate samples in tracks using any DAW that supports VST and AU formats, such as Ableton Live, FL Studio, and Logic Pro.

In this episode, instead of going to a record store, Dahi went to New York City and dug through cardboard boxes in the back of a van owned by vinyl collector, Gene Brown.

Watch the video above.

Related: Watch P-Lo Make a Beat by Sampling Random Records

After much anticipation, Serato has made its new Sample plugin available to the public. The production tool has been in an exclusive beta test for the past three months.

Sample is a plugin that enables producers to find and manipulate samples in tracks using any DAW that supports VST and AU formats, such as Ableton Live, FL Studio, and Logic Pro. Sample is Serato’s first production tool since it launched Pitch ‘n Time in 1998.

The announcement was made on Monday on Serato’s blog.

“We initially launched Sample as a Beta for experienced producers to test. Feedback from this group helped us improve and cater to different producer’s needs, giving us the versatile, powerful, user-friendly plugin that’s now ready for trial and purchase.”

As an incentive, the company has offered a free 30-day trial for its users.

Download the trial or purchase Sample 1.0 here and watch Serato’s overview video above.

Related: First Look: Serato Sample

Serato made waves in April when it announced Serato Sample, the company’s first VST plugin. Since then, a select group of producers have been experimenting with it as part of an exclusive public beta.

Ryan Enzed, a DJ/producer from New Zealand, has shared a video of himself doing just that. In the clip, he makes a track with samples that he built using the VST. He offers insight into his process, as he adds layers and manipulates sounds with features like Key Shift and Time Stretch. The finished song can be heard at the end.

Enzed is no stranger to producing and sharing his knowledge. His YouTube channel, which has over 6 million views, contains numerous production tutorials. As a producer, he has released music on Dim Mak and Big Fish Recordings.

Serato recently stopped accepting applications for the beta, and there’s no word on when Sample will be released. However, Enzed’s video provides producers with an in-depth look at it in the meantime.

Watch his video above.

Related: First Look: Serato Sample

Bay Area producer and rapper P-Lo was recently featured on Mass Appeal’s Rhythm Roulette.

The series challenges producers to make a beat by sampling three random records, chosen from a record store while blindfolded.

After picking up some vinyl at New York City’s A1 Records, P-Lo headed to the studio. The process started off slow, but he ended up delivering a bouncy track, which he classified as a “collar popper.”

Born in Pinole, California, P-Lo rose to prominence in 2013 after producing the singles “Act Right” for Yo Gotti and “Bout Me” for Wiz Khalifa. In 2008, he co-founded the HBK Gang, a collective whose members include Kehlani, Sage The Gemini, and IamSu. His recent album, More Than Anything, features tracks with E-40 and G-Eazy.

Watch P-Lo on Rhythm Roulette above.

Related: Watch David Banner Make a Song With Random Records

Rising Canadian producer Eestbound recently sat down with Genius to discuss producing Travis Scott’s 2015 hit, “Antidote.” The song, which peaked at No. 16 on Billboard’s Hot 100, was certified triple platinum in April 2017.

Eestbound recounted how he and co-producer, WondaGurl, stumbled upon on Lee Fields & The Expressions’ “All I Need,” which they used as the song’s main sample. He also discussed how his simplistic approach to producing the song helped fuel its creative process.

Watch the video above.

Related: The Making of Childish Gambino’s ‘Redbone’

Swedish producer and songwriter Ludwig Göransson recently broke down Childish Gambino‘s single “Redbone” for Genius’ Deconstructed series. The track, which serves as the second single off the rapper’s Awaken, My Love! album, has been certified platinum.

Göransson discussed his and Gambino’s creative process along with the structure and elements of the song. As many fans have noticed, it sounds a lot like Bootsy Collins’ 1976 classic, “I’d Rather Be With You.” Göransson didn’t mention Collins by name, though he did acknowledge Funkadelic, which Bootsy was a member of.

Watch the video above.

Related: How Marian Hill’s ‘Down’ Was Produced

Mass Appeal has featured veteran rapper and producer David Banner in their latest installment of Rhythm Roulette. The series challenges producers to make a beat by sampling three random records, chosen from a record store while blindfolded.

The Mississippi native made history in the episode, becoming the first artist to have his Rhythm Roulette track officially released. The song, which is titled “Paper,” is out now on Mass Appeal Records. It features vocals from rapper Tricky LT 45 and co-production from Burroughs and Gensu Dean, who are all seen in the episode.

The track was produced using vinyl from Atlanta’s Wax n’ Facts.

Banner is best known for his hit singles “Play” and the Chris Brown-assisted “Get Like Me.” He is set to release his first album since 2010, The God Box, on May 19.

Watch the episode above.

Related: Watch Tuxedo Make a Beat With Random Records

Producers have been eager to get their hands on Serato Sample ever since its introduction last week. The plugin is currently in private beta, though, which means that not everyone who applies will be accepted.

Thankfully, Mojaxx has given a “first look” at Sample to provide an overview of its features and clear up any confusion.

Watch above and apply for the beta on Serato’s website.

Related: Serato Announces Public Beta for New Sampler Plugin

Serato has launched the public beta of Serato Sample, a new plugin for producers. The plugin brings some of the best features of Serato to the production world.

Sample enables producers to find and manipulate samples in tracks with leading music production software such as Ableton Live, FL Studio, Logic Pro, and Maschine. It also works in other DAWs, although they’re currently not supported.

Sample differs from other plugins of its kind in a couple of ways. Firstly, it’s based on an improved version of Serato DJ’s familiar cue point workflow. Secondly, it enables producers to instantly find samples in a track with a feature called Autoset. And thirdly, it enables producers to detect and shift the key of a track with Serato’s Pitch ‘n Time technology.

In an announcement on their website, Serato CEO Young Ly said,

“Over the years we’ve seen huge growth in the crossover between DJing and producing, so it feels like a natural next step for us to return to the world of production. And in turn, it made sense to leverage our successful plugin, Pitch ‘n Time.”

The plugin has already been praised by notable DJ/producers.

“This is insane,” DJ Jazzy Jeff wrote on Instagram. “If you sample, this is a total game changer!”

DJ Dahi, whose produced for Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, and Drake, said, “I like being able to get the ideas out quickly. You can’t hold on to music; this helps you get it out.”

The public beta is currently only available to experienced producers. You can find out if you make the cut by applying at Serato’s website.

Watch Serato’s introductory video below.

Related: Serato DJ 1.9.6 Now Available

You may have noticed that many of Pharrell Williams‘ productions begin the same way. That’s because he has a signature four-count intro that he’s used throughout his career.

The technique loops the first beat of the song four times. The track then begins after the fourth count.

In honor of his 44th birthday, Genius has put together a video that highlights a few of his most famous productions that use the technique. It includes songs you may not have known that he produced, such as Frank Ocean’s “Sweet Life” and Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright.”

Check out the examples above.

Related: Pharrell Talks Politics and Music Business on ‘The Breakfast Club’