Soul has been the heart of sampling for decades, from the boom bap era through chipmunk soul to the loop-heavy records of today. The approach hasn't changed much. You find a moment that moves you, and you build a new record around it.
This guide covers the whole process. Each part has its own deep dive if you want more.
Before anything else: taste
I'll be honest with you. The most important tool in sampling isn't your DAW or your sampler. It's your taste.
Taste is what tells you which two bars of a record are worth building on, and when a chop is finished. Nobody can hand it to you. You build it by listening, a lot, including to records you don't get yet. Go and find the samples behind your favorite beats and you'll slowly start to hear why they work.
It takes time, and that's fine. Everyone who's good at this went through a stretch of making beats they'd rather forget. Keep listening and keep making things, and your ear will catch up with your ambition.
1. Choose the right source
A great soul sample usually has at least one of these:
- An open moment: a few bars where the arrangement breathes, without vocals over everything.
- Strong chords: rich, emotional harmony you can loop without it getting boring.
- A melodic phrase: a horn line, a guitar lick or a vocal ad-lib that can become a hook.
- Character: you can hear the tape and the room. That's what makes it feel like a record.
2. Loop or chop?
You have two basic approaches:
- Looping takes a section and repeats it. It keeps the groove and feel of the original, and it's where a lot of classic records started.
- Chopping cuts the sample into pieces and rearranges them into something new. It's more work, and it's how you make a sample yours.
Most modern soul beats use a bit of both. Here's the full breakdown of how to chop a sample.
3. Get the tempo and key right
When you speed a sample up by playing it faster, its pitch goes up too. That's the classic sped-up soul sound, where everything gets brighter and the vocals go slightly chipmunk. Slowing down does the opposite: darker and heavier.
You can also time-stretch (change tempo without changing pitch) or pitch-shift (change key without changing tempo). Those sound cleaner but less like a record. Try both and trust your ears.
4. Filter and EQ
Soul samples are full-range recordings: they already have bass, drums and everything else in them. To make room for your own drums and bass:
- Cut the low end of the sample, usually somewhere below 100 to 200 Hz, so your kick and bass aren't fighting it.
- Tame harsh mids if the sample gets shrill once it's sped up.
- Try a low-pass filter for the intro or a breakdown, then open it up when the drums come in.
5. Build drums that fit
Drums are where soul flips go wrong most often. A few rules:
- Match the era. Crisp modern drums can sound wrong over a sample that feels like it came off vinyl. Saturate or filter them to sit in the same world.
- Leave space. If the sample has a busy rhythm, keep your drums simple.
- Swing it. A bit of swing on your hi-hats and snares often locks drums into a live sample far better than straight timing.
6. Make it yours
A great flip does something the original didn't, like a new chord order or a hook built out of a fragment. That's covered in how to flip a sample so it sounds like yours.
7. Use stems if you have them
If your sample comes with stems (the separate parts: keys, bass, horns, vocals), you can mute, rebalance and process each part on its own. It's a huge advantage. See how to use stems when you sample.
8. Know it's cleared
The last step is the one people skip: making sure you're allowed to release it. Sampling an old record means clearing the sample. Sampling something made for sampling means you can just release the song.
Questions producers ask
What makes a good soul sample?
Usually an open section without busy vocals, and chords strong enough to loop without getting boring. Some character in the original recording helps too.
Why do producers speed up soul samples?
Playing a sample faster raises its tempo and its pitch together, which gives the bright, urgent sound heard on a lot of classic soul-based hip hop.
Should I loop or chop a soul sample?
Both work. Looping keeps the feel of the original; chopping lets you rearrange it into something new. Most modern soul beats use a bit of each.
Do I need to clear soul samples?
If you sample an existing record, yes: you need permission from the recording and song owners. Samples made for sampling, like Soul Sample Club's, come pre-cleared.
Skip the paperwork
Original soul, cleared before you press play.
Every sound in Soul Sample Club is an original composition, pre-cleared for commercial releases. Download it, flip it, release it. Nothing to negotiate.
Chris, Founder of Soul Sample Club
Producer and the person behind Looplair and Soul Sample Club. I started SSC so producers could sample soul without the clearance headache.
Keep reading
Sample clearance: the complete guide for producers
What sample clearance actually is, who you need permission from, and what happens if you skip it. Written by a producer, for producers.
How to chop a sample
How to chop samples cleanly: where to cut, how to avoid clicks, how many slices to make, and how to rearrange chops into something new.
How to flip a sample so it sounds like yours
Techniques for flipping a sample into something original: new chord orders, pitch and tempo changes, layering, texture and arrangement.