Hands playing a lit pad sampler on a lap in front of a foam wall

CH 01 · Course

“I find a loop I love and then have no idea what to do to it.”

The course that answers it

Sample Craft: Chopping, Flipping, Layering

42 lessons · 9 h 48 min · 6 units · 24 months of access

What it is

Finding, slicing and re-sequencing sound, from dusty records to your own recordings, and making a sample your own rather than a copy.

What is inside

  1. 01Chopping, pitching and time-stretching shown on a sampler and in a DAW
  2. 02Flips built from field recordings, kitchen sounds and your own instrument takes
  3. 03Layering and filtering so a sample sits behind a vocal instead of fighting it
  4. 04A short module on keeping a library you can actually search

The units, in order

Running time is how long the video lasts by the end of each unit, at about 14 minutes a lesson.

  1. Unit 01 · lessons 1–6

    Listening for what to take

    6 lessons · 1 h 24 min

    Running total 1 h 24 min

  2. Unit 02 · lessons 7–14

    Slicing and the grid

    8 lessons · 1 h 52 min

    Running total 3 h 16 min

  3. Unit 03 · lessons 15–22

    Pitch, time and character

    8 lessons · 1 h 52 min

    Running total 5 h 8 min

  4. Unit 04 · lessons 23–30

    Layering without mud

    8 lessons · 1 h 52 min

    Running total 7 h

  5. Unit 05 · lessons 31–37

    Recording your own sources

    7 lessons · 1 h 38 min

    Running total 8 h 38 min

  6. Unit 06 · lessons 38–42

    Building a library

    5 lessons · 1 h 10 min

    Running total 9 h 48 min

By the end you will be able to…

  1. Turn a four-bar loop into three genuinely different ideas
  2. Chop to a grid without the result sounding quantised
  3. Record and process your own source material

Is it for you?

Who this suits

  • Beat-makers working from loops, and anyone building tracks from found sound.
  • You are happy to learn by watching, pausing and trying things in your own software or equipment.
  • You can give it about 3 hours a week, which is roughly 4 weeks of video, before time spent practising.

Who should wait

  • You want a teacher to answer questions or mark your work. The course is recorded: there is no tutor and nothing is marked.
  • You need a certificate or an accreditation. None is issued.
  • You want files to keep. Lessons are streamed only and cannot be downloaded; access lasts 24 months.
  • You already finish tracks and your problem is how they sound. The shelf called Making it sound right is a better place to begin.

Pairs with

Questions about this course

How much time should I set aside?

There are 42 lessons in 6 units, 9 h 48 min of video in all. At the suggested 3 hours a week that is about 4 weeks of watching. The time you spend trying things yourself comes on top, and you can go faster or slower.

How does access work, and can I download the lessons?

You watch online, streamed through your browser. The lessons cannot be downloaded. Access lasts 24 months, and your access details arrive by email within one working day of payment. If they do not, tell us in the chat and we will look into it.

Will anyone check my work?

No. This is a recorded course: there is no tutor and nothing is marked. End-of-unit prompts are answered on screen for your own benefit. If you want to know whether the course covers something before you buy, ask in the chat or use the contact page.